Startups Where might I go to find a mentor in the SaaS space? |
- Where might I go to find a mentor in the SaaS space?
- Tell your story of how you found a cofounder
- Do I still need a Co-Founder?
- Accelerators/VC's
- When do you hire your second product manager, and how do you decide their seniority, responsibilities, etc?
- Maximize Twitter for user feedback and marketing
- Your Opinions on Hybrid Pricing Models
- Trying to sell food stuffs
- Regular Meetings Setup For Saas Startup: QBR, All Hands, Staff Meetings, Standups etc
- Securing small business loans instead of raising equity?
- Patent Filling w/ University - Tech Transfer Office
- Finding the right way to build a prototype (when you actually have money to spend)
- Liquidity of startup stock
- Two sided network idea / Chicken Egg problem
- When hiring an intern or new grad what is a startup typically looking for?
- China Contract Manufacturer Question
- How important is location for fundraising post-covid?
- Support tools and processes
| Where might I go to find a mentor in the SaaS space? Posted: 06 Apr 2021 08:30 AM PDT I've built businesses before (mostly successful) and I'm in the midst of building my first SaaS. I've been at it for nearly a year now and we're on the brink of launch, but I'm starting to feel quite overwhelmed. I've definitely felt this before, the whole "identity crisis" type of thing where I'm not sure if I can handle what comes next or if I'm even meant for this type of thing. However, I know that'll pass in due time. One thing I'd love to find though is someone who's been through the ringer time and time again and can actually help me learn from their mistakes as well as giving me some insight as to whether or not I'm making the right moves at the moment. Perhaps a lot of this is purely psychological and I just need to take a step back and breathe + reinforce my conviction a little. I just wouldn't mind having a bit of help right now to add some reassurance to my current path. Thank you [link] [comments]  |
| Tell your story of how you found a cofounder Posted: 06 Apr 2021 11:37 AM PDT Hi everyone! My biggest problem has been that the others helping me on day one are not nearly as passionate as I am. I literally wake up thinking about it and have it in the back of my mind at all times. A quick story of a hip hop group named Living Legends. It was a group of 8 people. They basically invented the underground rap self-starter idea. They rented a warehouse, lived in it, recorded music there, stored and sold their merch there, lived and breathed their brand, literally. What impressed me the most about this story is the fact that they found 8 people who all cared about the brand and vision. That's insane!!!! Finding one cofounder who's as passionate as me seems impossible. I couldn't imagine 8! My question to the community is what's your story of finding cofounders and what is their commitment/passion level compared to yours? (scale of 1-10 would be fun to see) Thanks!!! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2021 05:59 PM PDT I know this question has been asked many times before but it seems like I couldn't relate to most of the answers that I found. Quick background, I graduated with a bachelor's in Supply Chain and have been working for an import/export company for the past few years, over time I realized that the industry is not something I want to be a part of over the long run. So decided that I want to launch a platform that would streamline an issue that I noticed whiles working in the import/export business, I did my research, gained validation from industry professionals, and wrote down an in-depth business/development plan. Since I'm no expert on the technical side I've decided that I would seek outside help (Dev Agency), And I'm mainly using this approach because it's almost impossible to find a co-founder where I live, and the agency has done similar projects in the past. Is it still required that I bring a technical cofounder on even if
I do plan on learning as much as I can about the technical aspect of things but the notion that every startup needs at least 2 founders is something that's been engraved in stone in the startup world. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I would appreciate any input :) [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2021 01:03 PM PDT To those that have used accelerators/VC's, what differentiates a good one from a great one? Looking for advice on what to expect from an accelerator and what qualities to look for, both on their end and mine (specifically in the technological sector). Any advice would be great! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2021 07:59 PM PDT Hi all - we hired their first PM who was for all purposes a senior hire. They helped to establish a product process and drive some key projects early on. Now we are thinking to hire a second person, simply because we are scaling and have more surface to cover. What considerations should we make? What impact does this decision have on the shape of our organization in the future? [link] [comments]  |
| Maximize Twitter for user feedback and marketing Posted: 05 Apr 2021 08:51 PM PDT When I tweet, I literally get less than 10 views and maybe 1 engagement max. I don't do hashtags as I can never tell when to use one, it never seems natural. Is there a well written and commonly recommended guide to Twitter & Twitter hashtags someone could link me to help me actually get some views? I want to setup polls and ask people for feedback on a discord community idea, but no one even sees my tweets... Hopefully a discussion here and some pointers/tips, or a link to guide, can help more people than just myself. Thanks in advance! [link] [comments]  |
| Your Opinions on Hybrid Pricing Models Posted: 06 Apr 2021 09:31 AM PDT I'm currently gearing to pitch my idea to investors as a startup, and the industry just made a massive turn. It's a VR arcade that uses specialized equipment to cut costs. For my competitors, initial investment was high and overhead was moderate to high, both using higher prices to combat overhead. Now, some were able to swing their pricing around, one of them being part of a franchised company that was given stimulus from their franchisee while the other has seen decent growth once the state started opening up again. Originally, I realized that by lowering property overhead by using specialized equipment allowed me to charge lower prices, and after speaking to a good hundred or so potential users, they suggested that they enjoy subscription models, which is odd for a retail service I thought. After running numbers and speaking to more people, I realized that having a hybrid model using walk-in sales as a main driver and subscription as a secondary that allowed loyalty discounts and benefits. I calculated that the churn rate in my area of launch is 12% while subscription may be 34% of total consumer base. I am reevaluating the subscription model as instead of being additional but supplementary. My question is this: in your opinion, do you think: $30 a month for [unlimited access, free plus one a month, access to midnight releases and events, and access to testing equipment] still a good choice or $30 a month for [30% off your visits, one free visit a month up to 3 hours, access to midnight events and releases, and access to testing equipment] is a better option. I am attempting to figure out the supplement without making the subscription potentially tear a hole through the bottom of my potential revenue flow. There is an initial fee of $25 to set up your subscription to prevent users from going once and cancelling (still evaluating better measures). Currently, the main driver is walk-in of $45 an hour (discounted at higher quantity by 10%) with the additional subscription model as a revenue aid. Monthly subscription on its own would be wildly more expensive to run in the industry but I am continuing to see if I can transfer over to subscription only if it positively affects clientele. After looking through both ideas, I am still mid-ground in pricing against competitors in area but still offer more services per dollar. What are your opinions on what I should be looking at doing, and additionally, what are your opinions on hybrid pricing models as a whole? Thank you all for your opinions! [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 06 Apr 2021 08:31 AM PDT What paperwork is necessary for me to start a specialty food stuffs operation online. Like licenses and how do people get the nutritional information about stuff. Is there specific things to think about when doing a startup online for the most part. And am I still able to sell at like farmers markets with all the same paperwork or is there specific stuff. I'm in Oregon [link] [comments]  |
| Regular Meetings Setup For Saas Startup: QBR, All Hands, Staff Meetings, Standups etc Posted: 05 Apr 2021 12:28 PM PDT We are a Saas startup of about 15 members and all working remote in US timezones. As a founder, I am trying to "operationalize" a set of regular meetings with the team to run the business.
[link] [comments]  |
| Securing small business loans instead of raising equity? Posted: 05 Apr 2021 08:05 AM PDT Hey everyone - I'm the founder of a hardware tech startup, and we're excitedly approaching our first manufacturing batch. Total capital for tooling, procurement, and the first batch of ~2k units is coming out to 60k or so. I'm going to fund 20k of that, and I'm hoping to secure a loan for the remainder. I've considered angel investment from friends and family as well, but I was curious about the business loan route - would love to hear your folks' experiences and thoughts on that. The business is pre-revenue, so I'm also considering guaranteeing a loan on the personal end. [link] [comments]  |
| Patent Filling w/ University - Tech Transfer Office Posted: 05 Apr 2021 02:02 PM PDT Hi everyone, After speaking with the Licensing Manager of the TTO of my University where I graduated 4 year ago, they want to do a free prior art search and analysis of the IP related to my invention. I negotiated during 4 weeks a well structure unilateral NDA but I am still having doubts about their intention because they are offering free services.. Everything has a cost in our world, so what could they be planning? I did not use any of their labs, equipment, resources or talent for the creation of this invention (that is still pretty much at ground 0) which is enough for filling since we can fill an idea without a prototype. I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to IP and they sensed it. They are requesting a more wordy, explanation of the device I invented so they can perform the search better. Am I risking my invention by giving them the details they requested? I heard of MTA's (Material Transfer Agreement), which seems to be coming after in the list of services they offer:
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. [link] [comments]  |
| Finding the right way to build a prototype (when you actually have money to spend) Posted: 05 Apr 2021 08:31 AM PDT I have an idea for a web platform/app that I think could fill a specific niche in the music industry. I don't see it as a huge disrupting unicorn or anything like that, but more something I personally wish existed and that I think could find a decent audience. I see this as a fun side project that could hopefully build to something bigger. My expectations are very measured and reasonable. I think a prototype or MVP of this product could conceivably be built almost entirely with no- or low-code solutions, though it would rely on a few different APIs that could add some complexity. This leads me to this crossroad where I'm weighing hacking my way through said no-code options to get something testable vs trying to find a freelancer or firm or co-founder to work with. I know my skills well enough to know that I have a history of wasting tons of time on anything that looks like code, and would generally like to avoid doing anything that's going to create a sketchy product foundation for the future. Plus, it'd be great to have someone to brainstorm the idea with who's actually committed to the project. Unlike some posts I see here and elsewhere, I'm 100% willing to pay for dev services and collaboration, and am willing to pay well for excellent and scalable work. I've worked on the marketing side of tech for a long while and know how to articulate a product vision and roadmap, but in a flexible and collaborative sort of way. Also, for what it's worth, I know a lot of VCs and am fairly confident I could arrange seed funding if and when the V1 finds any sort of audience. So I guess I'm wondering how would anyone who's been in this sort of position weigh these options? Where would you look to find a good collaborator or freelancer for a V1? I'm purely hung up on the product steps here. Everything else down the road -- business, funding, marketing, hiring etc -- I know well. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2021 09:03 AM PDT Hello upstarters! I got an offer from a series A startup that includes stock options. Is there a way to negotiate liquidity for the shares? Is there a practice of signing an agreement binding the company to allow me to sell my shares in any future investment round or anything like that? [link] [comments]  |
| Two sided network idea / Chicken Egg problem Posted: 05 Apr 2021 07:21 PM PDT Hi all! My sister is a doctor and has shared some of her painpoints sharing information with insurance companies. I really want to help her solve this problem and we have a rough sketch of what this product would look like. However, I am not sure how to go about this. This is a two sided network app and I don't know how I would get users because it wouldn't be valuable until mass adoption. A few questions:
Any advice would be appreciated!! [link] [comments]  |
| When hiring an intern or new grad what is a startup typically looking for? Posted: 05 Apr 2021 06:03 PM PDT I've reached out to a startup and they have agreed to meet with me remotely next week. I'm wondering what they are likely looking for in an intern in terms of a long-term timeframe. Not so that I can mold myself into that person but because I want to be honest about my goals in life when they ask me about them. Am I the wrong fit for working at a startup if my intentions are to eventually start a startup of my own? I believe in this companies mission and what they do but I don't think it would be completely honest to say that I want to be an employee there for the rest of my life. If I was in their shoes as a co-founder though my opinion would be different, this company would definitely be something I would be happy to spent my time on for the long term. I find it unlikely that this is what they would be looking for in an intern though. Am I wrong about that? I am not saying that I believe I am instantly qualified to be a key member of every company ever created I just know that I am not the kind of person that wants to settle into an employee role and live comfortably making a salary for the rest of their life. I want to build something meaningful. I don't want to give them the wrong impression and I'm really unsure of how to answer bigger picture questions about my goals and aspirations in this situation. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. [link] [comments]  |
| China Contract Manufacturer Question Posted: 05 Apr 2021 04:50 PM PDT Hi everyone, I have a relatively simple electronic product that I have designed and 3D printed a prototype of using off the shelf components ordered on Aliexpress from China. I would like to do a kickstarter campaign to assess the market and sell it if there is sufficient interest but were that to happen I need an efficient production solution. I am based in Australia and I suspect that the majority of demand will come from North America and given all the parts come from China it seems logical that I should find a partner there who can manufacture it, package it and then ship it directly to my end customers at my direction (effectively an exclusive drop-shipping arrangement). The party would need to take my design and build the plastic parts and then assemble it which is all pretty straight forward. My question is - does anyone have any experience with this type of thing, advice or even recommendations on who I could partner with in China to do this? Thanks! [link] [comments]  |
| How important is location for fundraising post-covid? Posted: 05 Apr 2021 11:48 AM PDT I am building a software startup and will be moving soon. I'm trying to balance COL with proximity to a tech hub. Right now we are in the validation/finding product market fit phase. The internet and ubiquity of remote communications has made our ( the co-founders') location seem not very critical (ie we moved from Seattle to AZ for three months with no issue). I am expecting to start fundraising in the next couple years and am wondering how often in-person meetings with potential investors would be required or preferred. This may impact where it is best to move to. I'm especially wondering if anyone in the investing space has information or opinions on whether location will be less important in the post-covid times than it was before, or if things will tend to go back to normal. Thanks in advance for any responses and opinions. [link] [comments]  |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2021 10:49 AM PDT We hope to launch our start-up in the summer - mobile and web interface - consumer focused . I was wondering what you tools and processes you use to capture support and feature requests. How you triage, evaluate and ensure that issues and questions are not ignored or fall through the cracks. We're not looking to outsource support but would be interested in user driven community support as an additional function. [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