Ariel Camus

How to build grit? Today, Joao asks: — “Why is it so hard for me to stick to my goals? Even when I really want to achieve them?” — Welcome to Episode 75 of AskMatty! Here’s my answer, Joao: — I think it could be many things, like: →    Lack of discipline →    Lack of patience →    Lack of grit But let’s focus on this last one: grit. Studies have shown that “Grit + Talent” leads directly to success. So, let’s see how to build grit with a 30-day challenge. 1.    First off, decide on the goal you wanna achieve in 30 days. It could be: →    A health goal →    A business goal →    A relationship goal →    … Just set a goal. For example, let’s imagine your goal is: →    Running for 30 minutes daily to improve your endurance 2.    Alright! Now what? Simple: every day for the next 30 days, take action toward your goal. In our example, you just need to: →    Run 30 minutes each day →    Maintain a steady pace →    And try to gradually increase your distance You know, at the beginning you might run 4 kilometers. Then you might increase to 5 kilometers. You just need to run 30 minutes every day. “Um, and if it’s raining, Matty?” Well, you have two options: →    You can run on a treadmill →    Or you can adjust your schedule and run later, before midnight And of course, this doesn’t apply only to running. Whatever your goal, you just need to take action daily, no matter what. 3.    Ok! Now the interesting part: tracking! Tell me, do you track your progress? “Um…” Well, how can we measure our progress if we don’t track it? “Um, you’re right Matty!” No problem. I personally use a Database, like a Google Sheet. In our example, you just need to record: →    The date →    The duration → And any notes about how you felt during the run For example: →    Day 1 – June 28, 2024 →    Ran for 30 minutes and covered 4 kilometers →    Felt really fatigued in the last 5 minutes Got it? The same goes if your goal is in business or other areas. 4.    Now, if you want, share your challenge with a close friend. Why? Because they can support you and hold you accountable. They can check in with you regularly to see how you’re progressing. 5.    Alright, last step. Each week, reflect on your progress. For example, every Sunday, take a moment to check your database. Try to extrapolate: →    What went well — and celebrate that! →    What went bad — and learn from that, so next week you can adjust. All this for 30 days. That’s it. This is how you can build grit. I know it seems basic, but what grit wants is just our daily actions. — Alright! Thanks for your question, Joao. Question of the day: →    Do you prefer running, lifting, or yoga? “Let’s build a more inclusive world by spreading wellbeing globally!” – Matty 

476

263 comentarios

This is the feeling I get when my Content Assistant, Beatriz, nails our content plan. We are workings with a lot of founders AND creators right now. Here is how we are doing it.... I am a busy founder … and now a creator also. And I know not all tasks are created equal. My first system, back in my podcasting days was as follows. I record. I send the file. I move on. What would happen after I sent the file is my team (shout out Matías still with us today) would turn that file into. 1 x full YouTube clip with subs. 3 x micro-clips at ~5 mins for main channel. 5-7 x micro-clips for clips channel. 2 x posts for Insta and other socials in portrait. 2 x 60 second clips for stories. 1 x page with show notes. And way, way more. On top of that them did all talent prospecting, communications and bookings. And also did the same to get me on other shows. As I said, I would walk in and hit record. And that’s it. Now, today, when it comes to my social presence and my newsletter, I have Bia working as my right-hand wing-woman. The work Bia helps me with is the following. Deep-dive research including 10-15 articles, quotes, images and assets. Multiple ChatGPT and Bard prepared outline suggestions. Proof-reading and editing of each edition. Cover art and inside art for each piece (I still do some covers). Transfer of draft to beeghiiv editor. Post-release publication plan of social posts, Slack groups, other networks. And much, much more. Add to that the work Bia does helping me with my personal brand in general - I am not about to do 150-175% of the work with around 60% of the personal time investment. Meaning I can do what I should be doing, which is being a CEO. If you are a busy CEO who needs to up their comms game, or a creator looking to do more of the creative and less of the grunt work send me a DM and I will tell you how we can help find your own Content Assistant. That way you can spend your energy on things that really move the needle. --- 📌 If you want to hire your own high performing global team check us out: https://lnkd.in/dW7ggbSb

64

46 comentarios

Happy Friday to ALL the #SDRs of the World! The work you are doing right now, today, is a major part of your companies future success. We live in an instant gratification age, and with that comes one of the biggest mistakes of Founders: measuring result KPIs vs activities! Cause vs Correlation. Some of the best working days in #SalesDev don't have SQLs and Opps. Make sure you understand your FULL FLY WHEEL! Balancing all activities to best avoid the 'peaks and valleys' of #Sales.

18

5 comentarios

I walked 200,000 steps in 5 days. I wrote this on the day I walked the most kilometers (33kms), which helped me see my founder's journey differently. A few weeks ago, I almost burned out so I decided to go walk 145km on "Caminhos de Santiago" to unwind. Hope it helps you too: 1) The journey is long and full of problems. There will be pain and suffering but you have to adapt to it. 2) Break down big goals into smaller ones and tackle them one by one. It's easier this way. 3) Celebrate the small wins, no matter how small. I learned the importance of this by celebrating each walking day with a nice Spanish meal for dinner. 4) Focus on enjoying the journey instead of obsessing over the destination. As the Spanish put it "el camino se hace caminando", make sure you enjoy it. 5) Preparation and learning from others is crucial for success. Talk to the people who have walked the path you're walking right now. 6) Be friends with your peers, help them when something is bothering them, and look back to see if they need help. You can be the one needing it tomorrow. 7) Go with odd numbers in a team. We were 3 people in our group and it made it easier to decide as there would never be a tie between us. 8) And rest. Prioritize sleeping well, be healthy, and take time-off. You can't face the long and hard journey of building a company if you're not in your best shape. To all fellow entrepreneurs, 𝘣𝘶𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰! 🚶‍♂️⛰️

89

17 comentarios

Why does YC keep talking about "launch early, launch often"? By default.. people don't know that you exist. It's your job to be the squeaky wheel, and let people know "HEY I EXIST", "HEY I CAN SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM" You may have seen my many posts talking about Skyvern hitting star count numbers Those didn't happen out of the blue. We kept launching, and launching, and launching. Trying to spread the word about us. Trying to learn about which use-cases we're best suited for. Trying to solve anyone's problem! Not all of the launches were effective.. but if you're curious about all the launches we've done, get ready. 1. (Pre-idea) November: I cold emailed ~100 different founders that had talked about web-automation in random online forums -> Led to our first customers + 3 pilots (and tons of lessons) 2. (First launch) January: Launched with a barely functional API and a landing page to the YC Community -> Led to our second customer and a very important disqualification criteria: we don't automate tasks on LinkedIn 3. (Second launch) February: Did our first public launch via Launch YC with a slightly more featured API + landing page -> Led to a lot of prospects we couldn't serve (healthtech companies) -> Gave us conviction that we should open source 4. (Third launch) March: Open sourced + did a ShowHN (anyone can do a ShowHN) -> This is when we first felt market pull. Our product was still just an API (no UI) with a demo that disqualified anyone who didn't want to work with startups. This went viral -- we got to 3K Github stars + we got a handful of new customers 5. (Fourth launch) June: We shipped a MVP of Skyvern Cloud (with a UI) and launched on Product hunt -> We got a handful of inbound leads but ended up #10 on the day and didn't generate much interest 6. (Fifth launch) October: Launched Skyvern Cloud on Hackernews -> went viral again and went from 6K -> 9K github stars in 4 days. Made it to #1 on Github trending daily + weekly. You'll notice that as our product got more mature, we started launching less frequently. This is because the gaps in our product became more and more clear as we talked to more users. This meant that we had market fit, but not product market fit. We still needed to iterate on the product This was obvious before the launches though.. so why launch early? Well.. more often than not, our customers ended up caring about features we thought were unimportant (ie cancelling tasks), or some features (instant live-streaming) ended up being way more important than others (debugging workflows). How would we know precisely what to build without this feedback?

401

36 comentarios

This year we are restructuring our business model to include the operations for the projects we invest into. It's something that for many years I thought was not scalable or attractive for Venture Capitalists. As a startup founder, I believed that I should stick to the traditional route. But after struggling with this decision, I realized that it was the right way to do it. Not every business needs to be a "startup" and you don't need to call yourself a "founder" to have a great scale or have the business you dream of. Depending on your model venture capital has its advantages, but it also comes with a lot of negative pressure to grow your business and valuation fast or die trying. Most people founding startups are business owners, and that's completely fine. At the beginning, don't fear to do unscalable things, things that are hard to operate, or things where you cannot have crazy margins. Try to understand where you are really good at and that has real value for people, then figure out how to make money and scale from there. It's easier this way than the other, believe me, I have tried. The path is challenging, but it doesn't have to be depressing and ruin your life. At the beginning, I only heard things about how horribly I had to live to demonstrate that I was putting my 1000% into my business and that I was willing to make a harder effort than anyone else. From hearing that Elon Musk lived on a mattress in his office while growing PayPal to hearing all crazy stories of other founders. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can give it all to his business if his health, mental capacity, and emotional wellbeing are in shambles. Remember, success is not just about achieving your goals but also about enjoying the journey.

25

2 comentarios

(Most) startups should launch early for many different reasons. But getting s*** done is right up there. If you've ever been part of a product launch, you'll know that the final week is indescribably furious: - Months worth of work done in days. - New levels of ruthlessness uncovered. - A relentless focus on what actually matters. Just launch. It's the best forcing function on earth.

53

3 comentarios

YC Demo Day Survival Guide: What VCs Say vs. What They Actually Mean 👇 What VCs say: "Not aligned with our strategy" > What they mean: "We have no idea what our strategy is, but it's definitely not this, mate." What VCs say: "That's a fascinating idea." > What they mean: "I think Juicero was a better startup idea than this." What VCs say: "We need to see more traction." > What they mean: "Your graphs are as flat as Kansas. I don't see any graphs with the line going up. Line must go up. Line must go up." What VCs say: "Please keep us in the loop." > What they mean: "Forget that you have my email. In fact, forget that email exists. If you message me again, I will call the Sopranos." What VCs say: "It's not you, it’s us" > What they mean: "It’s absolutely, unquestionably, definitively you. But if I tell you, you'll write an exposé, I’ll go viral on LinkedIn, and my partner will send me to a spa in Novosibirsk, Siberia for 6 months." What VCs say: "We’re really excited about your vision" > What they mean: "Your vision is wonderful. It’s your current business model that reminds me of a horror movie. Frankly, I may need therapy after seeing your revenue and churn." Any others? What am I missing?

63

11 comentarios

Looking for a Co-Founder? We Can Help!🙂 We're interested in partnering with the very early pre-revenue stage, At least MVP/POC or Beta launch (No Idea stage) companies and offer the following support as co-founders 👉🏻 Scope of Responsibilities as Co-Founder (Remote & Part-Time Role only) 1. Fundraising and Investment Facilitation:* Responsible for driving the company’s capital-raising efforts by securing investment from third-party investors and financial institutions. (Open for Self Investment, Subject to Discussion) 2. End-to-End Investment Oversight: Managing the full spectrum of investment activities, including structuring, negotiations, and finalizing terms with investors and banks. 3. Investor Relations: Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with current and potential investors, ensuring consistent communication and transparency. 4. Strategic Business Growth: Collaborating with the leadership team to develop and implement strategies aimed at accelerating business growth and scalability. 5. Participation in Board Meetings and Strategic Decisions: Actively involved in all board meetings, contributing to high-level decision-making and shaping the company’s direction. 6. Advisory Role in Financial Management (Virtual CFO Services): Offering financial advisory services, which may include oversight of financial strategies, budgeting, and cash flow management (to be discussed further). 👉🏻 Exclusions from Scope of Work 1. Daily Operational Management: Not involved in the daily management of business activities or direct operations. 2. Sales and Marketing Execution: Not responsible for overseeing or executing sales and marketing strategies. 3. Accounting and Bookkeeping: Not involved in routine accounting or bookkeeping tasks, though open to discussions if required. 4. Statutory Compliance: Not responsible for statutory compliance matters, though open to exploring involvement where necessary. 👉🏻 Compensation Structure 1. Equity Stake: We would take 10% to 40% equity ownership in the company, with 1 to 2 yrs vesting and a non-dilution clause in place for the first four rounds of funding 2. Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in relation to my responsibilities. 3. Fixed Salary (Post-Investment): A fixed salary to be negotiated and agreed upon once external investment is secured OR the company achieves positive profitability (PAT positive) Which ever is Early 4. Board Representation: One board seat for every 10% Equity to be occupied by myself or a member of my team. Happy to discuss further Startup India MyGov digitalindia.com iStartUps - 100k+ Founders Of StartUp Community and Business Groups StartupNews.fyi #CoFounder #StartupSupport #Fundraising #InvestorRelations #StrategicGrowth #BusinessDevelopment #VirtualCFO #Entrepreneurship #EquityPartnership #MVP #BetaLaunch #Leadership #BoardMeetings

10

6 comentarios

Why don’t companies solve problems that seem so obvious to their customers? This question sparked the journey that led to Birdie. Time and again, my co-founders Alexandre (Alex) Hadade, Everton A. Cherman, Rodrigo Pantigas, and I saw customers openly sharing feedback—highlighting pain points, voicing desires, and offering insights—only to have their voices lost among countless other requests and priorities within organizations. On the other side, CX and Product executives struggled to make sense of scattered, isolated data. Feedback often lacked context, quantification, and connection to business metrics, making it challenging to engage stakeholders and drive impactful decisions. Determined to bridge this gap, we created Birdie, combining AI with a workflow grounded in continuous improvement. Today, Birdie transforms millions of feedback points into clear, actionable insights, empowering teams to put the voice of the customer at the heart of their strategies. Seeing Birdie grow and building it with people we admire—our team and clients—has been the most rewarding part of this journey. If you’d like to learn more or join us on this mission, let’s connect! --- Lui von Holleben Aline Bianca Vasselai Alexandre Spengler Raphael L. Laís Hauptli Cândido Roberta Vasconcelos Ítalo Gandra Mônica Canal Bravim Roberto Lemos Jailon Giacomelli Gabriel Sasso Zanette Felippe Galeb Lucas Parrini Luciana Rocha Maciel Janaina Martins Pini Cristian Pedroso Felipe Moroni Brandalise Melissa (Roadman) Drackley Thaís Rigolon Bruna Wang Thiago Comel Wilton Pinheiro Lima Neto Júlia da Rocha Mattos Débora Montalvão Claudia Furini Larissa Lessa Rodrigo Medeiros Maíra Nagayama Augusto Grillo André Valério Zandoná Alessandra Marques Dutra Aleks Bass Naren Raghavan Michelle Merrill Wasim Mushtaq

91

14 comentarios

Time is money, and unfortunately, neither one seems to be making more of itself these days. As COO, I've become increasingly selective about what makes it onto my calendar. If it's not adding real value, it's not making the cut. That's why I'm particularly excited about next week's webinar: "AI for Business Leaders: Practical Tools for Immediate Results." No theoretical discussions or vague predictions - just actionable insights you can actually use. We've gathered an exceptional panel of innovators who understand both the technology and business landscapes. They have leveraged AI to pivot their business models (it has been remarkable to watch). They'll cut through the AI hype to deliver practical tools and strategies you can implement right away to drive results. Our speakers include: Co-founder of Fastagger Mutembei Kariuki Co-founder of Sukhiba Saad Latif CEO & Founder of Skiiza Ngugi Karega Join us on Wednesday, Nov 20th, from 3:00-4:30 PM EAT on Google Meet for a focused 90-minute session that respects your time while maximizing value. Ready to transform how you leverage AI in your organization? Register now: bit.ly/AI4BussLeaders #AI #BusinessLeadership #Innovation #Tech Zydii

27

1 comentario

Startup CEO says humans won’t be needed for translation in 3 years as it launches AI app If you're in translation, this should scare you. Why? Because AI’s getting really good. And I’m not talking about the awkward Google Translate sentences from 5 years ago. Vasco Pedro, Unbabel’s CEO, said:   > "Humans still have a slight advantage... but that advantage is so razor thin." I’ll give you a minute to process that. Human advantage? Maybe… if you’re translating a Shakespearean sonnet or figuring out a 15th-century manuscript. But for the everyday stuff? AI’s got it covered But... The downside for translators? Rates are about to drop drastically. So, what does this mean for YOU?   If you’re an entrepreneur or investor, AI in translation is a goldmine. If you’re a traditional player in this space. Time to pivot, or get left behind. 💀 P.S. Let's be honest: Can you really compete with something that doesn’t need sleep or coffee breaks? 😂

19

12 comentarios

Sifted just released their list of the most promising SaaS startups in Europe. https://lnkd.in/erxJRGzi If you are looking to leave your corporate job for a startup but aren’t sure where to get started, do this. 1. Look at sifted lift of promising startups and pick 10 that really interest you. 2. Based on your skill set, use linked look up the lead of the department you think you would be interested in. For example, if you want to get into sales then look up the VP of sales. 3. Send them a DM on why you want to work for the company and what impact you could have in your first 100 days working there. Don’t send your CV until asked for it. 4. Follow up diligently every few days. If after the third try, no one has got back to you, move to the next 10 on the list. It sounds simple, and it is. Recruitment is the hardest thing for growth stage startups, and no one enjoyed paying 25% recruiter fees. Good luck

46

13 comentarios

Founders: save yourself time and energy by understanding this simple principle: If it's not a hell yes, it's a no. This hard truth has come up time and again for us at Chezie—whether we’re recruiting talent, talking to customers, or pitching investors. Anytime we’ve gone after a “maybe,” it’s ended up being a waste of time. For recruiting: ❌ Maybe sounds like: “I’m considering a few other offers but I’m interested in what you’re doing.” Do yourself a favor and take this as a no. ✅ Hell yes sounds like: “I love what you’re building. I even spent the weekend redesigning your app—can we go over it?” For sales: ❌ Maybe sounds like: “Can we do a pilot first?” Pilots mean they don’t have belief in your product or the problem isn’t big enough for them. As much as you might want the revenue, you should focus on customers who are immediately bought in. ✅ Hell yes sounds like: “I needed this yesterday. What are next steps?” For Fundraising: ❌ Maybe sounds like: “How’s the round going?” or “Come back when you have a lead” or “We need more traction; keep us updated.” VCs are notorious for giving wishy-washy answers. For them especially, know that if it isn’t a firm yes, it’s a no. ✅ Hell yes sounds like: “Can you send your term sheet and data room?” There’s a common denominator here: A real “hell yes” comes with action. The best people to work with—whether they’re candidates, customers, or investors—are the ones who are all in. If someone is hesitant or half-committed, you might be better off walking away. --- I'm Toby Egbuna, and I share real-life stories about taking a company from 0 -> 1 every week. If you found this helpful, connect with me!

183

43 comentarios

YC often says to do things that don’t scale. But what truly doesn’t scale is finding, attracting, and retaining talented people. The best innovations come from passionate, skilled individuals with a track record of success. The main challenge for any entrepreneur is constantly seeking out these talents and engaging them to join your team. This is a background task that I always keep in mind. One of a founder’s key responsibilities is to create opportunities to meet such people and think strategically about creating the ideal conditions for them to thrive.

7

2 comentarios

Well-spoken, but there is more cause for celebration than concern: Less busy work, less rote, less machine-cog dynamics and more time to do the things that only we can do. While there is no substitute for human understanding, working in concert with a machine that "knows" just about everything about any topic is pretty magical. Even in the best of these GenAI systems, managers still need to supply context and nuanced understanding to deliver a knowledge product that most can use. AI is a tool, in this case, letting us achieve and deliver value more quickly. Mostly, agentic GenAI supplants the parts of a team that run errands, do research, write drafts, place orders, etc., and elevates the individuals that craft the strategy and understand the mission. There have been alternatives to these pieces for some time: remote personal assistants and outsourced gig workers are the transition phase from dedicated teams to AI-assisted creative management. We're delivering AI products that, for instance, summarize curated info sources, answer questions based on those sources and cite references. At first, the chat engine is naive, but the more people interact with it the better it gets. All GenAI needs human reinforcement.

1

We've all heard it: "Thanks, but it’s just not the right time for us." It can feel like a door closing, but is it really the end? As a founder, I can tell you—it’s often just a polite way to say they’re not fully convinced. This statement is a challenge because it leaves you wondering: should you push harder or let it go? The truth is, timing can change quickly. But you need to navigate this conversation with care to avoid coming off as insistent or desperate. Want to know how to respond effectively and keep the door open for future opportunities? Check out this video for actionable strategies. 👉 How do you usually react when you hear, "It's not the right timing"? #coldoutreach #coldemail #sales

1

As a long time techies, we're launching a new tech platform 🚀 This one is not so much about its features or its shiny hood. What makes it different is..... 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 💓 Planetir is a user owned ecosystem platform that intersects tech, business and impact. Its goal is to equip changemakers with the skills and opportunities they need to take planetary action and connect individuals with mission-driven businesses – or companies looking to increase their impact – so people and planet can thrive in harmony. Why? We wanted to create an ecosystem in which individuals and communities work together on the most pressing issues, a base for talents to learn and collaborate with organisations that work on the most urgent issues we face. We are a collective of collectives, each bringing unique strengths to the table, empowering the next generation of learners and creators. 🌍 In short, you'll never dance alone, Mehemed, Joscha & Daphne 🕺🕺🏻💃🏻 For our story read on in My Green Pod and join us in dancing an ecosystem together one step at a time. (after finding out what's up with the dancing?!) #techforgood #web3 #planetary #skills #action #headandheart

55

6 comentarios