Would you believe that out of the 30+ companies I’ve invested in, only 6 of them send me consistent updates?!? Crazy, right? Sure I already have some “skin” in the game… … but if you want my heart and my mind, you need to keep me hooked on the journey.
Do you know the story of Plenty of Fish (POF)? Maybe you’re a member? What I love most about the story is the way its founder, Marcus Frind built it. He didn’t raise a bunch of money. He didn’t dump all his life savings into the startup. He didn’t even quit his job and jump in full time.
If you want to build a massively successful startup, then you NEED to have a strong team pulling the rope behind you. Consider that a non-negotiable truth of the startup game. And it doesn’t matter how amazing, talented and driven you think you are.
When I was building Spheric Technologies, we had a certain strategic partner that played a vital role in our company’s 150% year over year growth. Massive impact. Great synergy between our core customers and their own. Yet ultimately… We had to cut ties. And here’s why…
Do you consider yourself to be more of a “marketing mind” than an engineer? If so, what if I told you there was a very *specific* type of partner that can take your big disruptive ideas and turn them into game changing realities? Exciting right? Doubly so if you’re allergic to code. Cue the technical co-founder.
There’s this myth in the startup world… Many will tell you that there’s no such thing as steady, sane and predictable growth. That as a founder you need to grow comfortable with the high peaks and low valleys that make your spreadsheets look more like the blueprint for the next six flags theme park than an actual balance sheet. But
Okay. Due to popular demand, I’ve decided to finally tackle the billion dollar question. And while it’s not easy to have a conversation about startup equity without putting the faint of heart to sleep, it’s territory that simply can’t be overlooked. Because for any growth-oriented entrepreneur entertaining the idea of handing out equity in their company, the math absolutely matters…
Do you consider yourself to be an expert in your field? So many founders that I meet aren’t shy to make that claim. And like them, perhaps you’ve also paid your dues, put in the time, and built something awesome. But unless the market actually PERCEIVES you as an authority on that topic, all that hard-earned domain expertise isn’t providing
Have you ever dreamed of getting your company accepted to a startup accelerator? For many founders, getting picked by a top accelerator program feels like the holy grail of early stage entrepreneurship. Overnight, you and your team are given access to world-class mentorship, tight accountability, educational events, and primetime pitching opps. In short – all things needed to get you
Are you guilty of throwing hand grenades around in your business? I am. When I reflect back on it, I prefer to imagine myself as some kinda tech-savvy Chuck Norris f*ucking up the tech world with his weapons of mass disruption. But in reality… I was a restless founder, swimming in the early success that I secretly believed I didn’t
