Jennifer Maul’s Post

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗕2𝗕 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲? Lately, I've been having conversations with a lot of B2B startup founders, and something keeps coming up. These founders start with the right mindset - focused on solving customer needs to drive innovation. But as the pressures of early-stage growth kick in, and the desire to quickly please customers takes over, it’s all too easy to get sidetracked. Before you know it, the focus shifts from solving real customer pain points to simply keeping up with a flood of feature requests. This is where many early-stage startups struggle. It’s crucial to resist the temptation to chase every request and stay committed to addressing the core problems your customers face. If you’re an early-stage startup, having a sound strategy to process and act on feedback is essential. Don’t get stuck in the getting trapped in an endless cycle of feature development . Stay focused on what really matters—solving customer problems. Let’s connect and explore how you can keep your startup grounded in what your customers truly need. Have you found strategies that work for you to escape the feature spiral ?

When startups launch, their founders are usually a CEO and CTO. But there’s one exec who might not seem obvious from day one but absolutely should be: a CPO 👑 We asked Eran Raderman, the CPO at Clearitty, why : “CPOs define the #product’s vision and goals and understand the market, the competition, and the users. They ensure development aligns with real needs while keeping the business side in check. They’re the bridge between developers, production, and marketers, always keeping the user’s voice in mind and ensuring the product stays on track, even with inevitable changes, to deliver real value.” If this sounds like a lot, it is. During a typical day, Eran is constantly on the go, leading, communicating, and innovating. See for yourself by swiping the images below 👇 😊 -- Want more behind-the-scenes looks at our portfolio companies, their leaders, and their innovative experiences? Hit Follow on State of Mind Ventures (SOMV) page. #Startups

🚀 Does Your Startup Name Length Predict Unicorn Success? 🦄 There’s more to a startup name than just sounding cool—it might even correlate with success. Research shows that shorter names tend to dominate among unicorns. Companies like Uber, Stripe, and Zoom capitalize on simplicity, which aids recall, branding, and SEO. 📊 Here are some numbers: - Unicorn companies frequently lean toward one or two-syllable names, making them 40% more likely to be remembered and recognized in crowded markets. - Over 60% of current unicorns (e.g., Uber, Slack) have names under 10 characters, reinforcing the value of brevity. - As of 2024, the U.S. leads with 720 unicorns—and many follow this naming trendStartup Genome PitchBook The takeaway? While a name alone won’t guarantee success, clarity and simplicity give your brand a competitive edge. So if you’re aiming for that billion-dollar valuation, maybe think short and sweet. 😉 What’s the best short startup name you’ve seen? Drop it below!👇 Alara Dinc | Wills Hapworth | Andy Greenfield | Charlie Lambropoulos | Ram Parimi | Harry Landis #Startups #Unicorns #Branding #VentureCapital

Thought Leadership: The Power of Product-Led Growth in Scaling Startups In today’s competitive startup ecosystem, mastering Product-Led Growth (PLG) is crucial to scaling efficiently, especially in early-stage ventures. At its core, PLG focuses on making the product itself the primary driver of customer acquisition, engagement, and retention—leveraging the product’s natural virality to fuel growth. Take the example of Khatabook. Despite facing entrenched competitors, they focused on getting users to complete their core action—logging transactions. This simple yet essential engagement not only drove initial traction but also formed the foundation for scaling. As Khatabook improved its product to meet user needs, it optimized every step of the journey, from installation to retention, proving the importance of designing a product that scales organically. For startups aiming to stand out in crowded markets, identifying and enhancing the core actions that bring the most value to users is the key. Once users find value, they naturally spread the word, creating a self-perpetuating loop that drives long-term growth. The lesson? Scale isn’t just about speed—it's about depth, engagement, and staying power. What core action drives your product? How are you using PLG to scale your startup? #ProductLedGrowth #ScalingStartups #StartupSuccess #InvestorInsights #FoundersJourney #InnovationLeadership #Khatabook #ScalingSmart

Imagine what scaling up 200 Startups feels like...Exhilarating! 🤯 And, THIS is what we have learned from it - First, a little bit of background. Startups are often launched with a burning passion and a game-changing idea—but scaling them into sustainable, revenue-generating businesses? That’s a whole different ball game. At GetFresh Ventures, Diraj and team have had the privilege of working with founders who come from all walks of life—some with bold ideas but limited capital, others with strong funding but lacking a clear strategy to scale. Over the years, we’ve noticed a common thread: many founders think scaling means just a lot of selling and spending more. But the truth? Scaling is about designing growth that’s sustainable, efficient, and meaningful. It’s the mindset shift that we are deeply passionate about. In fact, we’ve spent years honing our “Growth by Design” framework to help startups achieve exactly that. Through this approach, we’ve supported founders in unlocking new revenue streams, building operational resilience, and even preparing for significant exits. But here’s the kicker: a lot of founders don’t even know where to begin. Do you focus on customer acquisition? Do you build more features? Do you invest in a sales team? These questions can feel overwhelming without a clear roadmap—and that’s where we come in. #growthbydesign helps startup increase their valuation and become investor sweethearts. If you’re scaling—or planning to scale— DM us for a quick chat #StartupGrowth #ScalingSmart #FounderSupport

Launch days are the kind of days where even my coffee needs a coffee 😵💫 and that’s not counting the months of groundwork - the brainstorming, strategizing and preparation that it takes to bring the pieces together Stressed? Me? Of course not. Just ask Bryony Pearce … I’m a total joy to be around on launch days, right? 😂 Let’s be real - they’re tough. They’re tough for any type of team, but, when launching a new product or feature as a startup: the stakes feel even higher, there’s no space for mistakes, and often, you’re working as a team that’s still … well… figuring things out. But the buzz of a successful launch? Irreplaceable. Chatting with other start-up founders & product marketing people, it’s clear many of us feel the same. Yes it’s tough, yes it’s stressful. But seeing a vision come to life is one of the things I love about it all. And once it’s all over, I’m already itching to dive right into the next. TOP TIP: Tools like Notion are lifesavers for building and executing a successful launch. It keeps us on track at The Alliance, keeping all our launch resources in one place. You can get up to 6 months of Notion for free, with unlimited AI ($6,000 in savings) using my link: https://ntn.so/richardking When you fill out the form, select my name in the partner field and enter my code RichardKingXNotion to get 6 months + unlimited AI on me once approved! #Notion #NotionPartner #NotionForStartups #Startups

The biggest killer of startups? Marketing problems—specifically, lack of product-market fit. 56% of startups fail because they build products nobody needs. What’s the fix? • Don’t invest heavily in tech before validating your idea. • Use lean startup principles: test quickly and pivot as needed. The Poultry Exchange, a promising Agtech startup, failed because it introduced digital tools to an industry not ready to adopt them. On the other hand, Airbnb started by renting air mattresses to test demand before scaling. 💡 Want to validate your startup before investing too much? Join the Zero to Millions Club: Zero to Millions Club #work #partners #collaboration #startuplife #marketing #problems

No, mentioning you are "AI-powered" is not enough to tell me what you do. Jokes aside, I reviewed these YCombinator startup headlines. There are 3 things I noticed: ➡️ It's hard to balance 'inspiring' vs. describing ➡️ Pre-product market fit people are scared to mention users ➡️ There are a lot of AWESOME startups out there #productmarketing

Sure, here you go: Why did the unicorn startup get kicked out of the bar? Because it couldn't stop trying to pitch its magical drink that had "no calories, no carbs, and limitless potential!" But hey, if you think that's funny, wait until you see what my AI jokes tool can whip up! It’s like having a personal comedian who only tells startup jokes—without the awkward silences. So, if you want more giggles than investors at a pitch meeting, give it a try! You might just find your next best punchline sent straight to you. And let’s be real, who doesn’t need a laugh between all those serious “disruptive” conversations? Dive into the hilarity of startup life—it’s free and super fun! Trust me, it’s not like those overinflated valuations we see every day. Get your own jokes here: https://lnkd.in/eKbtmJXb #meanceo, #gamepreneurship #startups #femalentrepreneur

Doubted your startup vision? I did, and here's why you shouldn't! ⇣ Startup Founders, I want you to stop doubting your unique vision. (I did, and now it's one of my biggest regrets.) Back in the early days of my startup, I didn't want to pitch my idea to investors. ⇢ I thought I was not ready yet. ⇢ I was scared they would reject it outright. But that hasn't happened. Instead, I have: → Met people who have embraced and funded similar ideas. → Shown what it's really like to turn a unique vision into reality. → Built a community that is supportive and thriving. But even better, I've gained unwavering confidence in my vision. Many people can hesitate and miss opportunities. But not many people can take the leap and make their vision a reality. Your vision is yours for a reason. No one can copy this. —-------------------------------------------- Hey, I’m Mohit Srivastava ! Follow me for more tips on product development and technology. I offer valuable, knowledge-driven, and actionable advice on current trends. Want to develop your product and launch in 2024? I help Founders make their dream projects come true, by helping them with everything that is “tech”. #ProductMarketFit #productdevelopment #startupstories #saasproducts #ArtificialIntelligenceDesign #AI #aitoolsforbusiness #uiuxdesign #DesignInspiration #startegy #competitionalert #riskmanagement #founderlife #nevergiveup #braintest #computerscience