StartupCity Magazine’s Post

𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞!! I feel like building a startup is the same as raising a kid. 1. Just like you can't instill discipline in your child without being disciplined yourself, you can't build a thriving business without a strong work ethic. 2. Raising a child is teamwork - dads, grandparents, and teachers all play a role. Similarly, building a successful business requires a team - partners, advisors, mentors, etc. All are crucial for growth and success. 3. Kids keep you on your toes, and so does the market. You need to always adapt and grow! 4. Just like you are committed to your child, a startup also requires unconditional commitment and dedication. 5. As parents, we always envision a bright future for our kids. Founders also create a business with a vision for the future. 6. Both journeys have ups and downs. Celebrate the wins and learn from the rest. PS. That’s why we always call our startup our baby! #startups #motherhood #mompreneur ------------ Follow Zeal Karwa, CA, CVA for more such content on business, finance and valuations! 😊

As the founder of The Down Market and Symbio Hush, this competition means a lot to me because it speaks to the power of a simple idea. My journey started with a vision: to tell authentic stories and build a brand that focused on community and culture. Early on, no one quite understood it. I shot countless videos and took endless photos, trying to communicate that narrative. But it wasn’t until someone called me for a paid gig, saying, "I see your vision, can you help?" that things began to change. That call wasn’t about a lot of money—just a small budget—but I knew it was enough to bet on myself. More importantly, it was about betting on the relationships I could foster and grow. That’s when I realized the money would follow. I took a leap, quit my job, and focused solely on building relationships and delivering quality work. Fast forward to today, after starting as a solo contractor, I now lead a team of eight. It's the first year after building Symbio Hush for 4 solid years, thanks to those relationships and intentional creative work, we will reach $1 million in revenue in Q4. It's surreal. That’s the power of community and belief in yourself—something that this $1K competition can ignite for someone just like me. It’s a spark. This is why I’m incredibly proud to collaborate with Geekdom on this project. I know what $1K can do—it led to so much more that is now priceless to me. And that’s what San Antonio Startup Week is all about: fostering a community that supports innovation and entrepreneurship. A special thank you to all the mentors along the way, especially James at Pulp Coffee, who gave me that first $1K to film his shop eight years ago. That moment set me on this incredible path, and I’m excited to see where it takes others. Register at sasw.co and start your entrepreneurial journey. You can do it. Charles Woodin | James Mireles | Laynie Clark | Nick Honegger | Marques Mitchell | Brandon Joseph Kimak | Madilyn Hall | San Antonio Startup Week | Mitchell Hagney | Kim Lauer | Wynton Carter | 🏡Alberto Piña | Luis Martinez | David Robinson Jr. | David A. Jones #Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney #TheDownMarket #Geekdom #SASW2024 #SmallBusiness

𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀? 💎 A huge 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 to everyone who contributed to my last post on the delicate timing of parenthood for founders. It has illuminated a critical issue in our startup ecosystem, and 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲! Not all 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 agreements are created equal, and there are both good and bad practices worth exploring. We can no longer pretend that the worlds of parenting and founding startups exist in parallel universes, never to meet. The goal here is not just to highlight challenges but to share successes and innovative practices that can inspire change across the startup landscape. 𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲: ☑ How do you navigate situations when a founder you’ve invested in announces they're expecting? ☑ Are there specific conditions or clauses in your term sheets? ☑ How do these provisions reflect your commitment to fostering an environment that supports not just the startup's growth but also the personal well-being of the founders? ☑ Examples of supportive measures you've implemented or encountered that have made a difference in the lives of parent founders. 🚀 The stakes are high, and the benefits are even higher. Founders who feel supported in their personal journeys bring unmatched passion and innovation to their ventures. Let's learn together. Share your insights and experiences. Tag an investor who’s leading the way with inclusive practices or a founder who’s battling the outdated norms. #startups #investing #termsheet #founders #motherhood #fatherhood ---------- Day 29/70 of my #empowertoimpact campaign. #TheSelmaEffect #SelmaProdanovic

Moms 👩🔧 taking kids to the office to balance life, you might have seen many times. But what about dads 🧔👨🍼 taking their kids, especially going for a pitch with your daughter? 🧒 Getting a meeting opportunity with a VC is no easy feat 💰. When you finally get it, can you picture going there with a mix of preparation and tension? 😳 However, this time I have no option but to take my daughter along, as my wife is also building something, and it's her startup demo day too. 😇 In this new generation, with both parents as founders, the younger generation gets opportunities to start visiting VC offices at an early stage. 🚀🚀🚀🔥 Era of Startups 😁 #mom #Startup #life#daughter

🚀 Being a startup founder is a lot like being a dad. Both roles need crazy amounts of patience, discipline, and laser focus. (happy father's day) Let’s see three key similarities in a business-savvy way: 1. **Nurturing Growth 🌱📈**: Just like a dad watches his kid take their first steps, a founder guides their startup through early milestones. Every new client, product drop, or market entry is like a baby’s first words. It’s all about celebrating those small wins while staying focused on the big picture. Each milestone shows how dedicated nurturing and smart strategy pay off. 2. **Handling Setbacks 🛠️⚡**: Every parent knows the pain of watching their kid struggle. Founders face setbacks too—bombed pitches, tech fails, or market rejections. Both roles demand serious resilience and a positive vibe. Setbacks aren’t failures; they’re lessons that make your strategy sharper and your resolve stronger. 3. **Vision and Legacy 🌟🏆**: Dads dream of their kids’ future, just like founders have a vision for their startups. This vision needs solid planning, flexibility, and relentless execution. Both paths are full of late nights, tough calls, and a deep commitment to long-term success. Founders, like dads, build legacies through consistent effort and unwavering dedication. In the biz world, we hear phrases like "this launch is my baby" or "taking baby steps" a lot. Also, expletive terms like I'll show you who is the dad. These aren’t just metaphors—they capture the essence of the massive responsibility and joy in growing something—or someone—from the ground up. Embrace the grind, love the process, and remember whether you’re raising a kid or a startup, every step matters. 🍼💼 Picture is 9 years old when my first baby came along. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY FOLKS!! #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #GrowthHustle #Resilience #Visionary #PatienceAndFocus #fathersday #BizGrowth #LegacyBuilding 🌟🚀👶📈⚡🏆🍼💼

Embrace Fresh Start and Move Forward in May It’s the first of May, and a new month is upon us. Can you believe we’re already in the fifth month of the year? It’s a good time to reflect on the goals and resolutions we set at the beginning of the year. How are you doing with yours? Are you still actively working towards them, or have you perhaps given up? If you find yourself in a place where you haven’t made as much progress as you had hoped, I want to remind you that it’s never too late to start again. No matter where you are on your journey, you are in the right place to make a fresh start. Don’t let past setbacks or perceived failures hold you back. Don’t give up and move forward https://lnkd.in/dyHcYCFM #may #new #newmonth #start #startagain #dontgiveup #nevergiveup #embrace #moving #moveforward #fresh #spring #mentalhealth #begoodtoyourself #agacounselling #onlinecounselling #walkandtalk #therapy

Do you have things going on in the body that you just can’t seem to move beyond. Have you been told that you’re just going to have to live with it? Things can be different, things can change and it can be easier than you think! Would you like to know more: http://thisisitinfo.com #2567968 #change #changeyourlife #changeyourbody #changeyourhealth #gethappy #getprosperous #startliving #startloving #startenjoying

Put your ego aside, embrace imperfection, and just start. Progress comes from action, not perfection. #Quoteoftheday #RoebuckLawFirm #Nevada #LasVegas #PersonalInjuryLawyer #LasVegasLawyer #StartNow #EmbraceImperfection

🚀 Weekends aren’t a break for startup founders—they’re a battleground! 💼 While offices shut down, the hustle doesn’t stop for us. No off days, no downtime. Like soldiers on a mission, we fight through the challenges and frustrations, constantly innovating, strategizing, and chasing every opportunity. 🌱 Success doesn’t wait, and neither do we. It’s not about working harder—it’s about staying relentless even when the world slows down. 🔥 #StartupWarriors #NoDaysOff #WeekendGrind #EntrepreneurLife #HustleMode #FounderFocus #KeepPushing #ResilienceMatters

My 2yo daughter runs so inefficiently. I always laugh when I watch her run trotting along in the park. Those little arms and legs flipping and flapping all over the place. She’s kind of running up and down more than she’s running forward. • Of course, she’s not running for ‘𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆’. • She’s running for fun. • ...in fact pretty much everything she does is just an excuse for fun. I think there’s something in that for growing a business. Playfulness often gets squeezed out because it’s so wasteful. Wasteful of time and money. No closer to hitting those ‘KPIs’. Surely us Grown Ups have more lofty and important things to do? There’s a clear trade off: efficiency vs fun. But I think back to Maggie. Somewhere along that walk in the park she would give up if she weren’t having fun. She’d want to turn home. Keeping her engaged in the walk is dependent on her ability to enjoy it. (You can probably see where I'm going with this...) #startups #no4thflloor #coworking #creativecommunity #workspacewithsoul