Starting a company is thrilling, but also daunting. But what happens if you try building a company in a place where you may or may not have the community and the network to support you in your efforts? I want to ask foreign founders why they decided to take the leap and build their company in a specific location. With this podcast we are exploring ideas, listening to founder challenges, and discovering why foreign founders are the most optimistic group of people I've encountered.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Starting a company is thrilling, but also daunting. But what happens if you try building a company in a place where you may or may not have the community and the network to support you in your efforts? I want to ask foreign founders why they decided to take the leap and build their company in a specific location. With this podcast we are exploring ideas, listening to founder challenges, and discovering why foreign founders are the most optimistic group of people I've encountered.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Startup Founders Can Accelerate Their Fundraising with Boxsy
Elisabeth Bykoff went from aerospace engineering in France to building Boxsy, an AI-powered platform that helps startups scale operationally while connecting them with investors and ecosystem partners. In this episode, she shares her 20+ year journey in the US, the challenges of being a non-technical founder in AI, and why she believes the venture ecosystem needs more transparency on both sides.
What You'll Learn:
⏰ KEY TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction: Meet Elisabeth Bykoff, Founder of Boxsy
02:30 - From French Aerospace Engineering to Seattle (Early Background)
05:45 - The Boeing Rejection: Pivoting from Engineering to Business
09:15 - 10 Years at PWC: Building Salesforce Practice and Getting Green Card
12:00 - Leaving Partnership Track: Jumping into Pre-IPO World with Aptus
15:30 - Key Learning: Services vs. Product Company Transition
18:45 - Series A Experience: From $290M Revenue to $1M ARR
21:20 - The Boxsy Origin: "Ops in a Box" Concept During COVID
24:15 - 2023 Validation Year: Patient Approach to Market Research
27:40 - The Pivot Discovery: Investors Want Transparency Too
30:45 - Current Focus: Fundraising Readiness and Investor Matching
33:30 - Target Market: VCs Managing 10-400 Portfolio Companies
36:20 - The Challenge: Losing Two CTOs Since July 2024
39:15 - Non-Technical Founder Reality: Lovable vs. Months of Development
41:25 - Future Predictions: More Solo Entrepreneurs, Hands-On VCs
44:30 - Book Discussion: "French Landing" - 20 Stories from 20 Years
47:15 - Healthcare Horror Stories: Why Pet Insurance Makes More Sense
49:45 - Optimistic Outlook: AI as the Next Internet-Level Breakthrough
🔗 Connect with Elisabeth:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabethbykoff/
Read Her Book: "French Landing" (Available in audiobook, narrated by Elisabeth)
Website: https://www.boxsy.io/
🎯 About Boxsy: Boxsy is a unified platform helping founders raise faster and investors make smarter, data-backed decisions.
#Entrepreneurship #AI #StartupOperations #Fundraising #VentureCapital #Immigration #TechFounder #BookLaunch
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You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/foreignfounders
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.