Ian Johnson

Multiple Companies

Selected client work:

Paramount Pictures: (Fractional Product Lead) Designing the software for greenlighting movies.
ChatLabs: (Fractional CPO) 
Tonic Labs: (Fractional Product Lead) Working with leadership at high-growth startups in Fintech, Genomic Breeding, and Recruitment on product strategy and execution. 
Ultra VC: (Validating demand, pricing, and UXR Strategies) Advised 2023 batch of companies on strategies for validating demand, pricing, and execution of user research. 
Titans Legal: (AI Product Strategy) Consulting on Gen AI implementation strategy for major law firms.
Helios: (Product Strategy) Enabling anyone, anywhere, to profit from saving our planet through Solar investment.

Product Management Consultant

On Deck

Founder Fellow

Lasso (Acquired)

A pioneering AI-powered platform designed to redefine the creator marketing space for SaaS marketers. By facilitating the efficient discovery, management, and performance analysis of millions of creator profiles, Lasso enhances marketing strategies with data-driven insights and automates key processes to measure ROI effectively.

Co-Founder and CEO

Flow Commerce (acquired by Global-e)

The leading platform for cross-border ecommerce, enabling SMB brands to go global and technology that powers Shopify's native cross-border ecommerce platform (Shopify Markets Pro). Selected by Shopify through competitive RFP as sole technology provider for native cross-border ecommerce API/capabilities.

Responsible for product strategy that helped scale and grow some of the fastest-growing DTC brands in the world.

Flow is a SaaS platform that enables retailers to sell and expand internationally, providing end-to-end functionality, including localized pricing, marketing and payments, tax and duty calculation, and global logistics. Supported by venture partners, including Bain Capital Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, and Fung Capital.

Principal Product Manager

Senior Product Manager

Showtime Analytics

Responsible for the product portfolio of business intelligence, customer, and marketing analytics products for Showtime Analytics and Showtime's joint venture with Alibaba Pictures in China.

Showtime Analytics is a SaaS platform aimed at providing the movie industry with an intelligent software solution that is built to understand, communicate, and optimize relationships with moviegoers. Showtime Analytics is supported by partners including Alibaba Pictures and comscore.

VP of Product Management

Accenture

Consultant at Accenture experienced working with large organizations in the technology & financial services industries. 

Client work included;
- Product Marketing Production lead for EMEA at Google 
- Product lead at global financial institutions 
- Analytics and reporting across ad tech sectors

Consultant @Google

Management Consulting Analyst 

eir Ireland

Programme manager of eir's Customer Experience (CX) programme for eir Technology.

Program Manager

Business Operations Specialist

Product leader specializing in helping B2B SaaS and Consumer companies explore new segments, tap into emerging markets, and scale up existing ones.

Key Clients include;
ChatLabs by Writingmate.ai: (Product Strategy and GTM) Bringing private, secure, and customizable AI models in one place.

Paramount Pictures: (Fractional Product Lead) Designed the software used to greenlight movies.

Tonic Labs: (Fractional Product Lead) Working with leadership at high-growth startups in Fintech, Genomic Breeding, and Recruitment on product strategy and execution. 

Ultra VC: (Validating demand, pricing, and UXR Strategies) Advised 2023 batch of companies on strategies for validating demand, pricing, and execution of user research. 

Helios: (Product Strategy) Enabling anyone, anywhere, to profit from saving our planet through Solar investment. 

Track record of enabling B2B SaaS companies to accelerate their path to product-market fit through hands-on product strategy development, rapid experimentation, and execution. 

Designing processes and systems that enable high-growth teams to leverage market and user research to quickly ship the right solutions to end users.

Leveraging experience spanning pre-seed startups to Fortune 500s, including other collaborations with Andreessen Horowitz and ReFace.

For fractional or speaking engagements, please email contact @ ianjohnson.io

If sending a connection request, please include a note.

Founder

Shaun Gold is a true polymath, recognized for his broad expertise and diverse accomplishments across multiple industries. He is an entrepreneur, investor, and top 1% Ghostwriter for VCs and founders whose career spans startups, venture capital, entertainment, and media. A 2x Amazon Best-Selling Author and international speaker, he blends storytelling and strategy to elevate the voices of today’s top founders and investors.

Known early as The Nightlife Ninja for his inventive approach to media, luxury, and events, Shaun has since built a reputation for combining wit and wisdom with a sharp ability to connect people, capital, and ideas. His work at OpenVC reaches 40,000+ monthly readers, and as a General Partner at Improve Ventures, he backs emerging market founders while also running a joint venture with Point Capital focused on startup secondaries ($10M+ SPVs).

Shaun is also the creator of But Shaun, a “venture comedy” brand that blends humor with hard truths about startups, VCs, and the technology ecosystem. His viral posts bring levity and perspective to the often-overhyped world of tech, giving founders and investors a reason to laugh while learning.

As one of the most sought-after ghostwriters in tech and VC, Shaun crafts high-impact content for B2B executives, startup founders, and venture capitalists, generating millions of impressions monthly and helping clients stand out in noisy markets.

Highlights:

Featured as a case study in Contemporary Entrepreneurship (Routledge Press)

Startup mentor and speaker at Founders Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator

Guest lecturer at top universities including Georgetown, Columbia, Notre Dame, and Miami

Speaker at panels hosted by StartupGrind, Cofounders Lab, and Founder’s Network

Author of four books, including the bestsellers Promoter Mind Hustler Heart and Better Be U

Beyond business, Shaun is developing original creative work, including a screenplay (currently in pre-production) and an animated series featuring household names in sports and business.

If you’d like to connect, please include a quick note on what you do and how we might collaborate.

Shaun Gold

If you’re going to build a startup, learn the difference between pre-seed and seed. Hint: it’s not just rich people paying for your delusion.

“But Shuaaaannnn my advisor says we are worth $30 million so we can’t be pre-seed, right?”

Sure, sport. Why not just skip everything and go straight to pre-IPO for your AI for walnuts app?

Let me make this clear so that every early stage startup gets it.

Pre-seed is when you have an idea and a pitch deck, but no product, no users, and your “team” is just you and your co-founder working out of a coffee shop with one shared laptop and a latte with two straws.

You’re basically convincing investors that your idea is worth paying rent for.

Seed is when you actually have something that works. Maybe a few beta users. Maybe even a paying customer (your cousin counts here).

Now you’re raising money to build a real product, hire actual employees, and prove that your idea is more than just “Uber, but for hamsters.”

Pre-seed is about survival. Seed is about scale.

At pre-seed, you’re selling the concept.

At seed, you’re selling the proof that the dream might not be total delusion.

So next time someone says they’re “between pre-seed and seed,” what they really mean is, “I have a half-built prototype, a few DMs from angels, and unlimited confidence.”

You can call it whatever you want. The IRS still calls it “unemployed.”

#startup #founders #venturecapital

VC (Venture Comedy) | Top 1% Ghostwriter for VCs & Founders | Best-Selling Author | Speaker | Ex-Nightlife Ninja

If an investor requires you to pay money upfront in order for them to invest, RUN. Do not negotiate. Do not ask ChatGPT for advice. Do not “think about it.” Just RUN.

“But Shuaaaaannnnn it’s only $10k and I get $1 million for AI for samosas. I literally cannot lose.”

Correct. You can’t lose because you aren’t even playing a game. You are getting played.

This is called “pay to play.” Or, here in Miami, the Silicon Swamp Shuffle.

And it is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

Here’s how it usually goes.

You get a meeting with an “investor.”

Maybe you found them. Maybe they found you.

Maybe they slid into your DMs with a bio that says “Global Capital | VC | Private Equity | Visionary.”

Everything sounds good.

They love your idea. They love your market. They “see massive upside.”

Then comes the twist.

“Before we proceed, there are some small fees.”

Due diligence fee. Appraisal fee. Compliance fee. Alignment fee. Vibes fee.

Whatever. Different name. Same scam.

You are paying for a chance to maybe be considered.

That is like paying a waiter to possibly bring you a menu.

In real venture capital, this almost never happens.

Legit investors make money from equity. Not from Venmo requests.

If someone needs your $5k to “unlock” their capital, they don’t have capital.

They have a Stripe account and a script.

Real investors wire money.

The only normal exception is limited legal fees at closing, when the deal is already done.

So if someone says, “Send $7,500 and we’ll move forward.”

Move forward in the opposite direction.

Protect your cash, cap table, and sanity. 

Do not pay to play.

You’re not buying funding. You’re buying regret.

#startup #founders #venturecapital

PSA: Investors rarely fund startups at the idea stage, especially if those ideas are from you.

“But Shuaaaannnn I have a killer team for my AI for apple pie app. All those VCs will love it! 

Sure. And while you are at it, go ahead and challenge Floyd Mayweather to a friendly slap boxing match.

Most founders think they can skip the process and go straight to VCs.

Wrong.

This is the actual fundraising funnel for 99 percent of startups:

Step 1: You.

Step 2: Your mom.

Step 3: Your friend who still owes you fifty dollars.

Step 4: A grant you found at 2 a.m.

Step 5: An accelerator that gives you twelve thousand dollars and emotional trauma.

Then, maybe, if the stars align and your MRR grows faster than your burn rate, you graduate to micro VCs, angels, and scouts.

If you try to jump straight to VCs, you are speedrunning your way into the delete folder.

VC inboxes have three buttons:

Archive. Pass. Delete

And a special one for people who pitch too early:

Auto delete before the email even loads.

VCs are not evaluating your startup.

They are evaluating whether your email shows basic awareness of how fundraising works.

If you have no traction, no track record, no revenue, and your only qualification is “I watched one Shark Tank episode,” you aren’t raising from VC firms. 

You are raising from people who love you enough to lie to your face.

The only exception?

You’re an exited founder, FAANG royalty, or your last name is the name of a building at Harvard.

Founders want to jump straight to Tier 1 VCs.

Tier 1 VCs want founders who already survived five levels of capitalism before they show up.

Now you know.

Thank you to Stephane Nasser and OpenVC for the graphic. 

#startup #founders #venturecapital

For the love of God, stop including your startup origin story in cold outreach. No one cares. Especially investors.

“But Shuuuaannnnn, the story of how I met my wife on a cursed dating app is integral to my pitch for AI-powered matcha lattes.”

Sure.

And my heroic sacrifice in HALO is integral to this post. 

(It isn’t.)

You get one shot with a cold email.

ONE.

Not a memoir. Not a Netflix pilot. Not Chapter One: How I Found Myself in a WeWork.

First impressions matter.

And nothing kills momentum faster than:

“Hi Shaun, it all started in my sophomore year…”

No. It didn’t.

It started when I closed the tab.

Last week I got a cold email with a 500-word novella about why the founding team entered the fitness space. It involved childhood trauma, a broken Peloton, and a “calling.”

I stopped reading at line three and started writing this post at line four.

Don’t do this.

Write like someone who respects other people’s time.

Lead with what you do, why it matters, why an investor should care, and why now.

That’s it.

If you want to learn how to write cold emails that actually get replies from real humans (not autoresponders), you can learn that on OpenVC.

It’s free.

Link’s in the comments to sign up.

#startup #founders #venturecapital

Please stop with the “hop on a quick call” CTAs. If an investor wants to talk to you, they will let you know.

“But Shuaaaannnn, my advisor said my AI for chicken soup is so amazing that investors will be lining up to invest.”

Is your advisor also your investor?

Yeah. Didn’t think so.

Every single text, email, DM, WhatsApp, Slack message, carrier pigeon, smoke signal, and probably Western Union telegram now ends with:

“Are you free for a quick call to discuss?”

NO.

First: there is no such thing as a “quick call.”

Not in startups, VC, or anything involving money.

“Quick call” means 45 minutes while you talk way too much and they nod.

Nothing happens from it.

Second: most investors are not in your vertical.

They are not in AI chicken soup or in Web3 AI chicken soup with a marketplace and a token.

They are into making returns, managing portfolios, and not wasting time.

Third: if they were interested, you wouldn’t need to beg for calendar space.

Cold “quick call” requests are founder cope.

It’s what you do when you don’t have traction, momentum, or a real story yet, so you try to manufacture interest with Calendly links and optimism.

Spoiler: it doesn’t work.

What works?

Shipping. Growing. Getting users. Getting revenue. Getting real signals.

Do that, and investors will chase you.

Skip that, and you’ll keep asking strangers if they’re “free for 15 minutes” like a LinkedIn door-to-door salesman.

#startup #founders #venturecapital

In less than 30 days, we locked a venue, secured talent and sponsors, and promoted one of the best events of NY Fashion Week. Here’s what that sprint taught me about B2B SaaS. 🤮🤮

“But Shuuaaannnn I thought you stopped doing parties so you could help me build AI for chocolate chip cookies! AI chip companies are huge, you said it yourself!”

Ok champ, I think you misunderstood me but you do you.

As far as events go, I stepped out. I did not step down. There is a big difference.

Last week, I went back to my roots as a certified nightlife ninja to help rock the New York Fashion Summit.

And no, this wasn’t another sad startup mixer with flat LaCroix and someone pitching you “Uber for PDFs.”

It was:

A meeting ground for global fashion leadership.

A bridge between creativity, industry, and investment.

A catalyst for real collaboration.

A cultural platform rooted in New York’s energy.

And it delivered.

400+ people.

VCs. Family offices. Founders. Creators. Artists. Influencers. Celebrities. Spreadsheet nerds. Style gods.

All in one room.

No lanyards. No name tags. No fake “let’s circle back.”

Just real conversations with real people in the right room.

A room where people trust you before they ever click “Book Demo.”

And the best part?

The New York Fashion Summit isn’t a one-off party.

It’s a year-round platform at the intersection of culture, materials, manufacturing, technology, and global talent.

Curated. Invitation-only. No noise.

More events are coming.

If you’re tired of lame startup events, bad pitches, and fake networking, and you’d rather be in the right room with the right people, no badge required, this is for you.

Stay tuned.

Olga D. Anastasia Kalinina Christopher "Herk" Herghelegiu

#startup #founders #venturecapital

I used to think working for a startup and getting paid in equity was for fools. Boy, was I wrong.

“But Shuuaaaaannnn, you have always said that founders should pay people in cash, not equity.”

I know, but this one was different.

My life changed when I opened this random DM.

They didn’t have a deck, only a 60-second Loom video on why they were so awesome.

Right then, I knew they cared about my time and meant business.

They must have also looked at my background and seen how talented I was because they offered me a role where I would wear multiple hats.

And the fundraising? It wasn’t if they raised, but WHEN.

I ought to know because, in addition to being the head of content, chief connector, director of partnerships, and head of business development, I would also be in charge of the entire raise.

Finally, a founder who truly believed in my capabilities.

They also said capturing 1% of the market was so amateur, which is why I believed them when they said they would own 50% of the market by the second year.

And the conviction? Where do I begin? They said, trust me, bro.

Normally, my position is don’t bro me until you know me, but I made an exception.

And the terms? A meaningful equity stake that would turn into tens of millions at the IPO.

The first employees at Google and Facebook had similar terms. Sure, they got paid, but what’s mere dollars when it comes to millions?

They didn’t even bother to follow up. They boldly told me they were looking at other candidates and that I had mere hours to respond.

I knew I had to jump at this chance immediately, or else I would lose the opportunity of a lifetime.

This experience truly humbled me.

It also never happened.

Completely made up.

If you read this far, thank you for helping me show the algorithm that dwell time is a thing.

If this sounded familiar, congratulations.

You’ve either worked at a startup or narrowly avoided one.

#startup #founders #venturecapital

Time is money. Stop wasting both at terrible startup events.

“But Shuaaaannnn this event says there will be hundreds of investors looking to meet a founder like me who’s building AI for martinis.”

Amazing. And at some point, they’ll pull you out of the crowd, invite you on stage, hand you a giant novelty check, and shout, “Congratulations, you’re funded.”

Right? Wrong.

What actually happens is this.

You walk into a crowded hotel ballroom with bad lighting and worse coffee.

You get a plastic badge, a lukewarm drink ticket, and a schedule that looks impressive but delivers nothing.

Most “startup events” are just glorified networking hours with a heavy price tag.

Plus 47 vendors trying to sell you software you don’t need.

So you spend money you don’t have on tickets you can’t expense, hoping you’ll magically bump into your dream investor near the cheese platter.

It never happens.

Instead, you leave with sore feet, five business cards you’ll never follow up on, and a LinkedIn connection named “Mike | Visionary | SaaS | AI | Web3.”

That’s why I’m doing a proper VIP event next week in NYC during Fashion Week.

It’s for founders, investors, influencers, and executives who actually want to learn from top-tier speakers, build real relationships, and have a good time doing it.

Not pretend-network for six hours.

It’s 100% free. No ticket required.

If you’ll be in the city and want to come, shoot me a DM.

Space is limited, but if you send me your best “But Shuaaaannnnn” impression, I’ll see what I can do.

Plus, I’ll be there in person.

You can talk about AI for martinis while you’re holding an actual martini.

If that's not a win-win, I don't know what it is.

#startup #founders #venturecapital

No, Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos aren’t reading your pitch deck. That's an old investor trick to get you excited and hide the truth.

“But Shuaaannnn, my DocSend showed Jeff@amazon.com browsing my AI for brownies deck!”

Sure. He probably stopped on your TAM slide and left because he called an emergency meeting on how to incorporate your product into the Amazon Prime flywheel.

So what’s really happening?

When you use a tool like DocSend, it requires an email.

But many investors don’t want you to know what slides they are reading and for how long, so they choose an email that conceals their identity.

So instead of “junior associate who skimmed page 3,” you get “Elon@spacex.com.”

You immediately think:

“I knew it. They finally found me.”

Meanwhile it’s a 24-year-old analyst speed-running decks between meetings.

And there’s nothing you can do about it.

Except ignore the notification that Elon@spacex.com is reading it.

And use a CRM like the one we offer at OpenVC.

It not only allows you to host the deck, but also send it to VCs and see who actually looked and who passed.

You can use my link in the comment to join for free.

#startup #founders #venturecapital

Founders, the Trojan Horse demo tactic is cringe. Please stop doing it. Immediately. For everyone’s safety.

“But Shuaaaannnnn I have to strike while the iron is hot. The angel is on the call and I’m about to show him my demo of AI for angel food cake. It will be heavenly. Get it? LOLZ.”

Yes. Incredible. Nothing builds investor confidence like a dad joke and a surprise PowerPoint attack.

Every investor I know wakes up hoping today is the day they get ambushed on Zoom by a stranger yelling “WAIT WAIT LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING” while aggressively clicking “Share Screen.”

I am kidding, of course.

If you’ve never seen this in the wild, here’s how it happens.

A founder finally lands a call.

Maybe through a warm intro. Maybe through LinkedIn stalking. Maybe because Mercury was in retrograde.

The Zoom loads. Cameras turn on.

And before anyone finishes blinking…

BOOM.

Screen share.

Pitch deck. Demo. Charts. Roadmap. Revenue projections to 2034.

What was supposed to be an intro call is now a corporate kidnapping.

No consent. No warning. No safe word.

The investor didn’t click “Join Meeting” for a live product hostage situation. 

They wanted a conversation. Not an escape room.

You can literally watch their soul leave their body.

This strategy never works. 

Instead, have a normal human conversation.

Ask what they’re focused on. Ask if they even want to see the product.

Then say, like a civilized adult:

“Would it be helpful if I showed you a quick demo?”

Wild. Revolutionary. Nobel Prize-level behavior.

Do that, and you might leave with a real connection and actual feedback.

And maybe an investor who doesn’t immediately mute you forever.

#startup #founders #venturecapital

taplio

The Battle

Ian Johnson

Shaun Gold

Followers

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Performance ScoreShaun Gold's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Ian Johnson

Shaun Gold

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Shaun Gold's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreShaun Gold's LinkedIn Performance