Expert insights. Personalized for you.
If your startup/organization/team struggles with ideation (the process of coming up with ideas), you fall into one of two camps: Those who struggle to come up with any ideas. Those who come up with plenty of ideas but struggle to identify which ones are worth pursuing. What follows is a step-by-step guide for solving both problems. The Short Version. Step 1: Get MAD – Remember your M ission, assess your A ssets, document the D emand. Step 2: Ideate – Use your MAD to inspire ideas. MORE
With the rise in regulations and restrictions surrounding COVID-19, we’ve entered unprecedented times on a global scale. On our end, we hosted our first-ever Digital Demo Day to ensure the safety and protection of our team and founders. Using YouTube Live and recorded presentations, as well as an investor-founder Slack channel, we found success in this new format. MORE
EO members are helping to drive the MillionLives.org project, which aims to deliver Personal Protective Equipment to front-line health workers. Written for EO by Molly Nur. Our body’s natural response to danger is always the same: fight, flight or freeze. Several EO members have banded together and are responding to the COVID-19 crisis with a fight of epic proportions. Their goal is to mitigate the risk to millions of lives around the world. Here’s how. MORE
I wrote about our portfolio company Duolingo’s English Proficiency Test back in August of last year. I have always loved the idea that a company that helps people learn a language can also help people prove their fluency in a language. It is two sides of the same coin. But the road to success with the English Proficiency Test has been hard. MORE
Raising money just got a lot harder. According to CB Insight’s latest analysis , startup financing is about to take a giant hit. As you can see below, CB Insights forecasted that Q1’20 funding would ultimately be $67B (down from a projected $77B), mainly due to the Coronavirus outbreak. This is a drastic 30% decrease from Q1’19 when the funding levels were $87B. . And, below, it looks like the number of funding rounds will decrease 20% between Q1’19 and Q1’20 from 9,284 to 7,337. . MORE
The inherent role of a startup is to find a problem, create a solution, and do it in a way that is efficient, cost-effective, and impactful. . In COVID-19 times, we’re seeing story after story of startups doing exactly this: finding problems, creating solutions, and deploying those solutions in an efficient and effective way. MORE
When pitching investors, remember that your ask is like porridge; it follows the goldilocks ratio and has to be just right. Asking for too much or too little funding will raise red flags with investors and cause you to lose credibility. So the question remains: what is the appropriate amount of funding founders should request? This is a difficult question to answer. Luckily, there is a formula you can use to answer it. MORE
Here’s What We’re Learning about How to Survive. by David Kraus. Last week, Jose Alfaro led the CO.STARTERS team in hosting a series of virtual roundtables for entrepreneurs who feel stuck due to the COVID-19 crisis. Each session focused on different industry groups—restaurants and retail, makers and service providers, and lifestyle and consultants. We asked participants, when signing up, to tell us the biggest concern they had about their business. MORE
As policy makers around the world seek to mitigate the economic shock from this pandemic, one less obvious but powerful place to look are working capital flows. Yes we do need direct relief for small businesses like the forgivable PPP loans. We also need things like payroll tax deferrals and other relief from the CARES Act. We also need our capital markets to work so actions like the Fed is taking are necessary and important. MORE
Written by Ruchir Punjabi , the co-founder and chief digital officer of Distributed Energy , a company that matches investors with renewable energy projects across Africa, Middle East and India, and the founder of Langoor, which was sold to Havas Group in 2019. He is also a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) UAE chapter. A version of the following article originally appeared on Entrepreneur Middle East. MORE
Contributed by Michael Neidert. Ryota Saito is an entrepreneur and member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization in Japan. He shared his experiences persisting despite disaster in a recent EO webinar about rebuilding through business. . When Ryota Saito left his home in Tokyo on 11 March 2011, he expected a typical day as a Microsoft employee. Instead, he found himself at the epicenter of an earthquake and tsunami. The disaster left nearly 16,000 people dead and 2,500 missing. MORE
Written by Abdul Wahab Al-Halabi, partner, Decker & Halabi , and member, Entrepreneurs’ Organization UAE. A version of the following article originally appeared on Entrepreneur Middle East. As an entrepreneur in the UAE, I have been in consumer-facing industries, such as leisure, food and beverage and fitness. MORE
There is so much confusion and misinformation out there about the government sponsored “payroll protection plan” loans to companies that the heads of every small business CEO in the country must be spinning. We have been advising a lot of entrepreneurs so I thought I’d “open source” some of the advice I have been sharing. I am not claiming to be the world expert on this. But I have been in close contact with the NVCA, many of the major law firms and many of the major VC firms. MORE
Friday, April 3 was supposed to be the orderly launch of the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) providing $349B of urgently needed funding to struggling startups and small businesses. Last Friday was anything but orderly. After PPP is finished, I don't think bankers in the US will ever again acknowledge the letter P as a letter in the alphabet. MORE
By Jewelle Saunders. Following our Global Money Week Facebook chat on money management, budgeting, and financial planning in March 2020, we noticed an influx of questions about how to best manage your money and project growth during uncertain times. Here is advice from our experts, Desde Cero Finanzas ‘ Julio César Pineda, and North Central College ‘s Dr. Ryan Decker, along with some additional resources, to help you focus on money management when you are not sure what is coming next. MORE
In early 2019, I wrote one of my most-read blog posts , Two Simple Questions To Ask Every Potential Investor. Those questions were: “What do you specifically look for when you’re investing in companies?”. And a followup question, “Now that I’ve heard everything you’re looking for, I think we’re a fit for your fund. But in your opinion, is that really the case?”. Now that we’re in COVID-19 times, those questions remain as relevant as ever. Here’s why. MORE
I linked to a post by Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince the other day. In it , he wrote: The super heroes of this crisis are clearly the medical professionals at the front lines saving people’s lives and the scientists searching for a cure. But the faithful sidekick that’s helping us get through this crisis — still connected to our friends, loved ones, and, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to continue work from home, our jobs — is the Internet. The data is kind of incredible. MORE
Several years ago I made an appearance in a burgeoning new podcast called “20 Minute VC,” which by now needs no introduction. Harry was gracious enough to invite me back so this past week we recorded an episode discussing the current market environment. Please download the episode here , if for no other reason than to make Harry happy :) but I’ve also included some quick notes below including a few notes I didn’t share in the podcast (and vice versa by the way?—?if MORE
The venture fund launched a completely virtual program with a focus on helping 13 Urbantech, Healthtech, and Securetech startups with business development, customer growth, and capital raising in a time of economic uncertainty. Dreamit Ventures , an early-stage venture fund and growth-focused program for startups with early product-market fit, announced its latest batch of startups and kicked off its completely virtual Securetech, Urbantech, and Healthtech programs. MORE
Let’s establish two things right off the bat: One, the Coronavirus Pandemic is a global tragedy that has already cost us far too many lives and create economic devastation. Two, if you are lucky, you are still being paid to do a job—a job that, for founders, marketers and sales teams, means connecting with customers during a terrible health crisis and a recession. What’s a company to do with their marketing? MORE
Remember when owning a small business was risky but rewarding? Stressful but satisfying? And then COVID-19 hit. In the midst of a global pandemic, being responsible for your own business—as well as the livelihoods of your employees—very likely seems overwhelming if not completely debilitating. Nobody said entrepreneurship was easy, but certainly nobody predicted this devastating turn of events. Every day—perhaps every hour—you feel forced to reset your expectations, your goals and your strategy. MORE
A five-step Road to Recovery framework to help entrepreneurs adapt now and for the future. CO.STARTERS has always been about helping entrepreneurs get unstuck. In fact, since 2008 we’ve guided more than 12,000 aspiring business owners through the process of launching or growing their ventures. The underestimated business starters we support often feel stuck and alone, and find the help they need in our network of support and tools they can trust to find their best way forward. MORE
Obviously, the fight against Coronavirus has not stopped, but it’s hard not to look ahead to what’s next. How will having the world on lockdown affect our society in the long run? Here are a few trends I think we’ll see going forward: 1) Work from home is here to stay—at least partially. MORE
Long before diversity and inclusion became buzzwords, we decided to make venture capital inclusive from day one at 500 Startups. They became our guiding principles, because we know that great talent exists in all forms, no matter your gender, race, nationality, age, or background. Since 2010, we have expressed our commitment to those values in multiple ways. MORE
By Jewelle Saunders. The YLAI Network hosted three experts on financial planning for a Facebook chat in March 2020 for Global Money Week for network members. Our experts, ThrivingDollars ‘ Kenishia S. Mais, Desde Cero Finanzas ‘ Julio César Pineda and North Central College ‘s Dr. Ryan Decker, helped you work through your most pressing money management questions. From debt management and saving tips to investment inquiries, you have money on your mind. MORE
By Elise Kemp. Life is unpredictable. Markets take a turn, opportunities disappear, and unforeseen circumstances prevent us from being able to follow through with business as usual. Adaptability is the key to survival in an ever-changing world. If external pressures force you to redirect your source of income, please remember this is not a failure. This is an opportunity to come out stronger and more resilient — and to get creative. MORE
Entrepreneurs' Organization
APRIL 29, 2020
Written by Ruchir Punjabi , the co-founder and chief digital officer of Distributed Energy , a company that matches investors with renewable energy projects across Africa, Middle East and India, and the founder of Langoor, which was sold to Havas Group in 2019. He is also a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) UAE chapter. A version of the following article originally appeared on Entrepreneur Middle East.
Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative
APRIL 28, 2020
By Elise Kemp. Life is unpredictable. Markets take a turn, opportunities disappear, and unforeseen circumstances prevent us from being able to follow through with business as usual. Adaptability is the key to survival in an ever-changing world. If external pressures force you to redirect your source of income, please remember this is not a failure. This is an opportunity to come out stronger and more resilient — and to get creative.
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Dream It
APRIL 21, 2020
When pitching investors, remember that your ask is like porridge; it follows the goldilocks ratio and has to be just right. Asking for too much or too little funding will raise red flags with investors and cause you to lose credibility. So the question remains: what is the appropriate amount of funding founders should request? This is a difficult question to answer. Luckily, there is a formula you can use to answer it.
Paul G. Silva
APRIL 7, 2020
If your startup/organization/team struggles with ideation (the process of coming up with ideas), you fall into one of two camps: Those who struggle to come up with any ideas. Those who come up with plenty of ideas but struggle to identify which ones are worth pursuing. What follows is a step-by-step guide for solving both problems. The Short Version. Step 1: Get MAD – Remember your M ission, assess your A ssets, document the D emand. Step 2: Ideate – Use your MAD to inspire ideas.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
Every sales forecasting model has a different strength and predictability method. It’s recommended to test out which one is best for your team. This way, you’ll be able to further enhance – and optimize – your newly-developed pipeline. Your future sales forecast? Sunny skies (and success) are just ahead!
CO.STARTERS
APRIL 3, 2020
Here’s What We’re Learning about How to Survive. by David Kraus. Last week, Jose Alfaro led the CO.STARTERS team in hosting a series of virtual roundtables for entrepreneurs who feel stuck due to the COVID-19 crisis. Each session focused on different industry groups—restaurants and retail, makers and service providers, and lifestyle and consultants. We asked participants, when signing up, to tell us the biggest concern they had about their business.
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Startup Catalyst Brief brings together the best content for the entrepreneurial ecosystem from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
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Entrepreneurs' Organization
APRIL 1, 2020
Remember when owning a small business was risky but rewarding? Stressful but satisfying? And then COVID-19 hit. In the midst of a global pandemic, being responsible for your own business—as well as the livelihoods of your employees—very likely seems overwhelming if not completely debilitating. Nobody said entrepreneurship was easy, but certainly nobody predicted this devastating turn of events. Every day—perhaps every hour—you feel forced to reset your expectations, your goals and your strategy.
500
APRIL 28, 2020
Long before diversity and inclusion became buzzwords, we decided to make venture capital inclusive from day one at 500 Startups. They became our guiding principles, because we know that great talent exists in all forms, no matter your gender, race, nationality, age, or background. Since 2010, we have expressed our commitment to those values in multiple ways.
A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC
APRIL 9, 2020
I linked to a post by Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince the other day. In it , he wrote: The super heroes of this crisis are clearly the medical professionals at the front lines saving people’s lives and the scientists searching for a cure. But the faithful sidekick that’s helping us get through this crisis — still connected to our friends, loved ones, and, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to continue work from home, our jobs — is the Internet. The data is kind of incredible.
GAN
APRIL 22, 2020
The inherent role of a startup is to find a problem, create a solution, and do it in a way that is efficient, cost-effective, and impactful. . In COVID-19 times, we’re seeing story after story of startups doing exactly this: finding problems, creating solutions, and deploying those solutions in an efficient and effective way.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
Sales enablement is the strategic process of providing sales teams with the content, guidance, and mentorship needed to engage targeted buyers. It’s all about equipping sales professionals with the tools they need to put their best-selling foot forward. And if sales teams want to continuously sell better -- and faster -- their sales enablement process must have a game-winning strategy. It's time for you to start selling smarter - and hitting your sales number - with the best B2B database in the market. Get started today.
CO.STARTERS
APRIL 14, 2020
A five-step Road to Recovery framework to help entrepreneurs adapt now and for the future. CO.STARTERS has always been about helping entrepreneurs get unstuck. In fact, since 2008 we’ve guided more than 12,000 aspiring business owners through the process of launching or growing their ventures. The underestimated business starters we support often feel stuck and alone, and find the help they need in our network of support and tools they can trust to find their best way forward.
This is going to be BIG.
APRIL 1, 2020
Let’s establish two things right off the bat: One, the Coronavirus Pandemic is a global tragedy that has already cost us far too many lives and create economic devastation. Two, if you are lucky, you are still being paid to do a job—a job that, for founders, marketers and sales teams, means connecting with customers during a terrible health crisis and a recession. What’s a company to do with their marketing?
Entrepreneurs' Organization
APRIL 23, 2020
EO members are helping to drive the MillionLives.org project, which aims to deliver Personal Protective Equipment to front-line health workers. Written for EO by Molly Nur. Our body’s natural response to danger is always the same: fight, flight or freeze. Several EO members have banded together and are responding to the COVID-19 crisis with a fight of epic proportions. Their goal is to mitigate the risk to millions of lives around the world. Here’s how.
500
APRIL 6, 2020
With the rise in regulations and restrictions surrounding COVID-19, we’ve entered unprecedented times on a global scale. On our end, we hosted our first-ever Digital Demo Day to ensure the safety and protection of our team and founders. Using YouTube Live and recorded presentations, as well as an investor-founder Slack channel, we found success in this new format.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
This eBook highlights best practices for developing a pipeline management process that helps sales leaders and their team C.L.O.S.E (you’ll see what we mean in this eBook) more revenue through data-driven prospecting, stage analysis, and subsequent sales enablement.
A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC
APRIL 13, 2020
As policy makers around the world seek to mitigate the economic shock from this pandemic, one less obvious but powerful place to look are working capital flows. Yes we do need direct relief for small businesses like the forgivable PPP loans. We also need things like payroll tax deferrals and other relief from the CARES Act. We also need our capital markets to work so actions like the Fed is taking are necessary and important.
GAN
APRIL 8, 2020
Raising money just got a lot harder. According to CB Insight’s latest analysis , startup financing is about to take a giant hit. As you can see below, CB Insights forecasted that Q1’20 funding would ultimately be $67B (down from a projected $77B), mainly due to the Coronavirus outbreak. This is a drastic 30% decrease from Q1’19 when the funding levels were $87B. . And, below, it looks like the number of funding rounds will decrease 20% between Q1’19 and Q1’20 from 9,284 to 7,337. .
Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative
APRIL 15, 2020
By Jewelle Saunders. Following our Global Money Week Facebook chat on money management, budgeting, and financial planning in March 2020, we noticed an influx of questions about how to best manage your money and project growth during uncertain times. Here is advice from our experts, Desde Cero Finanzas ‘ Julio César Pineda, and North Central College ‘s Dr. Ryan Decker, along with some additional resources, to help you focus on money management when you are not sure what is coming next.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 20, 2020
Several years ago I made an appearance in a burgeoning new podcast called “20 Minute VC,” which by now needs no introduction. Harry was gracious enough to invite me back so this past week we recorded an episode discussing the current market environment. Please download the episode here , if for no other reason than to make Harry happy :) but I’ve also included some quick notes below including a few notes I didn’t share in the podcast (and vice versa by the way?—?if
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
Businesses are laying off workers, shutting their doors (some permanently), and struggling to react to the radical destruction that coronavirus (COVID-19) is doing to our society and communities. Most have already sustained massive damage, and we still have yet to see the scope of impact of the global pandemic that has upended the globe. Any return to normalcy may seem far-off, but sales and marketing are on the front lines of restarting the economy. When the dust settles, we have a responsibility to turn our shock and grief into fierce determination, and lead the charge of responsible, strategic, sustainable future growth. However, there’s no team better suited to lead that charge than the marketing department. Marketers are uniquely positioned to provide creative solutions to aid their organization in times of change and chart a course for navigating success.
Entrepreneurs' Organization
APRIL 13, 2020
Contributed by Michael Neidert. Ryota Saito is an entrepreneur and member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization in Japan. He shared his experiences persisting despite disaster in a recent EO webinar about rebuilding through business. . When Ryota Saito left his home in Tokyo on 11 March 2011, he expected a typical day as a Microsoft employee. Instead, he found himself at the epicenter of an earthquake and tsunami. The disaster left nearly 16,000 people dead and 2,500 missing.
Dream It
APRIL 7, 2020
The venture fund launched a completely virtual program with a focus on helping 13 Urbantech, Healthtech, and Securetech startups with business development, customer growth, and capital raising in a time of economic uncertainty. Dreamit Ventures , an early-stage venture fund and growth-focused program for startups with early product-market fit, announced its latest batch of startups and kicked off its completely virtual Securetech, Urbantech, and Healthtech programs.
A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC
APRIL 22, 2020
I wrote about our portfolio company Duolingo’s English Proficiency Test back in August of last year. I have always loved the idea that a company that helps people learn a language can also help people prove their fluency in a language. It is two sides of the same coin. But the road to success with the English Proficiency Test has been hard.
GAN
APRIL 29, 2020
In early 2019, I wrote one of my most-read blog posts , Two Simple Questions To Ask Every Potential Investor. Those questions were: “What do you specifically look for when you’re investing in companies?”. And a followup question, “Now that I’ve heard everything you’re looking for, I think we’re a fit for your fund. But in your opinion, is that really the case?”. Now that we’re in COVID-19 times, those questions remain as relevant as ever. Here’s why.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
Recent digital transformation has shifted the B2B landscape by ushering in the era of buyer empowerment. With more access to user reviews, analyst opinion, and industry research, decision-makers are more informed than ever while navigating what is now known as the “buyer’s journey.”
Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative
APRIL 14, 2020
By Jewelle Saunders. The YLAI Network hosted three experts on financial planning for a Facebook chat in March 2020 for Global Money Week for network members. Our experts, ThrivingDollars ‘ Kenishia S. Mais, Desde Cero Finanzas ‘ Julio César Pineda and North Central College ‘s Dr. Ryan Decker, helped you work through your most pressing money management questions. From debt management and saving tips to investment inquiries, you have money on your mind.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 6, 2020
There is so much confusion and misinformation out there about the government sponsored “payroll protection plan” loans to companies that the heads of every small business CEO in the country must be spinning. We have been advising a lot of entrepreneurs so I thought I’d “open source” some of the advice I have been sharing. I am not claiming to be the world expert on this. But I have been in close contact with the NVCA, many of the major law firms and many of the major VC firms.
Entrepreneurs' Organization
APRIL 27, 2020
Written by Abdul Wahab Al-Halabi, partner, Decker & Halabi , and member, Entrepreneurs’ Organization UAE. A version of the following article originally appeared on Entrepreneur Middle East. As an entrepreneur in the UAE, I have been in consumer-facing industries, such as leisure, food and beverage and fitness.
Dream It
APRIL 7, 2020
Friday, April 3 was supposed to be the orderly launch of the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) providing $349B of urgently needed funding to struggling startups and small businesses. Last Friday was anything but orderly. After PPP is finished, I don't think bankers in the US will ever again acknowledge the letter P as a letter in the alphabet.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
As data continues to play a starring role in today’s B2B organizations, both marketing and sales operations professionals are poised to solidify their place as critical revenue drivers. In particular, the evolution of the Marketing Operations (Ops) role has created a new standard in marketing and has become a vital component of an organization’s success.
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