In this episode, host Scott Stirrett chats with Mehrsa Raeiszadeh, Co-Founder of MintList and startup consultant, about one of the biggest challenges early-stage founders face: how to raise money before having traction. Mehrsa shares her personal journey of building MintList in a crowded marketplace—competing against companies that raised hundreds of millions—by focusing on creative ways to prove traction before writing a single line of code.

She dives into practical strategies like using pre-orders, strategic partnerships, and accelerator programs to build credibility and investor trust. From navigating B2B vs. B2C dynamics to achieving product-market fit, this conversation is packed with insights for entrepreneurs looking to solve the “parallel dependency” of needing resources to get traction—and needing traction to secure resources.