Unless you spent July of 2017 living in an underground bomb shelter with no Internet, you probably heard something about a certain Google memo, in which a Google engineer attempted to argue that the company was putting too much emphasis on diversity.
The memo quickly went viral, first within Google, then around the tech-sphere, and finally across the country. But somehow, amidst the storm of tweets, posts, and think-pieces on the subject, the most important points got lost: why team diversity matters in the first place, and what startups and other companies can do to make sure they’re building the strongest, most diverse, most kickass team they can.
So, we decided to devote a session of Startups Live to talking about exactly that. Joining u...
Many startup founders find themselves taking out their first business loans as they’re working to get their company launched. But, like so many other things in the startup world, it can be really harrowing to approach first time business loans — because you haven’t done it before! So here’s your comprehensive guide to first time business loans, including what to expect, how to prep, where to find them, and how to apply.
Unfortunately, first time business loans can be difficult for startups to procure. That’s because while some funding sources in the startup ecosystem — like VCs and angel investors — are looking to take big risks, traditional financial institutions like banks generally ar...
Everyone talks about starting companies — yet no one ever tells us how to shut them down.
That's because by the time startups go into this dark, hazy abyss called "shut down" mode, things get really quiet. We stop hearing from Founders, investors start talking about other "hot new investments," and the media has moved on long ago.
That doesn't change the fact that most startups fail, and with that, Founders need to have a grounded understanding in how to wind down their startups gracefully.
This is very difficult advice for a frustrated Founder to seek because it's often embarrassing to even ask, or in some cases, the people they need to seek counsel with are actually connected to the business.
So for all of my fellow Founders who are wre...
Growth won’t happen without some sacrifices. One of those sacrifices that has to be made is surrendering your ability to do it all (that is, all aspects of your business) by yourself. Tim Ferriss summed it up well when he said, “Focus on being PRODUCTIVE, instead of simply BUSY.”
Productive founders know that in order to scale their businesses, they need to be able to get out of the daily details, and into big picture thinking. But in order to do that, they have to outsource.
From Virtual Assistants, to freelance support, to hiring an expert to handle specific tasks, outsourcing means less hours spent tearing out your hair over tedious tasks, and more time pushing your company forward into the future.
You can do that, too. To help get the ...
As entrepreneurs, we identify problems in the market, think up potential solutions and jump right into building a product. Sadly, we often skip the most important part of building a startup — customer validation.
Our instincts are to focus on tactical work that is within our control. Building a product is heads-down, tangible work that can be done day and night without any outside dependencies slowing us down. We open our laptops and start designing and coding. But, we get so caught up in our passion for building that we lose sight of the target customer’s perspective.
Many founders brush aside the importance of ea...
At Startups.co, we’ve made it a habit to study the trajectory of entrepreneurs on their paths to success, and from our qualitative observations, we’ve noticed that there are definitely some common habits that have helped them succeed along the way. From ice cream powerhouses to e-commerce pros, here are some traits from great founders that I’ve observed and tried to emulate throughout my 20-year career as an entrepreneur.
1. Treat Customer Opinion Like Currency
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the founders of the eponymous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, consider their customers to be a huge driver in their creative process and the success of their company. From the moment they opened their original location—a rundown garage in Vermont—they constan...
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There seems to be a misconception floating around in the startup ecosystem that entrepreneurship is synonymous with misery and painful uphill battles. And while it is true that entrepreneurship is a uniquely challenging road, I take issue with the claim that it has to be a grueling and thankless one.
So, how do we keep ourselves happy and sane while we’re on the path to creating a better life for ourselves, and a better world for others? Simple: positive psychology.
Learned Optimism Keeps Us Going
Being an entrepreneur means that you are changing the status quo. Whether you’re building disruptive technologies, founding an innovative non-profit or providing a service, you have seen the need for something better, and you are bringing that vis...
Venture capital is one of the most popular forms of investment capital among startup companies. Unfortunately, very few entrepreneurs have an in-depth understanding of how the venture capital industry actually works or how it relates to their desire to raise capital.
A quick primer on the fundamentals of venture capital funding. Learn how venture capital funding works and how big the universe is for venture capital as a whole.
The following guide will help you understand the mechanics of the venture capital industry, the process for identifying the right venture capital firm to approach, and the actual pitch process used by entrepreneurs looking to raise venture capital.
What’s the difference between an associa...