Investing in Outdoor Founders with Andrew Luter of Rio Chato Investments

Most outdoor founders think raising money means venture capital. Andrew Luter of Rio Chato Investments spends much of his time talking founders out of taking money and, instead, helps them to see what options they have that may be a better fit. He breaks down why most outdoor businesses are the wrong shape for VC, and why using equity to solve a cash-flow problem is like taking out a splinter with a chainsaw. We cover the funding tools founders overlook, the big wholesale orders that can quietly kill small brands, why coachability beats product and pitch, and the "danger zone" where a brand is too big to be small and too small to be big.Topics covered in the episode:When raising equity is the wrong moveThe REI/big-box order as a working-capital trapUnderused funding: PO financing, revenue-based financing, CDFIs, friends and familyWhy coachability beats product and pitchThe "danger zone": too big to be small, too small to be bigCommunity-first brands as the next wave in outdoorLinksAndrew's SubstackRio Chato InvestmentsHeather Kelly's SubstackConnect with Andrew on LinkedInConnect with Christian on LinkedInRegister for the KORE SummitThe KORE Podcast is a production of the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise. Learn more about KORE and the podcast: https://koreoutdoors.org/podcast  #koreoutdoors #craftgearfromhere