Ben Burman, Campaign Execution Manager of Republic, sat down with us to talk about his podcast, his time at Republic, and what he wish more startups knew about fundraising.
Interview has been condensed and edited.
What brought you to Republic?
I’ve been really interested in startups and entrepreneurship since I was a sophomore in college. Previously, I wanted to discover new companies and invest in those that I believed in, which led me to become a Republic user. I saw the awesome things happening at the company and wanted to be a part of it in order to help founders raise capital and encourage more people to take control of their financial future by becoming startup investors.Â
You also host a podcast (Starting It Up). How did it inform your current line of work?
Hosting my podcast, Starting It Up, gave me great experience working with startup founders. It’s one of the reasons why I joined Republic in a founder-facing role. I spoke with entrepreneurs running companies across all stages (series seed to exit) and saw the different problems and goals they had. I took this experience with me and use it every day while helping founders run successful investment campaigns.Â
What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs trying to make it in the podcast world?
Starting a podcast is easy. Growing and sustaining one is hard. If you don’t already have a large audience, make sure that you’re in it for the long haul —  it can take dozens (sometimes hundreds) of episodes before your show catches a strong following. The best way to ensure that you stick with it is by loving the process, so do a show on something you’re really passionate about and make sure that you’re learning and improving the entire time.
What is a little-known fact about Republic that you wish more people knew?
I wish more people knew how important it is that anyone is now able to invest in private startups, accredited or non-accredited. The majority of wealth is created in the private markets, and with Republic, anyone can play a part in and experience that upside. This can fundamentally change the future of personal finance in a way we’ve never seen before.Â
What do you wish more startups knew about fundraising?
That it’s almost always harder than you expect it to be. As a founder, you clearly see the upside potential and understand the problem you’re solving. For someone who hasn’t devoted the same time and energy into the business, they often are less convinced and enthused. If someone doesn’t want to invest, you should never take that personally and never respond in bad faith. No investment opportunity is perfect for everyone. A “no” today could lead to a “yes” tomorrow.