How to Raise Your First Seed Check?

Meet Audra Pakalnyte from First Move, Shi Yan from Hustle Fund, Jeff Paine from Golden Gate, Kevin Brockland from Indelible and Sophie Chiu from Appworks to share their insights on how to raise your first seed check. Here is a breakdown of the most compelling highlights.

🔍 VC Investment Criteria & Mindset

  • F3 Framework: Founders, Fit, and Future.
  • Market Size Matters: Must be sizable and scalable to justify investment.
  • 10X is the baseline: VCs look for potential to grow 10X, ideally 100X.
  • Founder Qualities: Commitment, coachability, execution capability, and grit.
  • Insight & Secret Sauce: Founders should have deep industry insight or a unique perspective.

💡 Early Stage Advice for Founders

  • Know Your Investor: Match your startup’s profile with the investor’s risk appetite.
  • Don’t Over-Raise: Raise only what’s needed to reach the next milestone.
  • Equity Discipline: Be cautious with equity dilution; treat it as precious.
  • Customer Validation: Focus on solving real pain points and getting customers to pay.
  • Prototype Quickly: Expectations have shifted—build and test MVPs fast.

🌍 Global vs Local Strategy

  • Think Global Early: Build products with global scalability in mind.
  • Exposure Builds Confidence: Founders should travel, network, and learn from global ecosystems.
  • Vietnam & Singapore: Emerging hubs with founders targeting global markets.
  • Barriers to Global Expansion: Lack of confidence, exposure, and ambition.

🧠 Product-Market Fit & Growth

  • PMF Feels Like Pull: When users organically adopt and love your product.
  • PLG (Product-Led Growth): Works better in US than Southeast Asia due to adoption behavior.
  • Speed to Market: Fast iteration and feedback loops are critical.
  • Metrics Orientation: Founders must obsess over usage data and analytics.

💬 Fundraising & Check Sizes

  • Typical First Check: Ranges from $100K to $300K depending on region and stage.
  • Valuation is Market-Driven: Supply and demand dictate terms more than founder expectations.
  • Pre-Revenue Startups: Can be funded if they show strong insight, traction, and validation.

🧠 Mindset & Strategy

  • Think Big from Day One: Aim for 10X growth minimum; 100X is ideal.
  • Global Ambition Matters: Build with international scalability in mind, not just local relevance.
  • Confidence is Key: Don’t let lack of exposure or fear of failure hold you back.

👥 Founder Qualities

  • Commitment & Grit: Investors look for founders who are determined and resilient.
  • Insight & Execution: Deep understanding of the problem space and ability to act on it.
  • Coachability: Willingness to learn and adapt is crucial.

💰 Fundraising Tips

  • Raise What You Need: Don’t over-raise; align funding with clear milestones.
  • Protect Your Equity: Be strategic about dilution—only give equity to those who add real value.
  • Customer Revenue is Best: Focus on monetization early; paying customers validate your product.

🚀 Product Development

  • Speed & Iteration: Build MVPs quickly and test with real users.
  • Product-Market Fit (PMF): You’ll know you’ve hit PMF when users pull the product from you.
  • Metrics Matter: Track usage, retention, and feedback obsessively.

🌍 Go-to-Market & Expansion

  • Start Local, Think Global: Use your home market to validate, but plan for international reach.
  • Understand Your Customer: Whether B2B or B2C, know their pain points and buying behavior.
  • Leverage Networks: Co-founders or team members from target markets can accelerate entry.

🧭 Advice from VCs

  • Build Lean: Avoid unnecessary hires; leverage tech over people.
  • Customer Revenue is Best Funding: Focus on monetization early.
  • Avoid VC if Possible: Build sustainable businesses without external funding if you can.
  • Fix Your Idea Early: Seek feedback to refine and validate your concept.



Follow me at Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Linkedin

Ler Travel Diary is using Server Freak Web Hosting and Slack Social.

To be a smart saver, check out ShopBack for more information.

Enjoy SGD5 discount voucher on KLOOK by using promo code 53E7UD

Need discount for Quillbot

Step-by-Step Guide to Hosting n8n on Azure

🚀 How I Deployed n8n on Azure Using Docker: A Step-by-Step Guide

As a fan of automation and low-code tools, I’ve been exploring n8n, an open-source workflow automation platform that’s incredibly powerful and flexible. Recently, I decided to host n8n on Microsoft Azure using a Docker container—and I’m sharing the process here to help fellow developers and tech enthusiasts do the same.

🧭 Why Azure + Docker?

Azure App Service offers a clean and scalable way to deploy containerized applications. By using Docker, I get full control over the environment and dependencies, while Azure handles the infrastructure, scaling, and security.


🛠️ Step-by-Step: Hosting n8n on Azure Web App (Container)

Step 1: Create a Web App on Azure

Start by logging into the Azure Portal and creating a new Web App:

  • Choose:
    • Subscription and Resource Group
    • Name: e.g., n8n-container-app
    • PublishDocker Container
    • Operating System: Linux
    • Region: Select your preferred region

This sets up the foundation for your containerized deployment.


Step 2: Configure Docker Container Settings

In the Docker tab of the Web App setup:

  • Image Source
    https://docker.n8n.io
    
  • Image and Tag:
    n8nio/n8n
    
  • Leave the startup command blank unless you have custom needs.

This tells Azure to pull the official n8n image from Docker Hub.


Step 3: Set Environment Variables

Stop App services.

To secure and configure your n8n instance, head to:

Web App > Configuration > Application Settings, and add:

Name Value
WEBSITES_ENABLE_APP_SERVICE_STORAGE true
GENERIC_TIMEZONE yourTimeZone
N8N_PROTOCOL https
WEBHOOK_URL https://<your-app-name>.azurewebsites.net
N8N_HOST <your-app-name>.azurewebsites.net
N8N_PORT 5678
 

Step 4: Restart and Launch

Once everything is configured:

  • Restart the Web App from the Azure Portal
  • Visit your app’s URL:
    https://<your-app-name>.azurewebsites.net
  • Log in using the credentials you set

You should now see the sleek n8n workflow editor, ready to automate your world!


🧩 Final Thoughts

Deploying n8n on Azure using Docker is surprisingly smooth once you get the hang of it. This setup gives you the flexibility of containers with the scalability of Azure—perfect for building robust automation workflows.

Full Guide YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/lJrndpchAMo

A Big Credit to Muhamad Ali Ridho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFJXATuWvKI&ab_channel=MuhamadAliRidho%7CAI%26ngoprek



Follow me at Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Linkedin
Ler Travel Diary is using Server Freak Web Hosting and Slack Social.
To be a smart saver, check out ShopBack for more information.
Enjoy SGD5 discount voucher on KLOOK by using promo code 53E7UD
Need discount for Quillbot

July 2025 AI Market Update: Summer Slowdown, Legal Landmarks & Automation Breakthroughs

As the summer heat rolls in, the AI world takes a breather but not without stirring up some major developments. The July 2025 Market Update by Dr Lau Cher Han on 2 July 2025 delivered a rich mix of industry insights, legal drama, and practical tools for entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts. Here’s a breakdown of the most compelling highlights.

🔍 Model Updates: Quiet but Not Silent

  • OpenAI’s GPT-4 (O3) reached near-genius levels; further improvements are marginal.
  • Mistral Magistral enhanced with reasoning and OCR capabilities; fast but may lack accuracy in reasoning.
  • MidJourney now supports animation generation and personalized styles.

🏛️ Legal Showdowns: Copyright in the Age of AI

⚙️ Tools for Automation & Agents

  • N8N: Open-source automation platform for custom workflows.
  • Make.com: User-friendly interface for workflow design.
  • Readdy.ai: AI-powered tools for responsive landing page creation.

📊 Data Visualization & Scraping

Image Credit: Jooy Ticket
Image Credit: Jooy Ticket

🧱 The Three Layers of AI Adoption

  • Layer 1: Using AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude.
  • Layer 2: Creating intelligent agents for task automation.
  • Layer 3: Full automation of workflows using tools like N8N.

🎓 Education & Community

  • Collaborations with Taiwan universities on 3D modeling and generative design.
  • Bootcamps planned for August–September covering AI entrepreneurship, coding, and automation.

Whether you’re a startup founder, educator, or tech hobbyist, the message is clear: AI is no longer optional—it’s foundational.



Follow me at Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Linkedin

Ler Travel Diary is using Server Freak Web Hosting and Slack Social.

To be a smart saver, check out ShopBack for more information.

Enjoy SGD5 discount voucher on KLOOK by using promo code 53E7UD

Need discount for Quillbot

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Telegram Chatbot with n8n

Follow these steps to create a Telegram chatbot using n8n:

Step 1: Set Up Your Bot with BotFather

  1. Open Telegram and search for BotFather.
  2. Start a chat with BotFather and use the command /newbot.
  3. Follow the prompts to name your bot and create a username.
  4. BotFather will provide you with a token. Save this token as you will need it later.

Step 2: Configure Telegram Trigger Node in n8n

  1. Log in to your n8n dashboard.
  2. Create a new workflow and name it Telegram Chatbot.
  3. Add a Telegram Trigger node to your workflow.
  4. Click on the node and enter the token you received from BotFather.
  5. Set the Webhook URL to the URL provided by n8n.
  6. Save the node configuration.

Step 3: Add Response Nodes

  1. Add a Function node to process incoming messages.
  2. Write a function to handle different commands or messages.
  3. Add a Telegram Send Message node to send responses back to the user.
  4. Connect the nodes appropriately to ensure the workflow processes messages and sends responses.

Step 4: Test Your Chatbot

  1. Activate the workflow in n8n.
  2. Open Telegram and start a chat with your bot.
  3. Send a message to test if the bot responds correctly.
  4. Check the execution logs in n8n for any errors and debug if necessary.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Ensure your bot token is correct and has not expired.
  • Verify the webhook URL is correctly set in the Telegram Trigger node.
  • Check the execution logs for detailed error messages.



Follow me at Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Linkedin

Ler Travel Diary is using Server Freak Web Hosting and Slack Social.

To be a smart saver, check out ShopBack for more information.

Enjoy SGD5 discount voucher on KLOOK by using promo code 53E7UD

Need discount for Quillbot

Create a Meeting Minutes Generator with n8n: Step-by-Step Guide

✅ Prerequisites

  • An n8n account (cloud or self-hosted)
  • An OpenAI API key
  • Google Drive API credentials
  • Audio file for transcription

🔧 Step 1: Create a New Workflow

  1. Log in to your n8n dashboard.
  2. Click “New Workflow”.
  3. Name your workflow (e.g., Meeting Minutes Generator).

🧲 Step 2: Add a Trigger Node

  1. Add a Trigger Node:
    • Choose “On File Upload” if using n8n.cloud.
    • Alternatively, use Webhook or Manual Trigger for testing.

🎙️ Step 3: Add the OpenAI Whisper Node

  1. Click “+” and search for “OpenAI Whisper”.
  2. Select “Transcription Model”.
  3. Click “Create New Credential” and enter:
    • API Key (from your OpenAI account)
    • Leave Organization ID and Base URL blank unless using a custom model.

🧠 Step 4: Configure the Transcription Model

  1. Choose a model (e.g., whisper-1).
  2. Optional: Set a System Message to define the transcription scope. Example:

    Transcribe the audio file into text format for meeting minutes.

  3. Leave other parameters (language, format) at default for now.

🔗 Step 5: Connect the Nodes

  1. Connect the Trigger Node to the OpenAI Whisper Node.
  2. Ensure the flow is linked properly (you should see arrows between nodes).

📝 Step 6: Add a Summarization Node

  1. Click “+” and search for “AI Agent”.
  2. Select “Summarization Model”.
  3. Choose OpenAI as the provider.
  4. Click “Create New Credential” and enter:
    • API Key (from your OpenAI account)
    • Leave Organization ID and Base URL blank unless using a custom model.

🧠 Step 7: Configure the Summarization Model

  1. Choose a model (e.g., gpt-4-1106-preview).
  2. Optional: Set a System Message to define the summarization scope. Example:

    Summarize the transcribed text into formal meeting minutes.

  3. Leave other parameters (temperature, max tokens) at default for now.

🔗 Step 8: Connect the Nodes

  1. Connect the OpenAI Whisper Node to the AI Agent Node.
  2. Ensure the flow is linked properly (you should see arrows between nodes).

📄 Step 9: Add a Google Drive Node

  1. Click “+” and search for “Google Drive”.
  2. Select “Create File”.
  3. Click “Create New Credential” and enter:
    • Client ID and Client Secret (from your Google Cloud Console)
    • Follow the OAuth flow to authenticate.

🧠 Step 10: Configure the Google Drive Node

  1. Set the File Name (e.g., Meeting Minutes).
  2. Set the File Content to the output of the AI Agent Node.
  3. Choose the Folder ID where the file will be saved.

🔗 Step 11: Connect the Nodes

  1. Connect the AI Agent Node to the Google Drive Node.
  2. Ensure the flow is linked properly (you should see arrows between nodes).

🛠️ Step 12: Test the Workflow

  1. Click “Execute Workflow” or “Test Step”.
  2. Upload an audio file for transcription.
  3. Check Google Drive for the generated meeting minutes document.

🛠️ Troubleshooting Tips

  • If you get “No response,” ensure:
    • The nodes are connected.
    • The workflow is active.
    • The API key is valid.
  • Use the Execution Logs tab to debug.



Follow me at Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ | Linkedin

Ler Travel Diary is using Server Freak Web Hosting and Slack Social.

To be a smart saver, check out ShopBack for more information.

Enjoy SGD5 discount voucher on KLOOK by using promo code 53E7UD

Need discount for Quillbot