Key Skills Founders Need at Each Stage

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

At each stage of the startup, the founder needs to have key skills to succeed at that level.

Here are the key skills founders need:

Seed stage -- grit and jack of all trades.

The founder at this stage needs to have grit to grind through obstacles and wear many hats.

The founder needs to build a product and sell it.

Growth stage -- sales and focus on core business

The founder at this stage needs to lead the sales effort as sales growth is all-important.

Core business functions need to be established, such as product development and support.

Scale stage -- expand into new verticals with the product.

The founder at this stage needs to hire specialists who can take the product into vertical segments.

Recruiting becomes the name of the game.

Beyond scale -- face of the company.

The founder at this stage represents the company to the outside world.

This includes providing support to close big sales, win new investors, and become the visionary for the company.

Investors should look for the CEO to apply the right skills at each stage of the company.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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Best Practices for Investor Introductions

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Fundraising requires connections to investors.

After a founder exhausts his own network, he must draw the circle wider to reach out to investors he does not know.

Here are some best practices for investor introductions:

Personalize the request for an introduction.

If making it to an investor, show how this request is unique to them.

If making it to someone who will make the introduction, provide that personalized message to them for their outreach.

Find a way to deliver value.

Investors look for new information about an area of interest for them.

Provide market research or a contact who knows more about that space.

Demonstrate the value of the introduction by showing how it's important to your work.

Investors aren't interested in spending time on things that don't matter.

Finally, return the favor.

If they provide the introduction, then see how one can provide value in return.

Consider these best practices for investor introductions.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Thriving on Chaos

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Startups have to go through the rollercoaster ride of highs and lows.

There will be good times and bad times.

Founders should identify what good problems are and what bad problems are.

Good problems indicate you are doing well.

These include the following:

Increasing sales that outstrip your current team.

Growing headcount such that you outgrow your current office space.

Customers demand more products and services than you can supply.

Bad problems indicate you are not doing well.

These include the following:

Another missed forecast, making it three in a row.

The loss of key accounts, such as that you now have more employees needed.

Customers are slow to sign up for the product, and retention is low.

Startup founders thrive on chaos.

It brings an energy to the startup that galvanizes the team.

Learn the difference between good problems and bad problems.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.