Category Best of
8 things you need to know about raising venture capital
If your startup is growing, at some point you will likely be seeking venture capital. Unlike angel investors, who typically write checks between 10K to 100K, VCs have an ability to write multi-million dollar checks. This means that VCs support startup growth from seed round, to much later stages. Because VCs deploy large amounts of […]
How to write a forwardable introduction email
Getting an introduction is a basic thing that startup founders do pretty much every day. We talked about introductions in the post about business development tips, and also in this post about asking for introductions. One other thing we teach Techstars founders how to do properly is to send something called forwardable emails. Why Forwardable […]
7 things to do to get the most out of an accelerator program
So you decided that an accelerator is appropriate and helpful to your company. You read 10 Reasons to Join (or not to join) an accelerator post and decided to go for it. Filled out the application, researched different kinds of accelerators, applied, and got in. Congrats! Now the work begins. Here is how you can […]
Founders, beware of Happy Ears
David Cohen, co-founder of Techstars, has a ton of amazing advice for founders. One of my favorite bits from him is about Happy Ears. What’s that, you ask? It is what most founders have when they are talking to investors. Instead of hearing what the investor is saying, founders hear what they want to hear. […]
7 Tips for #crushingit on Techstars (and any other) Demo Day
Demo Day is a culmination of the Techstars and other accelerator programs. Companies, investors, mentors, and community come together to review the progress that companies made and to celebrate their hard work. Here are the 7 tips for how to maximize the impact of your Demo Day. 1. Set clear goals Whatever you are doing […]
Why traditional TV is the real Walking Dead
For years people have been talking about the demise of traditional television, and now, it is finally here. It is getting unbundled and attacked from so many different directions that there is no way that it can be around as is for much longer. Lets take a look how and why TV is getting unbundled, […]
51 Quick Productivity and Business Tips for Startups
At Techstars we talk a lot about productivity, email, getting things done, basic biz dev, and fundraising culture. Below is a collection of general tips we give our founders. While nothing is ever universal, these are generally helpful for your startup, especially if you are a first time founder. Productivity 1. Prioritize and only do […]
What’s your GMT – the next goal, milestone, and task?
We spend a lot of time talking to Techstars founders about focus. We talk a lot about saying ‘no’ to things that don’t matter. We talk a lot about not chasing too many things at once. We try to give founders tools for deciding what’s important. We try to give them a framework for how […]
I’ve seen the new face of Search, and it ain’t Google.
I’ve seen the new face of Search, and it ain’t Google. What is it you ask? It is a Text message. Wait, what? A text message?! Alex, this really makes no sense?! Ah, but it does. Read on, and you will see why… The Rise of Mobile The rapid rise of mobile is wiping out […]
9 Seed Funding Gotchas
‘Chance favors the prepared mind.’ – Louis Pasteur. One of the objectives of the companies going through Techstars and other accelerators is to secure financing. Most companies are coming in focusing on accelerating their business and then securing capital to continue to accelerate growth. As the common shareholder in the company, Techstars is completely aligned […]
