Tim Metzner’s Post

Bittersweet news is that Edesia is shutting down. My cofounders and I spent a lot of time in our startup. It feels like a breakup 😭. But I learned a lot from it. Some of my biggest lessons I learned is to be nice to your customers. Always appreciate each customer because that’s a human being and a friend. Founder problem fit. Like I can still do Edesia there is nothing wrong with the business. It’s that the work and the why was not exciting enough. Last is your co founders relationship are importsnt your business will keep evolving and changing paths but building businesss with friends is most core part of it.

I'm now at a point in my career where I can give effective (hopefully 😂 ) advice to people because I've "been there and done that." That’s why I’m PUMPED to be joining Hatchet Ventures 🪓 growing portfolio of advisors! I’m excited to use my career experience and the lessons I’m learning building Social Impact World (plus lessons I’ve learned building initiatives like Startups Give Back from scratch) to help underestimated founders in Hatchet's portfolio. When 🏄🏼♂️ Joshua Krammes shared Hatchet's vision with me and explained how the team built a community-led advisory network that helps secure resources and exposure for underestimated founders who are generally left out of the equation in Silicon Valley, I was sold. He had me at community-led. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “What’s up with the image?” 😂 Here’s some context. When the Hatchet team asked me to share a super hero or fictional character that resonates with me, I chose Rocky Balboa. The Rocky series has always resonated with me, especially the first one. Rocky wasn’t the smartest in the room. He wasn’t the most talented. He wasn’t born into wealth. No, he had to fight (figuratively and literally) to make something of himself; to prove people wrong. He’s an example of how grit, determination, and a 'get knocked down twice, get back up three times' mentality can take you to heights you’ve only dreamed of. The Hatchet team turned me into Rocky. 💥 🥊 Shannon Mark, Jessica Van Hatcher, Dalton Van Hatchet🪓 , 🏄🏼♂️ Joshua Krammes thank you for the opportunity!

Big News! 1. Exit Talk has moved its signup page to exittalk [dot] org. We are a community project after all. 2. We are lining-up corporate moderators for each of our Slack channels. Companies in the space have already stepped-up to lead about half the channels, so there's still some room if your company is interested. DM Paolo in Exit Talk. The dream is a half-dozen players in the startup M&A space keeping the community lively, getting startups the help they need, leading to more & better exits. More news on the corporate moderators next week! 🚀 🚀 🚀

👋🏽Founders, I have an offer for you. I never do this, but the economy is weird and growing a company feels harder than ever. I'd like to be in your corner. Book a 30-min advisory session with me. Only 5 spots are available -- first come, first serve. Here's where I can add value: ✨Business model feedback ✨GTM strategy ✨Marketing and growth strategy ✨Fundraising advice and deck review ✨All things Brand Here's who I'd love to support: 🌱Pre-seed and Seed stage companies 📈Companies with MVPs or some demonstration of PMF (product market fit) 🧔🏽♂️Diverse founders (non-exclusive) 👩🏻Women founders (non-exclusive) Questions about the offer -- Message me or reply to this post. Book now before it's too late! 🚀

I've always been uncomfortable putting myself "out there". It always looks so much easier for everyone else! I stumbled across Fingertip.com this week in one of Gabby Leibovich's LinkedIn posts and dived right into creating my first ever personal site. It forced me to think about how I describe what I've done & what I'm doing. I'll definitely keep updating my site with more personal info and features - it's so easy. So... If you're a venture/startup investor and want to connect - check it out 👉 https://lnkd.in/gqbqRWvE #angelinvesting #aboutme #tech #startups tag Fingertip.com founders Oliver Hoffman & Matthew Blode (not an ad, and is my unpaid for, unsolicited recommendation)

🌟 The Power of Diversity in Startups 🌈 Diverse teams lead to more creative and successful startups. Embracing diversity and inclusion is not just the right thing to do; it’s a business imperative. 🔹 How is your startup fostering diversity and inclusion? 🔹 What benefits have you seen from having a diverse team? Let’s celebrate our differences and learn from each other’s experiences. Join us: Aquarium #DiversityInTech #InclusiveWorkplace #StartupSuccess #DiversityMatters

Are you starting a business with co-founders? Achieving co-founder alignment is essential for building a strong foundation for success. Here are some invaluable tips to help you get there. 1️⃣ Define Shared Goals: Establish a clear vision and objectives that all co-founders agree on. This will ensure everyone moves in the same direction and works towards a common purpose. 2️⃣ Open Communication: Foster a culture of open communication and transparency among co-founders. Encourage honest discussions about challenges, concerns, and aspirations to prevent misunderstandings and foster trust within the team. 3️⃣ Clarify Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly define each co-founder's roles, responsibilities, and areas of expertise within the business. Delineating responsibilities upfront can avoid conflicts and ensure accountability for different aspects of the venture. 4️⃣ Respect Differences: Embrace diversity of opinions, backgrounds, and experiences among co-founders. Recognize that differing perspectives can enrich decision-making and drive innovation within the team. 5️⃣ Establish Conflict Resolution Mechanisms: Anticipate that conflicts may arise and establish effective mechanisms for resolving them constructively. A framework can help address conflicts promptly and maintain harmony within the team. Remember that co-founder alignment is not just about agreement; it's about shared commitment, mutual respect, and a collective drive toward success. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.👇 #startups #leanstartups #cofounders

6 years ago we started ScaleupAlly. Manu Jain, Tarsem Singh and Suprabhat Sen have been the co-founders anyone could ever ask for. It's been a rollercoaster! Initially, we had to work throughout the night. It was a fight to survive. My focus when I was joining hands with co-founders was to connect with someone- - Who has the skills, I don’t have. - Whom I can trust and - Who shares the same passion as I do. Your people are the only ones by your side. During that time, the people who have your back are the ones that help you keep going. Thank you, everyone, and the ScaleupAlly team for helping me improve daily. How do you choose who to do business with? #cofounders #collaboration #partnership #gratitude #business #startup

but forgot as soon as we became adults: 1. Dreaming big without limits 2. Collaborating just for fun 3. Celebrating every little win Let's revive these kiddo truths and use them to create meaningful projects! Dream without boundaries, team up with others because it's rewarding, and cheer on every step you make. Got an idea? Reach out and let's make it happen together! 💪 Share if this inspired you or comment with your own project dreams! Email us at [email protected] #Empowerment #CreativeMoms #SocialImpact Tech Startup, black moms, black creative moms, angel investor

This #gratitudetuesday is a special shoutout to the one and only, Jeff Stewart. Jeff and I met in 2011. I was leaving #Google and searching to start/join a #socialenterprise startup. Jeff, a serial entrepreneur with companies like Mimeo.com under his belt, had just co-founded #Lenddo, an early FinTech innovator in alternative credit scoring. They had an audacious goal to provide access to credit to 1 billion people in emerging markets and needed someone to launch Latin America. Those 3 years working with Jeff and the Lenddo team were formative in my career. A few things, of many, that I am grateful I learned from Jeff: -- I learned how many no's it takes to get to one yes when raising venture capital. -- I learned the challenge and value of a leadership team spread across three continents and how to hire/scale a team to over 100 in a short period of time. -- I learned when it is time to move on from a job, even when you enjoy the work and team, when something else that is closer to your vocation becomes a possibility (in my case, my interest in food and restaurants and subsequent work with McDonald's) It was great to host Jeff at Big Green Egg headquarters to hear about his current work as an investor at #GPOfund, helping growth companies go public on global markets. We broke bread (or ate Jamaican Jerk Wings in this case) and shared some war stories of startup days goneby. Thanks Jeff - I appreciate you and our friendship! ps - fulfillment in business and in life comes from long-term friendships...who can you reach out to today to thank them for being a long-term friend and colleague? you will both be happy you took the 5 minutes to do it!