Zap's Wrap March 16th

6th SPV ⚡⚡⚡⚡

Author

Haley Zapolski
March 16, 2026

hi friends,

SPV #6 is closed.

A few weeks ago, I made my 6th SPV investment.

[FYI- An SPV is a special purpose vehicle, a legal entity to pool investments from multiple investors. This allows investors to write smaller checks under the typical $50k minimum. I use a software called Sydecar to run my deals.]

We invested in Andrew and the team at Sitevue, who are building operational intelligence for the manufacturing floor by capturing worker video data. Think: real-time visibility into what's actually happening on the floor, so manufacturers can stop guessing and start optimizing.

They just closed a multi-million dollar contract and are off to the races!!

Keep your eyes on Sitevue. A Nashville startup to watch for sure!

Reflections

  • Sitting in the middle of deals is fascinating because I get to spectate everything unfold in real time. One thing has become really obvious, nobody cares. Until suddenly, everyone does. It's like a switch flips. Investors pass, founders get ghosted, and then out of nowhere- BOOM. The interest pours in. I genuinely don't fully understand what triggers it every time, but I've seen it enough to know it's real. Which is why I keep telling founders: if you keep going, eventually it might just work.

  • I'm not in the business of telling founders how to run their company. I can teach you how to run a fundraise process. I can tell you how the market is likely to react to your company, your team, & your story. But evaluating whether your product, business model, or vision is the right one? That's not my job. The market figures that out, not me.

  • One of the hardest things to get founders to understand is why VCs only want to invest in companies that could be worth a billion dollars. I hear it all the time: "I just want to raise one small round and sell for $20–50M." And look, I get it. That's a life-changing outcome. But it doesn't fit the VC business model at all. The risk profile for the investor is the same either way, and a $30M exit doesn't move the needle on a fund. If it happens, great. But VCs aren't betting on it and founders need to understand that going in.

  • A know a lot of people trying to leave venture and tech right now. Most want to go work in "boring" businesses. And honestly, I get it. The venture world is exhausting, the wins are rare, and the pressure is relentless. Perhaps the dream feels less shiny than it did a few years ago. I think a lot of people got into this space because it felt exciting and lucrative, and now that the market has humbled everyone, they're realizing it might not be the right fit. Which is okay. But it does make me reflect on why I'm still here and the honest answer is that I just really love it. Not the status of it, not the potential upside of it. Just the actual work. And that feels like enough ❤️ 

Startup jobs

Other stuff….

  • Does anyone have any advice on swag? I want to make embroidered hats. I would like to also make customize sweatshirts, maybe using Alo or Lululemon gear. Any thoughts?

  • Mostly spent last week planning my anti-conference, Lightning. We have over 60 VCs coming to check out Nashville startups!!!

  • Started planning a few trips to NYC! I am heading there in May for the first annual ‘Preseed Summit’ and back again first week of June for NY Tech Week. I am going to bring a group of founders and host a breakfast.

Events

  • Proptech Breakfast Hang, Wednesday, March 18th

    • Come meet other builders in proptech

  • Cofounder Connect, Thursday, March 19th

    • Meet coders and sellers to potentially team up with (:

  • Startup Run Club, Friday, March 20th

    • Run 3-4 miles with breakfast after!

  • The SPV Playbook, Wednesday April 22nd

    • ​SPVs allow investors to share access to deals, build track records, and back founders alongside other great investors. But most people only see the surface- not how they actually work behind the scenes. ​Join us for a conversation on how SPVs really work in practice.

Personal

I was honored to experience the ‘Silver Fox,’ a bar Paul built inside of his house!!! He is not only an amazing founder, but he also makes incredible cocktails.

Me and Mr Zap went car shopping and I can’t wait to show the world what we got! My car hasn’t been able to go above 40 mph, which has actually been a blessing in disguise. If I have to get on a highway to get somewhere, I don’t really want to go LOL.

to the moon,

zap⚡