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7 things to make your Techstars NYC Application standout
Techstars NYC program is very competitive, and end we end up accepting less than 1% of the applicants. Because the program is so competitive, it is important to make your application stand out. Here...
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How to ask me (and others) for an intro
I get a lot of asks to do an intro, and I do A TON of intros every week. I don’t mind, I love it actually, because my job is to create a bigger network, to connect the dots ;) The first rule of any...
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9 Seed Funding Gotchas
‘Chance favors the prepared mind.’ – Louis Pasteur. One of the objectives of the companies going through Techstars and other accelerators is to secure financing. Most companies are coming in focusing...
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I’ve seen the new face of Search, and it ain’t Google.
I’ve seen the new face of Search, and it ain’t Google. What is it you ask? It is a Text message. Wait, what? A text message?! Alex, this really makes no sense?! Ah, but it does. Read on, and you will...
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What’s your GMT – the next goal, milestone, and task?
We spend a lot of time talking to Techstars founders about focus. We talk a lot about saying ‘no’ to things that don’t matter. We talk a lot about not chasing too many things at once. We try to give...
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51 Quick Productivity and Business Tips for Startups
At Techstars we talk a lot about productivity, email, getting things done, basic biz dev, and fundraising culture. Below is a collection of general tips we give our founders. While nothing is ever...
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Why traditional TV is the real Walking Dead
For years people have been talking about the demise of traditional television, and now, it is finally here. It is getting unbundled and attacked from so many different directions that there is no way...
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7 Tips for #crushingit on Techstars (and any other) Demo Day
Demo Day is a culmination of the Techstars and other accelerator programs. Companies, investors, mentors, and community come together to review the progress that companies made and to celebrate their...
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Founders, beware of Happy Ears
David Cohen, co-founder of Techstars, has a ton of amazing advice for founders. One of my favorite bits from him is about Happy Ears. What’s that, you ask? It is what most founders have when they are...
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7 things to do to get the most out of an accelerator program
So you decided that an accelerator is appropriate and helpful to your company. You read 10 Reasons to Join (or not to join) an accelerator post and decided to go for it. Filled out the application,...
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How to write a forwardable introduction email
Getting an introduction is a basic thing that startup founders do pretty much every day. We talked about introductions in the post about business development tips, and also in this post about asking...
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8 things you need to know about raising venture capital
If your startup is growing, at some point you will likely be seeking venture capital. Unlike angel investors, who typically write checks between 10K to 100K, VCs have an ability to write multi-million...
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How NOT to ask and how to ask for VC introduction
I’ve been getting a large number of bad VC asks lately. What is a bad VC ask? A bad VC ask is an open-ended ask for an intro to a venture firm. Here are some examples: – Do you know anyone who might be...
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Why Apple TV Could be a game changer
Today, during Apple’s announcement my Twitter stream was a festival of haters. People made fun of the Pencil and Live Photos, and pretty much everything else. In the meantime, I bought some Apple...
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Your MVP is minimal, but is it viable?
In this day and age, when startups talk about MVP the emphasis is always on minimum. Everyone encourages founders to not wait too long to launch, to get it out there, to get feedback, and to start...
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Dude, you need a marketing plan!
Last week we talked about MVP, and that it is important for MVP to be actually viable. Viability, as we explained, means ability to live. To be viable, the product needs to have enough hooks and...
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The Culture of Writing Things Down
I dislike bureaucracy and over-process, but I love writing things down. Whether it is a product specification, job opening, marketing plan, or content strategy, putting things on paper creates clarity...
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Docker buys Tutum: What I learned from my first meaningful exit as an investor
This morning TechCrunch announced that Docker, an enterprise company known for its container technology, has acquired Techstars NYC 2014 alumni Tutum. Tutum was part of my first Techstars NYC class,...
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7 Sources of Startup Seed Capital – from friends & family to billion dollar...
When thinking about financing your startup, it is important understand different types of potential investors. Not every wallet is right for you. Figuring out who to raise money from and why will save...
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How to introduce your startup in an email
We encourage Techstars companies to perfect the way they introduce themselves. An introduction is a first touch point. Make it simple, clear, and awesome. To start with, master the etiquette of...
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