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Founder Stories
In this guest post, we learn about how Ashley Sumner, CEO of Quilt, leads with empathy and creativity, encouraging her team to put themselves and their health first.
Liz Melton / 3 months

How I Lead My Tech Company With Empathy and Kindness

In this guest post, we learn about how Ashley Sumner, CEO of Quilt, leads with empathy and creativity, encouraging her team to put themselves and their health first.
Founder Stories
In this guest post, we learn about the risks Austin Rothbard, CEO of Twisted Road, was willing to take as a first-time founder. He outlines the resources he consumed, the processes he created for himself, and the mindset it took to get his company off the ground.
Liz Melton / 2 months

The Twisted Road to Twisted Road

In this guest post, we learn about the risks Austin Rothbard, CEO of Twisted Road, was willing to take as a first-time founder. He outlines the resources he consumed, the processes he created for himself, and the mindset it took to get his company off the ground.
Founder Stories
In this guest post by Brian Litvack, CEO and Co-Founder, LeagueApps, we learn why sports was such a big force in his life, how pivoting saved his company, and why hiring great founding team members is so important.
Liz Melton / 2 months

How My Poppy’s Love of Sports Inspired LeagueApps

In this guest post by Brian Litvack, CEO and Co-Founder, LeagueApps, we learn why sports was such a big force in his life, how pivoting saved his company, and why hiring great founding team members is so important.
Growth
Creating a new revenue stream is like hitting the jackpot. So long as a channel makes more money than it costs to operate, people will get excited about it.
Liz Melton / 7 months

7 Tips for Introducing a New Revenue Channel

Creating a new revenue stream is like hitting the jackpot. So long as a channel makes more money than it costs to operate, people will get excited about it.
Growth
I am not (yet) a successful founder, so take what I say with a grain of salt. However, there are a few lessons I want to share.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

So You Want to Be a Founder?

I am not (yet) a successful founder, so take what I say with a grain of salt. However, there are a few lessons I want to share.
Growth
Pricing is a delicate balance, and it’s even tougher for small startups that don’t have much data to go on nor resources to execute.
Liz Melton / 7 months

Strategic Pricing for SaaS Startups

Pricing is a delicate balance, and it’s even tougher for small startups that don’t have much data to go on nor resources to execute.
How to
Today's hiring climate is uniquely hard for young startups. Incumbent growth companies raising massive amounts of money, record low labor participation, digital burnout, and more are contributing to an obstacle course of hurdles when sourcing talent.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Early Stage Recruiting

Today's hiring climate is uniquely hard for young startups. Incumbent growth companies raising massive amounts of money, record low labor participation, digital burnout, and more are contributing to an obstacle course of hurdles when sourcing talent.
How to
Becoming a strategic partner involves extensive research, continuous engagement, and diligent planning, but the rewards can really pay off in terms of thought leadership, marketing, and most importantly, sales.
Liz Melton / 7 months

Strategic Partnerships for Startups

Becoming a strategic partner involves extensive research, continuous engagement, and diligent planning, but the rewards can really pay off in terms of thought leadership, marketing, and most importantly, sales.
Deep Dive
If your CEO tweets like Elon, you might want to check your D&O Insurance policy. While you probably spend most of your day thinking about shipping and selling products, you still need frameworks in place to defend yourself against potential costly lawsuits in the future.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Insurance for Startups

If your CEO tweets like Elon, you might want to check your D&O Insurance policy. While you probably spend most of your day thinking about shipping and selling products, you still need frameworks in place to defend yourself against potential costly lawsuits in the future.
Deep Dive
With fewer resources and time on their hands, most startups put PR on the back burner. But there are scrappy ways to approach PR to get you the notoriety you are craving.
Liz Melton / 7 months

Public Relations for Startups

With fewer resources and time on their hands, most startups put PR on the back burner. But there are scrappy ways to approach PR to get you the notoriety you are craving.
Culture
Burnout and mental well-being in startups are even more precarious than in traditional work settings. Tight deadlines combined with fewer resources, a lot of ambiguity, and a high likelihood of failure place substantially more stress on startup teams and founders.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Improving Mental Health at Your Startup

Burnout and mental well-being in startups are even more precarious than in traditional work settings. Tight deadlines combined with fewer resources, a lot of ambiguity, and a high likelihood of failure place substantially more stress on startup teams and founders.
Deep Dive
LTV is a benchmark for the health of a business, indicating brand loyalty, product-market fit, and viable unit economics.
Liz Melton / 7 months

What is LTV, and why does it matter?

LTV is a benchmark for the health of a business, indicating brand loyalty, product-market fit, and viable unit economics.
How to
Finding the best accounting and finance software for a startup can be a challenge. Here is our finance tech stack for your startup.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

First Time Founder Finance Stack

Finding the best accounting and finance software for a startup can be a challenge. Here is our finance tech stack for your startup.
Deep Dive
eCommerce marketing is about making consumers aware of your online store, convincing them to convert, and reminding them to purchase again. To stand out from the crowd, you need a comprehensive strategy involving social media, original content, and paid campaigns.
Liz Melton / 7 months

6 Ways to Get Started with Marketing for eCommerce Startups

eCommerce marketing is about making consumers aware of your online store, convincing them to convert, and reminding them to purchase again. To stand out from the crowd, you need a comprehensive strategy involving social media, original content, and paid campaigns.
How to
An employee's first few days at your company are formative. Providing a structured onboarding program and making new hires feel welcome
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Running an Effective Employee Onboarding

An employee's first few days at your company are formative. Providing a structured onboarding program and making new hires feel welcome
How to
Company offsites can inspire, motivate, and align your teams towards shared goals and prepare them for times of high growth.
Liz Melton / 7 months

The Anatomy of a Good Offsite

Company offsites can inspire, motivate, and align your teams towards shared goals and prepare them for times of high growth.
Deep Dive
Well-designed vendor procurement and management processes help cut costs, set companies up for successful SOC2 audits, and mitigate future risks.
Liz Melton / 7 months

Vendor Procurement and Management at a Startup

Well-designed vendor procurement and management processes help cut costs, set companies up for successful SOC2 audits, and mitigate future risks.
Finance
Cash is the lifeblood of an early-stage startup. Improperly managed cash flow will take down a startup before it's had the chance to grow.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

The Cash Flow Manifesto

Cash is the lifeblood of an early-stage startup. Improperly managed cash flow will take down a startup before it's had the chance to grow.
Growth
Product-led companies are characterized by rapid growth, little cash burn, and diehard fans, but those results only come to those that follow the product-led growth framework.
Liz Melton / 7 months

Product-Led Growth: What Is It and How Do You Do It?

Product-led companies are characterized by rapid growth, little cash burn, and diehard fans, but those results only come to those that follow the product-led growth framework.
Finance
Writing investor updates consistently is important for company success. Startup founders use different tools and processes for updating investors. Learn how to set up an investor relations process.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Investor Relations For Startup Founders

Writing investor updates consistently is important for company success. Startup founders use different tools and processes for updating investors. Learn how to set up an investor relations process.
Deep Dive
SOC 2 is a framework that validates an organization’s internal data center controls and other security-related operations that preserve client privacy. SOC 2 is often a critical component of enterprise decision-making, making it a must-have for startups selling into the Fortune 500
Liz Melton / 7 months

A Startup Guide to SOC 2

SOC 2 is a framework that validates an organization’s internal data center controls and other security-related operations that preserve client privacy. SOC 2 is often a critical component of enterprise decision-making, making it a must-have for startups selling into the Fortune 500
Deep Dive
Founders are taking advantage of the new remote-first world to rethink personal interactions and push the boundaries of what can be automated. Enter: “people-ops-as-a-service.”
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

When Robots Have Feelings

Founders are taking advantage of the new remote-first world to rethink personal interactions and push the boundaries of what can be automated. Enter: “people-ops-as-a-service.”
Deep Dive
Startups are prime candidates for CSR because as they grow, so too can their positive contributions to society. And beyond making the world a better place, CSR programs strengthen culture, lure in customers, retain talent, support public image, and attract investors.
Liz Melton / 7 months

Why It’s Not Too Early to Think About CSR

Startups are prime candidates for CSR because as they grow, so too can their positive contributions to society. And beyond making the world a better place, CSR programs strengthen culture, lure in customers, retain talent, support public image, and attract investors.
How to
Ready for first steps in information security to maintain a secure startup? Use these six best practices for information security.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

6 InfoSec Practices Your Startup Needs Now

Ready for first steps in information security to maintain a secure startup? Use these six best practices for information security.
How to
As you add team members, your communication structure within teams becomes exponentially more complex. In practice, rapid hiring can lead to disastrous communication lapses unless planned for ahead of time.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Designing a Startup Hiring Strategy

As you add team members, your communication structure within teams becomes exponentially more complex. In practice, rapid hiring can lead to disastrous communication lapses unless planned for ahead of time.
How to
An operational cadence is a blueprint for everything that happens at your company over the course of a year. Once you understand your cadence, you can coordinate the flow of the whole company.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

How to Set an Operational Cadence

An operational cadence is a blueprint for everything that happens at your company over the course of a year. Once you understand your cadence, you can coordinate the flow of the whole company.
Deep Dive
As all aspiring private equity investors know, the first thing you should do when evaluating a business for purchase is to figure out how to raise prices. Counterintuitively, right after closing in early February, the first thing I did was set up a freemium pricing model.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

When Freemium Fits

As all aspiring private equity investors know, the first thing you should do when evaluating a business for purchase is to figure out how to raise prices. Counterintuitively, right after closing in early February, the first thing I did was set up a freemium pricing model.
Operations
As companies in every industry compete to stay relevant to their customers, whether consumers or businesses, many have focused on improving
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Becoming a Customer Success Superhero

As companies in every industry compete to stay relevant to their customers, whether consumers or businesses, many have focused on improving
HR
With Peloton's rapid growth, the recruiting team went from interviews at the ping-pong table to an enterprise-grade hiring process.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Hiring for Rapid Growth

With Peloton's rapid growth, the recruiting team went from interviews at the ping-pong table to an enterprise-grade hiring process.
How to
Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, March 5, so I’ve been pondering what that looks like as a newly remote company. With the rise of loneliness during the pandemic, some employees may be looking to their job for camaraderie and connection.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

5 Ways To Show Employee Appreciation

Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, March 5, so I’ve been pondering what that looks like as a newly remote company. With the rise of loneliness during the pandemic, some employees may be looking to their job for camaraderie and connection.
How to
Much of customer acquisition is trial and error. Brainstorming new customer acquisition strategies is key to keeping your strategy fresh.
Liz Melton / 7 months

6 Unconventional Customer Acquisition Strategies

Much of customer acquisition is trial and error. Brainstorming new customer acquisition strategies is key to keeping your strategy fresh.
How to
Kard is in the middle of a hiring spree, and the process has made me think about who we’re becoming as a company. At eleven people, we are too big to get away without defining our company culture but not yet large enough to be hiring a Head of ...
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Creating Company Culture

Kard is in the middle of a hiring spree, and the process has made me think about who we’re becoming as a company. At eleven people, we are too big to get away without defining our company culture but not yet large enough to be hiring a Head of ...
Deep Dive
If you find yourself struggling to properly understand and put together things like employee benefit packages, a PEO can be your best friend
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Perfecting Your PEO

If you find yourself struggling to properly understand and put together things like employee benefit packages, a PEO can be your best friend
How to
A startup is either growing or dying, and a well-positioned one should have a strong market, assets, and team. Should you join?
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

How To Make Big Decisions

A startup is either growing or dying, and a well-positioned one should have a strong market, assets, and team. Should you join?
Deep Dive
In today's era of drip campaigns and automated sales message, a well-crafted cold email stands head and shoulders above its competition. The only way to write a great cold email is to be authentic and maybe even a little bit weird.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Writing Better Cold Emails

In today's era of drip campaigns and automated sales message, a well-crafted cold email stands head and shoulders above its competition. The only way to write a great cold email is to be authentic and maybe even a little bit weird.
How to
Delegation requires trust, and trust is earned. Start off with small outcomes and work towards higher stake assignments.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Avoiding Delegation Downfalls

Delegation requires trust, and trust is earned. Start off with small outcomes and work towards higher stake assignments.
How to
Building a startup is like climbing a mountain. Except this mountain has no trails so you can only use your best guesses to reach the summit.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Summit Your Goals

Building a startup is like climbing a mountain. Except this mountain has no trails so you can only use your best guesses to reach the summit.
Q&A
Singer is the former founding Creative Director at Of Mercer, where she helped grow the brand from its initial concept into a multi-million dollar company. Prior to that, she was a cofounder of womenswear brand Alex & Eli, responsible for brand strategy and visual identity.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Defining Your Brand Identity

Singer is the former founding Creative Director at Of Mercer, where she helped grow the brand from its initial concept into a multi-million dollar company. Prior to that, she was a cofounder of womenswear brand Alex & Eli, responsible for brand strategy and visual identity.
Finance
As the CFO of YipitData , Eric Lesser has to have a quarterback-like vision on his company’s financial health. Eric manages the finance and
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Become a Financial Quarterback

As the CFO of YipitData , Eric Lesser has to have a quarterback-like vision on his company’s financial health. Eric manages the finance and
Operations
Ravi Sharma, CEO of OOTify, joins us this week. Ravi has had two successful exits in healthcare and clean technology and has incubated and invested in numerous technology startups through his family office...
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Passion Behind the Hustle

Ravi Sharma, CEO of OOTify, joins us this week. Ravi has had two successful exits in healthcare and clean technology and has incubated and invested in numerous technology startups through his family office...
How to
Decisions have always been hard for me, especially when I’m overwhelmed. For example, I break down in front of restaurants because I can’t decide if I want to go in or pick a different restaurant.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Why You Should Write A User Guide

Decisions have always been hard for me, especially when I’m overwhelmed. For example, I break down in front of restaurants because I can’t decide if I want to go in or pick a different restaurant.
Operations
Adam Lawrence is the former COO of Bolt, an online checkout platform startup that was one of Fortune's 2020 50 Best Small Workplaces, among other accolades. Prior to that, he started, built, and sold HR company, Liveli, and was the first hire at Addepar . Adam...
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Mastering The Art Of The Playbook

Adam Lawrence is the former COO of Bolt, an online checkout platform startup that was one of Fortune's 2020 50 Best Small Workplaces, among other accolades. Prior to that, he started, built, and sold HR company, Liveli, and was the first hire at Addepar . Adam...
How to
Everyone's favorite time of year: performance review season! Roles in a startup change quickly, so the performance review process must adapt as team structure, company focus, and overall process also change.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Review Performance Reviews

Everyone's favorite time of year: performance review season! Roles in a startup change quickly, so the performance review process must adapt as team structure, company focus, and overall process also change.
How to
The End-of-Year Checklist: I like starting the year with an empty to-do list and a fresh perspective. As an obsessive list maker, this process naturally starts with another list...
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Finish the Year Strong

The End-of-Year Checklist: I like starting the year with an empty to-do list and a fresh perspective. As an obsessive list maker, this process naturally starts with another list...
Deep Dive
Despite the uncertainty of the past year, new business applications are up 38.5% year/year . For new entrepreneurs it can be hard to know what steps to take when it comes handling your new businesses finances. With the explosion of neobanks in the last few years, there are more options ...
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Money In the Bank

Despite the uncertainty of the past year, new business applications are up 38.5% year/year . For new entrepreneurs it can be hard to know what steps to take when it comes handling your new businesses finances. With the explosion of neobanks in the last few years, there are more options ...
Finance
We spoke with Brian Goodwin about R&D tax credits and what they mean for startups. Goodwin is the Director of Sales and Partnerships at Incentax, a tax credit consulting firm focused on these tax credits for businesses.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

R&D Tax Credits to the Rescue

We spoke with Brian Goodwin about R&D tax credits and what they mean for startups. Goodwin is the Director of Sales and Partnerships at Incentax, a tax credit consulting firm focused on these tax credits for businesses.
Deep Dive
If your CEO tweets like Elon, you might want to check your D&O Insurance policy. Insurance is a big ugly topic. It is one of those costs that feels like a waste until the day you need it. When starting a company, most people only spend time thinking ...
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Murphy's First Law

If your CEO tweets like Elon, you might want to check your D&O Insurance policy. Insurance is a big ugly topic. It is one of those costs that feels like a waste until the day you need it. When starting a company, most people only spend time thinking ...
Deep Dive
We are excited to have Gabe Marans of Savills join us for a Q&A this week to cover what your team should think about when looking for a change in office space.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Location, Location, Location

We are excited to have Gabe Marans of Savills join us for a Q&A this week to cover what your team should think about when looking for a change in office space.
Deep Dive
Hiring top talent is incredibly competitive. Most startups can't compete with FAANGs of the world in terms of cash comp. And because of this, most hiring managers and founders list hiring as the number 1 most challenging part of running a company.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Emerging Benefit Trends to Help You Compete

Hiring top talent is incredibly competitive. Most startups can't compete with FAANGs of the world in terms of cash comp. And because of this, most hiring managers and founders list hiring as the number 1 most challenging part of running a company.
How to
The only thing that kills startups is hiring too fast. Calculating ROI on a new hire is very challenging. To start, you need to model out the initial cost impact on runway.
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

The One Thing That Kills Startups

The only thing that kills startups is hiring too fast. Calculating ROI on a new hire is very challenging. To start, you need to model out the initial cost impact on runway.
How to
If you focus on enterprise sales, you will at some point need to show proof that your company has some operational integrity. SOC2 is the most common auditing procedure expected among early stage software startups. The SOC2 audit comes in two flavors: Type ...
Daniel Jakaitis / 7 months

Can You Afford To Do Enterprise Sales?

If you focus on enterprise sales, you will at some point need to show proof that your company has some operational integrity. SOC2 is the most common auditing procedure expected among early stage software startups. The SOC2 audit comes in two flavors: Type ...

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