The Founder Initiative

[Real VC Pitch] $5B Lux Capital Partner, Shaq vs. ex Google/Apple Engineer, Founder Hoa

Episode Summary

Shaq, Partner at Lux Capital, talked to a top robotics founder about his business. What follows is a deep dive into platform strategy, defensibility, and value capture in general-purpose robotics. If you’re building a startup, this is a must-watch for understanding how top-tier VCs think. VC Shaquille Vayda, Partner at Lux Capital https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaquillevayda/ https://www.luxcapital.com/ FOUNDER Hoa Mai Founder, Feather Robotics https://www.linkedin.com/in/whoishoa/ HELP WITH YOUR PITCH? 🤔 VCs not responding to you? I’ll review your deck & send you a detailed video with my actionable recommendations: Submit here: https://bit.ly/44z2vj8 TIMELINE 00:07:20 - The go-to-market insight: focus on third-party developers, not full-stack solutions. 00:12:50 - Shaq challenges the founder on value capture and defensibility of hardware. 00:19:35 - Founder lays out why they’re not worried about competition – it’s a supply bottleneck. 00:27:45 - Shaq’s breakdown: the 3 bullet points founders must convey in a pitch. 00:31:00 - Why great founders obsess over history, competition, and the entire value chain.