“If you want to get a deal done as an entrepreneur, you can create the narrative that rationalizes your bias. And so when I call (references), I’ll give you some questions that I asked, I think the most salient piece of information is, okay, tell me a time when you were low, or that you had a transition? What did they do for you?”
— Hooman Radfar (Founder & CEO @Collective)

Today’s guest is Hooman Radfar, Founder & CEO at Collective (backed by General Catalyst, QED, Google’s Gradient Ventures, and Expa). Collective's vision is to increase the number of financially successful businesses-of-one by enabling self-employed people to focus on their passion not their paperwork.

Having been on the VC-side of the table, Hooman really understands how incentives at the capital level impact every aspect of company-building. Aside from sharing insights on the market and how Collective was born, Hooman shares his unique approach to company building, covering some of the most important pillars of any startup: 1) Fundraising and 2) Relationships.

The outsized opportunities in the small-business market.
How to dissolve bias when selecting your VC/Investor partners.
Back to basics— doing business with people you have strong relationships with.
Building things for the love of building!