Kimari Kimari’s Post

If you want your #startup to succeed, make sure you: - Are able to pivot when necessary - Construct the right team - Use failure as a learning tool - And establish product-market fit early, shared seasoned entrepreneur Jothy Rosenberg PhD in our New Tech Ventures course.    Pratyay Agrawal ’24, Deepali Joshi ’26, Janya Mehra ’25, Shivani Shah ’25, and Aditi Vinod dive deeper into the takeaways. https://lnkd.in/eMUEQvfu Stephen Brand

🌟 "𝐊𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐡𝐢, 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧." In the world of startups, the importance of financial expertise cannot be overstated. From securing initial funding to navigating growth phases, every decision hinges on solid financial acumen and strategic planning. 📌 As someone deeply engaged in supporting startups, I've witnessed firsthand how crucial financial expertise is for steering these ventures towards success. It goes beyond mere number-crunching; it's about leveraging insights to drive innovation, attract investors, and sustain growth momentum. Whether you're bootstrapping or scaling with venture capital, the ability to interpret financial data, forecast trends, and optimize resources is paramount. It's what transforms aspirations into viable businesses and empowers founders to make informed, forward-thinking decisions. 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡. 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲. #StartupSuccess #FinancialExpertise #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #StartupJourney

The Waiting Game: A Lesson in Strategic Patience There is a common misconception about early stage startups that they are on a fast-paced tightrope walk, perpetually throttling the line between success and failure. While that is often true, there is also a significant amount of waiting involved that very few people talk about.    The waiting game exists at both the micro and macro levels, often at the same time - sometimes you’re waiting for an email, sometimes you’re waiting on an exit. Founders are running a sprint and a marathon at the same time, having to constantly swing between periods of intense work and downtime, all while keeping their sights on the long term goal. This is the way of the entrepreneur. At Good Company VC, we’ve seen time and again that the founders who are mission-driven in their pursuit have more resilience, and perform better in times of uncertainty - when your KPIs are helping people or this planet, everything else is put into perspective. Entrepreneurs, what has been your experience with the "waiting game?" What strategies have you developed to balance the sprint and marathon aspects of running a startup? Let us know in the comments and check out the rest of our September Newsletter below:

GTM wisdom for early stage entrepreneurs? Look no further! Yesterday I had the honor to pick the brains of Central Florida experts who are serial entrepreneurs and consultants in this space. Here are a few top takeaways from the conversation: ✅ Founders - Be the chief sales officer! If you aren't comfortable, skill up to talk directly to your potential customers and do the work yourself. No one knows the vision better than you. ✅ Invest in the power of the Customer Voice! While customers don't always know what they need, they can articulate the problem. Investing heavily on market research and in focus groups early, is helpful for early pivots and to trim the time to PMF. ✅ Find the NO! On product, pricing, services, features, all of it. Get your reps in to distill quickly. ✅ Work backwards from Series A. Talk prolifically to investors, stating that you aren't ready, but you want to understand and build to what metrics would be appealing. ✅ Tell your story along the way - consistently. To your prospects...to your brand ambassadors...to your potential investors! Thanks to Adam Ben-Evi, the CEO of Spot - Social Fitness App, Stephen Sopko, our deep tech guru who is CRO of Satellite Augmentation, Nina Jurewicz, Founder IHM and Associates LLC, and SPENCER ELLIOTT founder of Future Funders VC and Head of Business Development for PETE Learning. Click to listen to the replay: https://lnkd.in/gwPyjTXv #GTM #earlystage #valueprop #PMF #startup

If you didn't have a chance to watch this week's tenX talk on GTM strategies live, the recording is now available. Paul Coulter provides some top takeaways below. #GTM #tenXtalk #startup

Are you making these investor update mistakes in 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬? In the unpredictable world of startups, how you communicate with your investors can be a game-changer, especially during challenging periods 😨 At Amela, we're always eager to learn from the best, and we've uncovered some crucial insights for founders on NFX mastering 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴. Here are some standout points we found: 🚫 𝑨𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒅 𝑹𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒐 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆: Regular updates are vital. Keeping investors in the loop, even with small news, helps build and maintain trust. 📊 𝑩𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒂-𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏: Investors need clear, data-backed updates. Use concise language and provide key metrics to paint a transparent picture of your company’s progress. 🚨 𝑨𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑰𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒔: Be upfront about bad news. Sharing challenges promptly and asking for feedback can prevent bigger issues down the line. 📅 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕: Aim for monthly updates to keep investors informed without overwhelming them. More frequent updates may be necessary during crises. Great communication habits can transform how investors perceive and support your startup! To learn more about optimizing your investor communications, check out the full article 👉 https://lnkd.in/dKDJrFvk 📌 Follow us for more insights: https://lnkd.in/eBfVxtmS #Startup #Investment #Entrepreneurship #AngelInvesting 

Multiple people have sent me the "Founder Mode" essay by PG. TLDR: it's dangerous. For some context, I'm a multiple-time founder. Founder Mode is very narrow and dangerous in its thinking. "There are two types of ways to run a company..." Blah blah blah. "Two ways" to anything is typically a way to know you're in for someone who put a lot of thought into an essay. After all, there will be three types of people who read this post: people who liked it, people who disliked it, and people who thought it was just okay. Alright, now that Einstein is proud of my deep logic, let's explore what this Founder Mode essay is really saying: Founders can do things that non-founders can't do. Why? Because they are founders! What things? Be jerks. Be arrogant. Micromanage. Care about the outcome (as if non-founders don't care). Why are so many people talking about the essay? I have a feeling it has to do with the person who wrote it being "founder famous" (starting a startup accelerator that funded over 5000 startups) and so humbly acknowledging the people who helped in read the draft of his amazing work: "Thanks to Brian Chesky, Patrick Collison, Ron Conway, Jessica Livingston, Elon Musk, Ryan Petersen, Harj Taggar, and Garry Tan for reading drafts of this." P.S. Almost all of the most amazing people I've worked with -- not founders.

"𝕌𝕟𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕀𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕍ℙ 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕚𝕟 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕦𝕡 𝔽𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤" Many entrepreneurs often wonder, "What do investors look for in a startup?" The answer lies not just in the idea itself but in the execution and the proof of concept. This is where the power of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) comes into play. An MVP is more than just a prototype; it's a statement of capability, a testament to your team's ability to bring ideas to life. 🚀💼 Presenting a working MVP to potential investors can significantly shift the conversation from speculative to concrete. It's the difference between telling a story and being able to show the first chapter live. An MVP validates your product idea, showcases your commitment to solving a real problem, and demonstrates that there is a market demand for your solution. 📈🔍 But how does one create an MVP that resonates with investors? And what makes an MVP not just functional but compelling? These are the questions we'll explore in my upcoming article, "Speaking Investors' Language: How an MVP Can Attract Funding for Your Startup." We'll dive into strategies for developing an MVP that not only works but speaks volumes to investors about your startup's potential for growth and success. 📘💡 Remember, investors don't just invest in ideas; they invest in teams who show they can execute those ideas and adapt to market needs. A well-designed MVP can be your most persuasive argument in proving that your startup is worth investing in. #StartupFunding #InvestorPitch #MVPBenefits Join me later this week as we uncover the intricacies of aligning your MVP with investor expectations and turning potential into actual investment. Stay tuned, and let's embark on this journey together. Your startup's next chapter begins with an MVP that opens doors and builds bridges to the future. 🌉🚀

#2 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬💸 With this beautiful sunset in the background, which should remind you that no matter what happens the Earth will keep spinning and there is allways the next day, lets talk about second Startup"Killer" on my list. Did you know 𝟖𝟐% 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬? Pets.com, despite securing millions, burned through cash in just over a year. Free shipping, heavy marketing, and a market miscalculation proved a recipe for disaster. The lesson: Don't let a big budget blind you and allways make sure to pay attantion to your cashflow. Running out of cash isn't just about spending. It's about timing, forecasting, and making tough choices. Can you extend your runway without stalling growth? Should you seek funding now, or bootstrap a bit longer? These aren't just financial decisions – they're existential ones for your startup. What's your most creative solution for stretching your funds? #StartupFinance #CashFlowManagement #EntrepreneurialLessons #GoSessionsGo