Shadiah Sigala

Big day for the Rails Foundation: 1Password is the first new Core member to join the board since we launched. Looking forward to working with Jason Meller on the board. You might be thinking: 1Password? Rails? YES. 1Password recently acquired Kolide, a Rails app, and integrated it into the core of its XAM. With today’s world of remote work (and the apps we rely on at work) combined with the ever-increasing threat of data breaches and bad actors, this Rails app now handles “thousands of web requests per second, authorizes millions of authentication attempts, processes billions of asynchronous jobs each month, and consistently delivers four nines of annual uptime for customers”. Not bad for a Rails app, ey?

130

5 Comments

As an early-stage Chief of Staff, I often talk to folks who are looking for CoS roles. I get asked a lot of similar questions and want to share my answers for anyone who's pursuing this path: 1️⃣ What does a CoS actually do? CoS's are all different. At a company as young as Aomni, Chief of Staff is a "white space" generalist role, meaning I take on any business priorities that our founder/future execs don't own themselves. Today that means Ops, Sales (in partnership w CEO), Marketing, Customer Support and certain Product tasks. 2️⃣ How can I find CoS opportunities at startups? I don't think it's a good use of time to apply cold. This is because CoS hiring at startups is highly trust-based and the market is crazy rn. Unless you have a sterling resume, you're going to lose out to competitors in the CEO's network already. Instead, leverage your network to develop relationships. Look for opportunities to start on a freelance basis where you can build trust before the job is even posted. Consider different roles at the right company where you can evolve into a CoS over time. 3️⃣ How can I stand out to hiring managers? Same thing as #2 -- it's all about relationships. Demonstrate that you can perform well in the role and add value as a trusted partner to the CEO/exec team, whatever that takes. 4️⃣ What's the hardest part of the CoS role? The biggest thing is stress. You don't have the same level of responsibility as the CEO, of course, but the pressure they experience reaches you via osmosis. I'm always trying to improve how I manage stress. 5️⃣ Do I need to have consulting or banking experience, or an MBA? Absolutely not. My somewhat irrational and biased opinion is that these experiences are actually anti-signals about one's fit for the job at a startup (probably not the same at a big company). Many people with these backgrounds are uncomfortable without structure, inflexible and unwilling to do grunt work. Effective CoS's at startups are highly curious learners, resourceful operators and great first-principles thinkers. As long as you can demonstrate these traits you're golden. --- I also want to shout out some communities that anyone in this space should have on their radar: Ask a Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff Network and Generalist World are 3 of my faves. Always happy to answer questions and support new and aspiring CoS's in any way I can!

158

13 Comments

Are we helping or hurting? That is a question many residents of San Francisco ask ourselves in the midst of a stark and increasing equity gap. As a parent, community member, and incoming board member of the Horizons at San Francisco Friends School, I’m keenly aware of the potential learning loss our public school students in the Mission District experience in the summer months without our support. Our city is undergoing another crisis - looming budget cuts threaten vital programs like Horizons at SFFS that provide equitable learning for Mission youth. We urgently need your support to secure bridge funding and ensure our summer enrichment continues. Our scholars and families are relying on Horizons' high-quality academics and social-emotional growth.  Horizons has been successfully leveraging the months when students are out of school to stem summer learning loss for children in San Francisco for ~10 years. The program has also intentionally increased impact by supporting their scholars through their educational journey during the school year and into High School. Last year, Horizons impacted 150+ scholars with targeted small classroom instruction, confidence-building, and joyful community enrichment experiences- thanks to our dedicated summer education workforce. But we can't continue without you. Please join me in supporting Horizons at SFFS today to expand partnerships, engage more crisis-impacted families, and grow our supportive community stronger. In past years, the SF Department of Children, Youth and Families has been a partner to increase access to education for our students. This summer, as we face a potential 40% loss to our summer program due to DCYF funding cuts that have impacted so many vital programs in our city, we’ve decided to celebrate Horizons Giving Day, the whole month of May. Please join me in our movement - your gift saves the summer for San Francisco scholars and helps bridge the educational equity gap in our city. Let’s help together. In gratitude, friendship and community, Aneesha #GiveTheGiftofSummer #SparkPassions #HorizonsGivingDay https://lnkd.in/gJAYnibC Links for reference: Horizons at SFFS: https://lnkd.in/gfsdugDX Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/gZc2jn85 Press Release on DCYF Loss of Funding: https://lnkd.in/gNprpSyB

12

2 Comments

Early stage fundraising is convincing enough people with credibly + resources to believe that you're onto something big. Remember it is a bi-directional discovery process. And more often than not, a lot of people with not enough credibility or not enough resources will give you their opinion. If everyone was a believer, you wouldn't have a shot at 100x-ing your company. It's a feature not a bug. Remember that. If you're not careful that can drain energy. Incredibly important trap to avoid.

30

2 Comments

We use Circle for our community at Exit Five, and Matthew Carnevale has become a Circle power user (he runs our community). They did this awesome write about how to grow a community with insights from Matt and Exit Five sprinkled in. • How to use your community as an audience growth multiplier • 5 systematic community growth strategies • Why you should treat your community like a product, and • Best practices for growing your community https://lnkd.in/e9vs32NQ

73

21 Comments

I can't believe it. RankedVote reached over 200,000 people this election season! Some highlights since September: - A RankedVote QR Code showed up on the big screen at a Portland Trailblazers game - RankedVote's results visualization was used to explain ranked choice voting on WXPI TV News in Washington, D.C. - Thousands voted in the adorable "Dog of the Year" contest in Sweetwater, Tennessee - Included on Portland's mail-in ballot educational materials - Reached tens of thousands as the #1 search result for numerous ranked choice searches like "pros and cons of RCV" I'm hopeful that these efforts gave people a glimpse of the potential for this voting reform. And maybe even changed a few skeptical minds. Speaking of...if you're in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska, or Washington D.C., you've still got a chance to directly impact ranked choice voting's adoption. If you haven't voted yet, make sure to: - Colorado: Vote YES on Prop 131 - Idaho: Vote YES on Prop 1 - Oregon: Vote YES on Measure 117 - Nevada: Vote YES on Question 3 - Alaska: Vote NO on Ballot Measure 2 (protect the progress that's been made!) - DC: Vote YES on Initiative 83 If we can exit this election cycle with more states using ranked choice voting than when we entered, it'll be a significant step forward. And we're so, so close thanks to the great work of groups like Unite America, Rank the Vote, FairVote, and all the dedicated teams and volunteers on the ground in each state. Let's run through the tape and make it happen! 🇺🇸

57

7 Comments

Talk to Buildstash and Robbie Cargill if you want to manage your game or app binaries.

9

Fundraising Insights for Early-Stage Startups 🚀 Reflecting on my time at YC and beyond with Parker, I've noticed a counterintuitive truth that shapes successful fundraising strategies for startups at pre-seed and seed stages - at early stages, investors often care way more about your story over traction or growth metrics. So, here are some key takeaways to nail your investor conversations: #1 Clear Communication: Cut the jargon and buzzwords. Create a pitch that anyone can grasp immediately. For instance, rather than making vague claims, be direct. Here is a Hypothetical example. Bad example: “We’re revolutionizing the electric car industry by creating unique, best-in-class vehicles that democratize electric travel.” Better example: “We are building electric vehicles that are more affordable and have longer range than anything on the market.” Remove abstraction until anyone can understand your pitch. #2 Founder Fit: Showcase why YOU are the right person to build your startup. Do this by highlighting relevant achievements and experiences that show your capacity to realize your vision. Keep in mind that a traditional background isn’t always the highest-leverage thing to mention, for example: • An investor might care a little bit that you went to Stanford. • They might care a lot that, during your time at Stanford, you built a $50k/mo business. #3 Leverage Social Proof: Boost your credibility by sharing achievements like customer numbers, growth rates, and notable investors backing your venture. Give investors solid reasons to believe in your potential. Use whatever you have available. Example: Famous investor? Great. Famous employee? Great. Notable experience on your founding team? Great. Investors have no idea who you are, in most cases—give them a reason to care. For a detailed look into fundraising advice, check out my essay. https://lnkd.in/g6B6kSdN

86

6 Comments

👉 Attention Pacific-Northwest founders ✅ Are you building in B2B SaaS/AI? ✅ Have you raised less than $250K? ✅ Had one-too-many VCs tell you you’re too early? I’d love to chat. The Pacific Northwest is home to two of the magnificent seven, the birthplace of some awesome companies (Slack, Outreach, Remitly, Redfin, Auth0 to name a few) and a magnet for great AI/technical talent. Forum Ventures, will be doubling down in this awesome ecosystem and writing more checks into B2B SaaS/AI founders for $100K+ admission to our pre-seed accelerator. Our pre-seed program is highly personalized - not your generic startup school. Here’s what you can expect: 🤝 Hands on GTM and Sales support to get you to $200k+ ARR 🌎 A community of B2B founders who have raised $1B+ in follow-on funding 🚀 An awesome Managing Director who will work alongside your team as a fractional senior operator / co-founder. They’re all former founders and have lived 0-1. 💸 No-bs investors who will help quarter back your seed round and show up through the good and the bad. 👋🏻 PNW founder? Pitch us here: https://hubs.ly/Q02tdP_r0 🙏 Not a founder? Please share with your network or tag a founder below ⬇️ cc Simon Chou Dominic Lau Richard Kerby Casey Van Maanen Ryan Holmes Adarsh Pallian Paul Irving Scott Barker Sara Lindquist John Eng Sarah Studer Jacob Laes Marius Ciocirlan Chris DeVore Brendan Wales Sheila Gulati Jen Haller Kirby Winfield Andy Liu Matt Wang Sanford W Spivey Amy Sallin Erik Benson Annie Luchsinger Lauren Glatter Bryan Hale Brian Glaister Kristopher Alford Jeffrey Manner Julian (Jay) Rhind Connor Edwards Daniel Baraghoush Kaylee Lieffers (Astle)

120

16 Comments

Work at a natural pace. In Cal Newport's new book "Slow Productivity" he walks through 3 components to accomplishment without burnout. 1. Do fewer things 2. Work at a natural pace  3. Obsess over quality Working at a natural pace is an area I'm focused on as I transition to whatever is next in my career. Most of my career's natural pace was driven by anxiety, coffee, HIIT workouts and more caffeine - which I'm pretty sure isn't what he means. In my late 40's though, that just doesn't work anymore. Nor do I want it to. It's a tricky philosophy though because if you're in the startup world I don't know how you build something meaningful and work at a natural pace. I've never seen it happen. It appears this is a philosophy that needs to be applied to a specific time and place vs. everyone, everywhere. Anway, I don't have the answers, I'm just exploring different questions. What I do know is working at a natural place seems to be more appropriate for where I am today. 

16

4 Comments

So pumped to host Kate Brodock of W Fund on the podcast. She's an amazing human and a great thought leader. We talked about Takeaways Supporting early-stage tech founders, particularly women and underrepresented founders, is crucial for making the world a better place. Empathy is an important skill for founders and investors to have in order to create a more inclusive and supportive startup ecosystem. Fundraising for a fund is different from fundraising for a startup, as it involves investing in the GP and their decision-making capabilities. Knowledge around fundraising, self-awareness in leadership, and effective hiring practices are key areas of improvement for founders. A strong track record and compelling storytelling are important factors in raising a fund. Raising funds as a founder can be challenging, especially in the early stages of a startup. Investors look for qualities like founder-market fit, a compelling story, and a clear money story in pitch decks. AI is expected to have a significant impact on venture capital decision-making, but investors need to be cautious and thoughtful in their approach. Startups should focus on metrics and milestones that demonstrate progress and a clear pathway to profitability to attract venture capital investment. Watch the full episode now. https://lnkd.in/djPkha_5

4

Attention new nonprofits... Launching a new nonprofit is an exciting endeavor but, far too often, essential tech decisions and needs can get overlooked in the mission shuffle. Even during my tenure at a more established nonprofit at E4E Relief, there's always technical decisions (sometimes foundational) that occur and have lasting impacts if not enacted soon. To help burgeoning nonprofits get the tech edge they need, I've published an article titled 'A tech checklist for new and emerging nonprofits'. This convenient guide details the three basic categories of your technology needs: back-office systems, equipment and security. There's also some helpful links to assist you in navigating the first few tech essentials that will get your nonprofit started on the best footing possible. I'm interested in hearing your feedback, so please drop a comment below after having a look at the article! (link to article) #tech #nonprofits #e4erelief https://lnkd.in/e-FrVKtq

24

3 Comments

TechCrunch sharing the news about Harbor's fundraise! In the worst fundraising environment since 2009, especially if you're building a real product for real people (and not another AI chatbot for B2B), we've managed to achieve something truly extraordinary, backed by incredible investors. We've already begun changing parents's lives, and we're only just getting started. Harbor exists to create happier parents and healthier families, one restful night at a time. If you haven't ordered a Harbor for yourself or your friends/family yet, now is the time! Rogers Healy Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners Tim Ferriss Trust Ventures Thomas Morstead Sam Parr Bryan Chambers Chart W. Zak Tanjeloff Carolina Garcia Michael Ivey Hayley Hightower Louden Kyle Cooke Anthony Gustin Carnrite Ventures Jeffrey Carnrite Brian Tochman Salen Churi Scott Harper Lyndsey Harper, MD, FACOG, IF Philip Mayling John Boaz Beau Harbour Rahul 'Harp' Harpalani William Hicks Adam Leeb Marcus D. Stroud Chris Blackman Corey Metz, CLU Dave Dworschak Mark Stoner John Durant Zach Ware Capital Factory Jason McCann Sam Silverlieb Chad Blackburn, MBA Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA - big things ahead! I haven't tagged every one of our investors as some are not on LinkedIn, I reached my tag limit, and others don't disclose their investments publicly. So incredibly grateful for those backing what we're building here! https://lnkd.in/g36imqQ2

150

14 Comments

Performative inclusivity in the workplace is BS and I'll tell you why👇 I co-founded a startup, and while we’re struggling with fundraising, we also need to pay the bills, so we’re job hunting. Ruan Pearce-Authers, my co-founder, found a job, and I'm so happy for him. While he was speaking to his new boss, I heard all the praises he was giving him: "I'm so excited to have you on board because you have both technical skills and you’re building a business, so you can understand better the work ethic” Awesome for him! But here’s what I hear in my interviews: "I believe you’re a better fit for a design role instead of leading" Ruan and I have exactly the same work experience for Fiero on our CVs. I speak with investors, manage all the marketing and sales, work on strategies, and solve problems employees don’t even know exist inside a company. So when I see job descriptions bragging about being "equal-opportunity employers" and "celebrating diversity" it’s pure BS. You’re not fooling me— I know you don’t practice what you preach. Here we are in 2024, and as a woman with over a decade of international product experience and running a business, I’m still not treated equally compared to my male peers. #genderequality #womenintech #womeningames #femaleentrepreneur

13

New startups can set up as a public benefit corporation from the start on Clerky! Early-stage startups don’t need to worry about hostile takeovers or activist investors, but PBCs are nevertheless a great option if you have a mission that goes beyond shareholder value. We introduced the first-ever way for startups to incorporate as PBCs in 2017, in partnership with B Lab, the non-profit that invented PBCs. Today, 25% of all Delaware PBCs incorporate on Clerky 😊

44

I wasn’t planning on attending #RailsWorld 2024—didn’t have tickets, didn’t think I’d make it. But then, a bit of serendipity happened! Amanda Perino, Executive Director of the Ruby on Rails Foundation, posted that she had a few extra tickets from folks who couldn’t attend due to various reasons, including Hurricane Helene’s impact. Next thing I knew, I was there! Rails has always been the perfect platform for us. It’s a framework for developers who love to code and create. That passion is something we value deeply in our team. Plus, it’s a true one-person framework—there’s no need for complex division between front-end and back-end, which lets us stay lean and agile. I see Avinash Joshi, my awesome technical co-founder, nodding his head in agreement. It's thanks to him that we stay on top of the latest and greatest tech implementations. And here’s something for the CEOs out there: having a technical background is invaluable in building a tech company. It’s not just about understanding the code; it’s about being able to back up technical decisions when it counts. Grateful for the chance to connect with the Rails community and with folks like Amanda. Exciting times ahead for those who appreciate simplicity, passion, and a little bit of luck! 🚂✨ #Cravd #entrepreneurship #rails

38

4 Comments

Good workshop at Latitude59 on how to level up your fundraising game. Here my take aways out of the workshop: Identifying the core problem: Why can't I raise money? One of the first steps to solving a problem is to clearly define it. In the context of fundraising for start-ups, the inability to raise funds is often due to a combination of factors, including market fit, concerns about the business model or sometimes the entrepreneur's approach and attitude to fundraising itself. Sit down with your co-founders and discuss this! The role of fear Fear is one of the main reasons why start-ups fail. It is important for founders to face their fears. Ask yourself: - What is the worst thing that could happen if my fundraising efforts fail? - How can I mitigate this risk? - Is this risk real, or am I exaggerating the fear? Acknowledging these fears will not only demystify them, but also allow you to take a more calculated approach to overcoming them. Speak out about your fears A practical step to managing fears is to verbalize them. Talk openly with your co-founders, investors, colleagues, mentors, advisors, family and friends about what scares you about fundraising. This dialog can open up new perspectives and reassure you that your fears are quite normal and manageable. Opportunity costs Every decision in a startup is associated with opportunity costs. Realize what you are sacrificing if you decide to continue or postpone fundraising. Weighing up these costs can clarify whether it is the right decision for your startup to push for funding now. Self-confidence and your business idea Do you believe in yourself and your idea? Do you really? This self-confidence is crucial and often a decisive factor for investors. They not only invest in your idea, but also in you as an entrepreneur. This is how you strengthen your self-confidence: - Start by presenting your idea to friends and family to refine your approach. - Believe in yourself. Self-confidence is contagious and will transfer to your presentations. Dealing with self-doubt Self-doubt is a common challenge among entrepreneurs. Recognizing that this is a normal experience can help you overcome negative thoughts and focus on incremental improvements. What can we improve today? Finally, you should always strive for continuous improvement. Ask yourself daily what you can do better. Whether it's refining your presentation, understanding your market better or improving your financial forecasts, every small step counts. What stops you raising money? Please share your problems & thoughts!

22

2 Comments

**OPPORTUNITY FOR FOUNDERS*👇🏻 If "Cold Start Problem", "Network Effects", or "Platforms" have ever been in your start-up 101 foundational thinking, here's the chance to get a First Cheque and work with the legend who (probably) knows the most about it all! Andrew Chen

3