Ep 344 - Joseph de Leon - The Hustle Behind Manila Angel Investors Network

EPISODE INTRODUCTION

In this episode of Hustleshare, we talk with Joseph De Leon—partner at Gravitas Prime, founding member of MAIN (Manila Angel Investors Network), and a cornerstone of the Philippine startup ecosystem. JDL shares his fascinating path from global ad strategist to M&A advisor, and how his eclectic background helped him shape a uniquely sharp lens for evaluating startups. He breaks down the realities of angel investing, why most founders miss the mark on valuation and ambition, and what it really takes to build a world-class business from the Philippines. Packed with wit, frameworks, and brutally honest insights, this is a must-listen for anyone serious about turning hustle into lasting value.

Episode Timeline: 

[00:03:00] - JDL’s Hustle: M&A, Strategy, and Helping Founders

[00:12:04] - JDL’s Childhood, Family Hustle, and Early Lessons

[00:15:42] - Early Skills Stack: Structured Creativity and Debate

[00:24:08] - Learning Human Dynamics in a Family of Ten

[00:29:15] - Transactional Philosophy and Influence Ecology

[00:42:30] - Establishing Strategic Forts

[00:46:05] - The M&A Lens vs. Startup Investment Lens

[00:52:20] - Introducing the Importance of Timing

[00:58:16] - Screening Startups for MAIN: Vision, Validation & Valuation

[01:08:53] - Founder Institute’s Role in Fixing Founder Mindsets

[01:15:23] - Journey of Being in the Founder Institute

[01:23:16] - Next Cohort of Founder Institute

[01:24:26] - JDL’s Advice for Tech Startups

QUOTES
“But here's the thing when a judge says, no, they don't actually mean no. What they're actually saying is not yet. And what people forget is that if you really want to have a machine that doesn't just move fast, it moves with velocity, the most important part isn't just strapping the biggest engine you can stick on four wheels. It's having great brakes.  Because brakes are critical to maneuverability.  So these are the people you actually need to talk to early to make sure you've got good brakes and guardrails in place so you don't crash and die. Cause the only failure you can't learn from is the failure that kills you.” - Joseph de Leon

CONNECT WITH JOSEPH:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephdeleon/ 

Manila Angel Investing Network (MAIN): https://www.main.ph/ 

Bullet Day Consulting: https://www.bulletday.com/

Are you looking to learn more about your transactional superpowers? https://quiz.influentialu.biz/

JDL negotiated a special rate for the Philippines for their self-guided training program (PHP 125/month instead of $125) https://influentialu.store/collections/courses

Are you a founder wanted to turn your idea into an investible startup?

Apply for the next Founder Institute Philippines cohort https://fi.co/philippines (early application deadline July 27, 2025)

Would you like to be part of making the Philippine startup ecosystem world-class?

- Join the Philippines largest and most active angel investor network as an investor https://www.main.ph/memberships

- If your startup has a Philippine nexus, paying customers and is ready for expansion, apply for our next pitch night https://www.main.ph/contact
Schedule a Discovery Call with JDL to help prepare your business for scale or sale https://www.bulletday.com/about.html

This episode is brought to you by OneCFO

Hustleshare is powered by Podmachine

Listen to our brand new podcast: Founders Only HERE

Diamond Supporters: Sarisuki, PayMongo, SeekCap, Shoppable Business, Qapita, GoTyme Bank, Sprout Solutions, UNO Digital Bank