How do you build a billion dollar companies? How unicorns are build? In this episode, Ihar Mahaniok shares his journey as an immigrant founder and investor. He moved from Belarus to Switzerland and then the US, overcoming challenges like culture shock and building a new network.Ihar provides invaluable advice for immigrant founders looking to break into the US startup ecosystem. He explains how his fund GeekVentures helps founders become fully embedded by introducing them to investors and helping them communicate effectively.Even if you're not an immigrant founder, Ihar shares tips all entrepreneurs can learn from. He discusses how to create pitch decks that attract investor attention, including articulating the problem, market size, and your vision.Ihar also shares what VCs look for in founders, from founder-market fit to a dynamic approach and passion for their idea. He explains red flags like being non-coachable and founders who believe they have all the answers.Additional topics include:- Transitioning from engineering to angel investing to VC- The realities of raising a VC fund- Common founder mistakes and how to avoid them- How to evaluate potential investments as a VC- Managing a portfolio of 30+ startups as a VCIhar distills over a decade of experience into this episode. If you're a founder fundraising or want to better understand the investor perspective, you'll gain unique insights from his journey.? CONNECT WITH IHAR ? Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/akhmedov.co/? Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sardor-akhmedov/ ? Twitter - https://twitter.com/akhmedovco?lang=ru? CONNECT WITH MUDASSIR ? YouTube Channel -  @prodcircleHQ    ? Twitter - https://twitter.com/ProdcircleHQ? Instagram - https://instagram.com/prodcirclehq? Website - https://prodcircle.com/? Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mudassir-mustafa/?SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPTVisit the website for the transcript and highlights from the conversation - https://prodcircle.com/podcasts/? LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prodcricle-with-mudassir-mustafa/id1688602416Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7MKODYGDeiWP4Y5xUpih31?si=7ce29a73d8724ac2Google Podcast  - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8yMTg5ODA4LnJzcwRSS - https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2189808.rss? LEAVE A REVIEW If you enjoyed listening to the podcast, we'd love for you to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the show :) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prodcricle-with-mudassir-mustafa/id1688602416?? GET IN TOUCH You can also Tweet @prodcirclehq with any feedback, ideas, or thoughts about the lessons you've learned from the episodes and we can thank you personally for tuning in ?Looking to work with Mudassir, drop an email.Connect with Mudassir ? YouTube Channel - @prodcircleHQ ? Twitter - https://twitter.com/ProdcircleHQ? Instagram - https://instagram.com/prodcirclehq? Website - https://prodcircle.com/? Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mudassir-mustafa/