Simin Gharib Lee’s Post

I've collaborated with tons of teams in my lifetime. Some teams can make you feel deeply inspired, others... can leave you feeling super drained. Hudhaifah Zahid and Arvin M. are 2 geniuses I've been deeply inspired by and learnt so much from these past few months. Here are 5 lessons I've found valuable with the team over at econommi: 1. Be agreeable. Don't be painful to do business with. Leave ego at the door and doors will open. 2. Show up. Consistently. When people can count on you, they typically count on you for more. 3. Don't be afraid to assert your value... respectfully. You know what you're worth. Be clear, and say what needs to be said, but be tactful and considerate. You're leaving your ego at the door but respect everyone else's! 4. Collaborate like crazy When you're collaborative and amicable, people hasten to join your team. They know that their inevitable flaws will be overlooked and that you provide a real growth environment. Even when times get tough! 5. Stay objective The best founders I've met vent from time-to-time BUT they don't act like the sky is falling every day. They're so focused on their long term vision they've got no space for short-term emotional decision making! To those folks going through their startup/scale-up journey, these are great habits to internalise. They come through a great deal of self awareness. Side note: If anyone's looking to raise capital feel free to reach out to Isaac Walsh or directly to us at Neurobay!

What truly defines success for first-time founders? The latest insights from an event co-hosted by Venrock and Plato highlight the importance of taking care of oneself and focusing on the essentials: people, strategy, and cash flow. For many, the startup journey is filled with stress and uncertainty. It's crucial to prioritize your well-being alongside your company’s goals. Simple practices, like regular self-assessments and knowing when you're at your creative best, can make a huge difference. Additionally, when hiring, creating a culture that encourages authenticity and support is essential. It’s not just about finding the right talents; it's about fostering an environment where everyone feels valued. Plus, understanding your cash needs for the next stages of growth can shape your fundraising strategy significantly. What has your experience been as a founder? What advice do you have for those starting their journey? Let’s share some insights! https://lnkd.in/e-Pdrb6h

‘From the Founder’s Desk’ series is back! Once a month, we have our #Founders writing about their journeys, challenges and success stories. Ever wondered if you're too much of a founder? It’s a fine line to walk! Ans our Co-Founder and CEO, Shreya Prakash swears she knows the feeling! In her latest blog post, she explores the quirks and chaos that come with the founder life. From sleepless nights to unending problem-solving, the founder DNA can be a wild ride. Click the link in the comments to take a fun quiz to see where you land on the founder-quotient scale! Find out and join the conversation! #EntrepreneurLife #StartupJourney #LeadershipInsights #FoundersJourney #BusinessChallenges #CEOThoughts #FlexiBees 

Happy personal update: I’m stepping into a Partner role at Pear VC, where I’ll be doubling down on my passion for working with early-stage founders. My experience as a Visiting Partner over the past several months has only deepened my excitement about Pear’s mission, the incredible team, and, most importantly, the founders we serve. I’m thrilled to strengthen my commitment to the startup ecosystem and Pear’s ambitious vision, and I’m especially excited to work with founders building for consumers. Why consumer? Consumer spending accounts for 68% of the US economy — making it the largest category for innovation — and yet only 7% of venture funding went to consumer businesses in 2023 (down from 14% in 2019). With AI’s potential to transform daily life and demographic changes on the horizon, I believe we’re on the cusp of a new crop of generational consumer companies. While the best ideas start with founders, here are a few themes I’m especially excited about in the near term: 🚀 Privilege expansion: How can technology democratize privileges once reserved for the wealthiest? 🎯 Increased personalization: The one-size-fits-all era is ending. How can hyper-personalization transform education, productivity, healthcare, and more? 🛠️ Economic tooling: How can we empower more people to earn more from their time, assets, and creativity? If you’re working on a big idea at the pre-seed or seed stage that could transform how people live, work, or play, I’d love to hear from you. A heartfelt thank you to Pejman Nozad, Mar Hershenson, and the Pear team for your trust and partnership. Early believers make all the difference, and I’ll be doing my best to pay it forward with the founders we back.

I heard this hilariously spot-on metaphor at our business breakfast today with the Mission Possible team and thought I'd share the wisdom with you. 💩 The idea is that during fundraising, founders hear all sorts of sh*t about their companies—investors literally "dump" on your startup. They confidently tell you that your market is too small, your product isn’t good enough, there’s not enough traction, you lack expertise, they don’t see the market potential, and so on. BUT! As a founder, you have to brush off that negativity after every tough conversation and approach the next one with renewed enthusiasm. Like a toilet seat—no one wants to use it if it’s dirty—so you have to make sure you clean yourself up, regain your confidence, and move on to the next investor on your list. Is this perspective too harsh? Maybe. Is it useful? Absolutely.

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 🟰 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬! 🌱✨ At Techstars Berlin, we understand that the journey of starting and growing a business can have an impact on your mental well-being. That's why we offer #mentalhealth support for our founders, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for their success. 🌟 👉 Meet Ariella van Hooven, a founder psychologist with a unique blend of clinical and startup experience. Ariella crafts personalized strategies to help founders conquer stress and build resilience both as individuals and founding teams. At Techstars, she conducted impactful 1:1 sessions with our portfolio founders, addressing both preventative and current challenges. Remember, facing pressure from investors, employees, and stakeholders can be tough. Ariella van Hooven encourages all founders to recognize the importance of their well-being and make an effort to improve it to ultimately benefit not only their company but also their employees and shareholders. #FounderWellBeing #FounderSuccessJourney

Picture this: You leave the office while the sun is still shining, and you have the evening free to spend however you like. That’s no fantasy—it’s my client Jason’s new reality. Before we met, Jason, a startup founder, was overwhelmed, working late nights and weekends. He promised himself it would only be until the next funding round, but there was always 'just one more thing' to do. Together, we tackled this head-on, focusing on streamlining processes and empowering his team to take on more responsibilities. Jason now reports not only improved personal well-being but also a more motivated, autonomous team. Interested in finding out how this could be you? Go to my website or DM me ‘BALANCE’ to start your journey toward reclaiming your time and your life. #StartupLife #TimeFreedom #ClientWin

Been so busy that I haven't posted lately! No news is EXCELLENT NEWS! Wanted to share some positive energy with everyone here. Quiet coworking extended through October And probably the holidays (Happy Rosh Hashana btw!) Here in our Studio City location For founders, investors, and everyone else in the startup ecosystem. Please comment or DM if you'd like to join. ALSO every Friday from now on will be at Dreamore the land in Topanga. Come tap into our Starlink up there, or plant a tree with me (Tree planting inspired by Douglas Finkelstein) Collaborating with Lance Ding and Startup Village, A well curated community of tech and CPG founders. Along with past clients of Dreamore and other new friends Carey D'Souza David Cotelessa Ihsan Salleh John Kirk Steven Luis Howell I promise it's gender balanced in this room 😍 Lydia Thompson took the photo, Davina Kaonohi is out of frame making us all some Element Apothec mushroom brew, Joy Di Palma is on her way, and Jenai is in the garden on a zoom. Alex Wichman, Bryna Kirzner, Force Multiplier and the rest of the STAAJ Health crew are in the content studio making video magic! Holly Gottlieb met with me earlier, thanks to a referral from Clark Vautier. So excited to see where these connections are leading: finally scaling up our recruiting & advisory firm for startups, elevating other women/diverse founders, improving our mental health, sense of purpose and connection. Sniff sniff this is how it used to be in happy days before, And we are making it all happen again, But with hopefully better wisdom and gratitude. Lydia is so funny with the memes. She took this photo a few minutes ago and added some humor. Plus her new puppy Oskar is in the shot! Best business dog ever. What's making you happy today? #inspiration #recruiting #hiring #founders #startups #femalefounders #investors #community #growthmindset #womeninbusiness #dei #womeninleadership

So we shut Inkly down in February… Frankly, I felt like a failure. A huge L. How could I fail in something I tried so hard to make right. We listened to conventional wisdom (or at least tried to): 1) Talk to your customers.  2) Get feedback.  3) Sell before building. 4) Move fast and break things. But still didn’t work. Starting a company is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I don't regret it. Not one bit. Co-workers have become life long friends James Wong Mark Wai Jimmie Butler ❤️ Our investors, Brayton Williams, Maddie Callander and Adam Draper were amazing. I've heard stories about VCs not being helpful to founders. Not Boost VC. They're hands on and provide tactical advice. And I learned a lot. Like, a lot... So I get asked, what's the biggest lesson you learned? This one stands out... Distribution > Execution > Idea 1st time founders focus on ideas 2nd time founders focus on execution 3rd time founders focus on distribution The counter to this is "bUiLd It AnD tHeY'lL cOmE!" So, if I were to do it again, I would: - Take my time learning and talking to as many people as possible (Evan Huck building UserEvidence) - Write loose theories and share it with others constantly - Slowly build a small but mighty community (this is your brand) HeyCounsel and Paage.io 😈 nailed this 💪 - Do things for free and get feedback - Talk to your target ICP on what challenges they face, and what 'might' help - Build a network of VCs, founders, advisors, and creators to help promote and distribute (Ross Rich and Bebe Kim do this so well) - Stay close to other founders and learn together (Chase Wilson's Founder's Saturday events were clutch) Thank you, everyone. #founder #startup #venturecapital

distribution > execution > idea