# Fundraising, AI, and Starting Smart in 2025, with Jeffrey Fidelman

An episode of [The Growth-Minded CFO](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1773662367), 23 Jul 2025, 45 min.

Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/fc409ce4/podcast/play/105875256/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-6-23%2F404391214-44100-2-8fb0c94a0486d.m4a

In this episode of The Growth-Minded CFO, we sit down with Jeff Fidelman—Founder and Managing Partner at Fidelman & Co.—to talk about how startup fundraising has shifted, what VCs actually want to hear, and why today’s CFOs need more than spreadsheets to lead. Chapters: 02:00 - Why Fidelman & Co. Was Born from a Market Gap 06:00 - Broken Incentives in Startup Fundraising 09:00 - How the Fundraising Game Changed Since 2021 13:00 - Why Founders Must Talk Like Operators 16:00 - The Role of Financial Models (and How to Build Them Right) 21:00 - Why Top-Down Models Alone Don’t Cut It 25:00 - AI: Useful Tool, Not Magic Bullet 29:00 - AI Use Case: Building an Internal CRM for $300 34:30 - Fundraising Tips for Finance Leaders 37:00 - CFOs as Process Owners During a Raise 38:00 - The Two Types of CFOs (and Why It Matters) 41:00 - Final Reflections on Strategic Thinking and Belief📌 Key takeaways: • Fundraising now takes 6–9 months—build relationships early • VCs invest in operators, not just visions • The best financial models are built with founders, not for them • AI is best used to get hands-on, not to replace human thinking • Strategic CFOs do more than books—they pitch, plan, and believe. Connect with Jeff ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyfidelman/ Connect with Alex ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlouisy/ Connect with Lauren ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenepearl/ Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/q-J8Ot3ecjQ?si=Pmfbug0McFB4AEmV Subscribe for more episodes with founders, CFOs, and finance leaders. The Growth-Minded CFO podcast aims to challenge the status-quo and explore how the best CFOs approach their work and lives. Hosts Lauren Pearl (Fractional CFO, 3-time Founder and Startup Finance Instructor at NYU) and Alex Louisy (FinTech CEO and Y Combinator graduate) speak with inspiring finance and business leaders who’ll share what great CFOs are doing to support high-performing organizations. This podcast is powered by Upflow - a Financial Relationship Management platform enabling faster payments, stronger customer relationships and efficient growth for your business. Join thousands of next-level finance leaders and go from chasing invoices to engaging customers. Find out more at upflow.io Want to get in touch? Reach out to our producer at joseph.sweeney@upflow.io

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