Honest talk: Founder & lead investor on lessons from a startup that failed

Most founder–investor conversations only get recorded when the ending is clean. Ours didn’t. And that’s exactly why this one matters.

In this rare, candid conversation, Na’ama Moran sits down with Lior Susan, Founding Managing Partner at Eclipse Ventures, to unpack what really happened behind the rise and fall of Cheetah Technologies—a startup that scaled rapidly, raised big, and ultimately was acquired at a fire-sale price.

Two Israelis who grew up in agricultural socialist communities, reunited in Silicon Valley, built a $150M business together, navigated hyper-growth, crisis, and collapse, and stayed in the room even when things got uncomfortable. This is the conversation most founders and investors never get to hear.

In this episode, we explore:

What founders wish investors knew (and vice versa)

How upbringing shapes risk-taking, leadership, and resilience

The realities of hyper-growth, market timing, and operational complexity

How to make impossible decisions under pressure

What a true founder-investor relationship looks like when things break

Why transparency, trust, and failure literacy matter now more than ever

Whether you’re a founder navigating uncertainty, or an investor supporting high-velocity teams, this conversation offers practical insights, emotional honesty, and a blueprint for building resilient partnerships.

If you're building, investing, or learning from the scars of entrepreneurship - this conversation is for you.