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Legendary Founder stories are great — unless you're the poor bastard who had to live through it.

As Founders, we're regaled constantly of comeuppance stories of our fellow Founders who risked it all... almost lost it all... and then won it all in the end. It's entertaining, inspiring, and sometimes even true.

Often we wish we could have such an epic story ourselves. But what we rarely comprehend in those stories is that in order for the story to be so epic, someone had to go through a massive amount of pain to be able to tell it.

The reality of that pain and suffering is not only overlooked quickly but entirely justified by the outcome. But does that make it all OK?

The Against All Odds Legend

Recently a good friend of mine shared a tale of...

It turns out middle schoolers may be some of the best Founders I've ever met.

A little backstory. My kids go to a small school in Ohio that only has 208 students in the whole Middle School (grades 5-8). The school is very innovative, but one of the things that they do is allow the teachers to each pick one topic they would love to teach, no matter how weird, and pitch it to the entire Middle School.

I got invited to this pitch, totally unprepared as usual, and watched all of the other teachers pitch their classes. It was everything from "How to be a Pirate" to "How to Create your Dungeons and Dragons character." There were some seriously academic ones in there, but I was "sold" on the D&D course for sure! Where was this stuff when I was a...

As a startup, customer acquisition is essential for success. It requires careful planning and execution to ensure that your efforts are successful and cost-effective. In this introduction, we will explore key topics such as building relationships with potential customers, tracking success metrics, leveraging digital marketing channels, testing different campaigns, and more. With the right strategies in place, customer acquisition can be an exciting opportunity for startups to grow their customer base and expand their business.

Overview of customer acquisition for startups

Why Customer Acquisition Matters for Startups

Customer acquisition for startups is an incredibly important process that can mean the difference between success and failure. A...

There is absolutely a point where the cost of building our startup is simply too high.

The problem is all of our startup lore tells us otherwise. When I talk about building my new startup I talk about not taking a vacation for 7 years, not seeing my family for 3 years, and eating nothing but Ramen Noodles for a decade.

OK, the last part isn't true, it was Chocolate Pop-Tarts dipped in Nestle Quick (I was living big all along!)

We've built a culture around respecting the sacrifice, which is only somewhat helpful. What's dangerous is when we wind up taking it too far. How far is too far? That's the $0 question.

How Much is Our Health Worth?

Invariably the first casualty of sacrifice is our health. It comes as the perfect trifecta of destroyin...

As a founder or leader in a startup, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind of running your business. But if you want to achieve real success, it's important to take a step back and consider the bigger picture.

In his essay "Growth," Paul Graham argues that the most successful startups tend to be those that focus on rapid growth.

But what does it mean to have a "growth mindset"? Simply put, it's the belief that your company can and should grow quickly, and the willingness to take on new challenges and opportunities as they arise.

This means being open to trying new things, even if they come with a risk of failure. It means embracing change and constantly seeking out ways to improve and expand your business.

Company Culture: A Key Dr...

Most funded Founders get to a point where their current deal sucks.

It starts when we take (and keep) salaries well below market, then it extends as our position in the cap table gets crushed, and explodes when we're in Year 8 and nothing has improved.

We now run a company that isn't good for us — and probably not good for investors either. So how do we propose a change in our deal when so much time has elapsed?

Whatever we think our new terms should be, whether it's an increase in base salary, a cut of the profits, or an increase in our stock position, what matters is how we propose it. There's a specific path we need to take to insure we stand the best chance of a reset.

When it comes time to present our "New Deal" we have to go all in....

It is difficult to predict the specific types of startups that will be most successful in 2023, as the success of a startup can depend on a variety of factors such as market demand, competition, and the unique value proposition of the business.

However, here are 20 business ideas to start the brainstorming process:

1 - Virtual events platform

Virtual events, such as conferences, trade shows, and workshops, have become increasingly popular in recent years due to the rise of remote work and the convenience of participating in events online. A virtual events platform could be a successful startup business model for a number of reasons:

Market demand:

There is a growing demand for virtual events as more organizations look for ways to host events onl...

Series A startup funding is an important milestone for many early-stage startups. It is the first round of significant institutional funding, and it can provide the resources and support needed to take a startup to the next level.

In this article, we will explore what series A funding is, how it differs from other types of funding, and what startups can do to increase their chances of securing this crucial form of financing.

What is Series A Funding?

Series A funding is the first round of institutional funding that a startup receives after completing its seed funding round. It is typically sought by startups that have a proven product or service and are looking to accelerate their growth. Series A funding allows startups to build out their te...

Starting a business or becoming a professional athlete requires a unique combination of motivation, drive, and determination. Founders and professional athletes must be highly motivated and driven in order to achieve their goals and make a lasting impact in their respective fields.

In addition to being motivated and driven, both groups must also be able to handle high levels of competition and pressure, adapt and pivot in the face of change, have the resilience to bounce back from setbacks and failures, work well as part of a team, and continuously learn and improve in order to stay competitive.

The 6 Similarities that allow Founders and Athletes to Achieve Success

1. Founders and professional athletes must be highly motivated and driven to succ...

When it comes to building a website for your business, it's important to choose the right type of website that will meet your needs and goals. There are several different types of websites to choose from, each with its own set of features and benefits. And choosing which website is best might be a litter overwhelming.

Some websites are more useful than others, depending on your business's industry. Some are easier to maintain while others are just plain confusing. That's where we come in. We've put together a quick guide that will help you figure out what type of website is best for your business.

Read on for tips on choosing the perfect website for your business model with insight from our community members to help you along the way.

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