Shaan Arora’s Post

The happiest people in the world have one thing in common, they have a purpose. In 2014, I worked for Techstars in London. They were running a technology startup accelerator. I was fascinated by some startup questions. I wanted to learn how to build companies from scratch. -Was there really a science to build a company? -How did we go from 0 to 1? I loved working at Techstars. The passion of the entrepreneurs, being at the cutting edge of innovation. It was exhilarating. But there was one thing I didn’t like. Some entrepreneurs were building very powerful technologies such as AI engines but many of them didn’t know for what purpose! They didn’t know why they were building them, for which application and for which industry. I came from the Clinton Foundation and at the foundation we built programmes to fix big problems! Since that day I have been wanting to start an accelerator to fix really big problems like climate change and today am proud to say I launched it and that I am living a life of purpose. 3 ways to find your purpose: - Identify what is your Ikigai - List your top 10 values - Think about your why __ Like what you read? Follow Helena Wasserman to learn about entrepreneurship and the ins and outs of building climate tech companies.

The startup world is full of opportunities, but success is rare. According to recent data, 50% of startups fail within their first five years, and only about 40% manage to survive beyond that point. The reasons behind these failures are consistent across industries. The most common causes include: • Lack of market demand – Around 42% of startups fail because their product or service doesn’t meet market needs. • Insufficient funding – Roughly 29% run out of cash before they can find sustainability. • Team issues – Nearly 23% fail due to having the wrong team for execution.

I watched a quick video with Denzel Washington. He said, "ease is a greater threat to progress, than hardship". Got me thinking! If we don't make mistakes, if we don't struggle, if we don't fall, how are we going to learn, how are we going to make it better and how will we progress. I certainly don't like to struggle, as I am sure no-one does, but I can say, that with the right mind set and attitude, struggle becomes opportunity. I work for a startup, and 1 question I have asked, when is a startup, no longer a startup? I have now come to realise, that does actually not need an answer. The advantage a startup has, is learning. No-one is looking to us for the answers to the universe and therefore we are able to focus on what we do best, perfecting our craft without appearing to have all the answers. I like that space. At Whistle, we work, daily, to perfect our product, create a professional brand that is known and trusted. This startup has been doing this for 4 years now, we know SDR's and the strategies required to take your product to market. As for the rest, we will leave to the pro's to figure out. Happy Tuesday everyone... 😃 #lessons #learning #progress #innovation #sdr

Next week, I’ll be giving a lightning talk at the Grace Hopper Conference in Philadelphia. What makes this particularly full-circle for me is that I attended this very same conference 8 years ago as a student. Fast forward to today, I’m returning as a founder of Structured (YC S23)! Starting a company is one of the most intense learning experiences you can put yourself through. It’s a crash course in reality, where you learn quickly that a startup is fundamentally an optimization problem: You begin with an idea that’s wrong in some important way, and your job is to continuously correct it until you find a solution that sticks. The process of going from idea to product — and from product to something people actually want — is deceptively simple but unbelievably hard. I’ll be sharing learnings: - How to identify the real problem you’re solving (often it’s not what you initially think). - Why speed of iteration is more important than perfection at first (a key Y Combinator lesson) - The value of relentless focus and how it shapes product development. - Why being comfortable with uncertainty is a founder’s core skill. The thing that has always drawn me to startups is this: They’re the fastest way to learn what really works. There’s no better feedback loop than the one a market gives you. And the more quickly you can turn feedback into action, the better your odds of survival — and success. For anyone attending Grace Hopper, I hope to offer a candid look into the mechanics of this journey — and why it’s one of the most challenging and rewarding things you can do with your life. 😊 #Startups #GHC2024 #Entrepreneurship #MakeSomethingPeopleWant #BuildingSomethingReal #WomenInTech #YCombinator 

I had a friend once tell me: "PhD's don't need to be the smartest from their class, they need to have the determination to finish when the going gets hard and experiments fail." I could say the exact same thing about running a startup. In fact, the two are more similar than I realized. -> Just like starting a PhD, you begin a startup with a problem or an idea. You create a plan of how to test if that problem exists as you think it does. -> If an aspect of your idea fails or gives an unexpected result, you pivot and push on in that direction. -> Do that enough times and you have a working theory and can find solutions to innovate that space. This isn't to say that all my fellow founders should start addressing themselves as Dr. Founder yet but don't discredit your hard work. Knowing when to stop one project and go in a different direction couldn't be more important. When some ventures don't turn out the way they are supposed to just remember it's not really failure - it's building your startup thesis.

Every year, over 30 million startups are created worldwide. However, about 90% of them fail - Data tells this story! Startups don’t fail overnight—it happens in stages. Identifying the warning signs early can make all the difference. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 4-𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞: What is the most critical warning sign to look for? – Mention it early to grab attention. Example: Lack of market demand is one of the top reasons startups fail. What challenges do startups face, and how can they overcome them? – Highlight this in the middle part: Poor product-market fit → Conduct customer interviews early. Weak financial planning → Build a robust runway strategy. Team misalignment → Focus on hiring for culture and vision. Scaling too soon → Ensure your processes are sustainable before expanding. What is the key takeaway for founders? – Summarize your advice in one sentence. Stay adaptable, focus on the right metrics, and prioritize customer needs. What’s one thing you want founders to engage with? – Add a question to spark discussion. What’s been your biggest challenge as a founder, and how did you overcome it? 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞; 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. What’s the one challenge your startup is currently facing? Let’s discuss below! #StartupTips #Entrepreneurship #StartupGrowth

Does a PhD help you in founding a startup? I received this question lately in a panel and still think about it. My feeling is that most people would say “no”. But I have a differentiated view now and see many similarities: 1️⃣ A PhD is a big project. For two years or longer you concentrate on just one topic. That requires a lot of planning, structuring and thinking ahead. If you don’t invest this time at the beginning or take shortcuts, this may haunt you later. Starting a company is a similar long-term project. You can’t just live into the day and take your decisions without a bigger plan and structure that envisions your company 3 to 5 years out. 2️⃣ Also, in a PhD you become an expert in your topic. You need to review existing information and decide how you can add value to the field of study. And usually there is a lot that already exists and your differentiation really needs to be to the point. That’s very similar in a startup where you have to have a good understanding of what is already out there and how your product adds value to the market. 3️⃣ And lastly, both require similar personality traits like discipline and self-motivation. There are more similarities and of course, there is a lot more it takes to make a startup project successful. But I am convinced that what you take away in a PhD is not detrimental if you do it right. Tell me why you think different

Everyone talks about #unicorns and the success stories od market leaders. But it is just as relevant in the investment and capital markets world to talk about the other side of the coin: the business failures that shuttered their doors in spite of lofty aspirations and financial backing. Rubén D. at Mundi Ventures presents a compelling summary to better understand this fundamental and actually critical factor in the Darwinian reality of innocation and disruption, same as free market competition - which needs to be understood so as to manage business risks but is actually necessary to remain in order for the best business and technology to emerge and scale. #foodforthought

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐞? Startups face daunting odds: → 90% fail → 75% of venture-backed startups fail → Only 1% become unicorns The top three reasons for failure are: 1. Poor product-market fit 2. Wrong marketing strategies 3. Team/HR issues #Startups #Entrepreneurship #BusinessFailure #VC

Here are some crazy scary statistics: → 9 out of 10 startups fail → 7.5 out of 10 venture-backed startups fail → Only 1% of startups become a unicorn These statistics come from various sources, including CB Insights and Failory. There are three top reasons why startups fail: (1) Poor product-market fit (2) Wrong marketing strategies (3) Team/ HR issues Are you in the 10%or 90%?