Mike Steadman is a former Marine Corps infantry officer and three-time national boxing champion who works as a venture partner at Context VC, where he specializes in helping founders define and own new market categories rather than just building features. He focuses specifically on military veteran founders and other overlooked entrepreneurs through his Category Whisperer approach, combining his combat and boxing background with category design expertise to pressure-test startup narratives and positioning.

• Bias toward relentless execution and real world building over theoretical learning. Startups pitching should highlight concrete actions and traction because classroom style presentations and endless planning are seen as inferior to simply getting to work and building things.
• Deep appreciation for extreme personal accountability and an intense work ethic. Success is framed as doing the difficult things others avoid, waking up before dawn, and dropping any past grievances to focus solely on what can be controlled today. References to endurance athlete David Goggins and author Malcolm Gladwell show a major respect for gritty, disciplined routines.
• Strong advocacy for military veterans and founders of color. Hosts a podcast specifically geared toward discussing how to raise capital for underrepresented veteran entrepreneurs, drawing heavily on a personal background linked to the Naval Academy and military service. This is a massive warm introduction angle for founders fitting that profile or building in that space.
• Prioritizes genuine character and intrinsic motivation rather than just chasing a massive financial exit. Expresses distaste for companies that treat diversity or social impact as a superficial public relations move, looking instead for founders who truly love the daily grind of entrepreneurship and define their success by more than just dollars.
• Actively cultivating a daily writing habit and working on long form fiction. Currently developing a novel centered on a minority military officer navigating complex societal issues, and actively asking the community for accountability to write every single day. Asking about the progress of this book would be a highly effective and personalized icebreaker.