Startups Fundraising Thursdays - A Forum to Ask About Fundraising, Investors, Accelerators, and Other Sources of Capital |
- Fundraising Thursdays - A Forum to Ask About Fundraising, Investors, Accelerators, and Other Sources of Capital
- What advice would you give to the teenage/early 20 you?
- COVID-19 killed my startup
- Launching on ProductHunt without a "producthunt network"?
- Where to find a job in the startup community?
- Best template for multivendor food ordering & delivery like FoodPanda, Zomato, Grubhub, Eat24Hours, delivery.com, DoorDash etc? (with commissions, ratings, several cities etc.)
- How to navigate the process of finding a tech co founder after the initial zoom call?
- SEO that anyone can handle
- Do you have experience with mental health mobile application? A short questionnaire for my dissertation thesis
- Founding a delivery service in Germany
- What advice would you give to person in early 30s ? ( who is thinking of career and country shift )
- Charging your beta users: Yes and no
- Is this typical for a startup internship or am I just headed into yet another abusive startup environment?
- What skills does a startup want in an intern?
- College Student
- Has anyone used stripe for online sales/inventory management?
- Where to go with an Aerospace/Defense Startup?
- Where to start for choosing and integrating an ERP/SCM system?
- Do you need NDAs before-hand when sending out Pitch Decks??
- How do I figure out how long it will take to create a new software product?
- Resources for Pro Bono work and policy for a Data startup?
- Resources for posting surveys?
- Are there still problems to solve?
- I have an idea of developing automation software ,how do I go about funding , team and any further requirements in terms of buisness?
- How do I engage with a brand to negotiate a marketing arrangement with them?
| Posted: 14 May 2020 06:05 AM PDT Welcome to this week's Fundraising Thursdays Thread. Ask about anything related to fundraising, investors, accelerators, grants, and other sources of capital. That includes how to find these sources, how to work with them, and how to negotiate with them. Don't be shy. The purpose of this is to learn and share ideas and methodologies with one another. Any question is a good question! If you are answering questions, remember to be kind and supportive. Many are just starting out and have no idea what they are doing. That's okay! We all knew nothing before we knew something.You can also find more support using instant chat on the /r/startups discord. [link] [comments]  |
| What advice would you give to the teenage/early 20 you? Posted: 14 May 2020 12:19 PM PDT So I'm just wondering what would you like to tell to the younger you? What would have been very useful to know when you were 20? What were the biggest mistakes that you could have prevented? Basically anything... I will be super grateful for any answers. Thanks :) [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 14 May 2020 11:55 PM PDT Before this year began, I was working a startup for college/university students. The idea was to allow students to be more social on campus by creating activities with other students and attend campus events. I was working on some features while keeping the blog up to establish some presence. Fast forward to now and it all seems like a waste of effort. There is no end in sight for this lockdown, some predictions are far late in the year and I am sure even after the lockdown ends, social distancing will be required. With COVID-19, I can't see my startup being anywhere successful. I am not sure what to do with it. Should I completely abandon it, keep working on it, or take into a new direction? I have invested a lot of time, money, and effort into it and the human part refuses to quit in fear of being a failure. If any of you have your startup killed by the pandemic, I would love to hear how you are coping with it. This year has been very tough and I really hope to see things turn around soon. [link] [comments]  |
| Launching on ProductHunt without a "producthunt network"? Posted: 15 May 2020 12:46 AM PDT Hi All! I just did a soft launch of a project of mine, with a small group of beta users that I had gathered during customers interviews/research phase. Some of them really like the idea, but it's a pretty small audience. My target user group overlaps quite a bit with producthunt users, so I think a producthunt launch could help me. I've read some guides on producthunt optimization, and many seem to center around asking your network of fellow producthunt user friends to upvote it. Unfortunately I know almost nobody that uses producthunt. Is there a way to still have a successful producthunt launch without having to spam random people for upvotes? Has anyone launched on producthunt in this situation? What was the result? Thanks! TL;DR title [link] [comments]  |
| Where to find a job in the startup community? Posted: 14 May 2020 06:54 AM PDT I'm looking for some reputable places to see job openings specifically targeted towards startups, I was laid off from a previous startup and would like to stay in the startup world. but most job boards I find are a series of redirects, spam, or outdated postings. Anyone got any good recommendations? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 15 May 2020 01:53 AM PDT I'm looking for a Wordpress theme suitable for multivendor food ordering & delivery like services mentioned in the title. I'd love to have the chance to set commissions, ratings for every vendor, food menus with pictures and probably also a booking calendar. I looked at Sharetribe which is a SaaS, but too expensive for this "water testing" phase (even with 30 days free trial, I would need more to validate my idea). So I'm wondering If there are any good WP themes that will suit my needs. Any ideas? [link] [comments]  |
| How to navigate the process of finding a tech co founder after the initial zoom call? Posted: 14 May 2020 11:50 PM PDT So I am looking for a tech co founder to go 50/50 on a tech beauty startup. I have asked people in my network and have a couple of referrals, and also I've been approaching people on CoFounders Lab. Other than the obvious list of skills I'm looking for, I'd really like someone to be psyched about the problem we'd be solving too. So far, I've had one call with a referral who is a contractor but was interested in the opportunity to co-found something. Obviously as its COVID, I can't really be meeting people, I can only zoom call them. I'd say my first question is - would you ever consider co founding something with someone you've only zoom called? Obviously its not ideal but otherwise I can't really move forward with an MVP. I watched a YT vid with Michael Siebel who says that as long as you ditch the co founder within the first year (if the partnership isn't working out) you have not lost a lot. Secondly, I had my first call with a referral yesterday. When I asked if he was originally looking to co found something he said he was interested, yeah. It seemed a bit lacklustre. I myself have been wanting to co found something for a super long time because I love the startup world and the problem I'm solving, I'm sure I could express it enthusiastically. Is it correct for me to assume it should be the same for him? After the Zoom call, we decided to speak again in 7 days and he can think about some possible ideas/solutions. I guess I'm wondering - can anyone list out the next steps following the initial zoom call. Including at what point we should exchange some kind of contract? He seemed ready to accept the opportunity but it all seemed a bit lacklustre. I'm pretty confident in the research I've done for the product, but this part of the process I'm finding tough to navigate. Thanks! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 15 May 2020 02:07 AM PDT Hey there /r/startups I've been helping businesses as an SEO consultant for a few years now and (in some people's dismay) have been teaching businesses how to handle SEO without an SEO specialist, or an agency on retainer. Usually, small businesses and startups can handle quite a bit of the workload themselves. I believe that part of SEO is a process of learning how to change some ugly habits that people develop because they are hasty when it comes to pushing stuff to their website. During the past few years, I tried teaching those things via LinkedIn mostly but recently I decided to reach more audiences by creating a website. If you are wondering what things people can change with minimum technical knowledge without the support of a developer or the need for an agency here's a small list of things that can really set you apart when you start your business website. URLs
example.com/espresso-machine instead of Titles
Meta Descriptions
Headings
Image At Tags
Keyword Research
Content Optimization
Performance Performance might sound overly technical but you can really make a difference by taking some easy steps.
Security
Internal Links
I am not posting my website here since I believe it's against the rules but if you feel that you'd like to know more about technical SEO rather than the simple on-page optimization tasks in this list. Feel free to comment below. I hope that's useful for some. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 15 May 2020 01:37 AM PDT Hey guys, I would be very grateful if you could fill out a short questionnaire about experiences with mobile applications focused on mental health and wellbeing. It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. Link: https://forms.gle/XU557avDn4TZxJxY9 Thank you! [link] [comments]  |
| Founding a delivery service in Germany Posted: 15 May 2020 01:29 AM PDT Hey, I am planning to found a delivery service for a special but scalable niche in Germany. Do you have any interesting hints for this or does even someone wants to support me there? :) I don't have that much experience in delivery services but I have a vision. I especially need someone to bounce ideas and co create stuff. Cheers! [link] [comments]  |
| What advice would you give to person in early 30s ? ( who is thinking of career and country shift ) Posted: 15 May 2020 01:20 AM PDT I am in early 30s . I am Physics graduate. Working in college as teacher . I want to immigrate to north american contry. I am not much satisfied with my job here. I am feeling like venturing out(start up) after emmigration . I am married . I am unclear how much risk I should take at this age. Should i take this step? How to think about situation? What to learn ? Experienced people please give ur views. [link] [comments]  |
| Charging your beta users: Yes and no Posted: 14 May 2020 12:20 PM PDT Should you make your beta users pay? That is a question I had been asking myself for a while. After discussing it a lot with my co-founder and thinking things through, this is the system we've been implementing so far and the rationale behind it. Would love to hear what you guys think and your experiences! First of all, it's good to specify that our product is an app that will charge a monthly subscription. Here's what we've decided to do: The beta version of the app is available to download and use for free. However, for those wanting to enrol in the actual "beta program", get special support, and get a lifetime discount, we ask for a symbolic monthly contribution of their choosing during the beta testing period: it's up to them. In return for their contribution and feedback, we will offer a 70% lifetime discount on the monthly price of our app once the beta ends, as a thank you. Why do we ask for a symbolic monthly contribution for the beta program? 1) Symbolic gesture: someone willing to put at least 1€ per month is someone showing a minimum of commitment to the project. 2) Validation of our product: people willing to pay - whichever the amount - validates the idea that our product can be commercialised. We see this period as a process of business validation as well, and we need people to pay for the service so we know that it's something to continue with. 3) Avoiding "incentive traps": we don't believe paying beta users is a good idea, as it can create undesired incentives to join the program (the focus switching from the product to the money, the product may get false praise, user's feedback loses objectivity and authenticity,…) . It is important to have people committed. 4) It is also a way for us to get honest feedback about whether you users would purchase our product. And if they wouldn't, that's totally cool. 5) Every little helps! We're a bootstrapped startup and a little contribution is much appreciated and helps us move forward! We understand users may want to see the app in action first. That is why for those not wanting to pay at first, or at all, they can still just download the app and use it for free. Results after a few months of beta: over 6000 downloads and around 200 paying customers. What has worked for you guys? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 14 May 2020 08:11 PM PDT A consumer goods startup reached out to me on AngelList and interviewed me. During the interview they really didn't seem that enthusiastic. The interviewer said, "I'll have to think about it, but you do seem passionate and thanks for your time today." I thought I wouldn't be moving forward, but I did after they saw several writing samples that I gave them (it is a PR internship). Anyway, I asked a few questions about like how many hours interns are expected to work and the start date, and they were willing to push back the start date for a final I have. But for the hourly commitment they basically said "at least 10 hours a week...but however much time you put in will depend on how much value you want to get out of the internship...the job market nowadays is tough...what will set you apart from a lot of applicants in the interview phase, is how much you're able to drive results at a company...so that would be my advice on how to stand out, leading projects, and delivering results." I don't know whether they're just brutally honest people (it IS true that the more time and work you put in; the more you learn) or whether that's a sign they'll guilt-trip me into working more hours by saying "well you won't ever be an asset to a company and won't have anything to put on your resume after this experience if you don't work enough hours." Personally, I wanted to gain experience in PR and the timeline fits perfectly with my summer schedule. But I've also had really shitty experiences with companies who reached out to me on AngelList (literally NEVER had a good experience with ANY company that ever reached out to me, except for maybe once), and I don't want this to be my third time leaving an iffy startup in under a week. I also wanted to add that the ad on AngelList said it was paid, and during the interview he asked me how much I wanted (and I said the minimum wage at an hourly rate). He later told me that it'd be unpaid; is that another red flag? I know people have a lot to say about unpaid internships and how they're shitty but I personally started off my marketing and business career at an unpaid place. I'm willing to work hard for long hours (to an extent...not okay with pulling all nighters for unpaid work) and be challenged, as long as if there is support, constructive feedback, and some empathy for any mistakes I might make as a newbie at a company. What I am not okay with is being told off in a condescending way for fucking up or being blamed for founders' mistakes. Does what they said seem like a red flag, and alternatively, is there any way I can sus them out before saying yes or no? [link] [comments]  |
| What skills does a startup want in an intern? Posted: 14 May 2020 10:25 PM PDT Hey, student here I fortunately go to a decent university with a decent entrepreneurship program and plenty of resources. That being said I'm about a year or so off from finishing my degree in finance. I know all my classes aren't specifically focused on startups which is why I'm asking. —————————————————————— What kind of expectations do you guys have for a fresh intern? (Finance or any major) Are you guys looking for specific skills or just in general someone who can help improve the efficiency and workflow and work on little projects? What skills can a student present to share that they have enough value to work for you? Being within a year and a half of graduation I feel almost as if I should be able to do everything a full time employee can do. Any input is welcome. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 14 May 2020 02:33 AM PDT My major is Computer Science and still have half of my campus life in here. I'm thinking about build or join a startup some years after graduate. Learning about startup while I writing this, but can't get a proper way to learn it. Can you guys give me advice what should I learn and prepare before build or join a startup? Thanks in advance edit : English is not my mother tongue, sorry for bad grammar [link] [comments]  |
| Has anyone used stripe for online sales/inventory management? Posted: 14 May 2020 10:36 AM PDT I'm looking to start selling some product online and could use any advice people have! I am looking to use stripe, and I was curious if there is a way to integrate inventory numbers into this service so I don't sell an item I don't have. I'm a very small operation right now so I imagine it as something simple. Just a counter that deducts any time a sale is made, with an option for me to increase inventory as I create more product. Ideally it would show "out of stock" when I don't have any inventory left, and prevent sales. Has anyone used stripe in this fashion before? [link] [comments]  |
| Where to go with an Aerospace/Defense Startup? Posted: 14 May 2020 09:48 PM PDT Hello to all. Just as a precursor, I will provide some backstory as to provide some context in hopes the feedback will be more targeted. When I was 18(now 19) I began a startup focused on Aerospace and Defense applications. Given the sheer competition of the market and who potential clients would be, I only worked low key as to focus more on all that entails when it comes to this specific industry. As per laws within the defense sector, we avoided building prototypes and kept everything mostly conceptual with the the most progress being made being a proof of concept of one aspect or another. It's remained that way to this day and the growth has been mostly increasing exposure and adding more projects to the docket for development. Currently the following projects are included: HoverBike Satellites Defense Systems Purely concept aircraft Robotic exoskeletons I started with spreading the word around while at NASA and working to build a foundation and making sure I knew what I was getting into. Aerospace has been my passion since I knew what it was and I am not one to shrink away from a challenge. Fast forward to today: I'm looking for VCs or Angel Investors but no luck. I've put in the maximum effort on my end into getting all the resources and documentation I need to create a viable company and business plan but it still seems I've plateaued and not sure where to go although I know where I want to end up in the future. I'm not sure how to pitch a business concept when you can't rely on the usual numbers most startups rely on such as sales revenue or public consumers since the average joe does not necessarily deal with defense corporations. To answer a few pointer questions, it's mostly me and programs I've built to help with the more tedious tasks. There is a team I work with occasionally but they have full time jobs as well. Yes I do have access to a full MakerSpace and do have connections in industry but aren't willing/can't go into a startup like this. There is a subsidiary to this particular startup that provides funding for the fixed costs but that's about it. Nothing extreme financially has gone into it yet. I understand the immensity of my would-be competitors and I've developed the foundation in such a way that if given the opportunity, we wouldn't get crushed right off the bat. One specific aspect would be the unique design structure of the internal hierarchy. The division between engineer - management is taken out entirely and the primary focus is to create and innovate, not to sell and profit since those will follow. Even if it were to get crushed or not be what I'm looking for, I will have at least learned a few valuable lessons. The key questions would be this then: 1) how would you attempt to gain the attention of potential investors when a startup focuses on concept designs due to the fact you can't sell to the general public and/or don't have the funds to? 2) what measures could I take to increase my chances of success and what are your experiences with startups that attempt to jump off the deep end? 3) what could one expect from starting a Aerospace/Defense startup that wouldn't necessarily be obvious from research and interviews with experienced individuals? Thank you in advance for your responses :) [link] [comments]  |
| Where to start for choosing and integrating an ERP/SCM system? Posted: 14 May 2020 06:36 AM PDT I'm working at an IOT startup, and we're currently ramping up towards the release of our first product. As we get closer to manufacturing, there are a lot of processes which still have to be defined, like how to manage the reverse logistics process, how to get invoices from our payment provider into our accounting software and so on. From the research I've already done, it looks like an ERP is the solution to integrating all of these business processes, and components like CRM's and webshops into a cohesive system. But there are so many options, and I'm not sure where to begin as far as choosing an ERP product, or even understanding how exactly all these pieces get integrated. Can anyone suggest resources on this topic? I would love to have some reading material on best practices, or how others have solved this problem. [link] [comments]  |
| Do you need NDAs before-hand when sending out Pitch Decks?? Posted: 14 May 2020 03:36 AM PDT Super noob question: How to approach VC-s, like how am I supposed to send my Pitch Deck in the threat that the idea gets stolen and myself made redundant of that position. Like... Do I need to sign NDAs with all of the VCs before-hand ???? I don't see why a VC wouldn't just take my idea from the pitch deck and do it without me. [link] [comments]  |
| How do I figure out how long it will take to create a new software product? Posted: 14 May 2020 04:10 PM PDT I'm sure some of you are thinking about or working on creating a new software product. What are some things to you think should be considered when trying to figure out the effort for creating something new? Maybe some of you have been through this and have some ballpark team sizes and durations you can share? If I assume that most bugs are removed, can I also assume that the first version will have a good chance that users will want it? What are some good practices for exposing users to the app so they can use it? [link] [comments]  |
| Resources for Pro Bono work and policy for a Data startup? Posted: 14 May 2020 12:05 PM PDT Part of a small data startup, tasked with drafting Pro Bono and volunteer policy for company. Any resources out there to find info on laws and/or policy examples. Keep in mind we are a data company so most of the research I'm seeing on google is for law. [link] [comments]  |
| Resources for posting surveys? Posted: 14 May 2020 11:49 AM PDT Hey there fellow Startup-ers! I'm in the market research phase of building an idea and I'm wondering if anyone here knows of any good resources out there for posting surveys. I am gathering research and am looking for specific groups, but am also open to learning about what resources are out there in general. Has anyone taken a survey strategy approach to market research and found success? I have tried cold-emailing and messaging, but I am looking for quantitative data at the moment before I move into qualitative. Thank you and stay safe out there. :) [link] [comments]  |
| Are there still problems to solve? Posted: 14 May 2020 11:33 AM PDT I got the feeling that every problem is already approached by some startup anywhere. Is there still a need for anything? Like if you dont have millions in funding you can spend for marketing you need to have an idea that reaches product market fit but is there still the possibility for this? I am really frustrated atm because i am a natural problem solver but just cant see problems you can solve via tech or something. Also is it normal to question everything from time to time? I build a 99designs/fiverr competitor with high quality as usp which i assume is no usp since nobody is caring about quality, and also with personal guidance and stuff which is also not needed since i have the feeling that people just want to be alone. How comes that even the weakest startups earning money while not solving a problem and why is there nothing i can see as problem anymore? [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 14 May 2020 08:23 AM PDT I have a start up idea but I am afraid of not being able to develop it. Due to lack of money and team. I am not sure where to start ? And bring this idea to product. I am watching youtube, and searching google about how to start a business and get funding. It is overwhelming and due to lack of business acumen hard to understand as well. Any tips and experience will be of great help in giving me some good directions. [link] [comments]  |
| How do I engage with a brand to negotiate a marketing arrangement with them? Posted: 14 May 2020 08:17 AM PDT Hi there, I am developing a game/app, and I'd like to use objects from real life brands in the app. This will create leads for them, and some extra revenue for me. It's been done before in similar apps. So how do I: 1) contact them (I thought maybe I could find the brands head of marketing through LinkedIn?).. open to ideas 2) best pitch the idea to them 3) figure out how much $$ I should be asking Thanks in advance! [link] [comments]  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Startups - Rapid Growth and Innovation is in Our Very Nature!. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment