Building Startups Before They Exist - Inside M13 | John Tabis

VC Unfiltered

In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with John Tabis — founder of The Bouqs Company and Partner & Head of Launchpad at M13. Together, they unpack what really makes a venture studio succeed, why founders must sometimes ignore customers, and how a flower company accidentally created a high-margin hit with... vases.
John pulls back the curtain on how M13’s venture studio operates like a startup Petri dish — rapidly testing, iterating, and validating ideas. He reflects on nearly sinking Bouqs by underestimating infrastructure needs, and shares one of the hardest lessons in leadership: “If they’re neutral, they’ve gotta go.”
0:25 Guest Introduction: John Tabis from M13 Venture Studio
1:09 Overview of M13's Venture Studio Model and Evolution
3:17 Ownership Structures and the Founder-Led Approach
5:21 Differentiation from Traditional Venture Studios
8:16 Lessons from Running Bouq: The Journey and Core Insights
11:01 The Importance of Tech as a Core Competency
12:00 Company Building vs. Product Building
13:42 Culture, Team Dynamics, and Leadership Lessons
15:03 Sorting Through Advice and Staying True to Vision
18:06 What M13 Looks for in Founders and Startups
20:26 The Value of Go-To-Market Strategy in Early-Stage Ventures
23:37 Building Traction and Accelerating the J-Curve
25:55 Evolving Customer Discovery: Theory vs. Real-World Practice
28:56 Case Study: Subscription Models and Real Customer Feedback
30:45 Vases Revisited: Listening to Customers vs. Trusting Instincts
31:28 Closing Remarks and Appreciation for the Guest