Hinge-Meets-Yelp and AI Benchmarks | Ep. 053
Welcome back to The Feedback Loop, where we feature bold founders pitching their startup ideas to real venture investors – live, candid, and unfiltered.In Episode 053, we’re joined by guest investor Leeor Mushin of Formation, a pre-seed and seed stage venture fund laser-focused on helping founders from the earliest phases of company building.Each founder has one minute to pitch. Then, they receive raw, transformative feedback to help tighten their story, pre-address investor concerns, and chart a path to building a venture-scale business.Follow Sherveen:X: https://www.x.com/sherveenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenmFollow Leeor:X: https://x.com/lmushinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeormushinThis episode's venture investor:Leeor Mushin is the Founder & GP at Formation VC, a pre-seed and seed fund that invests at the “formation stage.” He partners with founders at the earliest stage, sometimes before there's even a deck. Leeor was previously a Principal at Floodgate (1st checks into Twitter, Lyft, Okta, Twitch, etc). He also created the 20|20 Fund, a venture club focused on investing in entrepreneurs from the Stanford GSB Class of 2020.As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, a repeat founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple venture capital funds. He’s on a mission to help people reach the height of their ambition. In this case, that means helping sharpen startup pitches so founders can raise money, hire world-class teams, and sell their product with confidence.Want to pitch your startup live or attend The Feedback Loop in person?Head to afterfeedback.com to join our community of founders and investors.Thank you to these visionary founders for stepping onto the stage. The Feedback Loop exists to help founders refine their story and take their next leap. Your pitch is the first step on the journey to success — be sure to subscribe for more no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.Key Takeaways:- When to use “famous company” analogies in your pitch – and when they might backfire- Why user incentives matter – especially in dating and consumer social- The complexity of AI reliability – are customers willing to pay for AI model benchmarking?- Fine-tuning your storytelling – it’s not just about hooking interest, but resolving key questions so investors walk away confident in your visionIf you’re into venture capital, dating apps, AI benchmarks, or early-stage startup strategy, you’ll find tons of insights in this episode. Drop a comment on your favorite pitch, and don’t forget: feedback is a gift—to founders, to investors, and to everyone on this startup journey.In a job search? Check out our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape:https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.Help us power the next generation of founders – like, share, subscribe, and see you in the comments! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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