Invisible Ink

In this episode, John Harbison, veteran angel investor and longtime member of Tech Coast Angels, joins Shubha K. Chakravarthy to deliver a masterclass on how investors actually think about risk, founders, and funding decisions. Drawing on decades of experience as a founder, board member, and investor, John breaks down why every startup carries multiple dimensions of risk—and why the winners are th...

In this episode, Benjamin David Novak, Partner at Morgan Lewis and veteran angel investor with Delaware Crossing Investor Group pulls back the curtain on how startup financing actually works behind closed doors. Wearing both hats as a venture attorney and an active investor, Ben delivers a candid masterclass on deal structure, term sheets, SAFEs, cap table traps, and the strategic thinking founder...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to cut through startup hype with real data from 60,000 startups and 3,000 venture funds. Peter is one of the most sought after data experts in the world of startups, and his posts and reports on the latest startup data are widely anticipated and read. In this episode, Peter shares his thoughtful, d...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Krista Bragg, Founder and CEO of KB Kinetics joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unpack what it really takes for startups to sell into the U.S. healthcare system. Krista offers a ground-truth view of healthcare from the inside—at a moment when hospitals face historic financial pressure, workforce shortages, and shrinking margins. The conversation explores where real oppo...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, veteran operator Dr. Ron Weissman joins Shubha Chakravarthy to challenge some of the most entrenched myths in early-stage fundraising. Drawing on decades as a VC, angel investor, board member, and former NeXT executive who worked closely with Steve Jobs, Ron explains why startups fail.  Key takeaways from the episode include: Why some founders immediately feel inv...

This episode of Invisible Ink features a dynamic conversation between host Shubha K. Chakravarthy and guests Elizabeth MacBride, a long-time financial journalist, and Seth Levine, a seasoned venture capitalist and co-founder of Foundry. In this episode, Elizabeth and Seth discuss the shift in the American economy toward dynamic capitalism and offer strategic advice to founders navigating this new...

In this episode, Naseem Sayani, Director, Innovator's Circle, WHAM and VC investor & ecosystem builder, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to expose the structural gaps female founders face and how to overcome them with strategy, confidence, and financial clarity. Naseem breaks down why women often lead with pain instead of profit, why this undermines fundraising, and how shifting storytelling toward e...

In this episode, Rob Snyder, Fellow, Harvard Innovation Labs, startup sales expert, and co-founder of Restack.dev, breaks down what truly drives product–market fit and why most founders chase the wrong signals. Rob introduces his Pull Framework—a practical, evidence-based approach to finding and validating real customer demand. Tune in for his sharp and practical insights on: Why “pain points” are...

Dan Gray, Head of Insights of Equidam, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to demystify one of the most misunderstood topics in early-stage fundraising—startup valuation. With over two decades in early-stage ventures, Dan reframes valuation not as a number but as a story that links a founder’s vision, strategy, and financial logic. Check out Dan's practical guidance for deep tech and non-consensus founders,...

Tony Shipley, chair of the nationally-recognized angel group Queen City Angels (QCA), joins Shubha Chakravarthy to demystify the rigorous process of due diligence from an investor's perspective. Drawing from his background as an engineer and a founder of QCA, Tony unpacks the structured, process-oriented framework that has enabled his group to achieve a "remarkably different" and lower failure rat...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, molecular biologist and biotech entrepreneur Daisy Robinton, founder of Oviva Therapeutics, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to share her journey from academia to leading a women’s health startup. Daisy turned a personal encounter with gaps in female physiology knowledge—despite holding a PhD— into her mission to address ovarian function as a key driver of women’s health...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, pricing strategist Joanne Smith, formerly an executive at DuPont and now a leading expert in value-based pricing, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unpack the science and art of pricing for early-stage deep tech startups. Check out Joanne's real-world, battle-tested advice and smart, practical strategies, as well as her sharp insights on: The single biggest pricing pit...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Dr. Maria Blehker—founder of Serendipity Capital and expert in behavioral science—joins Shubha Chakravarthy for a deep dive into how startups, particularly in deep tech and mental health, can succeed by blending scientific rigor with human insight and strategic funding. Check out this episode to hear her practical tips on how you can leverage research-driven insig...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Sharon Tal, co-creator of the Where to Play framework and co-author of the book by the same name, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to walk through how startups—especially in STEM and deep tech—can systematically discover and prioritize their best market opportunities. Sharon draws on over two decades of experience mentoring founders and academic research to explain why m...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Eileen Tanghal, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Black Opal Ventures, joins Shubha Chakravarthy for a deep dive into how founders can better understand venture capital beyond just fundraising and what truly drives VC decision-making. Eileen reveals what founders often miss: that VCs are entrepreneurs too, managing their own businesses with investor expectations...

In this episode, Hanna Wu, co-founder and CEO of Amplify, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to share her journey building a customer-centric, digital life insurance platform focused on wealth accumulation. Tune in to listen to the inspiring journey that took Hanna from running her own financial planning firm to founding the company that has been dubbed a future unicorn by TRAC. Check out Hanna's insights...

In this episode, Ingrid Bonde Åkerlind joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unravel the complexities of pricing for early-stage startups, especially in the world of SaaS and “XaaS” business models. Tune in to hear Ingrid's reflections on her unexpected journey into pricing, starting from scratch in a C2C marketplace to making investment decisions with a venture capital firm. Ingrid shares powerful insight...

In this episode, Elise Strobach, co-founder and CEO of AeroShield, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to share her journey from lab discovery to clean tech startup founder. Drawing on her experience as a mechanical engineering PhD at MIT, Elise discusses how a breakthrough in transparent silica aerogels evolved into a venture-backed company tackling one of the world’s biggest energy inefficiencies—heat los...

In this episode, Maja Voje, go-to-market strategist, author, and growth expert, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unpack the real essence of go-to-market (GTM) strategy—far beyond the buzzword. Drawing from her extensive experience advising startups and corporates alike, Maja reveals her tested GTM framework, rooted in experimentation, structured thinking, and real market insights. She breaks down the...

What if the way we think about building a business is fundamentally flawed? In this epsiode, Heidi Neck, a leading voice in entrepreneurship education, shares actionable insights from her extensive research and experience, emphasizing that "organizations are not entrepreneurial, people are". Whether you're navigating a high-growth startup or seeking to instill innovation within an established comp...

In this captivating episode, we sit down with Maria L. Maccecchini, a force of nature in the world of biotech, to explore her inspiring journey from a Ph. D. scientist to a successful entrepreneur.  Maria shares her passion for developing innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and the realities of navigating the complex terrain of funding, clini...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, we talk with deep tech expert Dr. Tanya Ramond, an expert in taking deep tech startups to market. check out Tanya's insightful and actionable insights on: Why commercializing deep tech is challenging The one mindset shift technical founders  must make to succeed How to leverage the biggest element of your technical education to drive your startup's success A simpl...

In this episode, Patricia Liu, an MIT-educated computer scientist turned angel investor and Stanford lecturer, shares her diverse career journey—from consulting at Accenture to working in Michelin-starred kitchens and now teaching pitch decks to startup founders. Patricia shared her  takes on the common threads across her careers, the core elements that stay constat regatdless of what endeavor you...

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Eva Doss, president and CEO of The LaunchPlace, discusses her work in venture development, managing a portfolio of 27 startups, and supporting early-stage companies through every part of their startup journey. Listen to Eva's experiences as she shares her journey in building The LaunchPlace, including her insights on: Why your cap table is the linchpin in your fun...

In this episode, Liz Sigety, chair of Fox Rothschild's Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice, shares her expertise in working with startups, her role as a co-founder of the Delaware Crossing Investor Group, and her extensive experience as an angel investor. Tune in to hear Liz's thoughts on funding mechanisms for early-stage companies, how to pick the right funding vehicle, the differenc...