From 80 VC Rejections to Rejecting VCs | Atilana Piñon - Retorna
Description
How to comeback from over 80 VC rejections.
Atilana Pinon, CEO & Founder of Retorna, went from constant rejection to investors fighting for her, all by telling her story.
🧠 What You'll Learn In This Episode:
▪️ How to shift the power dynamic with VCs
▪️ The research framework that identifies aligned investors before you waste time
▪️ Why being profitable before fundraising is the ultimate negotiating position
▪️ Elite cash management mindsets
📖 Chapters
00:00 - Intro
01:44 - "Saying No to £600K"
05:31 - The Breaking Point: 80+ VC Rejections 07:47 - The Moment Everything Changed
11:03 - How to Research Investors Like a Pro
13:47 - The Preparation That Made All the Difference
19:52 - Cash Management: "Take Care of the Pennies"
27:08 - Revenue-Based Bonuses That Actually Work
31:14 - Growing Double-Digit Monthly (The Secret Sauce)
41:01 - From Solo Founder to Co-CEO Partnership
45:08 - Building Mutual Respect and Trust
52:29 - "Stop Worrying About the Future"
59:05 - "I Don't Deserve to Be Successful" - Breaking Limiting Beliefs
1:02:07 - Building a Zebra, Not a Unicorn
🍿 WATCH NEXT If you liked this conversation, you'll love this one too:
My Identity Was Crippling My Company | Will Pearson - Ocean Bottle
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🔗 Connect with Atilana: Atilana's
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/atilanapinon/?locale=en_US
Website - https://retorna.app, or other relevant links]
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Use Code - UPMSCALEWITHSOUL


















