Hossain Alamin

You don’t need to raise VC to build a business with big impact, *even in a market that has heavily VC-funded players*. Case in point: Excalidraw is an open source alternative to Miro. Excalidraw is bootstrapped and revenue-funded, Miro is VC-funded ($476M raised). Miro just added a comparison page to Excalidraw - meaning that they saw enough demand for people searching for Miro vs Excalidraw that they added this page.

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We built EngageAI, now Silicon Valley is copying us with $2.3M funding from top VCs, incl Y Combinator! In my usual quarterly competitor screening, I found new competitors joining the industry we created. It's no longer surprising—I see them every day. There was a guy who recorded our video meeting last year and then launched an exact copy. Another interviewed me on his podcast, asked me to become his CTO, and eventually copied our product, calling it FlyEngage. A business associate we partnered with for years also copied the product for his services. The list goes on...But that's not why I'm sharing today. What surprised me this time is that some new copycats are now copying our company/product name: EngageWithAI, EngageGPT, and Engage by company xyz. Annoyance filled my head. I have no problem with anyone copying our product—it's a free market. What annoys me is that they try to confuse the market into thinking they are us. Sure, "Engage" is a common English word. I get it, and many competitors do too—that's why they choose unique names to stand out. Nevertheless, I researched each of them, including Engagerr AI and Engage by Persana—LinkedIn Comments with AI. Of all of them, Engage by Persana is all over the news. Apparently, they just announced they raised $2.3 million from Y Combinator, Dharmesh Shah (HubSpot CTO), Race Capital, and Stage 2 Capital. Oh wait, they are also LinkedIn veterans. As quoted in the news, Edith Yeung, General Partner at Race Capital, said: “Customers at fast-growing enterprises are thrilled with Persana, as their sales teams experience increased productivity and efficiency in prospecting efforts.” No doubt, jealousy and anger filled my head. I mean, WTF! I have no problem with anyone copying our product and competing. But have some class—choose a different name. You just raised $2.3 million; can't you afford to come up with a better name? Can't you avoid confusing users and compete fairly? What a load of crap. After talking to my team, I started to calm down. All these VCs and Y Combinator, which I admire deeply, are investing $2.3 million in someone copying our product and name. We must have done something right. It's interesting to note the contrast: We've grown to 72,000 users by bootstrapping; they currently have 16 users on their Chrome extension. Despite these numbers, they've received significant investment and media attention. What a world we live in. Never mind, this is healthy competition. Link to their extension is below. Please compare the two and tell me: Which one do you enjoy more? How can we improve your experience? Why do you choose one but not the other? My inbox is always open, & I talk to our customers every day. I look forward to speaking with you and improving your prospecting experience on LinkedIn. Jason Not from FAANG, but someone who has actually prospected clients on LinkedIn to build his consulting business like many other small business owners

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Optimizing growth: the “leaky bucket” isn’t an early-stage retention problem Product managers and data analysts tend to focus on optimizing the user onboarding funnel, or FTUE, more than other segments of the user lifecycle. As tempting as it is for a product team to focus a disproportionate amount of its energy on optimizing the onboarding funnel, ignoring the elder period of the user timeline is a mistake. In reality, user churn is more expensive later-stage than during the onboarding process: a user who has been in a product for a year is, by definition, more engaged than one who just joined. Losing the user with a year of tenure is more damaging to the business than losing the early-stage user because of that proven affinity and acquired behavioral data.

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How did OpenAI go from a $1 billion bet to a $90 billion AI leader? OpenAI's story, with 8 rounds totaling $11.3 billion, is a prime example. Let's unpack its funding strategy timeline: 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟱: 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 > OpenAI won a $1 billion grant from tech titans Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, creating a robust runway. 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲-𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴: 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 > Nonprofits like the Ethereum Foundation and Y Combinator provided early funding ($25 million + $120,000). 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵: 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 > Desperately needing 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 funding but lacking profitability, OpenAI created a for-profit division to attract investors. > It capped potential profit earnings, and CEO Sam Altman had no equity stake. > This attracted a $1 billion Series D investment from Microsoft. 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬: 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 > OpenAI sold ChatGPT access to generate revenue and partnered with businesses like Reddit and Salesforce. > While not yet profitable, it established a revenue stream ($30 million). 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 > OpenAI broadened its reach with ChatGPT-4. > It created a venture fund for startups using its technology. > A $100 million donation from Vitalik Buterin further fueled growth, reaching $36 million in ARR. 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮: 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 > OpenAI continued pushing boundaries by launching ChatGPT-5 and OpenAI Codex. > Although its ARR increased to $200 million, it still made a $540 million loss. 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 (𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘀) > OpenAI achieved a breakthrough after 7 years, exceeding $2 billion ARR. > This 900% ARR growth made it a self-sustaining AI leader. > Resulting in a $10.305 billion Series E investment, pushing its valuation to $90 billion. Key Takeaways: 📈 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 > Each round helped OpenAI scale and achieve specific milestones. 📈 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 > It leveraged venture capital, angel investors, donations, grants, and strategic partnerships. 📈 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 > OpenAI monetized between funding rounds. Code, culture, or cash? What is the primary driver of OpenAI's financial success? Credit: CB Insights, Tracxn, Sacra, & Analytics Insight. PS 🔔 Follow me for strategies and resources for startups and VCs! Looking to raise capital? 💸 https://foundersuite.com/ for startups 💸 https://fundingstack.com/ for VCs and investors At only $250/month: Fundingstack gets you access to 267K+ global investors. Or you can send me a direct message with "FREETRIAL" and I'll give you a secret access link.

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Want to know what metrics venture capitalists really care about? Aumni's latest analysis dives into 10,000+ data points from portfolio companies at all stages. Here's what we uncovered: 1️⃣ Revenue, net burn rate, FT headcount, and gross margin are the hottest metrics. 2️⃣ Most VCs request 6-9 specific metrics per quarter from each portfolio company. 3️⃣ Cash is king in the early stages but loses its throne as companies grow. 4️⃣ Operational metrics dominate at Series D+, taking up half of the top ten. Key insights: - Cash-on-hand and cash runway plummet in importance from a combined ranking of 3.5 in the seed stage to barely making the top ten by Series D+. - Metrics spotlighting operational efficiency, like gross margin, total OpEx, EBIT, bookings, and debt balance, become crucial as startups scale. PS. check out 🔔 for a winning pitch deck the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel https://lnkd.in/ejp-Bhnu

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🚀 Thinking of launching a corporate venture capital unit? Here’s the secret sauce. From 13 top CVCs interviews, the blueprint for success gets uncovered. 🎯 Key insights: - Define crystal-clear objectives - Implement structured processes - Set measurable metrics - Exercise patience - Gain board/executive backing - Offer more than just capital to startups PS. check out 🔔 for a winning pitch deck the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel https://lnkd.in/ejp-Bhnu

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Startup decks vs Business plans. It's accepted that a startup needs a deck. Dax Dasilva of Lightspeed Commerce made an important point on 20VC. Writing a business plan - including financial projections - is an important step. It requires discipline. It provides a rigorous framework for thinking deeply about the problem you're trying to solve. Harry Stebbings countered that he doesn't even want to see a deck since it's all dreams. We spent a lot of time and energy on our business plan with the expectation that we would show it to no one ever. The business plan was part of our roadmap for the company. We researched customers - including having 50+ conversations. We wanted to understand them: their background, their interests, their presence on social media. We also wanted to understand how they were evaluated by leadership and how integrated they were with the business of the company they were protecting. We researched pricing both with potential customers and other products in our industry to find out if OpEx or CapEx was a better fit. How did they buy today? How would they like to buy? We did market research to understand the verticals and map the right entry point - we were wrong but that doesn't reduce the value of the research. We looked at competitors in depth to understand what they were seeing that we weren't. Dax is right. This is an invaluable document that should be updated every year - the company is changing, the market is changing, there's more feedback about price and ICP. It's not for sharing with the outside world. It's a map for driving forward. Decks won't get you investment - VCs invest in people. We make decks but we know they don't tell our story. The deck is a calling card. Dax and Harry are both right. https://lnkd.in/e25M82xY

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🚀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭-𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭: 𝐔𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 4 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 🔍 1. Case Study Replication Framework 🛒 2. Demand vs. Supply Framework 💰 3. Learn by Selling Framework 🔮 4. Unfolding Framework #ProductMarketFit #Startups #Entrepreneurship

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PMF is wildly simple… just: - build one case study - try to repeat it (using the case study to sell) - debug, iterate, reframe, unfold

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How to Pitch a VC: The Essentials When pitching to a VC, it's all about getting to the point quickly and making a strong impression. Here’s what to focus on: 1) The Elevator Pitch: Nail the 30-second quick pitch—be concise and memorable. 2) The Problem & Solution: Clearly define the problem you're solving and why your solution is the best. 3) Market Size: Show the potential for growth and scalability with concrete numbers. 4) Business Model: Demonstrate how you plan to make money and reach profitability. 5) Team: Highlight the superstars on your team who will drive success. PS. check out 🔔 for a winning pitch deck the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel https://lnkd.in/ejp-Bhnu

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Truly enjoyed joining the Product Thinking with Melissa Perri podcast. It's a must-listen for product managers, innovators, and anyone eager to see their ideas take flight. During our 45-minute conversation, we covered a wide range of topics. Here are some highlights: 🔍 Origin Story: I shared my journey of helping organizations systematically venture into the unknown. When I transitioned from Amazon to McDonald’s, I had to create "new ways of working" because what’s standard at a tech giant is often a foreign language to more traditional companies. 🏢 Culture: I discussed my view on culture—not as a set of slogans, but as the reality of the employee experience. Changing how work gets done is the best way to evolve culture. 🚀 Beyond Execution: We explored why many Fortune 500 companies excel at execution but struggle with the muscles needed to bring good ideas to life. We talked about how to get to execution faster and more effectively. 🗣️ Leadership Hacks: I shared how I would hold meetings with teams (even as President) with the expectation of reviewing questions rather than answers. Starting with a good question list is a powerful way to kickstart momentum on ideas. 📚 Why I Wrote Decision Sprint: After a decade in the C-Suite at McDonald’s, Volvo, and MGM Resorts, I realized that the practices I was putting in place needed to be distilled into a methodology, leading to the creation of Decision Sprint, a WSJ bestseller. 🌐 Beyond Product: The next evolution in product thinking involves bringing the rest of the organization along. It’s not enough for just one part of the company to be product-oriented; collective intelligence is key to solving today’s problems. Decision Sprint is designed to create a universal language that works for any role in an organization. 🕵️ Purposeful Exploration: We discussed how purposeful exploration isn’t as time-consuming as you might think and how it actually speeds things up while providing more clarity. 💡 Ritual: I also shared why I started a workflow + AI company three years ago and how an idea that was ahead of its time is now finding product-market fit. Some describe what we’re doing as a McKinsey-killer, but we believe Ritual is much bigger, reshaping knowledge work in profound ways. Everything we discussed --> build momentum to allow ideas to flourish. 🎧 Thank you to Melissa Perri for hosting such an engaging and insightful conversation. If you benefit, it's because the host knows the right questions to ask :) Listen to the podcast: https://lnkd.in/g37Wb9K7 https://lnkd.in/g_--qb2S More links: www.decisionsprint.com (Atif’s WSJ bestselling book) https://app.ritual.work/ (try Ritual) https://www.produxlabs.com (Melissa’s company) #ProductThinking #Innovation #Leadership #Culture #DecisionMaking #AI #Podcast #ProductManagement

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🚀 Unlocking the nuances of Product Market Fit (PMF) is key to building successful ventures. It's not just about creating value; it's about capturing it effectively. In the world of startups and innovation, the VC2 framework offers a lens to understand this dynamic interplay. At its core, PMF is about delivering a product that resonates deeply with customers while addressing a specific market need. But let's dive deeper. PMF extends beyond mere satisfaction, but also validate revenue models, ensuring your offering can be monetized successfully. Here's where the distinction between creating and capturing value becomes pivotal. To capture value, you must first create it. In the realm of macroeconomics, value creation translates to enhancing customer experiences in B2C scenarios or boosting profitability for B2B entities. Pricing models play a crucial role here, as they must strike a balance between delivering value and capturing it. Ultimately, the success of any product hinges on its ability to generate sustainable revenue. If a product or service fails to do so, its long-term viability comes into question. In essence, PMF isn't just about creating buzz; it's about building a solid foundation for sustainable growth. By understanding the intricate dance between value creation and capture, entrepreneurs can steer their ventures towards lasting success. Courtesy : Harvard Kennedy School and The Lean Product Playbook. #ProductMarketFit #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #VC2

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Miro's current annual revenue is $𝟰𝟳𝟱𝗠. How? Simple. 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 🎯 Different user personas represent the various faces of your audience. Each with distinct needs, challenges, and behaviors. 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗼'𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 Miro adopted a strategy focused on end users. They built and positioned their product around teams as personas. Their approach: 1️⃣ Bottom-up GTM Strategy > Miro's platform is designed for self-service. > Individuals can start using it without the need for executive approval or a complex sales process. > Individual users discover the value of their product and organically share it with their teams. > This leads to wider adoption within organizations. 2️ Balancing User and Buyer Needs > Miro develops features to meet the security and compliance needs of enterprise buyers. > But they maintain a strong focus on the usability and productivity features that matter most to end-users. > By satisfying end-users, Miro can influence purchasing decisions from within the organization. 3️ User Persona Segmentation > Miro segments its users into distinct personas. > Each group has unique needs and preferences. > Miro continuously gathers data on user behavior, sign-ups, upgrades, and churn to refine their product and marketing strategies. 4️ Multiple Points of Entry > Miro doesn't rely on a single type of user for adoption. > User persona diversification allows them to penetrate different departments within an organization. If the teams love the product, they will champion it to their organization. That's their method of penetration. 🎯 The result? 𝟵𝟵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝘀 are Miro customers. Their 2020 user base of 3M grew to 𝟲𝟬𝗠 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯. 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘀? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄's newsletter has a great checklist to help you find out. It's attached below. 👇 Simply put, just ask yourself... > Does my product serve distinct user types? > Can each persona become a growth catalyst? > Will addressing multiple personas increase my product's adoption? How have user personas shaped your strategy? 💬 #SessionReplay #CustomerExperience #ProcessMining #DigitalExperience #Observability #startups #growth 🛎 Follow me to stay ahead with the latest UX insights. PS. Are you experiencing a drop in users? You definitely have a UX problem. Take it from someone with a 91% customer retention rate since 2014. Our clients include eBay, Pepsico, and American Airlines. Germain UX provides you with the insights to identify causes of UX frictions. Send me a private message with "FREETRIAL" and I'll find a way to get you a free trial link.

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My team built a queryable events database (QEB) for VCs, using AI. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to build one yourself to answer prompts like: “Show me all the AI related events happening in SF this week.” Or: “What are the top VC networking events in New York next month?” ​ 𝟭. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 🔎 Sorry SF, going with NYC for this example. We’re going to use Luma, Gary’s Guide, and Eventbrite. It doesn’t matter where you live, though. You’ll be able to use this guide to build your own version! 𝟮. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗲 🤖 Browse AI (https://www.browse.ai/) lets us turn any website into an API. Even if they don’t have one. Without writing a single line of code. For now, making a free account is good enough. 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘵 Check out this brief Loom we made showing how easy it is to scrape data with Browse: https://lnkd.in/eVZyf8GR. We created our first AI data scraping robot in minutes. 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 Now we want to throw that data into a spreadsheet. We clicked on Google Sheets, chose our Google Account to sync up with, selected the spreadsheet, and mapped the data to the right fields (see image 1) Now that we’re all finished in Browse, this is the final product (see image 2) 𝟯. 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗯 (𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧) 🧪 Now we need to build an app that will call the OpenAI API in order to query our mini database for the events the user is interested in attending. If you’re not familiar with our process, check out this recent edition of AI for VC on building an AI for VC app: https://lnkd.in/emjXM5KF Here’s the prompt we started with (see image 3) Make sure you provide the name of the CSV file for ChatGPT AND upload that CSV file to the Pycharm program so it’s readable. The output from the code interpreter worked in just a few tries, and we were ready for a demo. Here’s the key: Test the code out and report back screenshots of any errors to ChatGPT so it can auto correct its mistakes. Reach out to us if you’d like to see the final code! It’s only 85 lines. 𝟰. 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿! 🥪 We ran the script in Pycharm with the terminal command “streamlit run events.py”. This is what it looks like in the browser (see image 4) So, we typed in: “Find all events related to financial technology (FinTech) happening this week in New York City.” Here are some of the results (see image 5)

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🌟 𝗩𝗖 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 🌟 Preparation can make all the difference in a venture capital interview. Here’s a guide to nail it: 📝 Prepare Your Answers: Common questions include your company’s mission, market size, and competitors. 📊 Highlight Metrics: Share key metrics like user growth and revenue to demonstrate traction and success. ⭐ Express Future Vision: Outline your short-term and long-term goals for your company’s growth. Equipped with detailed responses, you can approach your VC interview with confidence. #StartupPreparation #EntrepreneurAdvice #VCSuccess

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At current count, startups on Carta raised about $20.1 billion across 1,254 venture funding events during Q3. Paradoxically enough, what's remarkable about those numbers is just how normal they look. For nine straight quarters now, private startups on Carta have raised somewhere between 1,250 and 1,650 new rounds and brought in between $15.7 billion and $23.8 billion in new capital. That might not seem so unusual. But after the extreme ups and downs that defined the venture market in the early part of the 2020s, it’s been a notable stretch of high-level consistency. What are some other numbers and trends you should know about what's going on in VC? Great question, ideal reader! This chart is from our latest (and newly published) State of Private Markets report, which presents a comprehensive picture of the venture scene through the first nine months of the year. How many rounds are getting done at different stages? What are the typical deal sizes and valuations? How much dilution is taking place? How common are participating preferred shares? What about bridge rounds? Which regions are raising more capital in 2024? We can answer 'em all: I'll drop a link to the full report down in the comments.

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“Customer-obsessed” and “human-centered” get thrown around a lot these days, especially in the SaaS world. It’s one thing to say you’re those things or even want to be those things (especially here on LinkedIn) — it’s another thing to actually embody them as a person, team, and company. Infusing the voice of your customers into your product development lifecycle is tougher that it seems. It requires rigor, iteration, and challenging and re-challenging assumptions since our customers and their needs are dynamic, not static. When you get it right, though, it’s worth it. Hear from product designers at Calendly (Jess Clark & Alise Crain), Grammarly, and Loom share their take on how customer obsession done right can lead to customer love. It's next Wednesday, 5/29 at 11am PT/2pm ET. Save yourself a hot spot by registering here: https://lnkd.in/g69sfBRR

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I had no idea that 70M+ users and 99 Fortune 100 companies use Miro. Yesterday, they launched Intelligent Canvas, their biggest update ever with: - One-click to convert brainstorm stickies into draft docs with next steps - Roadmaps, retros, and other templates generated from simple text using AI - AI sidekicks that act like virtual product experts to give quick feedback I enjoyed playing with some of these features early and love Miro’s focus on using AI to bring teams together. Unlock these features for your team here: https://lnkd.in/gx2q3p2D

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