Altar.io’s Post

💡 Startup Speed to Velocity Flywheel. An oldie but goodie framework for everything in startups - from selling products to fundraising. ➡️ First, let's clarify and debunk this: Speed and velocity aren't the same. Speed is just how fast you're going in every direction Velocity includes direction too. This statement I hear to often is clearly wrong ❌➡️ "Don't worry about speed; direction is more important. I would rather be moving slowly in the right direction than fast in the wrong one." 🤷🏼♂️ ✅ ➡️ "Worry about speed to find the right direction, then go full throttle in the right direction. Framework for Iteration: ✅ Known Knowns: Our assumptions. Don't overestimate what you think you know. Use technology (CRM, CMS, AI tools etc) to expand and validate your knowledge. ✅ Known Unknowns: Test assumptions to move them to Known Knowns. Adopt a customer-centric approach; understand your audience deeply. ✅ Unknown Knowns: The unexpected insights. Value every piece of feedback. ✅ Unknown Unknowns: The surprises. Embrace them, don't fear them. Remember, it's about the entire sales funnel, not just the top. 🚀 Execution: Apply this to marketing and sales. Speed is key. Dive deep into data, understand your core metrics. And to make a difference and get ahead of the crowd, go hyper-localisation and personalisation based on data insights. 😳 Reality Check: Most people don’t know your startup and they do not give a a shit about it or you for that matter. . ✅ Something always beats nothing. ✅ The agile, 'get shit done' founder always outperforms the 'perfectly planned strategy' founder. For the ❤️ of startups ___________________________________ Connect or Follow DeReK WaTSoN Follow N2   for more updates Join our startup founders community to get actionable insights from industry experts: Fusion-42 ___________________________________ #startups #founders #cofounders #venturecapital #angelinvestors

Finally did it and recorded a walkthrough of everything I learned about #financialmodelling for startups (mainly B2B SaaS) over the last few years and sharing part of it with you here for free. The learnings are based on tens of startups invested in (as angel and via my venture Uplift1), tens of startups supported directly in modelling and fundraising and a high double-digit million amount that they raised afterwards. In this walkthrough I cover: - the role of a financial model in your day to day ops and during fundraising - what belongs in a financial model and how I structure it (early stage B2B SaaS focus) - the structure of individual tabs, their sub-sections and a very detailed breakdown of the formulas (I show several different ways how to model the most frequent issues) - what to focus on to tell the right "story" to investors - and on top will likely also make the file available (still tbd). The model has received the "seal of approval" from several partners of highly-renowned VCs which I'm very happy about. Who is this for? - People who are new to financial modelling for startups, e.g. first-time founders or investors who want to get their modelling skills up to speed. Seasoned operators/investors might find it valuable for picking up best practices. How to get access? => comment "modelling" below + send me a connection invite => I will send you first part of the walk through for free (~25 min loom video) The rest will probably be paid or I do a paid workshop. Still considering. But first part of the walk-through will def be for free and already contains lots of valuable insights on the role and structure of my model template. This walkthrough is exactly what I wish I had when I started my journey in venture. Hence, I want to get this out there to help people who are were I started. There are just too many accumulated learnings in there to offer it entirely for free, but I'm planning to make as much of it as possible available for free over time. I might also share some more learnings in individual posts etc. so stay tuned. #financialmodelling #startups #venture

Deadlines fade, but product impacts last. Where's your focus? In my daily interactions with founders, I often see a pattern: They come with fixed plans, fixed budgets, and fixed deadlines. But building a successful venture goes beyond ticking off these boxes. It's about creating something that outlasts the initial buzz, something that earns and keeps the market's trust—not an easy feat, given how fragile trust can be. Consider Team-GPT, a venture that we supported technically at Camplight | Your Digital Venture Builder. They had a mission - leverage Large Language Models to enhance team efficiency dramatically and focus on the profound impact their product could have. Instead of toiling for months on a perfect product, they chose to launch an MVP in just seven days. This approach wasn't just about being first - it was about understanding the market's pulse, grabbing the momentum, and adapting quickly. Before their official launch, they already had a user base—proof that speed, combined with vision, can work wonders. With over 24k users in just a few months, Team-GPT's product is a testament to what happens when you align your vision with market needs and act swiftly. And they're not stopping there. Every day, their product evolves, reaching new heights and now, even gearing to revolutionize enterprise companies. So, remember: it's not just about meeting deadlines. It's about seizing the moment, continuously adapting, and always aiming for lasting impact. That's how you transform a mere project into a legacy. If you're a founder with a vision, not just a deadline, let's connect. Together, we can seize the momentum and transform your vision into an impactful legacy. #productbuilding #entrepreneurship #founders #venturestudio #venturebuilding #startups #team #GPT #AI

The need to cannibalize your revenue in SaaS comes in waves. We've entered the new wave, where AI forces the cannibalisation. It will create a revenue trough, which will shorten runway, and force RIFs. Revenue pivots are a critical piece of the startup journey, but boy they take courage, vision, outstanding execution and excellent communication skills. Revenue troughs that are too deep are existential threats for startups Shallow revenue troughs are best, however the more shallow the trough The greater the chance the pivot has not been fully committed to. All the while founders have to maintain enough runway to keep running the business. But how do they raise capital to have the runway required When they are reporting slowing growth? It's a wild conundrum that we speak about with founders very frequently. I've personally led these pivots in 3 of my previous companies And we routinely explore these revenue pivots with our clients If you're a SaaS CEO/founder, this will keep you up at night. And I know almost every founder that's not AI native, faces this issue. For a deeper dive on how to navigate this existential conundrum Sign up to our newsletter, it's FREE Or drop me a DM and let's find time to talk it through. #sales #saas #startups #GTMdebt #venturecapital

Hi aspiring startup founders, Today, I'd like to share insights about startup success. Though I'm not a startup founder yet, my extensive research in this space led me to Garry Tan’s video, President of Y Combinator, highlighting pivotal traits for founders to journey from 0 to unicorns. These are not limited to: 1. Building from scratch: Transforming ideas into viable products while navigating challenges resiliently. 2. Shipping to millions: Scaling products efficiently to attract and retain a broad user base. 3. Deciding on the product: Making critical decisions based on market feedback and trends. 4. Hustling for users: Proactively acquiring users with innovative marketing strategies. 5. Hiring and managing a team: Building a skilled, motivated team and fostering a positive work culture. These pillars are vital for any startup's journey from inception to success. #startupinsights #growthmindset #startup #startupbusiness #workenvironment #learningandgrowing #techenthusiast #techblog #tech4dev

Do you know what it takes to build a unicorn? 🦄 The unicorn-intensive era of VC might have tricked you into believing there’s a playbook for it, too.  But now that the hype is over, there’s never been a better time to consider what it takes to reach a $1B valuation based on a $100M ARR. Christoph Janz’s metaphor of “hunting elephants” vs. “chasing flies,” which HubSpot further developed in its recent report, illustrates the intricacies of building unicorns. 👇 Each startup growth model requires different: - GTM strategies - Budget distribution - Team structure - Funding sources.  The most valuable advice is to identify which GTM approach fits your product better:  - To get large enterprise customers (elephants), focus on a robust sales cycle, tactics like account-based marketing (ABM), and a solid cap table with reputable backers.  - For small customers (flies), a self-service sales process, product virality, and product-led growth (PLG) motions are more scalable. Your product might be in the middle, so striking the right balance is the real challenge. Read my post on marketing-led vs. sales-led GTM: https://lnkd.in/eaCdVNZK If you’re unsure about where your product stands in the spectrum, let me help you uncover hidden GTM insights and prepare for the next 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯-𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘊. 👉 Send me a private message with "PMF" and we can talk. Or see how we build startups here ➔ https://salfati.group/ Our customers soar to success with the support of top investors like YCombinator, SVAngel, and Spark Capital. #founders #startups #investors #fundraising #venturecapital PS 🔔 Follow me for posts on startups, venture capital, and fundraising.

Great in-depth article on the early days of Gong that gives great advice on finding product market fit. My favorite piece of advice is to the keep the beta solution lean so that you can get rapid feedback from design partners. I’m living and loving that product market fit phase now! #AI #Startups

"Excited to kick off a 30-day journey into the world of startups! We'll explore innovative marketing strategies across various sectors. Each day, I'll share insights and actionable tips to help you navigate the dynamic startup landscape. From tech to e-commerce, fintech to healthtech, there's something for everyone. Stay tuned, engage with your thoughts, and let's grow together! 🚀 #StartupJourney #MarketingStrategy

🚀 Excited to Announce Week 29 of "Venture with Grace" 🚀 Join me for another week of insightful conversations and expert insights on my LinkedIn Live series, "Venture with Grace." This week, we have a fantastic lineup of guests from various corners of the venture capital and startup ecosystem. Don't miss these engaging sessions! 📅 July 23, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Keith Bender of Pear VC: Views on B2B SaaS, Marketplaces, and XR Tech 📅 July 24, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Adam Besvinick of Looking Glass Capital: Early-Stage Vision for Impact 📅 July 25, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Rob Schutz: Ex- Ro CGO on Startup Growth, Marketing, and Domain Brokerage 📅 July 25, 10:30 AM 🎙️ Tobi Coker of Felicis VC: Backing Enterprise, Infrastructure, and Biotech (Moved to next Friday!) 📅 July 26, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Adam Coccari of Intuit Ventures: From M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund to Global Startup Investing Each session promises to deliver valuable insights into different aspects of venture capital, from early-stage investing to the latest trends in tech. Whether you're a founder, investor, or just curious about the startup world, these conversations will offer something for everyone. 🔗 Don't forget to follow me and turn on notifications so you won't miss any episodes! Looking forward to seeing you all there. #VentureWithGrace #Startup #VC #Entrepreneurship #B2B #SaaS #Tech #Biotech #Marketing #Growth #Investing #LinkedInLive Make sure to engage with the post by sharing your thoughts, tagging colleagues who might be interested, and spreading the word. Let's make this another great week of learning and networking!

🚀 Excited to Announce Week 29 of "Venture with Grace" 🚀 Join me for another week of insightful conversations and expert insights on my LinkedIn Live series, "Venture with Grace." This week, we have a fantastic lineup of guests from various corners of the venture capital and startup ecosystem. Don't miss these engaging sessions! 📅 July 23, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Keith Bender of Pear VC: Views on B2B SaaS, Marketplaces, and XR Tech 📅 July 24, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Adam Besvinick of Looking Glass Capital: Early-Stage Vision for Impact 📅 July 25, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Rob Schutz: Ex- Ro CGO on Startup Growth, Marketing, and Domain Brokerage 📅 July 25, 10:30 AM 🎙️ Tobi Coker of Felicis VC: Backing Enterprise, Infrastructure, and Biotech (Moved to next Friday!) 📅 July 26, 9:00 AM 🎙️ Adam Coccari of Intuit Ventures: From M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund to Global Startup Investing Each session promises to deliver valuable insights into different aspects of venture capital, from early-stage investing to the latest trends in tech. Whether you're a founder, investor, or just curious about the startup world, these conversations will offer something for everyone. 🔗 Don't forget to follow me and turn on notifications so you won't miss any episodes! Looking forward to seeing you all there. #VentureWithGrace #Startup #VC #Entrepreneurship #B2B #SaaS #Tech #Biotech #Marketing #Growth #Investing #LinkedInLive Make sure to engage with the post by sharing your thoughts, tagging colleagues who might be interested, and spreading the word. Let's make this another great week of learning and networking!