Launch Series Ep.2: Search Startup with Nikita Sunilkumar and Alex Thinath - Ep.174

I want to tell you about our audience survey we are currently running. These surveys help us create the best content for listeners and better understand your needs and interests. Thank you in advance for sharing your feedback, we greatly appreciate it. After 30 days we are giving $250 cash to 4 survey responders, just add your email at the end of the survey. Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/3QLBB1N Ep.174: Alex (@Aebridgeman) is joined by Alex Thinath (@Alex-Thinath) and Nikita Sunilkumar (@Nikita-Sunilkumar). This episode is the second in our Launch Series, a partnered series with Pacific Lake Partners and Trilogy Search Partners, focused on starting a search. We walk through the various phases before and after the search begins, with key questions and best practices on how to approach each phase. I’m joined by Alex Thinath, a current searcher backed by both Pacific Lake and Trilogy, and Nikita Sunilkumar, an entrepreneur in residence at Trilogy. In our discussion, we also discuss differentiation as a searcher, choosing investors, key KPIs and metrics to watch, and measuring success. Listen weekly and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Breaker, and TuneIn.  Learn more about Alex and Think Like an Owner at https://tlaopodcast.com/ Links: Trilogy Search Partners Pacific Lake Partners Timestamps (00:02:22) Introducing Nikita and Alex (00:04:54) Activities and questions in the 3-12 months leading up to the Search (00:10:35) Industry research  (00:14:35) Cap table and investor selections (00:22:53) Drafting a PPM (00:32:34) Daily activities and tools to use one month into a Search (00:41:55) How Searchers should pitch themselves (00:47:42) Getting into your groove: 6 months into a Search (00:54:12) KPIs and benchmarks to hit during Search (00:59:50) Utilizing interns and VAs (01:05:59) Final thoughts