Episode 4: Sonia Couto on Launching a Business While Fighting Cancer, Investor Funding, Resilience, and Healthy Entrepreneurship
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Today I’m sitting down with Sonia Couto, a two-time startup founder and managing director of Konverge Digital Solutions. Sonia shares her incredible journey of launching her first company while she was battling breast cancer. She has amazing insights for any entrepreneur wanting to dip their toe into the tech world, or really any entrepreneur who is thinking about getting funding. We talk specifically about the pros and cons of angel investing and VC backed funding versus bootstrapping, when’s the right time to get funding, and more about setting up your business for success financially speaking.
We also chat a bit about her health and wellness journey, including how to identify harmful ingredients in products and how to build healthy habits that actually work for you.
Listen to the full episode now!
Here are some of the key takeaways from our chat:
Common mistakes founders make early on
Founders have a tendency to get stuck in “I have a million dollar idea,” but that mindset can create tunnel vision. Anyone can have a million dollar idea, but execution is what sets founders apart. Sonia encourages future founders to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and hire a team to fill in gaps, rather than trying to do everything themselves. Hire people smarter than you so they can help you, and your business, grow.
VC funding vs Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping a business and getting customer feedback before seeking funding is generally lower risk than raising money early without a minimum viable product (MVP).
Getting VC funding too early is much more difficult without an MVP. Getting initial feedback from customers will help to convince investors in the long run. It demonstrates experience and knowledge in your problem space.
How launching her first startup saved her from depression while she was battling breast cancer.
I’ll just give you a direct quote instead because this part was too powerful for me to simply recap.
Maddie: At what stage of your business were you in when you were diagnosed?
Sonia: We were just launching and I didn't take any time off. I just kept working and Menusano actually did a lot better during that time. I needed a distraction from the doctor almost every day and I had four surgeries. And I felt like I had a part time job at the hospital. Literally working on Menusano gave me something to look forward to and I was determined.
Staying healthy in remission.
I was interested to get Sonia’s tips on staying healthy and her answer wasn’t what I was expecting. Her answer was simple and easy. Instead of overwhelming herself with complex schedules and intimidating routines, she makes small lifestyle changes. For example, Sonia loves walking and incorporates it into her day as much as possible.
On the same vein, I wanted to get her tips on specific chemicals in skincare to avoid. Sonia has a whole spreadsheet, so you can reach out to her for that, but her advice is to start with only certified brands (one of her top favorites is Indie Lee).
Check out Sonia’s podcast and her follow her on Instagram
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