Founder & Partner @ Kanvas | Foster Innovation, Develop Business Strategy, Drive Growth

Katie Nowak

It’s been 3 years without my dad.
Here’s what I'm reflecting on today -

My dad taught me to build a career that I loved.

He did that by taking me to his medical presentations and dinners around the world when I was young.

I remember I joined him at a private investigator meeting in Munich, Germany, and his colleagues were torn over whether or not Dr. Nowak’s 12-year-old daughter needed to sign an NDA to attend. 😂 

In that same meeting, he introduced himself as being from “Day-toi,” instead of Detroit, as everyone else was from various European cities. Lots of laughter ensued, and the whole room suddenly felt warmer, kinder. It was his magic.

Every time I travel internationally for work or step on stage (virtually or in-person), I think of my dad. 

Every time I make a pun or a joke in a meeting (approx 23408 times a day) and see my team light up, I think of my dad.

I wish I could share with him how watching his love of his work, and thus his love of people, all over the world fundamentally shaped who I am today….

…someone who loves what she does.

I often reflect on how I could someday pay this forward to my future family, someday.

How could I involve them in international travel? Have them attend my presentations or panels? Ask them to join me while I write invoices in my office? (That was hilarious - “what do you think, Kate, let’s add an hour, I read fast!!”) … and how might I make each shared moment more fun than the last?

Today, I’m reflecting that I hope to be even half of the role model that he was for me.

I hope this inspires a reflection for you, too - he would love that.

Miss you, dad.

—
I'm Katie Nowak, an investor, innovation leader, and new venture designer sharing examples & lessons weekly. Follow me + hit 🔔 to stay tuned.

Innovation Leader, New Venture Designer, Speaker @ Kanvas || Investor @ Altra Venture Partners

Co-Founder of The Venture Mentoring Team, Entrepreneur in Residence at Florida Atlantic University’s School of Business, founding member of The New World Angels investment group, member of the Enterprise Florida SBIR/STTR Steering Committee, past member of the Florida Atlantic University Technology Transfer Advisory Team, Founding Director of Mentoring at Florida Atlantic University's Tech Runway Accelerator, and judge for the Cade Prize for Innovation, FAU's Business Plan Competition and the U.S. Department of State TECH-I International Business Plan Competition. Guest Speaker on entrepreneurship at Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University and Broward College.

Bob Nelson

This is excellent and very grounded advice. We see this exact pattern all the time with early stage founders. Strong tech but unclear ICP, soft yes signals, and pilots that never convert into real traction.

This is wise guidance for the founders we work with at the The Venture Mentoring Team. Traction is the signal, and tightening GTM early saves enormous time, money, and frustration later. Appreciate you sharing real trench lessons that founders can actually apply.

Co-Founder & CEO at The Venture Mentoring Team

Helping Founders fix “Sales Physics” & build fundable GTMs | 3x Exited | Raised $50M | Author of “Pitching Pitfalls”

I had a startup where we returned 7X in 2 years. I also had one where we left a big hole in the ground.

The difference? Sales Physics.

Most seed-stage pilots don’t fail because the tech is broken. They fail because the GTM was "off."

You know the symptoms: ❌ A target customer (ICP) that's too broad. ❌ A pipeline filled with "BS" opportunities. ❌ A mountain of unpaid pilots that never convert.

The "yes" you think you got was actually a "maybe."

This doesn't just hurt—it wastes your precious time and your scarce funding. In this market, Traction is the only signal that matters for your next round.
I built a 1-page GTM Sales Sanity Check so other founders don't have to learn these lessons the hard way.

It audits the 5 Pillars of Sales Physics you need to survive the "messy middle."
I'm giving the full PDF away for free this week to help you audit your real state of play.

Want the PDF?
Comment "AUDIT" below and I’ll DM you the link immediately.

P.S. I call these "Trench Lessons" because I learned them the hard way. I'm sharing the full playbook in my new book, Pitching Pitfalls—check the link in my Featured Section. 📖

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