Alexander Rose’s Post

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭-𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬. Sequoia's Jess Lee outlined a key approach for identifying product-market fit. Lee suggests listening closely to your customers to understand their needs and pain points. This feedback can help shape your product and guide development in a direction that resonates with your target audience. She also emphasises the importance of being flexible and willing to pivot if the current path isn't achieving the desired results. Lee's insights are crucial for startups seeking to make a mark in a competitive market. By focusing on customer feedback and maintaining flexibility, early-stage companies can improve their chances of finding product-market fit. #Startups #ProductMarketFit #Sequoia #Entrepreneurship #TechCrunch

You want to succeed and you are a startup? Then read this great article on accelerators by Dasha Shunina Forbes Accelerators and incubators are crucial for startup growth, offering much more than early-stage investment. Founders benefit from accelerated growth, credibility, extensive networks, and product validation. Programs like Y Combinator, Techstars and Berkeley SkyDeck provide comprehensive support, mentorship, and community. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK 🚀 Yes, incubators help you grow because of the network you access but also because of the HARD WORK you put in during the few months of incubation. I agree with what Guillermo Goncalvez Espiga, CEO of El Dorado (going through Berkley SkyDeck) says: “You get out what you put in.” “By that, I mean you’re working on testing and proving your hypotheses while meeting with your mentors, investors, and other entrepreneurs. Still, the true gift is the people you meet during the acceleration program.” Caroline Winnett, George Panagiotakopoulos, Kevin Cardona, Bruno CATTAN, Philippe Hazet, Antoine LAROUSSE #startups #accelerators #incubators #technology

As someone who is in the middle of two early stage startups, I found this to be a good article framing the importance of Product-Market Fit (PMF). "Hair on Fire", "Hard Fact" and "Future Vision" are the three different archetypes noted and, for a startup, important to figure out up front (along with founder-market fit). However, chances are somewhere else in the world someone is or wants to launch something similar as your startup so ruthless execution is paramount in order to generate the velocity needed to stay ahead of everyone else. #productmarketfit

Most #startups fail. If you want to add gravitas to that then there's lots of psudo-science, factoid clickbait out there "evidencing" that anything from 90 to 99% do. It's all tosh, but clearly, failure in startups is common. Why is that? In this TechCrunch article Ann Miura-Ko argues that most startups fail because they're hell bent on building #MinimalViableProducts when they should be focused on building #MinimalViableCompanies. "Before attempting to scale your minimum viable product, focus on cultivating your minimum viable company. Nail down your value proposition, find your place in the broader ecosystem and craft a business model that adds up." It's all in this 6 min read 👇 #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #investing https://lnkd.in/g9vxaEa8

In today's dynamic startup ecosystem, the landscape of early-stage funding is undergoing significant transformation. According to a recent article by TechCrunch, Y Combinator (YC) startups are increasingly turning to tiny seed rounds as traditional VC investors show diminishing interest in early-stage investments. This shift highlights a critical challenge for budding entrepreneurs: securing initial capital to fuel their innovative ideas. The traditional allure of hefty VC checks is giving way to more modest, yet essential, seed rounds. This trend underscores the importance of adaptability and resourcefulness for startups aiming to thrive in this evolving environment. As someone deeply invested in the startup ecosystem, this resonates profoundly. Having witnessed and contributed to various phases of startup evolution over the decades, it's evident that securing initial funding remains a cornerstone of entrepreneurial success. However, the strategies and approaches must evolve with the times. For founders navigating this new terrain, here are a few takeaways: Embrace Smaller, Strategic Seed Rounds: Focus on building strong relationships with a diverse array of investors, including angel investors and micro-VCs, who can provide not just capital but also invaluable mentorship and network connections. Leverage Accelerators and Incubators: Programs like YC continue to offer critical support beyond funding, including mentorship, resources, and a robust network of alumni. Prioritize Sustainable Growth: Aim for a lean, agile approach to growth. Prove your concept and achieve key milestones with minimal resources to attract further investment. Stay Informed and Adapt: Keep a close eye on industry trends and be prepared to pivot your funding strategy as the landscape evolves. This TechCrunch article serves as a timely reminder of the ever-changing nature of startup funding. For those of us dedicated to fostering innovation and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, staying adaptable and proactive is key. https://lnkd.in/gwiEv5NQ #StartupFunding #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #YC #SeedRounds #Innovation #TechTrends #Founders

I have been running One Million by One Million (1Mby1M) since 2010. I find myself saying to entrepreneurs ad nauseam that VCs want to invest in startups that can go from zero to $100 million in revenue in 5 to 7 years. Startups that do not have what it takes to achieve velocity should not be venture funded. Experienced VCs, over time, have developed heuristics to gauge what constitutes a high growth venture investment thesis. However, 9 out of 10 venture-funded startups do not attain the kind of velocity that yields Unicorn valuation. What happens to venture funded startups that fail to accelerate after Seed, Series A, Series B or later rounds of funding? Among other things, they fail to raise additional funding. Runway runs out. Companies fold up or get sold for cheap. Entrepreneurs lose years of their lives. Hopefully they learn. If they have the energy, they start another company. Yet, given that VCs invested in these companies after significant due diligence, these companies were considered high potential once upon a time. It is worth considering what went wrong. Please read this multi-part series where I explore the topic in some detail. You can access the parts through this post. https://lnkd.in/gWiqZTKq You can come talk to me at one of my free roundtables: https://lnkd.in/gF2zTJj #startups #VCs #funding #investor #venturecapital #entrepreneurs Michael Palank, Brian Dawson, Brad Zions, Ravi Bhojwani, Kobie Fuller, Firas M. Rahhal, MD, Peter Lee, Nilesh Shah, Eva Ho, Evelyn Taylor, Zécca Lehn, Ba Minuzzi, Paul K. Smith 保羅・史密斯

I have been running 1Mby1M since 2010. I find myself saying to entrepreneurs ad nauseam that VCs want to invest in startups that can go from zero to $100 million in revenue in 5 to 7 years. Startups that do not have what it takes to achieve velocity should not be venture funded. Experienced VCs, over time, have developed heuristics to gauge what constitutes a high growth venture investment thesis. However, 9 out of 10 venture-funded startups do not attain the kind of velocity that yields Unicorn valuation. What happens to venture funded startups that fail to accelerate after Seed, Series A, Series B or later rounds of funding? Among other things, they fail to raise additional funding. Runway runs out. Companies fold up or get sold for cheap. Entrepreneurs lose years of their lives. Hopefully they learn. If they have the energy, they start another company. Yet, given that VCs invested in these companies after significant due diligence, these companies were considered high potential once upon a time. It is worth considering what went wrong. Please read this multi-part series where I explore the topic in some detail. You can access the parts through this post. https://lnkd.in/gWiqZTKq You can come talk to to me at one of my free roundtables: https://lnkd.in/gF2zTJj Kevin Ding, Kesha Cash, Ronny Conway, Andre de Baubigny, Patrick Yang, Radhika Krishnan, Bernard Moon, Ed Dua, Yashwanth Hemaraj, Frank Levinson, Shuo Chen, Vincent Lui, Virender Ahluwalia, Simar Mangat, Bill Kirsch, Brian Jacobs, Jeremy Almond, Adrian Walker, Alex Luce, Jiri Fiala, William Elmore, Robert Mittendorff, MD, MBA, Karl Meyer, Jason Green, Kelly Rodriques, Marco DeMiroz, Marla Sanchez

I have been running 1Mby1M since 2010. I find myself saying to entrepreneurs ad nauseam that VCs want to invest in startups that can go from zero to $100 million in revenue in 5 to 7 years. Startups that do not have what it takes to achieve velocity should not be venture funded. Experienced VCs, over time, have developed heuristics to gauge what constitutes a high growth venture investment thesis. However, 9 out of 10 venture-funded startups do not attain the kind of velocity that yields Unicorn valuation. What happens to venture funded startups that fail to accelerate after Seed, Series A, Series B or later rounds of funding? Among other things, they fail to raise additional funding. Runway runs out. Companies fold up or get sold for cheap. Entrepreneurs lose years of their lives. Hopefully they learn. If they have the energy, they start another company. Yet, given that VCs invested in these companies after significant due diligence, these companies were considered high potential once upon a time. It is worth considering what went wrong. Please read this multi-part series where I explore the topic in some detail. You can access the parts through this post. https://lnkd.in/gWiqZTKq You can come talk to to me at one of my free roundtables: https://lnkd.in/gF2zTJj Benjamin Narasin, Alexander Fries, Deepak Kamra, Ajit Singh, Einar Vollset, Dana Stalder, Andy Chen, Chris Yeh, Richard Jhang, Balaji Gopinath, Dafina Toncheva, Ammar Hanafi, Jasmine Shih, Ali Diallo, Eghosa Omoigui, Ashu Garg, Mark Leslie, Benjamin Levy, Oded Hermoni, Ian Rountree, David Koehn, Chris Anderson, Gary Little, Brian Elliott, Keval Desai, Vishal Verma

I have been running One Million by One Million (1Mby1M) since 2010. I find myself saying to entrepreneurs ad nauseam that VCs want to invest in startups that can go from zero to $100 million in revenue in 5 to 7 years. Startups that do not have what it takes to achieve velocity should not be venture funded. Experienced VCs, over time, have developed heuristics to gauge what constitutes a high growth venture investment thesis. However, 9 out of 10 venture-funded startups do not attain the kind of velocity that yields Unicorn valuation. What happens to venture funded startups that fail to accelerate after Seed, Series A, Series B or later rounds of funding? Among other things, they fail to raise additional funding. Runway runs out. Companies fold up or get sold for cheap. Entrepreneurs lose years of their lives. Hopefully they learn. If they have the energy, they start another company. Yet, given that VCs invested in these companies after significant due diligence, these companies were considered high potential once upon a time. It is worth considering what went wrong. Please read this multi-part series where I explore the topic in some detail. You can access the parts through this post. https://lnkd.in/gWiqZTKq You can come talk to me at one of my free roundtables: https://lnkd.in/gF2zTJj #startups #VCs #funding #investor #venturecapital #entrepreneurs Marc Yi, Matt Holleran, Greg Hitchan, Ravi Viswanathan, Kai Tse, Timothy Komada, Ed Kim, Charles Tan, Fred Campbell, Hiroshi Menjo, Greg Back, Babak Poushanchi, John Occhipinti, Hiroshi Menjo, Neil Weintraut, William Dai, Ashvin Bachireddy, Esteban Sosnik, Susan Mason, Holden Spaht, John Spinale, Warren Weiss, Purvi Gandhi, John McCrea, Gans Subramaniam, Sridhar Obilisetty, Adeyemi Ajao, Cindy Padnos, Catherine Chiu, CJ Reim, Armen Vidian, Jeff Crowe, Douglas Crawford, Hemant Bhardwaj, Jukka Alanen, TJ Nahigian, Akif Malik, Kris V.

Ever wondered how VCs handle failed startups? Check out this eye-opening TechCrunch article shedding light on how VCs are redefining the playbook by backing the wind-down of failed startups. In an industry where success stories often take the spotlight, understanding the nuances of failure is just as crucial for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned investors. This insightful piece offers a glimpse into the evolving landscape of startup funding and the invaluable lessons learned from setbacks. #venturecapital #startups #leanstartups