In this raw conversation, Frank Rotman and Fahad Hassan challenge Silicon Valley's "never quit" mentality and share hard truths about startup failure, firing employees (even CEOs), and compensation strategies.

KEY TOPICS:

When to Actually Quit Your Startup (2:00)

- The gradual then sudden reality of failure

- Fahad's story of shutting down Always Prepped after years of trying

- Why investors are kinder than you think

Firing People: The Reality

- How to know when someone isn't working out

- Frank's experience firing a founder CEO

- Why low performers often know they're failing

- The mechanics of difficult termination conversations

Cash vs Equity Compensation

- Range's unique 3-offer system for every employee

- Why Frank paid nobody more than $80K for 2 years

- When to normalize salaries vs stay equity-heavy

- How AI hiring wars changed compensation

Testing Your Gut as a First-Time Founder

- Building conviction when you lack experience

- Finding the right advisors (not just any advisors)

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Frank Rotman - QED Investors co-founder, 32 years in fintech, Capital One early team member, now building 37 Maru. Follow: @fintechjunkie

Fahad Hassan - Range co-founder/CEO (AI wealth management), 4-time founder, former Convoy early employee, 20 years building companies.

This podcast democratizes insider knowledge for founders. No fluff, no inspirational BS—just tactical advice from people who've been in the arena.

How do you raise your first seed round when nobody knows who you are? QED co-founder Frank Rotman and Range CEO Fahad Hassan break down the real process of raising venture capital—from getting investor meetings to crafting the perfect pitch.

🎯 IN THIS EPISODE: Frank shares what he's learned talking to 100+ VCs while raising for his new music tech startup, and Fahad reveals how he's raised 4 rounds across multiple companies. No fluff, just tactical advice for first-time founders.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction: Who We Are 03:46 - Fahad's Founder Journey (4 Companies, 2 Decades) 05:16 - Frank's Current Fundraise: 100+ VC Meetings 08:48 - How to Get Your First Investor Meeting 13:00 - The Hygiene Problem: Why VC Process Matters 15:31 - Pattern Matching vs. Non-Consensus Thinking 21:21 - First-Time Founders: The Story vs. The Pitch 24:52 - Why 30-Minute First Calls Don't Work 29:19 - What VCs Should Actually Be Asking 31:43 - Founder vs. Business: What Matters at Seed Stage? 35:11 - How to Vet Authenticity in Founders 40:58 - Problem Statement + Solution Statement Framework 43:45 - Using AI to Prototype Your Idea 49:08 - Love Problems, Not Solutions 50:30 - Practical Advice: How to Get in Front of VCs 54:06 - The Power of Thought Leadership & Social Media 56:06 - Closing Thoughts

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The standard for raising seed capital has increased 1,000x—prototypes are now table stakes
• Most VCs fail at basic process hygiene (fast feedback, clear next steps)
• Pattern matching kills innovation—seek investors who ask "what's uniquely different?"
• Fall in love with the problem, not your solution
• First-time founders should target associates and principals at VC firms
• Thought leadership on X/Twitter gets you noticed by the right investors

💡 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Frank Rotman: Twitter @fintechjunkie
• Fahad Hassan: CEO at Range (range.com)
• QED Investors
• True Ventures
• Red Sea Ventures
• Expo Capital

📚 ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Frank Rotman spent 32 years in fintech—helping build Capital One, co-founding QED Investors (one of the most successful fintech VC firms), and now launching 37 Maru, his holding company for building new ventures. He's known for his frameworks on "manufacturing repeatable returns" and bringing science to venture investing.

Fahad Hassan is a serial founder with 20 years of experience building venture-backed companies in EdTech and FinTech. He's currently CEO of Range, a technology platform replacing human financial advisors. Previously, he was an early employee at Convoy (raised $1.2B) and has successfully raised capital through 4 different companies.

🎙️ ABOUT NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE*: This podcast dissects the unglamorous truths about building and funding startups. Frank and Fahad combine 50+ years of founder and investor experience to teach what actually works—from board meetings to fundraising to scaling through chaos.