How Midwestern Startup VCs Think Case Study | Sramana Mitra

The 1Mby1M Methodology is based on case studies. In each course, Sramana Mitra shares the tribal knowledge of tech entrepreneurs by giving students the rare seat at the table with the entrepreneurs, investors and thought leaders who provide the most instructive perspectives on how to build a thriving business. Through these conversations, students gain access to case studies exploring the alleys of entrepreneurship. Sramana’s synthesis of key learnings and incisive analysis add great depth to each discussion.

I really find Midwestern investors very interesting to talk to. While the broader trends are the same throughout the US, I find Midwestern investors to be uniquely pragmatic. Their feet are much more firmly planted on the ground. We see a lot of investors in the Midwest very interested in good fundamentals business. They’re often more interested in capital efficient startups. Early exits at modest multiples are much more acceptable with Midwest investors.

If you want to build a Unicorn startup or get financing from outside your own geography, that is perfectly acceptable today too. As an entrepreneur building your startup in the Midwest, however, you may have more financing options within your own geography with investors looking for more reasonable investment and outcomes.

Raising money is a low probability game. You need to understand how investors think to be able to raise money successfully for your startup.

During this course, I will be teaching how one investor in the Midwest of the United States thinks about and analyzes startups. We will have two in-depth conversations around startups.

Designed for tech entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs interested in building startups in the Midwest, this course provides insights into the minds of an investor operating in this region for many years in their own words.

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