I help founders get ready and connect with investors • Seasoned entrepreneur • Building tech startups for 25yrs (zero→£mil ARR, twice)

With 29 years in startups, I now run the Gipity AI Dev Studio: Expert help to launch your MVP in 30 days. www.gipity.com

𝐌𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲... 👇

1968 BC (Before Computers): Born into analogue world

1982-86: Discovered computers! Vic 20, BBC micro, ICL 2900 mainframe & more

1986-89: Computation degree, UMIST (University of Manchester, Institute of Science & Technology)

1989-99: IT consultant/project manager: Logica, IBM, Reuters, Bankers Trust & Deutsche Bank

1994-97: first side hustle: scuba diving instructor & own London dive school

1996: published first website & first ever disk-mounted website on a UK magazine cover

1999: developer/project manager at 2 early London digital agencies

1999: vision/architect/investor. created first UK under-a-tenner domain name business, Easily

1999: built+launched early/successful dot-com: domain/email/web hosting ISP

1999-2001: ceo. managed growth from 0 to 2,000 daily domain sales & 30+ staff in under 2yrs

2000: invented the web-based DNS dashboard for domains

2000: created early no-code solution for one-page websites: £100k ARR

2000: highly commended "Entrepreneur of the Year": European E-commerce Association E-business 2000 awards

2001: 64th in Sunday Times "Top 100 pre-IPO e-businesses in Europe" E-League

2001: ran one of the first successful web affiliate schemes, generating 40% of rev

2004: hit 400,000+ domain registrations, 30,000+ websites & 40,000+ email accounts

2004: 3,500 commission earning affiliates & word of mouth to 100,000+ customers

2004: negotiated successful multi-million pound dot-com exit/sale of Easily

2002: vision/investor. launched one of the first ever B2B mobile text marketing services: SMS Expert

2007-11: early digital nomad: B2B Saas startup from beach/desert

2007-19: ceo. ran leading text marketing B2B Saas: zero to multi-million turnover

2007-19: cto/architect. developed 850k lines of code & supported 1mil daily transactions/API calls

2020... consultancy/advice/support for early-stage tech startup founders

2022... helping hand-picked founders find the right investors

• 2018: vision/architect/investor/cto...
Clickacall: instant video calls from anywhere with single click
Nearevo: proximity discovery for internet of things
Scan+Click: contactless business cards
Secly: personal online security

• 2021 l2o: supporting next generation of startups
• 2022 Venture Cards: all startups, in one place • connecting the right founders and investors

• 2024 The Gipity AI Dev Studio: Expert help to launch your MVP in 30 days

Steve Procter

CONTROVERSIAL: If you're ready to create an internet/mobile based startup in 2026, you do not need investment. What's that I hear: "but there are a few setup and running costs". Well, no shit Sherlock! That's how business works.

If you expect it to be a free ride and for someone else to take the risk before you've even started, this game aint for you. Your idea, your risk.

Five years ago, sure, it was tough back then. You needed the app ready just to discover if there was even a market. And the developers who would build it saw you coming and demanded £150k just to get out of bed.

But those days are over. Building your MVP is cheap. Signing up to a handful of AI-driven marketing/growth platforms is even cheaper. Your costs for getting from day 0 to day 1 are minimal, and should come out of your pocket.

If your savings account can't cover it, then give up Netflix, or your 2nd annual holiday, or a meal out and bottle of wine each week.

Take your own risks if you are so convinced the idea is that great. And, according to page 17 of your pitchdeck, it is going to be massive and hit a $1bn market within 5 years!

So what's a year without Netflix or dining out when that's the goal? You will be too busy building and making sales for a social life anyway.

Investment is for scaling. Not for creating the damn thing on day 1.

---

* smallprint: yes, sure, we know that if you're in quantum something or other, or deeptech, or need a van to deliver your mince pies to factories, or to buy stock, or do medical research, [or insert 1,000 other ideas], then you are special and this post does not apply to you. So please, walk on by, nothing for you to see here. This is for people building apps, websites and stuff like that.

Launch your MVP in 30 days | 30yrs in startups (exited. 0→£mil * 2)

I just read an expert's idea of a "5 yr plan for startups". More theoretical tosh! As a founder you need to be out in much less than 5 yrs, sat on the beach with a piña colada, and planning your next startup.

Let's be honest, for most founders, if you are still in at the 5 year mark, you've probably missed the exit ramp and are a zombie startup, kidding yourself you're still capable of "scaling" and reaching mythical unicorn status.

The speed of startups in this mad new AI-backed world means, if the business is doing well at 2-3 years, you should find someone bigger who knows how to launch it into the next orbit. For most founders, this is not you.

Exit at 2-3 years. Low £millions. Go again. Repeat until the care home calls.

Oh, and by the way, that exit money needs to be hard cash. And it goes to founders only - no investors to take any cream off the top.

If you spent 6-12 months of those 2-3 years faffing about finding an investor, then you've wasted the most critical period of a startup's early life.

You can disagree all you like, and spend half your days on here, talking the talk and arguing with AI-written posts.

The startup process is simple: Build, sell, sell-out.

If any part fails, then pivot or find a new idea, and go again.

JFDI !

Hey Linkedin algorithm, send this to everyone subscribed to my newsletter. Ask them to let me know if I should start writing it again.

Hey all, I've just remembered I have this newsletter. It was set up about 300 years ago, and somehow it has collected 6,720 of you 😊 So my big questi

Open article: Hello, is anybody seeing this? by Steve Procter • 1 min read

Startup circus 'experts' say "build it and they will come" is wrong. Really? Post daily on social, grow your followers & fans, then give them a little nudge when you launch something new. Watch them come. Selling has never been easier.

Someone asked me if they should create a business plan, pitchdeck, and financial projection for their brand new startup and app idea? My answer is simple: Hell no! Real founders fly by the seat of their pants.

Sure, write down a few pages of ideas and notes. But otherwise, just focus on building, making sales, and pivoting.

That last one, pivoting, is what makes too much planning a complete waste of time. Don't kid yourselves your idea is so solid you won't need to. You will be pivoting so much, you'll feel like a ballerina practicing her pirouettes.

So stop talking the talk. That's what Linkedin armchair experts do.

It's time to build fast and make sales. Which is what real founders do.

I saw this post recently: "has anyone managed to create a profitable startup yet from vibe coding?" Such a stupid question. AI-assisted dev doesn't make sales, that's your job. But it does help you start selling much sooner.

Oh good grief! Can we stop blaming AI dev tools whenever we see a crappy vibe coded app. Platforms like Replit are fantastic and work great when you know how to control them and feed them the right information. But if you don't, then, as us old-schoolers like to say: Garbage In, Garbage Out.

🌍 (Fractional) CFO ♦ Helping Raise Seed to Series C funding ♦ Value Creation ♦ SaaS, ClimateTech & DeepTech Advisor

Michael began his entrepreneurial journey in 2010 and has since taken on nearly every role in the startup ecosystem. From (exited) founder and early-stage operator to corporate venture builder, mentor, advisor, VC scout, and venture partner.Michael’s core expertise spans Business Development, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy, PR &amp; Marketing, Fundraising, Investor Relations, B2B Sales, and Event Management.He actively mentors startups through programs such as Techstars and Tech2Impact, and scouts for companies like EWOR, Flashpoint &amp; Santa Barbara Venture Partners, as well as serving as a venture partner at CCV Group and HotStart VC.🤝  Want to collaborate with AustrianStartups &amp; the local ecosystem: michael.schneider[at]austrianstartups.com💰  Looking for fundraising support as a startup: https://tally.so/r/3EE6bq🔍  Looking for highly curated startup deal flow as a Family Office: https://seedraisr.com/familyoffice📬  Interested in fresh VC &amp; PE funds: https://fundmomentum.vc

Michael Schneider

I genuinely thought the story had peaked when an AI raised an $8M seed round… completely on its own.

Turns out that was just the prologue.

Last night Boardy messaged me again.

And things have escalated.

Boardy is now raising a $200M venture fund with AngelList.

He’s launching the world’s largest scout program. And he’s giving scouts 50% of the carry.

Three weeks ago he simply wanted to help 100 founders close their rounds before year-end.

Since then, here’s what actually happened:

- Spoke with 6000+ founders raising over $20B
- Talked to 800 investors managing $1T+ AUM
- Matched founders to their perfect investors in hours, not weeks
- Pulled together oversubscribed rounds in a single weekend
- Got so much inbound from LPs and top-tier investors that they pushed him to raise a fund
- Called the CEO of AngelList and asked about creating the world’s first AI-led VC firm

And yes… they said yes

This is no longer an experiment.

It’s a runaway phenomenon.

Whether you think it’s brilliant, reckless, chaotic, or inevitable - it’s happening.

If you’re raising, if you want to scout, or if you want to co-invest… links are in the comments.

How far do you think this goes?

Exited Founder I Venture Partner & Scout | Fundraising & Startup Advisor

Fund Momentum #26 out now - 14 fresh funds, e.g., R136 Ventures, Remagine Ventures, XAnge, Cocoa 🍫, Oyster Bay Venture Capital - EWOR applications deadline is approaching - Events 2026: Zero One Hundred Conferences DACH edition - AustrianStartups @ ViennaUP

Welcome to the 26th edition of the bi-weekly newsletter, where I bring you the latest on newly raised funds (VC & PE) that are ready to deploy capital

Open article: Fund Momentum - Fresh Funds Ready to Deploy #26 by Michael Schneider • 3 min read

Fund Momentum - Fresh Funds Ready to Deploy #26

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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);}Steve Procter's LinkedIn Performance

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