AI for Business Efficiency is reshaping how companies operate, and in this episode, Jon Tucker, founder of HelpFlow, shares how AI is transforming customer service, workflow automation, and decision-making. We dive into Evaluating AI Performance, optimizing operations, and leveraging AI to scale businesses while staying competitive.

Jon reveals how AI reduces workforce needs, enhances productivity, and even impacts venture capital and startup growth. We also explore Boardy AI, AI-assisted coding, and the rise of Chief AI Officers.

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Raising capital?

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https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode74&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast

Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips:

https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode74&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast

If you’re looking to maximize AI output and boost efficiency, this episode is packed with insights. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more!

Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:

00:00 - Introduction to Jon Tucker & HelpFlow

01:30 - AI’s impact on customer service & workforce

reduction

04:00 - The importance of Evaluating AI Performance

07:15 - How AI enables business efficiency and scalability

12:45 - AI’s role in startup growth and venture capital trends

18:30 - AI workflow automation & AI-assisted coding

24:00 - Future of AI: Chief AI Officers, automation, and

scaling

28:30 - Boardy AI and next-gen AI-powered networking

ABOUT JON TUCKER

Jon Tucker is the CEO atHelpFlow.com. Over the past decade, he’s managed remote teams and faced the frustrations of micromanaging every detail—an experience that drove him to embrace AI for smarter delegation.

Through HelpFlow’s “smart staff” model and their proprietary GuideLayer AI, Jon transforms traditional virtual assistants into high-value, autonomous team members. His goal? Free founders from busywork so they can scale faster and focus on what truly matters. Ready to see how AI can change the way you work? Try the AI at HelpFlow.com/demo-ai-video

Connect with Jon Tucker:

Website:HelpFlow.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jontuckerusa/

ABOUT JASON

Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development.

You can reach out to Jason through:

Email: jason@thunder.vc

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/

ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED

Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape.

Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.

Not all startups should chase VC money. Some should bootstrap, others should take on debt, and a few are primed for private equity. So how do you know which path is right for you?

In this episode,Jason Kirby breaks down theFundraising Quadrants—a framework that helps founders identify where they stand in their startup journey and what type of capital makes the most sense for them. Whether you’re running an AI startup, a SaaS company, or a growing e-commerce brand, this episode will help you avoid common fundraising mistakes and focus on strategies that align with your vision.

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Raising capital?

Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here:https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode73&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast

Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips:https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode73&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast

Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:

00:00 Introduction to Fundraising Quadrants

00:32 Speaker's Background and Expertise

01:15 TheNorth Star framework: What do you really want to achieve?

03:42 What are the Fundraising Quadrants? Find out where you stand

05:29 Breaking down the quadrants: Early Growth, Established Growth, Strong but Slow,

Struggling

06:47 Venture Capital: When and how to attract investors (and when to avoid them!)

09:09 Debt Financing: Leveraging assets, revenue, and strategic borrowing

12:20 Private Equity: What PE firms look for & how to position your startup

15:16 Planning Your Exit: M&A, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships

18:24 The Big Question:Should you use investor money or bootstrap?

18:44 HowThunder VC helps founders navigate fundraising

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ABOUT JASON

Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development.

You can reach out to Jason through:

Email: jason@thunder.vc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/

ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED

Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape.

Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.

Penelope Hope, founder of Rebel Energy, shares her journey of building a renewable energy company from scratch with just £1.5 million raised, scaling it to £100 million in revenue in record time. Rebel Energy's mission to alleviate fuel poverty while delivering renewable energy has set it apart as an innovative force in the UK energy sector.

In this episode, Penelope details her early challenges, fundraising strategies, and insights into scaling a utilities business sustainably and profitably. She also discusses her decision to step back from Rebel Energy and her vision for entrepreneurship in the UK.

Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode71&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast

Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode71&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast

Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

• 00:25 Early Days and Initial Fundraising

• 01:39 Fundraising Strategies and Challenges

• 05:57 Crowdfunding Success and Market Entry

• 09:27 Growth Strategy and Operational Efficiency

• 14:06 Profitability and Future Plans

• 15:49 Stepping Down and Reflecting on the Journey

• 19:09 Advice for Founders and Fundraising Tips

• 22:06 UK Startup Ecosystem and Opportunities

• 32:55 Networking and Access to Investors

• 34:49 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

ABOUT PENELOPE HOPE

Penelope Hope co-founded Rebel Energy, a UK-based renewable energy supplier with a mission to alleviate fuel poverty. Under her leadership, the company grew from its initial $1.5 million raise to achieving over $100 million in revenue while maintaining profitability from day one. A strong advocate of operational efficiency, Penelope leveraged automation to stay competitive in the fragmented UK energy market.

Penelope has a background as an equity analyst and a deep commitment to social and environmental missions. After stepping back from Rebel Energy, she continues to inspire founders by sharing her experiences and advocating for founder-led innovation.

Connect with PENELOPE:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penelope-hope/

  
  

  
  

ABOUT JASON

Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development.

You can reach out to Jason through:

Email: jason@thunder.vc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/

ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED

Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape.

Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.

After achieving financial success as a founder, David Goldberg shifted his focus to making a global impact. As the founder of Founders Pledge, David has pioneered a transformative approach to philanthropy, enabling entrepreneurs to commit a portion of their exit proceeds to charity. Over the past 10 years, Founders Pledge has deployed $1.3 billion toward impactful causes, making it one of the most innovative nonprofit organizations for founders.

David discusses the philosophy behind Founders Pledge, the challenges of creating a global philanthropic network, and the strategies for ensuring every dollar donated achieves measurable results.

Raising capital?

Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders

Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101

Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:

00:02 Introduction

00:16 David Goldberg’s journey from founder to philanthropist

03:50 The origins of Founders Pledge and its mission

08:00 How pledging future earnings fosters impact-driven giving

12:15 Deploying $1.3B: How Founders Pledge maximizes impact

20:30 The importance of trust and transparency in philanthropy

33:08 Scaling Founders Pledge: Challenges and aspirations

ABOUT DAVID GOLDBERG

David Goldberg is the co-founder and CEO of Founders Pledge, a global nonprofit that empowers entrepreneurs to commit a portion of their exits to high-impact philanthropy. Under his leadership, the organization has grown to over 2,000 members across 40 countries, with nearly $11 billion pledged and $1.3 billion deployed to transformative causes. Driven by a mission to simplify and amplify meaningful change, David transitioned from a diverse commercial background to the nonprofit sector, blending his expertise in finance, startups, and academia.

Before Founders Pledge, David gained experience as a mortgage and investment banker and launched the secondary marketing department at Mortgage Capital Associates. A serial entrepreneur, he founded a boutique real estate firm in Germany and managed Urban Motion. He is a graduate of UCLA and the University of Cambridge, where he deepened his understanding of systems driving impactful change. Inspired by the desire to make philanthropy accessible, David has built a community where founders can harness their success to improve the world.

Connect with DAVID:

Website: www.founderspledge.com

ABOUT JASON

Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development.

You can reach out to Jason through:

Email: jason@thunder.vc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/

ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED

Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape.

Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.

From founding one of the earliest social media agencies to crafting an intentional path to a major eight-figure exit, Carrie Kerpen has redefined what it means to be a female entrepreneur in the digital age. In this episode, Carrie shares the transformative strategies she used to scale Likeable Media into a profitable and sellable business.

Carrie reveals her RED (Recurring, Expected, Diversified) revenue framework, discusses the importance of building businesses beyond the founder and provides insights into the challenges women founders face during the acquisition process.

_________________________

Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders

Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101

Here’s what you’ll find in this episode:

00:00 Introduction

00:15 Building Likeable Media and scaling one of the first social media agencies

04:15 The RED framework for making a business a sellable asset

10:10 The exit gap and its impact on women entrepreneurs

15:59 Why recurring revenue is key to a strong exit

22:05 Trends in M&A and the importance of AI in future acquisitions

33:20 Insights into The Whisper Way, Carrie's upcoming book

ABOUT CARRIE KERPEN

Carrie Kerpen is a trailblazing entrepreneur, author, and advocate for female founders. She built Likeable Media, a pioneer in the social media agency space, which scaled rapidly and achieved a major exit in 2021. Carrie now leads The Whisper Group, focusing on exit readiness for women-owned businesses, and is set to release her book The Whisper Way in May 2025.

Through her work, Carrie has empowered countless founders to dream big, execute strategic plans, and confidently navigate the exit process.

Connect with Carrie:

• Website: CarrieKerpen.com

• The Whisper Group: WeAreTheWhisperGroup.com

• LinkedIn: Carrie Kerpen

  
  

ABOUT JASON

Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development.

You can reach out to Jason through:

Email: jason@thunder.vc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/

ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED

Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape.

Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.

Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders

Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101

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What does it take to build, scale, and sell a business—and then do it all over again? David Hauser, the mastermind behind Grasshopper and Vanilla, has done just that. Starting with his very first pitch to his father for a Dell computer, David went on to raise nine figures for Return Path, bootstrap Grasshopper into a $175M success, and disrupt estate planning with Vanilla.

But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. In this episode, David opens up about the emotional aftermath of exiting a company, the identity struggles that follow, and how he found purpose by taking the leap into a new chapter. Now leading Durable Capital, David is focused on acquiring and scaling profitable companies while mentoring the next generation of founders.

Here's what you'll find in this episode:

• 00:00Trailer/ Introduction

• 01:23 Early days: From a Dell computer to Return Path

• 06:02 Bootstrapping Grasshopper to a $175M exit

• 18:26 Vanilla and the decision to raise $42M in venture capital

• 25:34 Navigating post-exit identity shifts and finding fulfillment

• 39:00 Durable Capital: Buying and scaling profitable businesses

• 41:28 Mentoring the next generation of founders

  
  

ABOUT DAVID HAUSER

David Hauser is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and speaker known for founding and scaling successful companies like Grasshopper (bootstrapped to $30M+ ARR, acquired by Citrix), Chargify (profitable, Mark Cuban-backed, acquired by Battery Ventures), and Vanilla (raised $42M from Venrock and Insight Partners). A founding member of National Entrepreneurs’ Day, he has also invested in over 50 startups, including Intercom and Unbounce. David’s insights have been featured in major outlets like CNN, Fox, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has spoken at renowned events such as SaaSFest and Big Omaha. Now leading Durable Capital from Las Vegas, he focuses on acquiring profitable businesses and mentoring the next generation of founders.

Connect with David on:

• Website: www.davidhauser.com

  
  

ABOUT JASON

Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development.

You can reach out to Jason through:

Email: jason@thunder.vc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/

ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED

Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape.

Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.