The art of Networking with Gabriele Musella

“The most valuable relationships develop with time, and the earlier you start, the more valuable they will be.”

How can we navigate the intense and varied world of startups? According to Gabriele Musella, a repeat entrepreneur, Y Combinator alum and co-founder of Coinrule, the answer lies in building relationships. In our latest Network Success interview, Gabriele shares his unique journey from traditional industries like banking and telecommunications to the fast-paced startup scene. He highlights the importance of initiating connections early, even if interests don’t align at the time. These relationships can open unexpected doors in the future.

Gabriele also delves into his role as a mentor at Google for Startups, where he guides founders in refining their product strategies and provides the tools they need to succeed. His message is clear: mentorship is invaluable, especially for those new to the startup world.

Join us as we learn the art of networking and how genuine relationships can supercharge your entrepreneurial success.

Gabriele is a Design-Driven Entrepreneur, currently CEO Cofounder of Coinrule, a Y Combinator-backed startup, levelling the playing field between institutional and retail investors through facilitated access to trading automation.

His studies span from business design, repeat entrepreneurship, future of money, to data visualisation as a decision-making tool.

Prior to his experiences at UBS, IBM, Vodafone, NHS, WPP, and Lloyds Bank, He was a Datavis Researcher at Center Center for Complex Networks (Northeastern University) and a Visiting Scholar at MIT, Senseable City Lab. He holds an MSc from the Polytechnic of Milan and took part in programs at LSE & Harvard.

He is currently a Mentor at Google for Startups and a Guest Lecturer at ESADE, ESCP, and the University of Palermo.

Follow Gabriele on LinkedIn here

A massive thank you to Gabriele for sharing his time and insights with us.

Gabriele, with your vast experience as a repeat entrepreneur and Y Combinator alumni, how has networking shaped the trajectory of your ventures, and what networking advice would you offer to budding entrepreneurs?

Start as early as possible. The most valuable relationships develop with time, and the earlier you start, the more valuable they will be. I’ve always prioritized meeting and talking to people as much as possible throughout my many ventures. Even if our interests don’t necessarily align at the time, when you initiate that connection, doors will open for you in the future that you never expected. This has been integral to the success of any of my ventures, both in traditional industries and startups.

Founders often struggle to connect with the right investors at the right time. What practical advice can you offer founders for leveraging their networks to identify and connect with suitable investors for their ventures?

What I’ve always done when raising is to over-communicate the mission/vision and show a solid roadmap. Be clear from the start, when asking for an introduction and when expressing your budgeting needs. If you have, for example, a lead investor, who has a different idea of the company’s direction, it builds a ton of friction. It will come back if you don’t address it straight away. So overall, yes, leverage your network with warm intros as much as you can, but when it comes to vetting investors and aligning on goals, take it seriously.

Your international work experience spans multiple countries and cultures. How do you approach building and nurturing professional relationships across different cultural contexts, and what insights can you share with entrepreneurs looking to go global?

Fundamentally, there’s not much of a difference globally. Yes, there are differences from country to country, and you should know those differences. But people are people, adapting to their needs is not complicated if you provide value when it is needed and listen.

In your role mentoring startups at Google for Startups, you’ve guided many in refining their product strategies. Can you share how these mentor-mentee relationships have been pivotal in startup growth?

By nature, the startup world is very intense and varied. Part of that nature is figuring out things from scratch. Many mentees I’ve worked with had zero experience with product design; it’s a hard place to be. So, my recommendation is to get a mentor. Most mentors won’t directly teach you content, that’s not the point, but instead will give you the right tools and frameworks to tackle a specific problem. You still have to learn mostly on your own. But they provide direction and ensure you’re learning the right way, which is extremely valuable.

You’ve been featured on major platforms like Forbes and Business Insider, and you’ve spoken at prestigious institutions like MIT and TEDx. How has public visibility impacted your networking opportunities, and what advice do you have for founders looking to increase their visibility?

Public visibility helps people find you. If you want to increase your visibility, especially at the beginning, you have to chase opportunities. It may be something really small, but each opportunity is a step in the right direction. If you do this for long enough, you will increase your visibility. Again, it doesn’t need to be a huge outlet like Forbes or TEDx; it could be anything. Many smaller outlets provide more value because their audience is one that I relate to much more. This sometimes leads to more opportunities than the more prominent outlets.

What’s an emerging trend you’re excited about in the fintech space?

One of the most exciting trends in fintech is Decentralized Finance (DeFi). We believe DeFis is in the next evolution of the financial services and financial technology industry. Institutions are starting to grasp this, realizing they can use DeFi for more efficient capital allocation, liquidity management, and trustless lending, reducing costs and increasing yields. We’ve just built something to address this growing demand, and I’m quite excited about it. Our new Portfolio Automation for CFOs and Treasurers automates advanced trading strategies, offering features like VWAP and TWAP execution, automated order scheduling, and custom algorithm creation. We can help financial leaders save time, reduce costs, and enhance trading efficiency by integrating with major stock platforms and crypto exchanges. Our solution provides secure, non-custodial asset management, supported by a robust infrastructure and experienced leadership.

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