Eric Miller of PADT Inc.: Navigating the Founder-Investor’s Journey
Eric Miller is the Principal and Co-Owner of Tempe-based PADT Inc., which provides tools and services to companies that design and manufacture physical products. He's the Chairman of The Arizona Technology Council, Member, Board of Directors of the BioAccel. He is also on the screening committee of Arizona Technology Investors where he's also an active angel investor on behalf of PADT Inc. He also regularly contributes to the Phoenix Business Journal and hosts the All Things ANSYS podcast.
Eric holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and has lived in Arizona since 1986. After over three decades in the industry, Eric is often called upon to write and speak on simulations, design and 3d printing, as well as on startups in the high tech sector.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn
- Eric talks about why he couldn't refuse the offer to start PADT Inc.
- Are entrepreneurs born or made?
- The biggest ask Eric and his partners have made for PADT Inc. and how they prepared for it
- Eric’s advice on how founders can build trust and relationship before making an ask
- Eric talks about how he decides which ask to accept and which ones he turns down
- The difference between a unique idea and a fresh, good idea
- Eric explains why asking for funding is a journey rather than a transaction
- Eric shares why founders need to be choosy about who they approach for an investment
In this episode…
Where does an ask for investment begin? Are pitches enough to help founders raise the capital they need to grow their business? For Eric Miller, the asking part isn’t just about one single individual pitch, it’s about the relationship you build with a potential investor. By building a genuine relationship with the person you’re making the ask to and by leveraging on the value that you can add for them, the decision to invest becomes easier and more doable.
But the key questions are, how do you build relationships with investors? What’s the best way to approach the founder-investor relationship? Eric takes a case study of the biggest ask he and his partners at PADT Inc. has ever made to offer insights into the process.
Tune in on this episode of What’s Your Ask as Stephanie Sims interviews Eric Miller of PADT Inc. about the best approach to building a genuine founder-investor relationship, understanding the role of the investor in any business, and why founders actually need to be choosy about the people and/or groups that they approach for a potential investment.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
- Eric Miller on LinkedIn
- Email for Eric: [email protected]
- PADT Inc.
- Eric Miller's Articles on Biz Journal
- All Things ANSYS podcast
- The Ladder of Proof: Uncovering How VCs See Your Start-Up by James Currier
- Keap
- Food Robots by MIT
- Finance-Ability
- Stephanie Sims LinkedIn
- Stephanie Sims
Sponsor for this episode...
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