TOPIC GOES HERE - 08/11/2026

This is Second Opinion, a newsletter created by Hustle Fund, where we weigh in (with our second opinion) and give tactical advice on founder situations.

Today’s Edition

Most technical founders lead with the science. Eric Januar, co-founder of Baniql, learned the hard way that's the wrong opener.

✨Today's episode: the one liner

Shiyan Koh, Hustle Fund GP, talks with Eric about turning "high pressure acid leaching at 255°C" into a pitch anyone can follow. Two things stood out:

• Keep it simple. Eric used to open with reactor temperatures and pressures and watch eyes glaze over. Now it's "we take raw material, process it at low temperature, and put the leftover back as soil." Same tech, way less lost.

• Ask before you pitch. Eric's biggest shift wasn't a slide, it was listening more than talking. Ask what the investor cares about first, then tailor the story, whether that's market size for the finance crowd or the clean-process angle for the sustainability crowd.

Here's the episode:

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