Christine Emilie Lim

Hiring the right sales, marketing, and CX leaders is incredibly challenging, especially for early-stage startups. Check out our ElevenX Talent's Janine O'Neill (she/her) and Dan Hurwitz discuss all things GtM hiring in this awesome podcast. Some great wisdom nuggets in this one. Watch the full episode, now live at howtounfuckyourstartup.com

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Got to ring in 1 year with GTMfund & GTMnow with our team and community in San Diego. It’s been an exciting year for us. A few highlights: 🟢 Acquired Sales Hacker and rebranded it as GTMnow. 🟢 Consistently sharing exclusive content with 50k+ revenue leaders through a weekly newsletter, podcast, and more across multiple channels. 🟢 Provided 2,000+ candidate introductions for portfolio companies. 🟢 Supported portfolio companies with go-to-market strategy, intros, and much more. 🟢 Incubated our first company, Operator. 🟢 Hosted 10 dinners globally, connecting our community in NYC, Boston, Toronto, LA, San Francisco, and more. 🟢 Held our third annual retreat in San Diego. 🟢 And many more exciting things we can’t yet share. Someone once told me that when you have the magic, you know. If you get it in your career, you’re very lucky. Some people spend their entire careers chasing it. It didn’t take me long to realize we have the magic. Max Altschuler – a visionary who also operates in the details, and gets $*** done. Someone told me at an event last year right after I joined, “I would bet on Max every single time. He doesn’t lose. All I want to do is find more ways to give him my support.” That sums it up well, and I would be at the front of the line for any ship he’s flying. Pictured: quite literally following Max and the team into the abyss / off a cliff. Scott Barker – one of the most special humans out there. I distinctly remember the moment when I realized how much work was simply premised off individual brilliance. Someone so good at their craft while always looking at the bigger picture, every conversation leaves you better than you were before. Grateful is an understatement. Paul Irving – after a year of trying to understand how he covers enough ground for at least 7 other people, I’ve realized that it simply can’t be replicated. I’ve never met someone who actually defines the notion of people singing your praises when you’re not in the room like how people speak about Paul. If you know Paul, you know. Amit Aloni – reliable, resourceful, and always willing to jump in. Never hesitant to learn something new, jump on an ask, or do whatever it takes to level things up. Vaibhavi Nesarikar, CPA, MBA – intelligent, engaging, and a pleasure to work with. So much so that when we went for coffee the first time, we decided to also go for dinner. Can’t wait for Austin together. Joan Mirano – the backbone of the team, ensuring everything runs smoothly with precision and grace. Endless appreciation! The magic comes from a unique combination of internal team and an incredible ecosystem: ⚫ 100+ of the best GTM operators who are LPs in GTMfund, constantly blowing us away with their support and commitment. ⚫ 100+ portfolio companies who inspire us daily. It’s a privilege to be part of their journey. ⚫ 50k+ and growing revenue leaders in the GTMnow community. I’m so excited for what’s ahead! One word: grateful. Just getting started 🚀

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Let’s be real. A truthful discussion about why big luxury marketplaces tanked, beyond what’s already been said Many of my colleagues at THE LIST came from luxury marketplaces that crashed last year. Here's my summary of many discussions we’ve had with them to gain learnings: 1. Org structures that didn’t support innovation → churn 2. Overspending to force unnatural growth 3. Raising too much capital too soon 4. Going public too early 5. Losing focus from core mission 6. Ventures outside core competencies, e.g. beauty, brick & mortar On points 5 and 6 we have actually faced similar issues but on a much smaller scale. AI was our core value prop at the beginning, but there was investor pressure to pursue social shopping. Most social shopping ventures have failed. Because the global market is now hyper focused on AI, we can finally expand on our original vision. I’m curious. What do you think is being left out of the narrative around the luxury marketplace implosion?

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I just got early access to "The Seismic CMO" by Christa Richards! If you're looking to master AI in your marketing strategies, this book is a must-read. Available for free for the next 24 hours! Get your copy here: https://lnkd.in/ebABtCEx #TheSeismicCMO #AIinMarketing #B2Bmarketing #TechMarketing #FreeBook

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Eka Ventures enjoyed co-hosting a roundtable with Erevena on building brands for consumer and B2B companies We where fortunate to hear insights from scale up leaders Roxanne Nejad Iona Carter and Viktoria Tchoudakov. Thank you to Estia Ryan and Flo Bown for organising Key insights included: 1. Trust is the foundation of good brands: Viktoria Tchoudakov mentioned the value of Trustpilot to IWOCA's scale whilst Iona Carter focused on Plum Guide's "Michelin Star" inspired certification for properties 2. Organic is key: “When looking to drive organic growth through content, we focused on three themes: education for the user, demonstrating our values, and humour” – Roxanne 3. Tracking brand awareness is tough and can be expensive - but has a value to investors

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In case you didn't see my post last night, Maggie Butler is hiring a Customer Reference Manager for HubSpot. She's looking for a real go-getter, ready to put their stamp on a high impact program, driving innovation both with using an AI driven platform and by you refining the program. Mid-level candidate, looking to work with someone who will help get you to the next level!! Maggie Butler is incredible. Link to JD in comments, and happy to answer any questions! #SaaS Champion #CustomerMarketing #References

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The waves of mass layoffs continue to roll in—many in the media and tech industries. And the abrupt manner in which they're being done is gut-wrenching. I'm sorry if you're reading this and are one of the many who have been impacted. I also keep hearing from freelance writers who are abruptly losing clients because their editors are laid off without any notice. Sometimes the editors are cut off from email immediately and aren't able to email the freelance teams they were managing. 🤯 This is leaving freelancers scrambling to wrap up their projects, get paid, and replace the client. Has this happened to you? I hope not, but I did experience it at the start of 2022. I'm going to share my experience and 4 tips on how freelancers can mitigate the risk in tomorrow's ATFW jobs newsletter (plus 30 new freelance writing gigs from the week). Join the list here: https://lnkd.in/g-jPqnCX P.S. Also, here are a few other resources for finding media jobs as a freelancer or employee: Kaitlyn Arford shares 100+ freelance opportunities for writing and beyond each week through her newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gqHZFgdC Harlow has a job board with hundreds of freelance opportunities https://lnkd.in/gTvuqPAA Mandy Hofmockel shares journalism jobs regularly (and cute pictures of her dog 🐶 ) https://lnkd.in/gYCvfczH Qwoted has a job board now for the media industry https://lnkd.in/guF5gdYG

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Team San Diego! I though you may find this as surprising as I did...we are not alone. Read this quick article from Jon Prentice's (Silicon Valley Bank) interview with with James Newell (Voyager Capital), published in GeekWire on Seattle's innovation ecosystem....they lament the SAME issues as we do in San Diego: * Lack of angel investors, (Especially, it calls out, given the local giant tech co's) * "We need low-conviction check writers." * Lack of "cachet associated with being an angel investor" - We have similar efforts (as described in the article) to drum up angel activity: NuFund Venture Group and, Interlock Capital (read the article and you'll see why the Interlock effort is tops as relates to "paying back into the ecosystem") Connect.org strives to 'connect' innovative companies with investors of all types (angel, VC, PE...) - just see "Innovation Day". Their Springboard program provides another great way for experienced entrepreneurs to give back through mentorship...as for the companies going through Springboard: "Ask for advice, and you often get $$" Your thoughts on the article or San Diego innovation ecosystem? https://lnkd.in/gfwq6mfq

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I recently faced one of those forehead-slapping moments: we received an RFP from a media buying agency (on behalf of their brand client) to run an influencer marketing campaign for an over-the-counter product exclusively on TikTok. Sounds great, right? There’s just one problem—TikTok doesn't allow ads or sponsored content for OTC healthcare-related products. This mix-up brings up a couple of important reminders: 1️⃣ Know the Rules: It's important that marketing agencies of all kinds keep up-to-date with the ever-changing guidelines of social platforms, so they don’t make client promises that can’t be fulfilled. Getting creative with marketing is great, but staying within the lines safeguards client interests and campaign viability. 2️⃣ Choose Your Partners Wisely: Make sure the agencies you partner with are not just creative, but also honest and compliant. The last thing anyone wants is to backtrack or, worse, end up on the wrong side of platform policies. Some agencies might take the risk and run the campaign anyway, hoping it doesn’t get flagged. But experience has taught us that while pushing the envelope is a good thing, it should always be done within the boundaries of the platform rules. This ensures our clients' campaigns are successful and impactful — without resorting to questionable tactics or risking public trust.

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#SanFrancisco VC Contact Database. Over 275 venture capital firms, more than 2,100 VC professionals (including partners and principals), and 1,600 email addresses available. https://payhip.com/b/idx8b #startup #startups #vc #venturecapital #investmentbanking #privateequity #managementconsulting #b2b #founders #entrepreneurs

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New pic, who dis? 😜 With many new connections, I wanted to reintroduce myself👋🏽 I'm Robyn Nissim, and I made up a career path for myself out of being a Social Media-obsessed millennial 💁🏼‍♀️📲 while working in the traditional Agency Advertising world. This was well before Meta existed. Social media had not yet been monetized; there was no such thing as paid ads. All there was were brands finding creative ways to connect with consumers through fun content, series, giveaways (we used to call them sweepstakes), and wild creative ideas. I took Michelin online & opened their brand social accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Vine. Won a Webby Award for sending a viral tweet to Global DJ Deadmau5 from Nissan Motor Corporation, resulting in the president of the company hand-delivering a car to him, which he used in his YouTube Series for free 🤩 I pioneered Influencer Marketing, Content Creation, and how Brands partner with Creators online starting in 2015, where I had the opportunity of a lifetime working with Ulta Beauty as their trusted partner to strategize, build, execute, and scale their influencer marketing program. 🌟 To this day, this was my favorite job and role I've ever had 💯🌟 I served as Head of Social in-house at brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills and Alo Yoga, growing some of the largest, most reputable communities on the internet. Proving to myself and many others that Social Media is a science that can be replicated regardless of the subject matter or industry vertical while serving as a Fractional VP of Social, at brands like Mattel, Inc. and Mindvalley. For years, I have been running private Social Media Trainings, teaching brands, influencers, and small businesses about the ins and outs of social media. → How to build and execute a strategy → Monthly order of operations for success → Looking at the right metrics for social reporting → Workflows to streamline social efforts & save time → Cross-functional processes to make your org *social first* → How to navigate Influencer Marketing + seeding, strategy, execution, etc. And I am finally ready to open my Social Proof Group Training courses to the public 👩‍🏫📲 However, before I get into that, check back in tomorrow (4/24) for a sweet little giveaway! --- Hi, I'm Robyn Nissim 👋🏽 A Social Media-obsessed millennial who made a career for myself forcing global brands online 💁🏼‍♀️📲 ❤️ Liked this post? 👀 Want to see more? Hit the + or 🔔 on my profile 🤝 Looking for support? I got you! Visit my website or send me a DM

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Our goal with the Origins Podcast is to host truly tremendous GPs and LPs to share insights on how the best do what they do. Wesley Chan FPV Ventures' founding partner is all that and more. He and I had a convo on his investment philosophy that I hadn’t stopped thinking about for over a year now… and in this episode – we get to share it. “If you’re not changing the world, you’re wasting your time.” ... this is a guiding principle for Wes learned from his time working with Sergey Brin... Wes’ founders aren’t offering something 10x better than what’s on the market – it must be 100x better – or it doesn’t even yet exist. Wes was one of the first institutional checks into companies like @Canva, @Flexport, @Guild Education, @RobinHood, @AngelList, @Gusto and @Plaid (to name a few). Another tenet of his great investment acumen is how discerning he is with how his LPs’ dollars are being used, as his base is charitable by design - children's hospitals, pensions, endowments and foundations - and he partners with founders who care deeply about being fulfilled.    “I’m not a university, and this isn’t your tuition money.” Meaning, he’s not handing out checks to experiment and test out an idea. He’s backing founders that are there to go win.    As an investor in FPV, we at Sapphire Partners are deeply appreciative of this - and a shoutout to my partner Laura Thompson who first met Wes as the origin story of our partnership. More on that in the episode. 🙏Thank you, Wesley Chan, for lending us your time. Links to listen below 👇 #OpenLP #VC #Origins

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Casey Winters sharing how he helped Pinterest and Grubhub increase retention and revenue by optimizing their onboarding experience: Contrary to popular belief, onboarding isn’t a marketing or sales problem. “So who should work on this problem? What does an onboarding team look like? This is a CROSS-FUNCTIONAL team: Product designers… Engineers… Product managers… In B2B a lot of times sales will be involved… Sometimes marketing… User research… All of these people have to be working together to figure out how to build the right experience so that people are going to get the value of your product and keep using it.” This begs the next question: "Where does onboarding end and the core product begin? Your onboarding team should be in charge of the entire product experience until people reach the habit moment” Onboarding might just be the most underrated drivers of growth. Don't make the mistake of underinvesting in it. If you're looking to improve your product onboarding - give the full video watch, it's full of powerful and practical advice. Source: Casey Winters’ talk at Slush 2018: Why Customer Onboarding is the Most Crucial Part of Your Growth Strategy

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Sam: I'm at 400K OTE, I'd need the offer to exceed that to consider resigning. Leader: Well, that's what I make, so you'd need to take less to work for us. About a decade ago, this conversation happened walking around San Mateo as a leader tried to recruit me. For better or worse, I've always been loud about my worth and advocating for my comp. Some will say I'm inspiring, others will say I'm a pain in the ass. 🙃 Either way, telling me I "need" to take less and for that reason was the fastest path to knowing I'd never work for him. A few notes: 1. OTE has never been the end all/be all. The historical data on how often people were hitting their OTE + total package (401K match, insurance, benefits, time off, stock options, etc.) were. 2. Negotiate negotiate negotiate. - Women often don't for fear of being greedy - let that fear go, use logic around the asks you're making, and position your ask in a strong but humble way. - Look at yourself as an athlete - do you have years of stats that someone would kill to have? There's value in the potential of what you can do for a team, division, or company, and the talent you can attract. 3. There's a right and wrong way to push for raises internally. Coming at your leaders with threats is never the answer. But if you know you're making less than market rate or than that of your peers, AND you have tenure, success metrics hit, and positive reviews in your pocket, make the ask like this: "On our next 1:1, I'd like to discuss my comp. My goal is to get to X by this date, and I understand if the company can't get there or find a creative path to that, but I'd like to understand what that looks like. This is an important financial metric for me, especially as I consider what my career looks like in the few years ahead." Some companies have pay bands you can't exceed at your level, others will use language like "We're out of a promotion cycle..." or "We don't have budget..." or "Now isn't a good time to ask..." to shut down the conversation, at which point you have to decide your next move. You also need to make these moves with the risk that some companies will say, "That's fine, we can't do it, now what?". 4. If you're a leader and said any of the above, consider what it would cost you to lose the person asking. I once fought for someone making 60K base while all our new hires were getting 110K base. "There's no budget" was the answer, except for when that person quits, you backfill them at 110K, and spend months of resources on the potential that they'll be ask good as their predecessor. Further, meeting that person with that answer is demoralizing, demotivating, and potentially creates months of quiet quitting while they look for their next role. Maybe we need to focus November's Women's Leadership Group on this topic? https://lnkd.in/e4zcd9Cy #samsales

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In a surprising twist, startup valuations have quietly rebounded to all-time highs, signaling what some investors believe is the end of the market slump. What does this mean for founders and investors? ✅ Optimism in Startup Market: Investor confidence is returning, paving the way for innovative ideas and disruptive technologies to flourish. ✅ Increased Funding Opportunities: As valuations rise, securing venture capital might become more accessible, enabling startups to scale faster and smarter. ✅ Economic Resilience: This rebound showcases the resilience and adaptability of the startup ecosystem even amidst challenging times. Key Takeaway: Now is the perfect moment for entrepreneurs to seize opportunities, pivot strategically, and drive their vision forward. 💡 #startups #leanstartups #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #leadership

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Technology Founders of Los Angeles is a WhatsApp group that I started less than a month ago (it’s FREE, so join), but after a lot of A/B testing, polls, and feedback… I decided I need to think bigger. WhatsApp is my favorite messaging app, but it does have its limitations, & Los Angeles is a GREAT city, but I lived in NYC most of my adult life, so I just launched https://lnkd.in/g8SXuN95 And we ALREADY have members! It takes the community building aspect of WhatsApp, and adds a few other preferred platforms, and sprinkles more resources, knowledge, and information on top. For the cost of one networking event with so-so hors d’oeuvres ($20), you can be part of a nationwide network of Founders for an entire year. This works out to less than $2/month. There is a screening process, to avoid the common bots that exist on all platforms, and to confirm that everyone is indeed a Technology Founder of America. Please join if it makes sense for you.

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Comprehensive #SanFrancisco VC Directory. Featuring 275+ VC firms, 2,100+ venture capital professionals (partners and principals), and 1,600 email contacts. https://payhip.com/b/idx8b #startup #startups #vc #venturecapital #investmentbanking #privateequity #managementconsulting #b2b #founders #entrepreneurs

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What do you want to know from these folks? Who do you want to meet in person? I'm headed to San Francisco because I have my list... Topics at the inaugural Beloved Tech Brands conference are below, but there's still time to provide feedback into the specific content we cover. 15% off with the discount code CD15. There's also a 2-for-1 deal if you're interested, DM Maya Spivak. Topics: 🔹 Unlocking Product-Led Sales Magic Elena Verna - PLG Expert, Dropbox, Miro, Malwarebytes, 🔹 Building a Beloved Brand in a Sea of Also-Mes Camille Ricketts, Former Head of Marketing at Notion 🔹 Definitive Frameworks for B2B marketing Emily Kramer, MKT1 founder, Former Head of Marketing at Carta 🔹 Using Brand Marketing as a competitive battle tool Scott Holden, CMO, Brex 🔹 The Path to the C-Suite - Me :) 🔹 Signal-based marketing in the age of the 'dark funnel Kevin White, Head of Marketing, Common Room 🔹 The Full Spectrum Comms Org Ulysses King (he/him), EVP archtype Caitlin Epstein, VP of Communications, Twilio 🔹 Getting Results with Analyst Relations Christine Wan, Director of AR Splunk (Love her! We worked together) 🔹 Building and Scaling Product Marketing Tanya Khakbaz, Head of Product Marketing, Stripe 🔹 Sales and Marketing, best friends forever Linda Lian, CEO and Co-Founder, Common Room 🔹 Breaking down out-of-home advertising - not just for big brands! James Salwasser, OUTFRONT Media 🔹 Debugging Developer Marketing Morgane Palomares, VP of Marketing, Vercel 🔹 Unsexy B2B brands need emotional marketing too Sarah Scharf, VP of Marketing, Vanta Let us customize our talks to what people really want to see! Comment here and I'll bring it up at our pre-meet :) Beloved Tech Brands (BTB) conference, May 15 in SF at China Live. 🎟️ Tickets: https://www.btbconf.com/ #Marketing #PLG #Inpersonisback *Oops! I stole this image from Kevin. That's actually him. I'm not a handsome blonde man at this time.

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