Scott Sorochak of SparkLabs Foundry: The Value of Authenticity in Business
Scott Sorochak is the CEO of SparkLabs Foundry, the corporate venture capital arm of SparkLabs. Scott brings over 30 years of leadership experience in consumer internet, mobile, and enterprise SAS global organizations, and has been a mentor and advisor to SparkLabs Global Ventures as well as a venture partner at Blarney Ventures in Silicon Valley. He focuses on helping early-stage companies go from zero to over $100 million in revenue while building the operational excellence needed to satisfy demand and boards of directors.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [01:10] Stephanie introduces her guest, Scott Sorochak
- [02:20] Speed round with Scott
- [04:35] Scott’s very first business ask
- [06:32] The impact of making an ask in order to make a project successful
- [07:52] What is the profile of the person and of the ask that would make Scott say yes
- [10:22] How important is it to research a person before you make your ask
- [12:48] Scott talks about LinkedIn and the value of personalized networking
- [18:03] How to personalize the way your connect with people
- [20:44] Why authenticity is important in network building and in pitching business ideas
- [25:11] How artificial valuations and focused business principles can affect the outcome of your venture
- [29:43] Scott shares his thoughts about Basecamp and the importance of having conviction in your vision
- [32:28] Investment options for founders with little to no experience in start-ups
- [34:21] How having mentors and advisors can help bring success to your company
- How to approach somebody to become your mentor
In this episode…
Are you a young entrepreneur looking to start your first business venture? Are you gearing up for the very first ask you’ll have to make for your business idea? According to Scott Sorochak, CEO of SparkLabs Foundry, you need to make sure you’ve done your homework before approaching someone especially when you’re looking to ask for an investment.
Scott has over 30 years of experience under his belt and has helped countless companies bring their ideas into reality and making them more profitable than they could have ever imagined. The thing is though, building a strong network both for the purposes of business and for support is crucial to realizing your success in business. In an age where everything can be done online, it is crucial to look back on the practice of authentic connections and authentic visions in order to make a business grow and thrive in an ever-growing and extremely competitive market.
In this episode of What’s Your Ask, Stephanie talks to Scott about his early days as a budding entrepreneur and his path towards being an investor. They talk about what makes Scott say yes to an ask, what he looks for in a pitch, and how authenticity can make you stand out not just in business but in creating a network that will serve as the solid foundation of your empire. Stay tuned.
Resources Mentioned in this episode
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