About Mike

Mike Warren is founder of Alethia Strategic Business Solutions, an executive coaching and leadership consultancy he started in 2000 after several years in the securities industry running a broker-dealer, investment bank, and RIA. He has coached executives — mostly VPs and C-level leaders at Fortune 50 to 1000 companies — for 26 years, and now runs two venture funds, one in beverage and one in tech, investing primarily at the seed to Series A stage.

What we talked about

Running two businesses that feed each other — how coaching executives and investing in early-stage companies turned out to share the same due diligence process.

People over product — why he evaluates the founders and leadership team before he ever looks at what a company sells.

The under-capitalization trap — the most common reason startups end up needing a "rescue mission."

Where AI is already cutting headcount — a law firm that went from 50 people to 18 using AI for casework.

Industries overdue for disruption — why he thinks mortgage lending and small-business banking are decades behind.

The coaching industry's low-end problem — how inexperienced "coaches" built on social media are flooding the market.

Sharpest moments

On what he actually invests in:

Anything is investable if the people are investable, in my opinion.

On where companies really break:

The biggest problem besides the money is the people, no question, and it starts from the top... the fish stinks from the head down, not the ass up.

On the industry he'd disrupt first:

The banking industry, especially in the United States — and in particular the mortgage side... is 100 years behind the times.

On AI-fueled con artists in his own industry:

You've got a lot of people out there who have never done anything in business... telling you how to use these tools in your business. That's a big problem.

On his closing advice:

Find something that you love, become the best at it, and don't quit.

Key takeaways

• Warren evaluates people before product: coachable, receptive founders are the real signal he invests behind.
• Under-capitalization, not a weak product, is the most common reason companies end up needing a turnaround.
• AI has already cut real headcount — his example law firm shrank from 50 staff to 18 while winning more cases.
• He targets seed-to-Series-A deals in the $2.5M–$25M valuation range, avoiding pre-seed and pure startups.
• Mortgage lending and small-business banking are, in his view, among the most overdue industries for disruption.
• His advice to founders chasing the "next big opportunity": pick something you already know well and become the best at it, rather than chasing trends.