Category Startup Advice
Don’t take intros from investors who aren’t investing in you
Somewhere in the fundraising universe: Investor A: I can’t get there. Really love what you are doing though. Super happy to introduce you to other potential investors B, C, and D. Founder: Awesome! YES! Please! This happens again and again. Investors pass but offer to introduce the founder to another investor instead. This, generally speaking, […]
Why sending Decks to Investors before the first meeting is generally a bad idea and what to do about it
A typical exchange between founder and investor: Founder: Hi! Would LOVE to meet you and talk to you about what we are doing. Investor: Do you have a deck? Founder: Sure, here it is. When can we meet? 1-2 week(s) later….. Investor: Sorry, doesn’t look like I could help. OR WORSE I am pretty busy […]
What Techstars Founders Learned from Seth Godin
We are incredibly fortunate to have stellar guests & speakers at Techstars. This past week Seth Godin, best selling author and marketing guru, gave a talk that founders been raving about since. Seth is magical. He is incredibly insightful. He is thought provoking. He is funny. He makes things simple. He breaks through the clutter. […]
How to introduce your startup in an email
We encourage Techstars companies to perfect the way they introduce themselves. An introduction is a first touch point. Make it simple, clear, and awesome. To start with, master the etiquette of forwardable email. Get it right. Make the subject line clear and searchable. Don’t call it Intro. Call it: Intro TO/FROM, where TO is the […]
What is the CORE of your startup?
In my yoga classes teachers spend a lot of time on the core exercises. If you do any competitive sports your coach works obsessively on your core. Strong core is needed for overall body strength and resilience. It makes sense, because, by definition, the core is at the center. Same is true about startups. The […]
7 Sources of Startup Seed Capital – from friends & family to billion dollar funds
When thinking about financing your startup, it is important understand different types of potential investors. Not every wallet is right for you. Figuring out who to raise money from and why will save you time and yield better results. 1. Friends and Family Often times the first check comes from a family member, or a […]
What Techstars NYC Founders are Learning in the Program
This week we are right in the middle of Techstars NYC Fall 2015 program. The founders are actively working with mentors on growing their businesses every single week. We asked the founders what they learned so far. The result is this chock-full of gems & insights from our talented Techstars entrepreneurs. Enjoy! Susannah Vila is […]
My interview with David Lerner for Venture Studio
I had a blast talking to David Lerner about Techstars NYC and startups. Check out the interview below and visit http://venturestudio.org for more episodes.
Don’t say that you are great. Be great.
Truly awesome products speak for themselves. They have some magic quality to them. They feel just right. When you have to tell people that your product is great, there is something off. A great product isn’t an exercise in convincing people through an argument. A great product is an exercise in building a product that […]
The Culture of Writing Things Down
I dislike bureaucracy and over-process, but I love writing things down. Whether it is a product specification, job opening, marketing plan, or content strategy, putting things on paper creates clarity and saves time. When you have a thought that you want to share and get feedback on, write it down. When you write things down, […]
