Banking to Brutal Honesty: Building BePacific to Fix Broken Startup Validation (Next Level Up #13) скачать в хорошем качестве

Banking to Brutal Honesty: Building BePacific to Fix Broken Startup Validation (Next Level Up #13)

What if founders stopped chasing capital and started building real value first? In this episode of Next Level Up, John Headlee sits down with Prashant Agrawal to unpack what actually makes businesses investable and why most founders get it backwards. 📍 This episode was recorded a few months ago in November. Since then, Prashant’s work has evolved and the platform has shifted direction. Prashant shares insights from two decades in global banking and entrepreneurship, and explains why he chose to build BePacific instead of launching a traditional fund. His focus: helping founders validate ideas, build real products, and understand the difference between chasing money and creating value. You’ll hear about: 💡 Why raising capital is not the same as building a business 🧠 The biggest red flags Prashant sees in early-stage founders ⚖️ The balance between relationships, culture, and real commerce 🧩 How idea validation and investability should actually work 🌍 Where global opportunity is shifting outside the Bay Area 🔮 Why being radically honest about your “why” matters more than hype 👉 Subscribe for grounded conversations on business, leadership, and long-term thinking Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Prashant’s background 04:10 – Early entrepreneurship and banking lessons 07:30 – Why he didn’t start a VC fund 10:15 – The problem with founder infatuation with capital 14:45 – Building BePacific and idea validation 18:00 – Red flags vs green flags in founders 21:10 – Revenue before investment 27:50 – Defining your “why” as a founder 33:40 – Global markets and future opportunity 37:30 – Final thoughts & how to connect 💬 Do you agree that founders should focus on revenue before raising capital? Share your take in the comments.