Mischke Le Cordeur

Unlocking the secrets of pre-seed investing, the power of execution, and why unsexy markets are the next big thing. Let’s be honest: the early days of a startup are chaotic. You’re building the plane while flying it, trying to convince investors that your "broken MVP" is actually the seed of a billion-dollar unicorn, all while navigating a market that shifts like sand under your feet. If you feel like you’re in the trenches, you aren’t alone. But knowing what to focus on amidst that chaos is what separates the founders who scale from the ones who stall. We recently sat down with Haley Bryant, Partner at Hustle Fund, for an exclusive session with the BonBillo community. Hustle Fund is famous for investing in what they call "hilariously early" startups. They don’t just look for polish; they look for grit, hustle, and the ability to figure it out in real-time. Haley dropped some serious knowledge bombs on what pre-seed investors are actually looking for in 2026, why "boring" industries are sexy again, and how to navigate an AI-first world. Whether you are bootstrapping in a garage or prepping for your first raise, here is the playbook. The 5 Pillars of ‘Hillariously Early” Investing At Hustle Fund, they review thousands of deals. When you are pre-revenue or pre-traction, traditional metrics don't apply. Instead, Haley broke down the five specific criteria they use to evaluate startups at the earliest stages. If you are preparing to pitch, treat this as your checklist. Criteria The Insight 1. Execution It’s not about the idea; it’s about the 1% progress you make every single day. Can you move the ball forward consistently? 2. Team Do you have an "Earned Secret"? Lived experience matters more than a pedigree. 3. Market Large markets are good; growing markets are better. Look for regulatory or cultural tailwinds. 4. Product It doesn't need to be perfect. A "broken MVP" that solves a real pain point wins over a polished product nobody wants. 5. Fundraisability Can you attract capital, talent, and customers? It’s about resource magnetism, not just charm. The Hustle Fund Philosophy: It's All About Execution When Haley looks at a startup, she isn’t looking for a polished slide deck or a founder in a Patagonia vest using buzzwords like "synergy." She’s looking for hustle. But not the "grind until you burn out" kind of hustle. She defines it as the grit to figure things out in real-time, relentless focus, and the ability to prioritize what truly moves the needle. The core thesis at Hustle Fund revolves around one non-negotiable trait: Execution. Concept What It Means for Founders Velocity of Learning You will figure out what isn't working long before you figure out what is. How fast can you cycle through failures? Vision vs. Action Great visionaries who cannot execute are dangerous. Investors have been burned by "vibe-coded" products that never ship. The Takeaway: Don't worry about having the perfect 5-year plan. Worry about what you are shipping this week. Investors back lines, not dots. They want to see the trajectory of your execution over time. The "Earned Secret": Why Lived Experience Beats Research One of the most profound takeaways from Haley was the concept of the "Earned Secret." In the age of AI, anyone can generate a market research report in seconds. You can ask ChatGPT to give you the TAM of the logistics industry in Southeast Asia, and it will give you a number. But investors aren't looking for data that is publicly available. They are looking for the insight that you only get by being on the ground. Haley shared a story about a founder in East Africa. Through deep, boots-on-the-ground work, this founder realized that people weren't avoiding credit cards because they didn't want credit - they were avoiding them because of a specific cultural fear of fraud and people "looking over their shoulder" to steal card numbers. That is a nuance you won't find in a Gartner report. That is an earned secret. Founder Takeaway: Stop trying to impress investors with generic macro data. Tell them what you know about your customer that nobody else knows because you’ve lived it. Market Expansion: The Case for "Unsexy" Industries We often think a market needs to be massive today to be venture-backable. Haley challenged this. She argues that market expansion - creating a market that doesn't exist yet or unlocking a dormant one - is where the real returns are. Specifically, she highlighted Vertical SaaS and AI for "Laggards." Opportunity Area Why It Works Example Tools Home-Based Care Highly fragmented, underserved, often run on pen & paper. Digitizing this creates step-function productivity gains. Vertical SaaS Logistics & Supply Chain Complex workflows that general AI tools can't handle yet. Requires deep integration into daily operations. AI Marketplaces Regulatory Shifts New laws (like GDPR or the Genius Act) create instant demand for compliance and management tools. RegTech Distribution > Technology Here is a hard truth that came up during the session: Building the product is no longer the hardest part. With Claude code, no-code tools, and AI assistants, the barrier to entry for building software has dropped to near zero. As Haley noted, "The constraint has shifted from engineering to adoption." This means your competitive advantage isn't just your tech stack; it's your distribution. If you have an embedded distribution advantage - partnerships, a community, or a unique channel - you can move faster than a competitor with slightly better code but no audience. For founders, this requires a mindset shift. You need to prioritize your Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy as early as your product roadmap. Are you building something that naturally spreads? Do you have a wedge into a specific community? The AI Trust Gap: Human-First Onboarding We discussed the high churn rates in enterprise AI deployments (some reports say 95% failure rates!). Why? Because people don't trust the AI, or they don't know how to fit it into their workflow. Haley brought up a brilliant point about Human-First Onboarding. Even if you are selling a high-tech AI product, you might need a high-touch, human approach to get people to use it. Strategy Action Item The "Superhuman" Model Don't just give them a login. Do a 1:1 onboarding call to teach them how to change their behavior. Bridge the Gap Acknowledge where the user is today vs. where the tech wants them to be. Guide them across the chasm. Services as Software Consider a "human-in-the-loop" service model initially to ensure success before fully automating. Navigating the "Shifting Sands" Haley referenced a LinkedIn post comparing the current founder experience to the movie Dune - the sand is constantly shifting beneath your feet. Geopolitical tensions, the AI bubble, economic uncertainty... it’s a lot. But here is the optimistic spin: Chaos creates opportunity. The best companies are often born in the worst times because they are forced to be disciplined. They focus on unit economics early. They don't bloat their teams. They solve real problems because nobody pays for "nice-to-haves" in a downturn. As Haley said, "You have to remain optimistic to build the future." It’s almost a meditative practice - taking one step at a time, focusing on the one thing you can control today. Final Thoughts: Hire Your Cap Table A final piece of advice for early-stage founders: Hire your cap table. When you take money from an investor, you aren't just taking cash; you are hiring a business partner who you cannot fire. Choose investors who deserve the right to work alongside you. Look for those who understand your vision, who have patience for the pivots (remember, 30% of startups pivot!), and who bring more than just a check. At BonBillo, we believe in backing founders who are solving the world's toughest problems. If you are building something that matters, keep executing. That 1% progress every day compounds into something unstoppable. Ready to accelerate your growth? Join our community of mission-driven founders. Follow Haley Bryant and Hustle Fund: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleymbryant/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/hustlefund/

In a recent lively discussion at the BonBillo Community, Chetan Doshi, Co-Founder and Principal at Vinner Ventures, shared his perspective on investing in early-stage startups. Let’s dive into the key takeaways from this engaging session.

In our BonBillo Founder Spotlight session, we had the chance to sit down with Saivya Chauhan, Founder and CEO of Blitz, Southeast Asia’s leading EV enabler platform. With a background in mechanical engineering and early experience at Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Saivya has been instrumental in steering Blitz toward revolutionizing last-mile logistics in Indonesia. Update: In August 2025, Blitz closed a Pre-Series A funding round led by Malaysia-based Vynn Capital. This milestone marks a new chapter for the company as it accelerates its expansion across Indonesia. With a renewed focus on efficiency, high-quality clients, and scalable operations, Blitz is strategically aligning its resources to strengthen unit economics and drive long-term value - continuing its mission to advance electric mobility and sustainable business growth in the region.

Join us as we dive into the world of fintech innovation with insights from Lakshmi Kalapu, Director of Product Innovation at Visa in Singapore. Lakshmi brings deep product innovation expertise spanning top companies like PayPal, Wise and NIUM. In her lively session with the BonBillo community, Lakshmi shared her secrets to creating customer-centric solutions that are ahead of the competition. Get ready for a snapshot of her top tips and lessons learned!

Christopher Napoli, Head of Wealth & Asset Management at Snowflake, shares his insights with the BonBillo community on AI trends and opportunities.

Soumajit Bhowmik and Durga Dash share their journey founding Styched, India's largest online youth fashion brand with zero waste.

Gefen Skolnick, Founder and CEO, shares her journey founding Couplet Coffee, an LGBTQ+ and woman-led lifestyle brand that aims to make specialty coffee less pretentious and more accessible. UPDATE: Couplet Coffee opened their first in January 2025 in Westlake and their second store in Downtown Los Angeles at 888 S Figueroa Street in September 2025. Before Couplet opened its flagship shop, the coffee brand had already built a devoted following through its merchandise bold, community focus, and storytelling on social media. During a six-month contract, Couplet’s beans fueled thousands of Snap employees at the company’s Santa Monica headquarters.

UPDATE: In July 2025 Freight Tiger was named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer for 2025-2026. Swapnil Shah, CEO & Founder, attended the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin. Swapnil Shah shares his journey founding Freight Tiger, a software enabled marketplace and transportation management system (TMS) platform in India with over 400 shippers and 1500 transport companies.

Divya Kamerkar, Co-Founder and CEO of Pinky Promise, shares her journey of building an app that’s transforming access to reproductive healthcare for women in India. Pinky Promise provides accurate, instant, and high-quality information and services, empowering women to make informed health decisions with confidence and privacy. UPDATE: Divya’s leadership and impact was recognized with theBayer Foundation’s Women Entrepreneur Award. Since its launch, Pinky Promise has completed over 20,000 AI-assisted consultations, surpassed 150,000 downloads, and reached nearly 200,000 women — many from low-income communities — making it India’s fastest-growing women’s health app and a powerful force for accessible, tech-driven healthcare.

Pushkar Mukewar, Co-Founder and CEO of Drip Capital, shares his journey building a digital trade finance platform that has provided over $4 billion in loans to more than 6,000 SME exporters across emerging markets. By simplifying access to working capital, Drip Capital is empowering small and medium businesses to grow globally and compete on an equal footing in international trade. UPDATE: Drip Capital has secured $113 million in new funding, comprising $23 million in equity from Japan’s GMO Payment Gateway and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), along with $90 million in debt financingled by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and East West Bank. This milestone follows two years of rapid expansion, during which Drip has quadrupled its revenue and doubled its customer base, underscoring its growing impact in global trade finance.

We are delighted to have partnered with Chargebee, a global recurring revenue management platform.

Jose Martins, Sales Manager at Hubspot, shares his insights on Customer Acquisition and how you can turn your website into a lead-generating machine.

''Measure What Matters’ by John Doerr highlights the importance of having clarity and focus to achieve your goals.

Muhammad Lila shares his journey from award-winning foreign correspondent at ABC and CNN to founding Goodable,, an AI-powered platform dedicated to curating positive, uplifting news. Built to counter negativity and improve mental well-being, Goodable delivers clinically backed, feel-good content designed to make people healthier and happier — one story at a time. UPDATE: Goodable has announced a major partnership with Yahoo, bringing its AI-powered positive news feed to hundreds of millions of Yahoo users. Visitors to Yahoo US will now see daily “healthiest content” selections powered by Goodable, marking a shared commitment to create the world’s most delightful, engaging, and personalized browsing experience across platforms.

Sid Goyal is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded multiple startups. In 2014, Sid traveled to Kenya as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for an early-stage VC fund and realized there was a lack of innovation within the health industry. Two years later, Sid and his co-founders launched Nivi in Kenya to provide women access to contraceptives and counseling through the use of mobile phones.

Allison Byers, Founder and CEO of Scroobious, previously raised nearly $10 million for a medical devices startup, where she realized the challenges underrepresented founders including women face during fundraising. She founded Scroobious to solve this problem by training diverse founders to create short video pitches and connect them to relevant investors.

Cyrus Sabouri, Vice President at Mastercard, believes that the future of payments includes using biometrics tokenization and the ubiquity of mobile devices to conduct commerce.

Richard Mensah shares his journey from founding 3 startups in Ghana to launching EllisX, a platform that gives startups access to high-quality media and speaking opportunities offering teams greater visibility to help scale their impact.

Lauren Abda shares her journey founding Branchfood, now the largest community of food startups in New England. Inspired by her own family’s experience with the power of food to create change, Lauren built a platform where entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders could connect to drive innovation across the food ecosystem. In 2025, Branchfood proudly celebrated its 10-year anniversary — marking a decade of cultivating one of the most vibrant and globally connected food innovation communities. UPDATE: As Branchfood grew, it became clear that while connections were vital, access to capital was a key barrier for founders. This insight led to the creation of Branch Venture Group, which began as an investment network and has since evolved into a venture fund. To date, it has invested in 26 early-stage food, agriculture, and sustainability companies, providing not only funding but also strategic support and industry expertise to help founders scale meaningful impact in the food system.

Dan Wexler and Kevin Hall share their mission behind EatWell — a company dedicated to making healthy eating affordable, accessible, and effortless through nutritious meal kits. By combining convenience with balanced ingredients, EatWell empowers individuals and families to make better food choices without sacrificing time or taste. UPDATE: EatWell is part of a new 16-week study led by UMass Lowell, in partnership with BJ’s Wholesale Club and the Greater Lowell Health Alliance, aimed at helping qualifying residents in the Greater Lowell area live healthier lives. Funded by a $185,000 grant from BJ’s Charitable Foundation, the study will recruit 120 residents aged 40 and older from local communities, with half receiving three EatWell Meal Kits per week — each providing nutritious ingredients and pantry staples to prepare wholesome meals for four.