Every founder has a story. But not every founder spends their career investing in others before building a platform of their own.
In episode 045 of the New to Venture podcast with host Taiki Chung, Manu shares the philosophies behind K9 Ventures, the lessons that come from backing bold ideas before anyone else believes in them, and how those same principles led him to build HiHello.
Manu Kumar on Founding, Funding, and Building
Manu’s journey is a masterclass in what it means to bet early—and bet well. Across the episode, he shares hard-won insights, including:
- Grit beats everything: The companies that succeed aren’t the ones with perfect timing. They’re the ones with relentless founders who don’t give up.
- Hire only when it hurts: Avoid premature scaling. Feel the pain first.
- There’s no such thing as a plug-and-play CEO: Every founder must navigate their own chaos.
- Pick your hard: Fundraising for a venture fund is hard. Running a company is harder.
He also dives into how presence, not performance, is the true currency of trust
“Presence is about being remembered. It’s not just the impression you make—it’s the trail you leave behind.”
Why HiHello Exists
Manu’s journey spans decades of supporting entrepreneurs, founding companies, and investing at the earliest stages. But HiHello started with something deceptively simple—the flaws of a paper business card.
“We were still using a 19th-century tool to make 21st-century connections.”
That insight led him to build HiHello, a platform that rethinks one of the most fundamental aspects of professional life: how we connect.
The Professional Presence Platform is designed to help people share who they are, not just what they do. From stunning digital business cards to automated email signatures and enriched contacts, HiHello is rethinking every touchpoint of professional identity.
The Cost of Staying the Same
In the episode, Manu shares how the status quo is costing companies more than they think:
Most teams optimize for growth campaigns and product-led loops, but forget the everyday interactions that shape trust, credibility, and brand.
Presence isn’t just a soft skill; it’s a business asset.HiHello was built to modernize those small but mighty moments: the card handed out at a conference. The first email someone receives. The lead that never made it into your CRM.
With HiHello, every moment of connection becomes brand-forward, trackable, and designed to last.
Why This Episode Matters
This conversation is for anyone who’s building something before the market is ready. For founders seeking real talk about what it takes. For investors trying to define their own strategy. And for operators who want to understand how professional presence can scale alongside product.
“Presence is about being remembered. That’s as true in startups as it is in real life.”
👉 Listen to the full episode on Apple or Spotify Podcasts:
To explore how HiHello helps professionals and organizations own their presence, visit hihello.com.
