Startup Newsletter

Founders → The allure of quick capital can be tempting

→ But remember, not all money is good money 🚀💥

→ In the journey of building your startup

→ The partners you choose can significantly impact your venture's success

Here are a few cautionary tales of founders who faced challenges due to partnering wit...

Founders — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 doesn’t care about your past

→ The market doesn’t care if your past is full of big wins

→ Or if this is your first rodeo

→ In capitalism, the market is the ultimate judge of success

→ Old wins can’t save you

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀

→ These innovators proved that fresh perspectives and un...

It started with $5k, pantyhose, scissors and a bright idea.

→ $5k to $1.3B

→ Sara Blakely was selling fax machines door-to-door

→ That's when she first had the idea for Spanx

→ Zero background in fashion or business

→ She invested her entire life savings ($5K) into HERSELF

𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗽𝗮...

Founders - Feel like you botched your pitch?

Then this happens. 📈

There are a bunch of cool stories where founders thought they totally messed up their pitches but still ended up getting the funding they needed. 

Here's a few — Enjoy!

1. Airbnb 🚀

Founders: Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan B...

What Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang thinks about DEI/ESG — He's worth $14 billion. Secured $1 billion in funding. Expected to hit $1.4 billion ARR by the end of 2024

The CEO of a hot artificial intelligence startup won praise from other chief executives, including Elon Musk, after he announced a hi...

When your startup is running on fumes — and you need a miracle

→ ask
→ when miracles come from God
→ they often come through man
→ when suddenly
→ your fortune changes

Don't stop asking

→ even when you're not sure He's there
→ he's made a lot of promises to man
→ they're in the bible
→ over 6000

I'm no...

Founders — Life gets clearer when you find purpose 🗾 

So I wrote "the book" on doing it

It's how I've connected the dots between VC + Startups + Purpose + and Faith.

→ I don't know how or when these dots got disconnected
→ but I'll let you in on a secret
→ they were meant to go together

I read someplace t...

Startups are Growers or Showers. Which are you? 👀

In the startup ecosystem, showers are those that make an immediate impact.

They launch with a bang, grabbing attention, funding, and market share quickly.

→ Think Uber, Snap Inc. – high visibility, rapid growth, and significant investor attraction...

Eventually, every founder gets knocked down — here's how to get back up.

Your plans are going to fail, eventually.

→ before, during or after you go-to-market
→ before or after you raise capital
→ either way, if you stay down, you die
→ you will have to learn how to turnaround your startup
→ and maybe ...

Founders - Here are the 10 most active VC investors in generative AI. 📈

Sequoia Capital: One of the world’s largest VC firms, has invested in some of the most prominent AI startups like ChatGPT creator OpenAI and legal AI assistant Harvey.

Andreessen Horowitz: Andreessen Horowitz has gone all-in o...

What did the founders of WhatsApp (19B exit), Apple, and the INC 5000 know that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 of startup founders miss?

→ WhatsApp was initially self-funded
→ Same with Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Oracle, SAP & ZOHO
→ Along with Instagram
→ And Candy Crush, Minecraft
→ Basecamp too
→ And, most of the INC...

Founders - Something very personal

→ What I learned 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.
→ First, the setback was a setup
→ Not to get too cute
→ But, what I learned was a setup for my present success

𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵. 𝗜𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲. 

→ I was in my 22nd year as an entrepreneur
→ Several of my s...