Unshackled Ventures’ Post

[19] How well do you know your co-founders? Building a new venture is tough. Doing it alone? That seems even tougher, though I’ve never taken that route. Building with the wrong co-founders? I imagine that’s the toughest of all. Thankfully, I’ve never faced that challenge either. There are countless stories out there that prove having great co-founders is a privilege. Especially those who stick together through the ups and downs. We’re definitely fortunate to have such a strong team. We went to college together, graduated together, worked together, co-founded and bootstrapped a company together, and now, we’re building our new venture together. And why not add this? We’re also in the running for the “World’s Best Dad” title together (check out our t-shirts!). We know each other deeply and push each other to be our best. Pic: Yesterday was Father’s Day in Brazil. Pedro Ceriotti , Andrio Frizon and I took our families to Cataratas do Iguaçu (one of the wonders of the world). For all the dads out there, Happy Father’s Day! This is post #19 of a series I’m writing while founding a startup still in stealth mode. You can navigate between posts 1-18 using the hashtag #behindthescenesonstealth #nektjourney. Let’s work!

This month I celebrate being with Raise as a coach first, commercial director second and then managing director for the last two years. I’ve seen this business move from no revenue some months, to predictable growth and 10x’ing revenue consistently. I’ve seen a team move through cultural changes that would have disintegrated most teams and yet this one survived and is stronger now more than ever. I’ve seen a business that had almost no systems and processes to implementing a full CRM and optimized workflows and measure the right things at the right time. I’ve seen a company that had ineffective and poorly applied levels of accountability, create fairness and autonomy with reporting rhythms and practices. And make hard decisions when the time came. Well done, Raise! Most startups NEVER get to this stage and with or without me- you will go far!

Creating an ideal board experience is easier than you think. If you ask Charles Hudson, managing partner at Precursor Ventures, it all comes down to keeping an open mind and engaging in open dialog (and sprinkling in some fun board dinners doesn't hurt either). #vcinsights #startuplessons #boardmatters

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the ups and downs of startup life, you know how easy it can be to get caught up in the challenges and forget to appreciate the blessings along the way. However, cultivating a practice of gratitude can be a powerful tool for maintaining perspective, finding joy amidst chaos, and fostering resilience in the face of adversity. Read our new blog post to learn more. https://lnkd.in/g5uhH3Eg

Exciting news ahead! 🚀 I'm hopping into another business venture, and I can't wait to share the journey with you all. Stay tuned for updates and sneak peeks! 💼✨ #NewAdventures #StayTuned #NewHorizons

Venture studios are on the rise, reshaping how we birth new businesses. 🚀 But what's the real score behind this trend? I embarked on my own journey with Laika Ventures, together with a group of friends and believers (or both), and it's been a wild ride. The thrill? Juggling diverse ideas and mentoring future leaders. The hurdles? Staying laser-focused and wisely managing resources. 🧠💡 We are starting now the engines. Get ready for amazing content from us.

Have you ever had a moment where everything seemed perfectly in place, yet something inside you just couldn’t move forward? You’re not alone. In a recent conversation with Greg Scheinman, founder and CEO of Midlife Ventures, we discussed “the messy middle.” The middle of our journey through life and finding what we want. This can be the hardest place to navigate. Yet, it’s in this messy middle where we can find our greatest opportunities for growth. The question is, how do we embrace it and move forward? #midlife #personalgrowth #growthopportunity

I made 80% wrong when starting Umbrelly year ago. But luckily 20% Key Moves I Made as a Founder in the Early Days were right. Key actions I took as a founder in the early days: 1. Chose the right business model. 2. Found first 5 customers personally—talked to them, understood their needs. 3. Brought on a great co-founder Elijah Koniukh 4. Invited 3 key early employees from my previous projects to join our great team Taras Paslavskyi Maksym Avin Max Anuchin 5. Secured money from great angel investors Pavlo Kobzar Dmytro Romaniuk Vladyslav Podoliako Michael Maximoff 6. Built early product prototypes and found and hired developers to built our MVP. What I’m focusing on now to increase our chances of success: 1. Pivoting or exploring alternative business models close to our core. 2. Raising more funds to extend our runway and boost our chances of survival. 3. Developing a clear strategic vision for business model, product, marketing, and PR.

🚀 Founder’s Log 2024.13 🚀 This has been a week where the real world has unfortunately drawn my attention away from my business. However, I know my current efforts will put me in such a better position to flourish and shine in the near future 🌟 Advice Received: Last week I had the pleasure of attending Purpose Ventures Sydney launch. The panel, with a mix of VC’s and founder’s, offered a more relatable and grounded perspective than is usual in this industry. I asked them the question: “How do you separate the good advice from the bad advice?” Derek Gerrard said: “Be aware of their motives” He pointed out that there is a whole cottage industry of advisors and mentors who may try to exchange advice for equity in your business. Sometimes this is a good deal, sometimes this can cost you more than you realise! Suzanna Lindsey-Temple said: “Follow your gut” Intuition is just your brain processing information faster than you can actively comprehend. In those moments, we need to learn to pay attention to what our instincts are telling us. This isn’t definitive, as our instincts can always be wrong, but it’s a better position to start from than blindly trusting people we don't know. Thank you also to Dave Newman and Kylie Gerrard for your awesome contributions to the panel discussion. It's so great to get a look behind the curtain into the (at times) opaque world of VC! Lessons learned: There is a season for everything. Right now I am moving house. By necessity my attention has been pulled away from the business and directed to packing our lives into a series of boxes. These sorts of distractions are inevitable in life, and sometime we just have to accept that for a short time we have to just grind through until the task is done. In these times like moving house, overcoming an illness, or taking care of a loved one, keep your eyes to the horizon and remember that the current state of things is always temporary. #founderslog #MontesQ #founderjourney #startuplegals #community #advice #weatherthestorm