Hey everyone, it's Josh.

Before we get into today's episode,

I just want to acknowledge what's been going on

in this country over the last week and a half,

particularly for the black founders who listen to our show. I also want to say that the racist

structure that led to the senseless death of George Floyd and so many others

that same structure exists in VC. It's why black founders tend to raise considerably

less money than their white peers. I can't tell you how many black startup

founders I've spoken to for the show who struggled to raise money from investors and yet they can name

a white competitor who's raised millions of dollars even though their product isn't as far along.

We don't have the answer, but we want to do a better job on this show to elevate black voices in the startup world, because it's our job as a team to educate ourselves so that we can do the hard work that's ahead.

Here's our show.

As a startup founder, when you walk in the pitchroom, you have one primary objective, convince investors

that you can build a world-class product that people will actually want to use. And hopefully those investors

will give you the money you need to build that product. But as the founder on our

show today discovered the hard way, after you get the money and after people start

using your product and the business starts to actually work, there's another big

unavoidable challenge, managing the people you've hired.

On today's episode, the story of one founder's struggle with being the boss.

And how in the world do you keep from laying off your employees when a pandemic forces 99% of your

sales to evaporate overnight. That's coming up in just a moment. it.

This episode of the pitch is brought to you by American Express Business.

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