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The New Rules of Early-Stage Fundraising with Charles Hudson

Raising your first round has always been hard — but in today’s market, the rules are changing fast. In this episode of Build Mode () , our host and Startup Battlefield () lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Charles Hudson, Founder and Managing Partner of Precursor Ventures () , to talk about what early-stage founders…

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4 months ago

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Raising your first round has always been hard — but in today’s market, the rules are changing fast.

In this episode of Build Mode () , our host and Startup Battlefield () lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Charles Hudson, Founder and Managing Partner of Precursor Ventures () , to talk about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first institutional round.

Charles shares a candid look at how the venture landscape has shifted, why AI is changing what investors pay attention to, and how founders can better navigate fundraising when the old playbooks no longer apply.

They get into:

• Why raising pre-seed and seed funding feels harder right now• How AI is reshaping venture capital• What founders should know before choosing an investor• Why the highest valuation is not always the best deal• How to build momentum during a fundraise• Why storytelling and a strong blurb matter more than ever• What happens when a startup raises too much too soon• Why the biggest risk may not be a down round — but no round at all• How to think about whether venture capital is actually the right path

Whether you’re preparing to raise, currently fundraising, or just trying to understand how early-stage venture is changing, this conversation is packed with practical, honest advice for founders building in today’s market.

Subscribe to Build Mode on⁠ () Apple Podcasts⁠ () , ⁠Spotify⁠ () , or⁠ () wherever you like to listen⁠ () . And watch the full videos on⁠ () YouTube⁠ () . New episodes of ⁠Build Mode⁠ () drop every Thursday. 

Chapters:

00:00 – The New Rules of Startup Fundraising

02:00 – What VCs Look for in First-Time Founders

08:50 – The Biggest Fundraising Mistakes Startup Founders Make

13:20 – Why Startup Valuations Are So Unpredictable in 2026

18:20 – Why Raising Too Much Money Can Hurt Your Startup

25:55 – Should Every Startup Raise Venture Capital?

29:20 – How to Choose the Right VC Investor

33:55 – Why Silicon Valley Still Gives Founders an Advantage

36:40 – How to Build Momentum During a Startup Fundraise

Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

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iPhone Duo Livestream: How Many Folds Can Apple’s Phone Take? Day 14

Apple’s iPhone Duo is out and we want to see how durable it is. So we built a robot to fold it 20,000+ times a day to test its limits. How long do you think it will last? 100,000 folds? 200,000 folds? 500,000 folds? Tune in and watch the testing live. We’ll have CNET’s editors…

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7 hours ago

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November 12, 2026

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Apple’s iPhone Duo is out and we want to see how durable it is. So we built a robot to fold it 20,000+ times a day to test its limits. How long do you think it will last? 100,000 folds? 200,000 folds? 500,000 folds? Tune in and watch the testing live. We’ll have CNET’s editors online to answer any of your questions.

Join us weekdays from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM PT / 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

Read more about the iPhone Duo Folding Test on CNET.com
We Answer 16 Questions About Folding the iPhone Duo Hundreds of Thousands of Times

The iPhone Duo Is Now in Our Custom-Made Foldable Phone Test Machine. Will It Beat the Galaxy Fold 8?

iPhone Duo Review: Late to the Foldable Party, but It Steals the Show

Check out the 3D Printer Matthew Murray used to print the sled that iPhone Duo is sitting on:
Looking for the Most Accurate 3D Printer? Our Exclusive Testing Reveals One Clear Winner

Video Credits:
Host: Matthew Murray
Producer: Stephen Beacham
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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CNET

Unboxing Apple’s $299 HomeView Smart Home Hub

Apple’s new HomeView isn’t new. But what makes the HomeView compelling is that it’s Apple’s first device designed specifically for AppleMs HomeKit ecosystem, and it also lets you manage calendars, grocery lists and more. The design feels premium right out of the box, with a tiltable 4:3 screen, a speaker grille along the bottom, and…

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15 hours ago

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November 12, 2026

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Apple’s new HomeView isn’t new. But what makes the HomeView compelling is that it’s Apple’s first device designed specifically for AppleMs HomeKit ecosystem, and it also lets you manage calendars, grocery lists and more.

The design feels premium right out of the box, with a tiltable 4:3 screen, a speaker grille along the bottom, and a soft non-slip white bottom. Unbox the $299 HomeView with us. #apple #unboxing #homeview #smarthome #smartdisplays

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CNET

iPhone Duo Livestream: How Many Folds Can Apple’s Phone Take? Day 13

Apple’s iPhone Duo is out and we want to see how durable it is. So we built a robot to fold it 20,000+ times a day to test its limits. How long do you think it will last? 100,000 folds? 200,000 folds? 500,000 folds? Tune in and watch the testing live. We’ll have CNET’s editors…

Published

1 day ago

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November 11, 2026

By

Apple’s iPhone Duo is out and we want to see how durable it is. So we built a robot to fold it 20,000+ times a day to test its limits. How long do you think it will last? 100,000 folds? 200,000 folds? 500,000 folds? Tune in and watch the testing live. We’ll have CNET’s editors online to answer any of your questions.

Join us weekdays from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM PT / 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

Read more about the iPhone Duo Folding Test on CNET.com
We Answer 16 Questions About Folding the iPhone Duo Hundreds of Thousands of Times

The iPhone Duo Is Now in Our Custom-Made Foldable Phone Test Machine. Will It Beat the Galaxy Fold 8?

iPhone Duo Review: Late to the Foldable Party, but It Steals the Show

Check out the 3D Printer Matthew Murray used to print the sled that iPhone Duo is sitting on:
Looking for the Most Accurate 3D Printer? Our Exclusive Testing Reveals One Clear Winner

Video Credits:
Host: Matthew Murray
Producer: Stephen Beacham
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
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#apple #iphone #iphonefold #iphoneduo #applefoldable #foldablephone #foldable #folding

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