Eliyahu Rapaport

Construction waste is a gold mine for strategic builders with the ability to envisions and strategize the integration of recyclable materials in construction projects. When considering the types of materials and their application, stringent planning must ensure that it won't compromise the integrity, health, and functionality of the end product. When thought out and planned correctly, recyclable materials are more sustainable and, in many cases, outperform traditional methods used today.

Not all VC's are affected by tech trends equally. It depends on the size and the stage of the VC. Early stage VC's are more prone to be impacted by trends than larger VC's for the reason that if an early stage VC invests in a company that in 2-5 years is no longer trendy, they will lose their investment. At the same time a later stage VC, in most cases is investing in a company that managed to prove thei market product fit and has gained significant market share. While they can still be disrupted, the risk is smaller.

Assessing needs is the most important part of the innovation process. Recognizing that ideation and problem-solving are best applied with a framework is important. Making sure that all processes including needs assessment, are done in an environment that is inviting and "safe" for everyone to share their ideas without criticism or judgment is paramount and ensures the process starts on the right foot.

Know everything about the fund before walking in the door, the size, stage, industry, and any other investment factor that it incorporates in its strategy. Come prepared with the numbers and your value proposition for them and express your keen interest to drive, grow, and scale your business - When you walk in prepared - you will walk in with a strong feeling and knowledge of your worth.

Innovation is all about actionable change. Change will always be met with resistance. Understanding the root causes is important since they can help indicate what needs to be addressed. Common reasons can be: 1. Fear of redundancy - manager or worker may fear becoming redundant by this innovative change in process. 2. Losing budget or resources - Concern that the new innovation would divert budget or resources that from their project and core responsibilities. 3. Risk-averse organizational culture that intimidates the team from taking responsibility. The best solution that I know of is to sit down with the team and discuss these concerns openly. Even better, create an incentive for them to innovate and get the job done.

It all stems from the VC's investment strategy. Ideal investments strategy should play to the strengths of the VC and their value add. which can be industry focus, strategic LP's, market/region expansion etc. Good startups with a bad investor fit end up performing poorly.