Kurt Walker

'We interviewed 40 customers.' It's evidence of activity. Whether anyone learned anything is a different question. We're building our founder intake at GTM Venture Forge around three questions: How many customer conversations did you have? We expect 100+, before you build!

What have you been doing lately that feels like progress but is really just activity?

In my view, flying around to meet anyone who might have money is activity, not strategy. Strategy is knowing who funds what you're building, and why they'd say yes.

In 1907, Nintendo struck a deal with Japan's national tobacco monopoly that put its cards in tobacco shops across Japan. Decades before video games, it had a way to reach customers. Where could you borrow distribution instead of building it?

Think your city has no angel money? The San Diego Angel Conference pools money from accredited angels before pitch day. Mysty Rusk founded it to help activate investors. Sometimes the opportunity is to build the investor community, not just search for it.

Ten years from now, you sell the company. Look around the room. Who's standing beside you? Not the people who showed up after it worked. The ones who took your call when it was just an idea. You don't build that circle after you arrive. You build it in the unglamorous years.

Interest is not intent. An intro is not investor fit. A fund announcement is not capital deployed. Each pair sounds close. Each one changes what you do next.

A bank might not trust a 21-year-old founder. It might trust the money his corporate customers owe him. Michael Dell told @davidsenra how Lee Walker's banking ties turned receivables into credit lines. Don't chase a meeting. Change what the lender has to evaluate.

Recent founder that pitched live at our capital network: Sold 48k + monthly licensing before he did the build. He did 390 calls to land that deal. THAT is customer validation)

What changed because of them? (Did this create clarity about problem fit? What did you learn? How did this inform your GTM strategy?) What did you sell or build next? Yes I said sell first. Do no build it if you can't sell it first.

What changed because of them? (Did this create clarity about problem fit? What did you learn? How did this inform your GTM strategy?) What did you sell or build next? (Yes I said sell first. Do no build it if you can't sell it first.

The founders who raise aren't better at pitching. They're better at proving demand.

We don't see things as we are. We see things as we are. I ask myself when this is an advantage and when it's a big disadvantage and it's time to think bigger or entirely differently

If you are having a dark season in your life with your venture, don't be afraid to reach out. Life, and business are team sports.

A fool in motion beats a genius at rest

What industries do you feel have a PR problem? After speaking at Ai and Data center confs, I’ll go first: - Frontier founders owe it to the US to shout why Ai is transformative instead of spreading fear - Data center developers need to include locals - show clear benefit

Founders: Don't Tap Out The world is counting on you to solve their problems. Keep going. We are rooting for you. Tell me what problem you are solving

When asked what to insource vs outsource @stephendifrancis (75k doors in their portfolio) “We insource whatever creates more friction when we don’t do it in-house” @Blueprint real estate conf Vegas

When things get hard: Just remember your future self will thank you for persisting. Most of life, is shots on goal.

“Physics is a harsh judge” - Someone who lands rockets for a living