Melissa Withers of RevUp on the Truth Why Some Companies Don't Get Funded and the Toxic Investing Culture

One of my favorite ball-busting New Englanders Melissa Withers of RevUp Capital joins me on the Capital Stack this week. Melissa is an incredibly god capital allocator with a breadth of experience investing in early stage companies. We talk all about the broken system of venture capital as well as some of the toxic culture within the investor circles. You can watch the video on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.

Have you thought of all the different revenue outcomes your company can have? With revenue-based funding, you don’t have to exit to make a meaningful return; you can share a percentage of your revenue over time.

In this episode of The Capital Stack, we have Melissa Withers, co-founder and Managing Partner of RevUp Capital. Her interest lies in supporting founders building their businesses without the benefits of economic and social privilege. She talks about the type of revenue-based funding RevUp does to help underserved companies. 

Listen in to learn why some companies are underserved by traditional venture capital and how revenue-based funding gives these companies the opportunity to grow. You will also learn why aspiration, authenticity, and credibility are qualities of a great founder looking to overcome the early stage.

What You Will Discover:

·       [00:00] Intro

·       [01:52] The type of revenue-based funding RevUp does – returning value to a revenue contract.

·       [05:48] Melissa on speaking for revenue-based funding as it’s applied to founders underserved by venture capital.

·       [06:47] The reason why some companies are underserved by traditional venture capital.

·       [08:39] Why she wanted the flexibility to invest without being dependent on exit as the primary way of delivering value.

·       [11:44] The importance of having optionality – the ability to survive and sustain without dependency on someone else’s money.

·       [16:07] The importance of figuring out how to be a good capital operator to hit your growth goals.

·       [18:18] The qualities that make a great founder, as Melissa has seen working with founders.

·       [20:47] The healthiest form of grit – the authentic ability to process good and bad and start fresh.

·       [24:56] Melissa unpacks the toxic masculinity aspect within the investor side of the industry.

·       [30:47] Random questions with Melissa!

Memorable Quote:

·       “You’ve got to look at your business, your goals, your plan, and then have a capital strategy that matches that.”- Melissa [16:07]