The Cofounder's Hub’s Post

A small shark in a tank of big sharks. 🦈 That’s exactly how I felt while working on the launch of ViviLife. They say, "If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room." Well, I was definitely in the right room. I had the chance to meet brilliant entrepreneurs, receive mentorship from seasoned business developers, pitch successfully to an experienced panel, represent my company at our first stand, and even meet potential investors and get to know how they think. My venture didn’t succeed, but I did. This has been my biggest failure so far. The mistakes I’ve done taught me invaluable lessons about building a startup and launching innovative ideas. When I work on my next venture, there are so many things I’ll approach differently. Quitting is not an option when you love what you do. For me, there’s no greater passion than transforming abstract ideas into impactful businesses beneficial for the development of our society.💡

The founder's journey is a lot more manageable — and joyful — with solid founder friends by your side. Before oAT was oAT, I kicked off my entrepreneurial journey with Josh Levine at Tacklebox, an accelerator for those with full time jobs interested in starting something new. Many startups and chapters later, Josh and I are still in the trenches together. Whether it's our regular monthly calls or a quick gut-check text, having someone who gets it has been invaluable. #thankstoyou Josh, I've had a space to connect, share wild (and less wild) ideas, and keep the journey in perspective. Love rooting for you (and being rooted for!) along the way. And pro tip for fellow founders (solo or not): find a founder buddy to connect with regularly. It makes the ride a lot less lonely and a lot more rewarding.

To my fellow founders on this relentless journey: In moments when KPIs feel heavy and investor meetings blur, here's what a dear friend once told me: "In the depth of startup chaos, remember - your impact isn't measured in metrics, but in the lives you're quietly transforming, including mine. Keep building, my friend." These words found me on a particularly challenging day, and they've stayed with me since. Sharing them here, hoping they light up someone else's startup journey today. Because sometimes, amidst the pitch decks and profit margins, we need to remind each other why we started. Here's to all of us building dreams, one sleepless night at a time. 🚀☕️ Your partner in dreams & caffeine 🚀☕️ #StartupLife #FounderJourney #BuildingInPublic #StartupCommunity #EntrepreneurLife

Great Online Event hosted by TCA Los Angeles . Join us for an in-depth session designed specifically for tech founders. Learn how to make stock incentives simple, effective, and engaging, while avoiding common pitfalls. We’ll explore essential strategies for implementing stock incentive plans that resonate with your team and fuel company success. In this workshop, you'll discover: · The key types of stock incentives and how they are evolving · Proven methods to simplify the management of stock plans · Tips on making your stock incentive program a compelling reason for top talent to stay

In the chaos of our daily grind, it's often the smallest moments that offer the greatest inspiration. Earlier this week, after a grueling day filled with meetings, demos, and negotiations, a serene sunset in the parking garage caught my eye. I decided to join our Revnue daily standup from this very spot, taking in the calmness of the moment. Startups are a challenging journey, filled with sleepless nights, constant hurdles, and unwavering perseverance. It's about embracing struggles as stepping stones towards our goals, cherishing every small victory, and finding joy in the hustle. "There is only enough time to iron your cape, and back to the skies for you." Jason Harley's words to Regina Dugan encapsulate the essence of resilience and the relentless pursuit of our dreams at Revnue To every founder out there - keep believing and keep going. #startuplife #contractlifecyclemanagement #assetlifecyclemanagement

Last Thursday, a bunch of founders understood their businesses for the first time. That was awesome! Founding a startup is hard. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t have monthly dinners to support each other through it. Founding a startup is infinitely harder when you’re blindly groping around, hoping to land on the right combination of decisions someday. Last week we talked about how documenting your assumptions enables other, more experience, people to provide feedback. Essentially, this process enables you to see the future and make changes before you get there. Thanks to all who showed up and took pen to paper! IMPORTANT NEWS: May will be our only dinner between now and August. So, get your ticket for May 2nd ASAP! Next month, we’re excited to bring David Mandell to the stage to talk about being a badass CEO. It’s an incredibly popular talk that he’s given to hundreds (thousands?) of founders over the years and we’re lucky to host him in May. Check out more about last month's dinner, find the asks, and get your ticket below! #CEO #startups #founders

🌟 Our Investment Manager, Helery Pops, recently sat down with Alise Gurenko from Riga TechGirls for an insightful interview for the TechChill blog series, covering the ins and outs of entrepreneurship, startup funding, and empowering female founders. Here's a glimpse into the conversation: ✅ Key Skills for Success: Courage and a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.  ✅ Funding Decision-Making: While investor checklists are common, the importance of a strong investor-founder match is often overlooked. ✅ Embracing Failure: Founders who truly believe in what they are building will find a way to keep going despite the setbacks. ✅ First-time founders' common mistakes: A confusing deck and story, raising money too early, giving away too much of the cap table to some angel investor, not getting feedback from the customer, etc. ✅ Prioritizing Well-being: Embrace the intensity of the early phase, but recognize when to delegate tasks to maintain sustainability and growth. Get inspired and empowered for your startup journey. Let's dive in! 🚀 👉 https://lnkd.in/diwP-nRt

For a future founder... you'll be making a ton of big and small decisions which will impact the trajectory and outcome of your startup. - What problem to solve - Who to solve it for - What to prioritize - How to price - When, or if, to fundraise - Who to hire - Etc But the most important decision, is finding the right cofounder. Get that decision right, and everything else gets easier.

Hat #2 🎓 🎓 🎓 The many hats of startup growth: building a startup community Last week, I shared how connection is at the heart of human and startup growth. Over the years, the best communities I’ve seen function like ecosystems—connecting founders with mentors, linking operators to strategies, fostering value-added partnerships, and expanding opportunities for capital raising. Connecting founders to what they need when they didn’t know they needed it is a superpower that I cultivated together with an old boss of mine. It turned out that it came down to the community we built to support those founders. The do’s and don’ts of building community: Do: ✅ Be human and create safe spaces. ✅ Start small and personal. ✅ Create a compelling why. Don’t: ❌ Force it. ❌ Lose the personal touch. ❌ Assume it will run itself. Whether you are building big or small communities, always start at the bottom and ask yourself the question, does this add value? If yes, you can always grow from there. Networks are like a flywheel—small pushes create big momentum, and over time, the returns keep compounding, just like a great VC investment. #Bluebird #communitybuilding #startupgrowth #venturecapital

PSA for new startup founders: not all early-stage investors are alike! The different ways that investors choose to work with your team will have a profound impact on your business—from prepping for board meetings to reporting your progress to determining the best approach for future fundraisers. Instead of avoiding these differences, founders should invest time in understanding them by creating an investor user manual. Once they’re familiar with their investors’ motivations, work styles, and goals—founders can better manage their board, cap table, and future fundraising. In the latest edition of The Startup Playbook, ClimateHaven CEO Ryan Dings shares his 11 key considerations for founders to consider while crafting their own investor user manual. To learn more, click the link below to check out the latest edition of The Startup Playbook, No. 17: The Investor User Manual. https://lnkd.in/eJjzzvFC