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Jess Schram - VC & Startups

@jessinvestsvc

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🗽Early stage investor in NYC
👩‍💼Partner at Remedy Product Studio
🙋‍♀️Founder of Field Advantage Advisory
📣Startup Cheerleader

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Founders - If you’re getting ready to pitch VCs, please do yourself a favor and watch this all the way through.

🔗Link in bio if you need support!
#startups #founders #venturecapital #tam taken in Manhattan, New York by @jessinvestsvc

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4 months ago

Despite how often VCs talk about shooting for the moon 🚀, we need to believe that you’re comfortable walking on earth first 🌎. Founders - tell me the facts about today! And don’t spend too much time on these topics…

Full episode link in bio!
#startups #founders #venturecapital #fundraising #companybuilding by @jessinvestsvc

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6 months ago

The current fundraising environment is pretty polarizing right now… and I filmed this pod back in Dec 2025. If anything, I think it’s gotten worse.

Founders, VCs, what do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments & follow for more. 👇👀
#VC #fundraising #startups #founder #investor by @jessinvestsvc

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6 months ago

Connect Claude to your data room. 🤯

Full disclosure - this is a paid partnership, but I genuinely love this product and I’ve known the founder for years. It’s also the first paid partnership I’ve ever done, for a reason!!

Pulse tells you which investors are most interested, drafts diligence answers from docs you’ve already shared, and preps you for every meeting.

Comment PULSE and I’ll send you a code for a free month, on me ✨

#ad #Fundraising #Founders #StartupTips #AI VentureCapital by @jessinvestsvc

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9 days ago

IMO the smartest question in venture is no longer “how big can this company get?” It’s “how do I get my money back before the ground shifts again?” 💸

Last month, I sat in a room full of LPs and GPs at a VC Summit in NYC. Everyone agreed, unequivocally, we’re in a bubble.

Valuations have never been less tethered to traction and VCs are seeing 3x the amount of inbound we saw a year ago. When anyone can spin up a company, a deck, and a cold email in an afternoon, VCs are sifting through a jungle.

But almost nobody is talking about the other half of this shift 👀... A new class of company that AI is enabling. Profitable, high-margin, revenue-generating businesses that reach real scale with little outside capital.

I call them the Durable Majority. Most can’t raise venture (TAM too small) and can’t get a bank loan (too early), so they fall through the cracks.

I spent the last few months writing about this gap, and a new capital structure that could fill it: one that returns cash to investors early and dilutes founders less.

I don’t have all the answers, but I’d love to start a dialogue. Comment ESSAY and I’ll send you the long-form version of my thoughts. 🧠✨

#venturecapital #founders #startups #fundraising #AI by @jessinvestsvc

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12 days ago

Today I went back to Columbia Business School for a fireside chat with the Venture Capital Club. Talk about a full circle moment! A few things we got into👇

⏰ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. If you’re investing in something that’s hot right now, you’ve probably already missed the boat. Good VCs are asking what will be hot, popular, or necessary 5 to 10 years from now.

🧠 𝗥𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 “𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.” Think about the problems AI is creating. If AI is good at something, it’s usually just as good at the malicious version of it. If it’s good at drug discovery, it’s probably also good at creating viruses. If it’s good at coding, it’s probably also good at hacking. If it’s good at making decisions for you, it’s probably also eroding critical thinking skills. So: security, vulnerability, and solving for the human side effects are all themes that excite me.

🗽 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸. SF gives you unparalleled access to investors, but NYC is a close second. Combine that with how many industries call New York home, and you’re likely down the block from your customers, which makes the sales motion so much easier. You also get a deeper, more diverse talent pool across every part of the business.

👊 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻. There will be a dozen former bankers in any MBA class, but anyone can build a model with Claude now. What will set you apart is judgment and taste. So build your network, say yes to everything, be alturistic, and write/publish thoughts about where you believe the world is headed.

Thank you to the VCC team for having me. This one was special! 🫶 taken in Columbia Business School - Manhattanville Campus by @jessinvestsvc

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18 days ago

A16z just dropped their Speedrun Alpha applications. Deadline to apply is Sun, Oct 11. Comment LINK and I’ll send it right over🫶🔗 Good luck!!

#founders #venturecapital #engineering #student #newgrad by @jessinvestsvc

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a month ago

I studied persuasion and became a public speaking coach before I was even old enough to drink. So I notice things in a pitch that most VCs sense but can’t name.

If this interests you, or you’re serious about getting people excited about your business, or just want to articulate your ideas better, comment WORKSHOP and I’ll send you details about the event I’m hosting in September.

Hope to see you there! 🫶

#founders #storytelling #publicspeaking #career #venturecapital taken in Central Park, New York by @jessinvestsvc

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2 months ago

“Too early” is the cheapest feedback in venture. And it happens ALL THE TIME!

It sounds kind, but it’s actually a dodge, and it can mean a dozen things, incl:

👉 We think the MARKET is too saturated, so we want to see how you execute against competition.

👉 We don’t have conviction in YOU, but we like the idea and want to see how you can hire, fundraise, evangelize, and lead.

👉 The IDEA might not be “venture scalable” in its current state, but we want to see how you can pivot it, and we believe in you.

🗣️Translation: “Right now we don’t think you’re the bet, and we’d rather keep the door open than say no.”

It sucks. But knowing which flavor of “too early” is the first step toward making yourself more investable down the line.

If you’re stuck in the “too early” pile and you want the honest truth about where you’re falling short, drop a 🌱 or send me a DM. I’m always looking to prove other VCs wrong with my portfolio (and have a link in bio for advisory)! 🫶

#startups #venturecapital #founders #fundraising #vc taken in Central Park, New York by @jessinvestsvc

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2 months ago

Malachyte is a company you’ve probably never heard of that’s rebuilding one of the most valuable pieces of software in retail: the recommendation engine.

These guys are so fricken smart. 🤯

Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments 👇

#startups #venturecapital #founders #ecommerce #ai by @jessinvestsvc

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2 months ago

There is one thing every great VC has in common. And no, it’s not an Ivy League MBA.

Nobody breaks into VC by having the right resume. They break in by having controversial opinions, a unique way of seeing the world, and a hunter mindset.

The best VCs end up right about ideas people called crazy 5+ years ago, and they win by betting on the founders who built in those lanes.

So stop optimizing your background. Stop chasing hype. Start publishing your opinions and building relationships with brilliant people who make you question the way things are.

#careeradvice #mba #student #venturecapital #vc by @jessinvestsvc

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2 months ago

These questions (mentioned within) are arguably the most important to clarify on a call with an investor, but founders rarely ask ‼️

Real, honest feedback is PRICELESS, but VCs will rarely share their thoughts unless probed to do so.

Save this for later so you don’t forget to ask!

#founder #startup #venturecapital by @jessinvestsvc

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2 months ago