Victor Gutwein, an investor and Managing Partner at M25, shares insightful stories and authentic examples of how startups evolve in the Midwest. He also reflects on opportunities for both founders and investors as the startup ecosystem there develops.In this episode, you'll learn:[6:56] Why is it challenging for founders in the Midwest to find real risk-seeking capital?[11:44] How does a conservative mindset influence founders to sacrifice hypergrowth for modest profits?[16:23] Midwest startups should capitalize on the natural advantage of being closer to customers than coastal startups.[25:02] Why is managing cultural pressure becoming more important to founders?Non-profit that Victor is passionate about: FAITHTECHABOUT GUEST SPEAKERVictor Gutwein is an investor and Managing Partner at M25. He’s an entrepreneur, economist, and strategist aiming to create value in the Midwest by investing in early-stage startups. Victor grew up in Northwestern Indiana before moving to Chicago to study economics at the University of Chicago. He has worked in corporate retail fashion and e-commerce and also has entrepreneurial experience building a vending machine business, kick scooter company and the board of UChicago’s first student-run venture fund. ABOUT M25M25 is a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm investing solely in companies headquartered in the Midwest. Their portfolio companies include Authentic, Joshin Care, Branch, Upsie, and Qooper.Next Week's EpisodeIn next week’s episode, we have a special guest, Nick Moran, Founder and General Partner at New Stack Ventures, where we chat about what he looks for in founders and why it’s different from what Silicon Valley VCs search.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.Follow us: Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

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