Jennifer Yip’s Post

"What makes this place magical?" During a hiring interview yesterday, a candidate posed this thought-provoking question. I couldn't resist sharing my candid response here: It's the people. All our teammates are not only experts in their own fields but also incredibly entrepreneurial. - Ian, our marketing lead, built and sold a renowned fintech newsletter, Fintech Today. - Toby, our sales lead, not only has extensive sales experience in startups, but also owns an event space rental business on the side. - Bea, our founding engineer, after leaving her tech lead role at Airbnb, founded Libraria last year in her first venture harnessing GenAI for social impact. - Will, our cofounder and CEO, bootstrapped Product Life newsletter to six-figure ARR while product managing at top tech companies. - Alex, our cofounder and CTO, was the first hire at Flixed and also bootstrapped his own indie websites, still attracting thousands of daily organic visits. - James, our Chief of Staff, cofounded a successful startup accelerator Envision Accelerator for underrepresented founders, ran multiple cohorts, and at one point, even paused college to do it full-time. As I recounted to the candidate, I'm continually amazed that although we didn't specifically hire for entrepreneurship, we've attracted passionate individuals who are excited about creating something remarkable. Greenlite is truly a magical place. #Culture #Talent #Startup #DreamTeam

What happens when you click with technical founders? Magical things happen and we win! Today one of my founders sent me an announcement about his partnership with another company. He’s very proud. And I’m really proud! This founder has been busting his butt on building his startup.   - He pings me when he has questions on marketing. But there’s an extra challenge because it's a side hustle. I learned long ago that I work well with technical founders.   - I was invited to join a Saas in 2006 and I didn’t know about companies or the politics. My sister told me that software developers hate marketers. That was an odd thing to hear! I asked her why and she said because they don’t listen. But my path has been very different… I get along very well with technical founders.   - I did the pre-engineering track in college and took 3 semesters of physics along with my math major.    I was definitely in the minority in those classes. (3 girls to 27 guys) I understand the logic and where you’re coming from. I also am very good at QA! My background makes it easy to connect your passion for building into the messaging. My role is to help the technical minds connect with the technical audiences. I build programs that highlight the unique ideas and differentiators while capturing the energy and passion you have for what you’re building. The secret is to channel that energy to prospects and customers at scale. Collaboration is always the key. I keep founders involved and showcase your talents.  My goal is to work with you to bring clarity, to tighten the outreach and educate audiences (including customers). As a founder you’ve been doing it all across founder-led sales and marketing. I understand that and can step in to fill the gaps to create scalable programs that deliver revenue. And I can do it on a shoestring budget because I completely understand bootstrapping. I anticipate the needs of the business and ensure that marketing and sales are data-driven and structured for success. I love helping founders turn your vision into reality. — If you’re an early stage founder that wants help driving growth, let’s talk. It’s never too early to start thinking about marketing. I purposefully offer programs at two levels so you can get started right away. Send a connection request & let’s figure out your next phase of growth. It can be a little step or a big one. #earlystage #startup #growth #marketing

7 figures ARR, 100% Bootstrapped, Profitable from Day 1. Google, Ethereum, Disney alumni clients and startups backed by A16z, Y Combinator, Base10, Anthemis... That’s what Sergey and I built at Globy to help founders achieve the highest potential with the world's talented people they thought they could never afford... Lessons I learned? I’m still figuring them out, but here are some thoughts: 1. Timing was everything: → Remote work post-COVID. → Lack of tech talent in the US. → Ridiculously high tech salaries in the US. These three forces propelled the demand for Globy's obsession with quality talents where founders were not ready to compromise on quality and culture but couldn't hire someone in the US. 2. Listening to clients shaped our core values. Early on, we had one question for every client: why are you growing with us? We kept hearing the same three reasons: ✅ Precision: "You never waste our time with irrelevant candidates." Our vetting process leaves no room for compromise. ✅ Speed: "You move FAST." With a loyal community, we’re ready to fill positions in record time. ✅ Support: "You guide us on everything." From recruitment to payroll to compliance, we cover every detail. Those three became our “pillars”, the areas we’d invest in nonstop. 3. Nailing “the product”. In our case, the product is sourcing and matching great talent. We invested early and often (and continue to) in building a laser-focused process that helps our team to: → Spot superstars → Get their attention → Ensure they’re the right fit We prioritize great talent above all else. THIS is the actual hard part/rate limit on the business. The last thing I’ll say is the best part of this business is how every single person benefits from it. Our customers get exceptional talent that implements projects and ideas they could never have thought they could afford with such speed and quality! Our talents get jobs in the best companies in the world they always dreamed about and that they really deserve! And yes, we make $$$. It’s truly a WIN-WIN-WIN and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing everyone thrive. _ Seeking top growth and tech talent? ➡️ DM me!

I don’t have a Co-Founder but….. I have something equally precious: a team of 20 incredible individuals who believe in our vision. Being a solo founder in fintech isn't easy. There are days when decisions feel heavy, nights when strategy sessions get lonely, and moments when I wish I had someone to share the founder's burden with. But then I look around. I see our tech team, who have been building systems for the past 10 years, patiently explaining complex architectures. Our human resource manager recruits the best talents from all over India to ensure the smooth functioning of our startup. The marketing director who’s working day in and out planning our launch strategies as he believes in what we're building. They're all older than me. More experienced than me. Yet they chose to join this journey. I might not have a co-founder, but I have 20 founding members. They don't just work here - they build here. They don't just advise - they own. They don't just execute - they envision. Sometimes, the best founding team isn't the one you start with, but the one that chooses to believe in your dream. What's your experience building a team that feels like family? Share below 👇

1st marketing / growth leads at tech startups only last 12-18 months. 😱 Hiring your first marketer and want them to be successful? What they work on in the first month matters a ton. I've been first hire 2x. Both starts were tough. I just started as a fractional VP for a SaaS startup. Here is what I am focused on for month 1: I am in investigation mode. 🕵♀️ I want to find out: * What is our business priority? Why? * Where did current customers come from? * Which best customers do we want more of? * What were their problems, journeys, motivations? * Why did they choose us over alternatives / DIY-ing? * What are realistic goals to set for the next 2-3 months? * What can we learn from the past marketing experiments? * What are macro or industry-specific trends that impact us? * What should I prioritize now to get the next 5 customers asap?  * What do we need to learn in that execution so we can get the next 50? Strategy first, execution after. Scrappy now, scale later. Always be learning. 👉 What would you prioritize in month 1 at an early-stage tech startup? Shout out to the useful advice, validation, and ideas I received from other marketers in some of my favorite communities: + Exit Five (for B2B SaaS) + The Growth Tribe (for marketing consultants) + GrowthMentor (for startup founders and marketers) + the old girls club (for women in male dominated industries). #techstartups #b2bsaas #fractionalcmo

It’s Wednesday evening, and I’m still grinding, feeling reinspired as we scale Respiris. Just a few pieces left to complete the puzzle. Do you know any co-founders ready for an exciting pivot? Ideally, they are scrappy strategy, know that their startup can’t scale, or has lost confidence in their idea or proofing concept. If so, I am on the lookout for three awesome co-founders (who also play pickleball 🤦🏽♂️🫣😳😃). This is what I am thinking: 1. Co-Founder: B2B2C & B2G2C External Facing Dynamo: Someone who can rock fundraising and grow business in these spaces. 2. Co-Founder: Marketplace Guru: Someone who can help scale our marketplace of coaches and clients. We call our clients candidates for new roles. 3. Co-Founder: Tech Genius: A scrappy visionary technologist who can, using their own hands, stitch or build a tech stack infused with deep empathy, community, and AI magic. Here’s the fun part… 📍 We’ve got an MVP 📍 Revenue 📍 20+ glowing testimonials 📍 Amazing partners 📍 Strong positive signals. 📍 Career Prayer™️ On the table we have recurring revenue, Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified, and significant equity is up for grabs to build and grow together. I have serious HR chops from working with public and VC/PE-backed companies. I also have multiple marketplace experiences I have piloted sales and marketing growth marketing opportunities at Transform, LA HR Executive of the Year dinnner and running growth marketing campaigns. As we continue to iterate, we have platforms like Google, Rippling and Slack up and running. Plus, consult and pitch decks? We’ve got those too! #seekingcofounder #sleeplessinLA #growthorbust

Whispers of economic uncertainty. Cautious VCs. Layoffs every week. And an AI revolution that waits for no one. Welcome to B2B tech in 2024. As a CMO and strategy advisor, I've had countless conversations with founders and CEOs this year about the state of B2B tech and AI. In conference rooms and coffee shops, a consistent picture has emerged: We're in uncharted territory, and the stakes have never been higher. #HeresTheThing. AI's potential is huge. Adopters are seeing big revenue growth and cost savings. The proof is in the numbers: AI firms nabbed over $4.7B in funding last month—a major jump from 2023. But many B2B companies struggle to fully harness AI's power. They're experimenting but not scaling. With a possible downturn looming, the pressure is on. Investors feel it too. They're being cautious, upping due diligence and focusing on the basics. Raising money has gotten tougher. Still, global VC funding held steady at $21.5B in February. The appetite for high-potential startups remains. Amid the challenges, opportunities emerge. Experts predict AI could drive a 2-3x jump in software spend over the next 5-7 years as it boosts productivity. But don't get caught up in the hype just for the sake of it. It all still needs to make business sense. *️⃣ The top moves for B2B leaders, especially those seeking funding, is to: 1️⃣ Align high-impact initiatives across the company. Make sure there is a clear vision that AI would power, not the other way around. 2️⃣ Focus on where AI can deliver real value for your customers, competitive advantage, and your bottom line. Do you think the current frenzy in "we need to have AI" is justified, or are we simply headed for a bubble? #venturecapital #startups #B2Bmarketing #AI 🔔 I'm Jeff Fryer, a B2B tech marketing leader and business advisor based in Austin, TX. I help founders, CEOs, and investors who need their first senior head of marketing. Follow me for B2B marketing and AI insights to boost your overall brand and revenue growth.

🌟 The heartbeat of every startup? Its people. 💼✨ Building a dynamic, vibrant culture starts with hiring individuals who embody your company's ethos and spirit. 🔍 Look beyond resumes; seek out those who share your passion and drive. Moonhub 🚀 can help you create something extraordinary. 💪 #StartupJourney #CultureFirst #TeamBuilding 🚀

hosted an intimate 'former founder' dinner tonight with folks who founded / sold to / are building Zoom, H Company, Lyft, Observe.AI, Harvey, Airtable, Duolingo, Patronus AI, Jane Street, & Hugging Face, sponsored by John Bryson (Banc of California). we talked about the classic 'build in SF or NYC' debate, future of the AI hype cycle with billion dollar seed rounds, lessons learned from last founder journey, and more 🛎️ entrepreneurship is hard - some words of wisdom from those who have lived through the tumultuous founder life: - making scalable lifestyle decisions is just as important as making scalable startup decisions 🏙️ - don't over engineer in the early days; instead, prioritize shipping velocity and focus on building something tangible that potential customers could use 🚢 - you will be making a million decisions as a founder, and the best operating framework is to maximize value for the business - do not take things personal and let your feelings cloud your judgment 🤕 - instead of doing full pivots / switching industries entirely, founders might be better off returning the capital raised and starting a new company with no strings attached 💸 - instead of hiring a team of employees with potential but no experience, founders should prioritize people who have 'done it before' in some capacity and can teach you 🥸 - not having a support system burns you out faster than you’d imagine 🕯️ + + + + + + + + + + + + + if you are an AI builder and want to get involved in similar operator / founder events, sign up here to get on the list 🫰🏼: https://lnkd.in/eu9u57zt

Let's hire to scale from the start...I mean what can go wrong apart from 💰💰💰 rolling in? Scaling with sales and marketing sounds great—until it isn’t. If you haven’t nailed product-market fit yet, scaling is like shouting into the void. I've seen this in most startups I have worked with. You’ll burn cash, frustrate your team, and wonder why customers aren’t sticking around.  How do I know if I have product-market fit? Ask yourself:   - Do customers keep coming back?   - What story are my current customers telling others about me?   - Would my customers freak out if my product disappears?   - Do I have organic growth happening, and people are paying?  Sales and marketing should be rocket fuel for a product that already works—not a Hail Mary to figure it out.  Is scaling too soon the startup killer no one talks about?