Sandeep Kondury
feat. founder | VC | TED Editor’s Pick | $10M + Deployed
sandeep-kondury
Austin, Texas, United States
Joined February 2026
Network
6.1K connectionsSummary
Founder & CEO of feat. (feat.press) — a marketplace where creators claim checkout storefronts for companies they want to promote and earn when they sell. Thesis: AI made creation cheap; distribution is still scarce. Raising pre-seed from Austin. 1,500+ startups evaluated · $10M+ early-stage capital deployed · $24M Seed–Series A raises guided · TEDx speaker (TED Editor’s Pick). Looking for warm intros to pre-seed and angel investors who back creator tools, marketplaces, and distribution. github+3
Sandeep is a recognized thought leader in the startup and venture capital community, evidenced by his TEDx talk titled 'How to join the 10% of startups that succeed' at TEDxSouth Congress. The talk emphasizes a 'hidden force' beyond funding or technology, termed 'owning the lingo,' which drives startup success. His insights into market creation and effective communication for founders are a recurring theme in his public presence. The talk was also picked as a TED Editor's Pick. youtube+2
Before feat., Sandeep focused on operator-side practice inside early-stage venture: at ASTRALABS (Venture Analyst → CEO’s Office Associate) he designed diligence and ops systems that supported a 200-person accelerator and helped founders scale through Seed–Series A; at Forecastr he built investor-grade financial models and fundraising-ready forecasts; earlier work in capital markets at Sunshine Investments rounded out his finance and deal-making foundation. clay+1
Sandeep's academic foundation from the University of Washington, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Informatics (Data Science), reflects his interest in technology and its human-centered applications. His educational journey also includes summer programs in Data Research at Sungkyunkwan University and Accounting, Finance & Corporate Strategy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, providing him with a diverse skill set in data analysis, finance, and entrepreneurial strategy. github
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
How to join the 10% of startups that succeed
May 3, 2025A TEDx talk by Sandeep Kondury at TEDxSouth Congress, discussing the factors that differentiate successful startups. The talk emphasizes a 'hidden force' beyond funding or technology, suggesting it's something people use every day, which he refers to as 'owning the lingo'.
Action Leverage: Your Customer Must Do a Job for Your Business
July 24, 2026Explains the concept of “action leverage”: the single small job a customer must do for a business to work, and how founders should design products and metrics around that contract.
How Startups Become Hubs (and Why Investors Should Listen Before the Metrics Arrive)
October 4, 2025Discusses how startups become ‘hubs’ when market language and adoption precede measurable metrics, and offers qualitative cues investors can use to spot early category formation.
Hobbies
Writes essays and long-form pieces about startups, narrative, and product strategy. medium+1
Public speaking and talks (TEDx speaker on startup success and lingo leverage). youtube+1
Building in public—experimenting with product and marketplace ideas (feat.). feat+1
Open-source projects and coding on GitHub. github
Notes
MFMichael Franksaid
SKSandeep Kondury
's company is a great fit for creator-driven affiliate partnerships.Aug 20, 2026