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3.2 Founder Insight 5/10/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-05-10
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
’How to Raise the Right Money for Your #Startup HR’ by @m_evans - In this talk from the Founder Institute in Chicago, Mike Evans, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of GrubHub, shares his learned expertise in how to approach and engage with investors as well as how to view the benefits that come with every deal.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Recommended Resources:
If You Build It, Will They Come?
[Peter Thiel]
The Venture Capital Model is Broken and this Damning Report Explains Why
[GeekWire]
Upcoming Events:
Gamification Summit
Date/Location:June 19-21, 2012: San Francisco, CA
Description: Gamification is radically changing the way companies do business, driving unprecedented engagement with customers, employees and stakeholders. Find out how your organization and marketing strategy will be transformed through the power of engaging design, and leverage these powerful new techniques to exceed your goals and beat the competition. GSummit is the only event that brings together leading thinkers in the gamification, loyalty and behavioral engineering space. Over three days, you’ll experience hands-on workshops, share best (and worst) practices, see new products & ideas, disseminate data, inspire each other and network to create a more fun & engaging world. Insight readers get a $200 discount.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 5/3/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-05-03
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
’#Startup HR’ by @jimfranklin - Last week in Silicon Valley we hosted the 2011 Startup Mentor Awards, to celebrate the Founder Institute mentors who go above and beyond to help our companies succeed. The Highest Overall Rating Award went to Jim Franklin - CEO of SendGrid, and Co-Director of the Denver Founder Institute. To honor Jim's award, we've included a video and slidedeck from one of his Denver mentor sessions on Startup HR.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Non-Equity Funding with Bad Credit
The Reputation Impact of Failing
Recommended Resources:
The Scarcest Resource at Startups is Management Bandwidth
[Both Sides of the Table]
A VC Explains How to Build a Killer Value Proposition
[Michael Skok via VentureBeat]
Upcoming Events:
Gamification Summit
Date/Location:June 19-21, 2012: San Francisco, CA
Description: Gamification is radically changing the way companies do business, driving unprecedented engagement with customers, employees and stakeholders. Find out how your organization and marketing strategy will be transformed through the power of engaging design, and leverage these powerful new techniques to exceed your goals and beat the competition. GSummit is the only event that brings together leading thinkers in the gamification, loyalty and behavioral engineering space. Over three days, you’ll experience hands-on workshops, share best (and worst) practices, see new products & ideas, disseminate data, inspire each other and network to create a more fun & engaging world. Insight readers get a $200 discount.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 4/27/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-04-27
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
'FI Graduate Itembase Wins the 10th Founder Showcase' - The 10th Founder Showcase featured a great lineup of eight promising startups, however it was Itembase that took home the Grand Prize. A Graduate of the Berlin Founder Institute, Itembase is a personal inventory service that helps consumers track, manage, and sell the products they own.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Non-Equity Funding with Bad Credit
Recommended Resources:
The Power of AngelList Revealed in it’s New Look [TechCrunch]
Vesting is a Hack [Dan Shapiro]
Upcoming Events:
Gamification Summit
Date/Location:June 19-21, 2012: San Francisco, CA
Description: Gamification is radically changing the way companies do business, driving unprecedented engagement with customers, employees and stakeholders. Find out how your organization and marketing strategy will be transformed through the power of engaging design, and leverage these powerful new techniques to exceed your goals and beat the competition. GSummit is the only event that brings together leading thinkers in the gamification, loyalty and behavioral engineering space. Over three days, you’ll experience hands-on workshops, share best (and worst) practices, see new products & ideas, disseminate data, inspire each other and network to create a more fun & engaging world.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 4/19/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-04-19
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
’Two Years of Great #FounderShowcase’ - We are looking forward to the 10th Founder Showcase on Tuesday, April 24th at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco. But, before we enjoy the event, let's pay homage to the amazing speakers who have graced our stage in the past.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Need Advice about Expiring Convertible Notes
Recommended Resources:
VC Signaling Coming Home to Roost [Elad Gil]
CEO Bloggers: To Blog or Not to Blog [Ashkan Karbasfrooshan via TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
10th Founder Showcase
Date/Location:April 24, 2012: 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM: San Francisco, CA
Description: The 10th Founder Showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, and will be our largest event yet. Guests will be treated to talks from Kevin Hartz, founder and CEO of Eventbrite, and Dan Shapiro, founder and former CEO of Sparkbuy (acquired by Google within 6 months of inception) and Ontela (merged with Photobucket), a global entrepreneurship panel, as well as an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 8 promising seed-stage companies. Use discount code "insightful" for 25% off tickets.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 4/12/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-04-12
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
’Leveraging Partners to Get Big Fast’ by @jimfranklin - In this talk from the Denver Founder Institute, Jim Franklin, CEO of Sendgrid, discusses how to effectively leverage partners and outsource as a startup to get big fast.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Big Name Venture Law Firm Wants to Take my Company as a Client for Equity and Fees
What is the Jobs Act Really Going to Mean to Early Stage Companies?
Recommended Resources:
The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs [Harvard Business Review]
The Rat Race [Justin Kan via TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
10th Founder Showcase
Date/Location:April 24, 2012: 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM: San Francisco, CA
Description: The 10th Founder Showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, and will be our largest event yet. Guests will be treated to talks from leading startup CEOs and investors (TBA), as well as an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 8 promising seed-stage companies. Use discount code “friends_of_thefunded” for 20% off tickets.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 4/5/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-04-05
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
’How to Find your #Startup’s Addressable Market’ by @jkonowe - In this talk, Josh Konowe, founder and CEO of Uppidy.com, discusses an approach to search for the right businesses in a way that will make you different enough to not just survive but thrive. He explains an ideation process, researching the competitive landscape, and the importance of identifying the actual addressable submarket.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Profitable/Growing Company, Should I Speak to a VC?
Recommended Resources:
Some Thoughts About Selling at Startups [Both Sides of the Table]
Ready, Set, Crowdfund [TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
10th Founder Showcase
Date/Location:April 24, 2012: 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM: San Francisco, CA
Description: The 10th Founder Showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, and will be our largest event yet. Guests will be treated to talks from leading startup CEOs and investors (TBA), as well as an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 8 promising seed-stage companies. Use discount code "friends_of_thefunded" for 15% off tickets.
To receive this every week as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 3/22/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-03-22
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
'How to Grow and Track your #Startup Revenue' by @jasonnazar - In this talk from the Los Angeles Founder Institute, Jason Nazar, founder and CEO of Docstoc discusses how to generate, grow, and track online revenue.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
What’s the Difference Between a Pivot and a New Venture?
Recommended Resources:
How Startups are the Key to Economic Recovery [Justin Moore via TechCrunch]
Overly-Direct Feedback to VC Pitches [David Beisel]
Upcoming Events:
Introducing Windows 8
Date/Location:April 4, 2012: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: Microsoft is inviting the Silicon Valley startup community to a full-day, knockout, deep dive event taking place at their Silicon Valley Campus. Developers and designers alike will take the stage to show you how to take advantage of this new platform opportunity. Several startups will demo their brand new apps and talk about their early experiences developing for Windows 8, while the Microsoft team will provide attendees the opportunity to play with the platform and the tools needed to get started. Sessions will cover designing for the new Metro UI, building for the platform, and monetizing your apps.
10th Founder Showcase
Date/Location:April 24, 2012: 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM: San Francisco, CA
Description: The 10th Founder Showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, and will be our largest event yet. Guests will be treated to talks from leading startup CEOs and investors (TBA), as well as an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 8 promising seed-stage companies. Use discount code "friends_of_thefunded" for 15% off tickets.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 3/14/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-03-14
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
’Build Your Product #UX with Empathy for the User’ by @dweekly - In this talk from last year's San Francisco Founder Institute, David Weekly, Founder of PBworks and the HackerDojo, explains that the you need to build products with empathy for the user to create something that resonates.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Compensating Bridge Investors at a Sale (Prior to a Round)
A Nightmare Cofounder Experience
Recommended Resources:
Selling or Funding a Startup? Tips on Surviving Technical Due Diligence [OnStartups]
Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann’s Lesson for Startups: Go Your Own Way
[All Things D]
Upcoming Events:
10th Founder Showcase
Date/Location:April 24, 2012: 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM: San Francisco, CA
Description: The 10th Founder Showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, and will be our largest event yet. Guests will be treated to talks from leading startup CEOs and investors (TBA), as well as an entertaining Pitch Competition featuring 8 promising seed-stage companies. Use discount code "friends_of_thefunded" for 15% off tickets.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 3/7/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-03-13
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Video of the Week
'How to Create #Startup Metrics that Matter' by @davidskidder- In this talk, David Kidder, CEO of Clickable, discusses a process to identify critical company goals and create metrics to monitor and accomplish them.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Experience with Revenue-Based Financing?
Recommended Resources:
What Early-Stage Investors Really Want [GeekWire]
Eric Schmidt, Ben Horowitz, and Others Share their Thoughts on the Current State of Tech IPOs [TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
Budapest Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 8, 2012: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM: Budapest, Hungary
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Salim Ismail and Balázs Vinnai.
Lisbon Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 15, 2012: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM: Lisbon, Portugal
Description: Improve your startup ideas, and more. It's free, and Francisco de Almeida and Jose Luis Pinto Basto will speak.
Los Angeles Ideation Bootcamp II
Date/Location:March 20, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Los Angeles, CA
Description: Improve your startup ideas and meet a co-founder, for free.
Chicago Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location:April 3, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Chicago, IL
Description: David Culver and George Deeb will speak, and it's free.
Washington DC Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location:April 18, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Reston, VA
Description: Jeff Bonforte and Jill Stelfox will speak, and it's free.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 3/1/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-03-01
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: The 9th Founder Showcase in January featured on-stage interviews with some of today's most respected startup investors and technology journalists; Evelyn Rusli of The New York Times interviewing Mark Suster of GRP Partners, Ina Fried of All Things Digital interviewing Mike Maples Jr. of FLOODGATE, and Alexia Tsotsis of TechCrunch interviewing Dave McClure of 500 Startups. Be sure to check out their talks - we just posted all three videos on the FI blog here.
Also, reduced-price tickets for the Founder Showcase are available until this Sun, March 4th. Click here to get your tickets today.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Video of the Week
’How to Build Credibility for Your #Startup’ by @eugenelee- In this talk, Eugene Lee, CEO of Socialtext, discusses the foundation to creating an effective marketing strategy.
Great Discussion on TheFunded:
Recommended Resources:
The M&A Bait and Switch [VentureBeat]
Killing Your Startup by Listening to Customers [Steve Blank]
Upcoming Events:
Singapore Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: March 2, 2012: 7:00 PM-9:00 PM: Singapore
Description: Improve your startup ideas, and more.
Los Angeles Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: March 6, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Culver City, California
Description: Improve your startup ideas, and more.
Paris Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 6, 2012: 6:00 PM-8:30 PM: Paris, France
Description: Improve your startup ideas, and more. It's free, and Bruno Levy and Pierre Beyssac will speak.
Budapest Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 8, 2012: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM: Budapest, Hungary
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Salim Ismail and Balázs Vinnai.
Lisbon Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 15, 2012: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM: Lisbon, Portugal
Description: Improve your startup ideas, and more. It's free, and Francisco de Almeida and Jose Luis Pinto Basto will speak.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 2/22/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-02-22
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Inside the Founder Institute
’How to Tell a Compelling Story in Your Investor #Pitch?’ by @loveletters- In this talk, Rebecca Lovell, Chief Business Officer of GeekWire, discusses philosophies and approaches to investor pitches.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Recommended Resources:
The End of the Mexican Road [Both Sides of the Table]
Best Time to Start a Company [Inc.]
Upcoming Events:
Guadalajara Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 22, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Zapopan, Mexico
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Daniel Pandza and John E. Cooper.
Redmond Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 23, 2012: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM: Redmond, Washington
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Dave Parker.
Denver Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 27, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Denver, Colorado
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Mike Stemple and Jim Franklin.
St. Louis Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 29, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: St. Louis, Missouri
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Peter Griess and Kyle Welborn.
Los Angeles Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: March 6, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Culver City, California
Description: Improve your startup ideas, and more.
Budapest Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 8, 2012: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM: Budapest, Hungary
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Salim Ismail and Balázs Vinnai.
Lisbon Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 15, 2012: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM: Lisbon, Portugal
Description: Improve your startup ideas, and more. It's free, and Francisco de Almeida and Jose Luis Pinto Basto will speak.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 2/16/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-02-16
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Inside the Founder Institute
’Should You Sell Your #Startup, or Not?' by @DanShapiro- In this talk, Dan Shapiro, Founder and CEO of Sparkbuy, discusses how to approach the potential sale of a company.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Buy Stock Back at Discount to Prevent Possible Lawsuit?
Competitors in a VC’s Portfolio
Recommended Resources:
How Old is Too Old to Start a Great Company? [Inc.]
The 5 Whys [Eric Ries via Harvard Business Review]
Upcoming Events:
Sydney Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 16, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Sydney, Australia
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Benjamin Ranck and Matt Cameron.
Seattle Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 21, 2012: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM: Seattle, Washington
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Dave Parker.
Guadalajara Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 22, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Zapopan, Mexico
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Daniel Pandza and John E. Cooper.
Redmond Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 23, 2012: 6:30 PM-8:30 PM: Redmond, Washington
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Dave Parker.
Denver Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 27, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Denver, Colorado
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Mike Stemple and Jim Franklin.
St. Louis Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 29, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: St. Louis, Missouri
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Peter Griess and Kyle Welborn.
Budapest Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location:March 8, 2012: 5:30 PM-7:30 PM: Budapest, Hungary
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Salim Ismail and Balázs Vinnai.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 2/8/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-02-29
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Inside the Founder Institute
’Slowly Reveal Complexity in your #Product’ by @gzicherm- In this talk from the Founder Institute, Gabe Zichermann, author of "Game-Based Marketing," discusses how to use game thinking and mechanics to engage audiences and solve problems.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Advice: Best Bank for Startup?
Recommended Resources:
What a Facebook IPO Means for Silicon Valley [GigaOM]
Startup Lessons from 17 Hard-Hitting Quotes in "Moneyball" [OnStartups]
Upcoming Events:
Sydney Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 16, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Sydney, NSW
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Benjamin Ranck and Matt Cameron.
Guadalajara Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 22, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Zapopan, Mexico
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Daniel Pandza and John E. Cooper.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 2/1/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-02-02
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: The Application Deadline for the New York Founder Institute's Spring Semester is this Saturday, February 4th. If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in New York City, then apply today.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
’The Devil is in the Details of Your Term Sheet’ by @BarrySilbert- In this talk from last year’s New York Founder Institute, Barry Silbert, Founder and CEO of Second Market shares insights into the funding process he gained from angel investing and raising several rounds of financing.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Angels vs. P VC vs. Private Equity
Recommended Resources:
How to Build Your Startup Without Learning Code [VentureBeat]
Getting Your Product in Front of a VC [Jeff Clavier via TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
Sydney Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 16, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Sydney, NSW
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Benjamin Ranck and Matt Cameron.
Guadalajara Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 22, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: Zapopan, Mexico
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Daniel Pandza and John E. Cooper .
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 1/25/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-01-25
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: At last week’s Founder Showcase, we watched a series of amazing interviews on stage with Mark Suster, Mike Maples, Jr., and Dave McClure. Many of the people in the audience told us they were the best talks we've had on stage to date (and that is really saying a lot!).
We will be releasing more news from the event shortly, but in the meantime check out the video of Dave McClure’s interview on TechCrunch here, and Mike Maple’s Jr.’s and Mark Suster’s interviews on All Things Digital here.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Sharing the Names of VCs that You are Pitching
Bad Credit Score: Funding Options
Recommended Resources:
The Uphill Battle of Social Event Sharing: A Post-Mortem for PlanCast
[Mark Hendrickson via TechCrunch]
Stealth Mode, Schmealth Mode: The Real Reasons Why Startups Don’t Talk
[OnStartups]
Upcoming Events:
New York City Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: January 26, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: New York, NY
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Gabe Zichermann and Ven Medabalmi.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 1/18/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-01-18
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: The 9th Founder Showcase is just 24 hours away, so things are super-hectic here in Silicon Valley. Newsletter subscribers get a 25% discount at http://foundershowcase.com/tickets using the code 'insightful'.
Mark Suster, Mike Maples, Jr., and Dave McClure will be speaking, many Founder Institute Graduate companies will be competing on stage, and over 150 investors and press in attendance. We hope you'll join us.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
2 Years of Great #FounderShowcase Speeches- Thursday's 9th Founder Showcase event in Mountain View will feature talks by Mark Suster, Mike Maples, Jr., and Dave McClure. But, before we enjoy their talks, let's pay homage to the amazing speakers who have graced our stage in the past.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
USPTO Issued Patent: Does it Mean Anything to American VCs?
What Phase Does an Application Need to be in Before Approaching Investors?
Recommended Resources:
Things Entrepreneurs Should Avoid When Raising Capital
[Ashkan Karbasfrooshan via TechCrunch]
How to Develop Your Fundraising Strategy
[Both Sides of the Table]
Upcoming Events:
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
New York City Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: January 26, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: New York, NY
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Gabe Zichermann and Ven Medabalmi.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 1/11/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-01-26
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: At the Founder Showcase next Thursday, we will for the first time host TheFunded.com's Annual Entrepreneur Investor Awards, to celebrate the best startup investors of 2011. These are not your average 'popularity contest'-awards. In fact, the main criteria are the ratings and reviews the investors receive from the Founder and CEO members of TheFunded.com. Yesterday we announced the finalists here. Take a moment to recognize these highly-rated, and entrepreneur-friendly investors.
And, if you'd like to join us, use our best 25% discount for newsletter subscribers at http://foundershowcase.com/tickets with the code 'insightful'. Mark Suster, Mike Maples, Jr., and Dave McClure are speaking, and we'll have over 150 investors and press in attendance.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
’Startup Marketing Metrics for Pirates’ by @davemcclure- In this talk from last year’s Silicon Valley Founder Institute, Dave McClure, founding partner at 500 Startups, outlines a metric based approach to startup marketing.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Need Advice on Potential Cofounder Investing
Recommended Resources:
Spend 2012 on the Right Side of the Haimish Line [Both Sides of the Table]
2012: The Year of the Entrepreneur [TIME]
Upcoming Events:
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
New York City Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: February 10, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: New York, NY
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Gabe Zichermann and Ven Medabalmi.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 1/4/12
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-01-04
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: I hope you all had a great New Year’s.
In preparation for the Founder Showcase last Friday we released a collection of our favorite resources for pitching to investors. This led to an article on TechCrunchby our friend Robin Wauters, where we asked startups to submit their best 1-sentence pitches for the chance to win a future article on the site. Amazingly, this led to over 670 submissions, but more importantly, a really interesting pitch-critiquing discussion in the comments section. If you have a few minutes, check out the submissions and discussion at the bottom of the original article, and review the pitches that won the contest here as well. I bet it will get you thinking about your ideas in new ways.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
Our Favorite #Startup VC Pitching Resources. Through both the Founder Showcase and the Founder Institute we come across a lot of great stuff, but here are what we consider to be the best of the best on the subject of pitching to VCs.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Can a Founder Pay a Finder’s Fee from His Own Shares?
Recommended Resources:
Areas that are Ready for Big Innovation in 2012
[TheNextWeb]
How to Survive Your First Year as an Entrepreneur
[James Altucher via TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
New York City Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: January 11, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: New York, NY
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas,startup idea, improve your pitching skills, and recruit potential cofounders.
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 12/28/11
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2012-01-10
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: Applications for the Founder Showcase Pitch Competition are due this Saturday, December 31st. If you are a seed-stage startup looking for funding or exposure, you should definitely apply (it's free): http://showcase9.strutta.com
Over $30 million has been raised by previous presenters, and only companies that are less than 2 years old with less than $250,000 in funding are eligible. We're expecting over 150 investors at the event - I hope you'll join us.
Happy Holidays!
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
'#Startup Fundraising Hacks’ by @dteten-In this talk from last year’s New York Founder Institute, David Teten, Serial Entrepreneur and Partner at ff Venture Capital, discusses a host of creative and aggressive hacks to identify and win over the optimum investors for your business.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Criteria for Stock Redistribution at Founder Change
Recommended Resources:
The End of the Web? Don’t Bet on it. Here’s Why
[Both Sides of the Table]
How To Build a "Lifestyle Business" with 30 Million Visitors Per Month [Xconomy]
Upcoming Events:
New York Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: January 11, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Gabe Zichermann and Ven Medabalmi.
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 12/21/11
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2011-12-21
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: As we wrap up 2011, we are excited to announce our 21st location and 5th continent: Sydney, Australia! If you or someone you know could benefit from expert training and feedback to launch a technology startup in the greater Sydney area, click here to apply. The Early Application Deadline is Sunday, January 29th.
Happy Holidays!
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
'Build Something Worth Talking About’ by @peterpham- In this talk from last year’s Silicon Valley Founder Institute, Peter Pham, Serial Entrepreneur and Partner at Science Inc, shares how he used marketing in his companies to drive user acquisition, business development, and recruiting.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Valuation of Common After First Preferred Round
Recommended Resources:
How Do You Measure Up to the Best CEOs? [OpenView Labs]
2011 in Tech: A Year of Great Losses [TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
New York Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: January 11, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Gabe Zichermann and Ven Medabalmi .
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: February 14, 2011: Mountain View, CA
Description: The full-day conference will be the only platform that unites the entire ecosystem to nurture and support the fastest-growing demographic in the startup space - women - as creators and consumers. Over 800 investors, entrepreneurs, engineers and designers will be exploring up-and-coming trends in innovation and discussing "nuts & bolts" solutions through case studies. Founder Insight readers get 10% off using the code 'FOUNDER'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 12/14/11
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2011-12-14
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: Even though it seems like the last Founder Showcase just ended (especially to us ;-), the next one is just around the corner. The 9th Founder Showcase is scheduled for January 19th at Microsoft Silicon Valley, and will be our most exclusive event yet - with just 175 tickets available to the general public. Reduced price tickets end this Sunday, December 18.
To ring in the new year, the 9th Founder Showcase will host TheFunded.com Entrepreneur Investor Awards, where we will celebrate the best Investors of 2011, and discuss the prospects for 2012 with three interactive discussions on stage with top investors.
The Application Deadline to the FREE Pitch Competition is next Friday, December 23rd. Only 8 companies will compete in this Pitch Competition (versus the usual ten), so get your applications in now to start collecting votes. Click here to apply.
We hope you’ll join us!
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
'Nobody Cares About What Your #Startup Does’ by @joebez- In this talk from the Chicago Founder Institute, Joe Bezdek, Co-Founder of DivX and FatPencil explains that the way to get people to care about you is to create a brand. He discusses what a brand is, and gives some tips on how to build an effective one.
Recommended Resources:
Why Women Have to Work Harder to Do Startups
[VentureBeat]
If You Don’t Fail, You Haven’t Tried Hard Enough
[Sean Parker and Shervin Pishevar via TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
St. Louis Startup Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: December 15, 2011: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: St. Louis, MO
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you refine your ideas, improve your pitch, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Brian Matthews and Gabe Lozano.
New York Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: January 11, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Gabe Zichermann and Ven Medabalmi .
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 12/7/11
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2011-12-07
Editor's Note: The Founder Institute is now the world’s largest startup incubator, in terms of companies launched. Yes, you read that right. With the recent graduations of our Summer semesters, we have now helped launch 415 technology startups worldwide, and we have done so in less than 2.5 years. TechCrunch covered the story yesterday, here.
Our model is working, and our vision of 'Globalizing Silicon Valley' is starting to take hold. Rather than bringing talent to Silicon Valley, we are going to different markets, gathering their best startup leaders, service providers, and most promising founders, and building local, teamwork-based startup ecosystems from the ground up.
Like any startup, we are celebrating the good news by... well, not celebrating at all. We are just putting our head down and continuing to push forward. We'll be releasing more comprehensive data in the coming days, so stay tuned.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
'Don’t Run Out of Gas Before You Start the Race’ by @wbunker- In this talk from the Silicon Valley Founder Institute, Will Bunker, Co-Founder of the online dating service that became Match.com, discusses how he planned and managed his revenue, profit, and cost structure to grow his online dating service with only a small initial angel investment of $90,000, to the largest personals site.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Legal Discovery and Cloud Storage
Recommended Resources:
How to Be a Better Venture Capitalist: Run a Startup [VentureBeat]
Gratitude as a Business Strategy [Fast Company]
Upcoming Events:
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: Deadline to Apply is December 7, 2011
Description: Women 2.0 PITCH is open to early-stage ventures from around the world from web to mobile, from double bottom line businesses to connected devices. To be eligible, your startup must be in beta stage, have received less than a million in funding, have a technical co-founder, and have at least one female on the founding team.
St. Louis Startup Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: December 15, 2011: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: St. Louis, MO
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you refine your ideas, improve your pitch, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Brian Matthews and Gabe Lozano.
New York Startup Ideation Bootcamp
Date/Location: January 11, 2012: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Gabe Zichermann and Ven Medabalmi .
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Presentation
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by will on 2011-12-01
So what are early stage vc's looking for in a pitch these days? this is a conference environment --- are people still using ppt or are people embracing other methods --- thx
Founder Insight 11/30/11
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2011-12-21
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: The Final Application Deadline for this Winter's Silicon Valley Founder Institute is this Sunday, December 4th. The program will be led by Will Bunker (Co-Founder of vChatter and the dating service that became Match.com), with weekly sessions from December 14th until March 29th. Click here to apply.
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute
'How to Embody a #Startup Winner’ by @KristiHedges- In this talk from last year’s Washington DC Founder Institute, Kristi Hedges discusses how entrepreneurs can systematically develop (and replicate) their "A game" by being intentional, building trust, and inspiring through communications.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Legal Costs for Series A Financing
During an Acquisition, What are Typical Ways to Incentivize the CEO to Stay?
Recommended Resources:
Business Development: The Goldilocks Principle
[Chris Dixon]
Startups are Hard. So Work Hard, Cry Less, and Quit All the Whining
[Michael Arrington]
Upcoming Events:
Silicon Valley Startup Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: November 30, 2011: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Adeo Ressi and Will Bunker.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: Deadline to apply has been extended to December 7, 2011
Description: Women 2.0 PITCH is open to early-stage ventures from around the world from web to mobile, from double bottom line businesses to connected devices. To be eligible, your startup must be in beta stage, have received less than a million in funding, have a technical co-founder, and have at least one female on the founding team.
St. Louis Startup Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: December 15, 2011: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM: St. Louis, MO
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you refine your ideas, improve your pitch, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Brian Matthews and Gabe Lozano.
9th Founder Showcase
Date/Location: January 19, 2011: 3:30 PM-9:00 PM: Mountain View, CA
Description: The Founder Showcase brings together leading investors, founders, and press for one action-packed night to network and help launch a startup company to greatness. The 9th Founder Showcase will take place in Mountain View, and only hold 275 people. Guests will be treated to a keynote speech from a top technology investor or CEO, and drinks and appetizers in a networking hall full of emerging companies competing in a Demo Table Competition. This event has sold out the last six times, so register today. Founder Insight readers get 25% off using the code 'insightful'.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
Founder Insight 11/23/11
TheFunded.com Open Letter
Posted by Gopal Kamath on 2011-11-23
Founder Insight is a weekly newsletter that provides global insights from the people building great startups. Each week we’ll send you an exclusive training video from inside the Founder Institute, as well as other helpful resources from startup communities around the globe. Click here to subscribe
Editor's Note: Startups are hard, this much is certain. But on this Thanksgiving, no matter how bleak the outlook, we all have people to be thankful for.
Who were the people that helped you in the past year? Sure you may have investors, advisors, or even us at the Founder Institute ;-). But there are probably scores of others who simply took a minute out of their day to help you, if even with the most trivial of favors. As a startup you need all the luck you can get, so the small things can make a big difference. Give these people a nice, hearty thank you.
And finally, pay-it-forward by responding to that email, returning that call, providing that intro, or reviewing that plan that a fellow aspiring entrepreneur sent you. We all have them buried somewhere in a long list of priorities, but find the time.
Happy Thanksgiving!
- Jonathan Greechan (@jonnystartup)
Inside the Founder Institute:
'The Art of Delegation’ by Jared Goralnick, founder of @AwayFind- In this talk from last year’s Washington DC Founder Institute, Jared Goralnick shares his experiences and lessons learned from delegating to grow his bootstrapped companies.
Great Discussions on TheFunded:
Where Do the Unvested Shares Go When a Founder Leaves the Company?
Gifting Stock to Family Members
Recommended Resources:
It is the Best Time Over the Past Decade to Be an Entrepreneur
[Jim Breyer via TechCrunch]
Racism and Meritocracy
[Eric Ries via TechCrunch]
Upcoming Events:
Silicon Valley Startup Pitch Bootcamp
Date/Location: November 30, 2011: 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Description: In just three hours the Founder Institute will help you improve your startup ideas, come up with new ideas, and find a cofounder. Best of all it's free, and many local CEOs will be in attendance - including Adeo Ressi and Will Bunker.
Women 2.0 PITCH Competition 2012
Date/Location: Deadline to Apply is November 30th, 2011
Description: Women 2.0 PITCH is open to early-stage ventures from around the world from web to mobile, from double bottom line businesses to connected devices. To be eligible, your startup must be in beta stage, have received less than a million in funding, have a technical co-founder, and have at least one female on the founding team.
To receive this every Wednesday as an email, click here to subscribe
