Startup Secrets

Ideas are worth very little without a culture to guide the selection of talent and a big, bold vision to attract and unify the team. Human capital is what separates great from good companies – which is why establishing a strong culture to attract and retain the right people while unifying them behind an inspiring vision and mission is essential to any significant venture. This workshop offers insight into approaches entrepreneurs should consider when developing their venture’s mission and vision – while ensuring they can execute on both – critical areas of focus when striving to build an enduring company.

We all know a company is only as good at its team, which is why the hiring process is so critical as you build out your venture. This workshop focuses on the different considerations an entrepreneur should make with regard to hiring, featuring insights from Russ Campanello, iRobot’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, and Acquia’s Global Manager of Talent Acquisition. The presentation also provides recommendations on specific questions to ask when trying to find your ideal candidate.

In this workshop, we walk through several key frameworks to building a game-changing business model in order to create the "perfect startup storm." See key players from companies like Acquia, Formlabs, Diagnostics for All, and OPEXengine explain how their business models push boundaries and ultimately become successful.

In this workshop, we dive into different strategies to get your product or service to market. It is critical for this lecture to be reviewed in conjunction with your business model. For example, it’s vital to work through the ultimate Customer Acquisition and Retention Cost (CARC) and Life Cycle Value (LCV) to develop a strategy for going to market that is consistent and profitable.

Investor pitches can be daunting, and advice from across the internet varies widely as to what information to include in your pitch. While every company and their potential investors are different, our suggestion for your investor pitch is simple: tell a story. In this workshop, you’ll learn what types of information to include, and how to weave a narrative that’s compelling enough to raise the capital you need to start your business.

There are many things to consider when determining fundraising strategies for your startup, from selecting funding partners, to targeting an investment amount, timing, and terms. The following workshop outlines the different considerations to think through when evaluating fundraising strategies. You’ll learn about: The best time to raise capital, what investors really look for in a startup before they provide capital, valuation…and the ability to truly evaluate, and the most important capital you will raise. With the funding landscape changing every day, this resource is designed to educate and foster a broader conversation on the topic.

What does it take to be a founder? It’s hard to say since every founder is so unique. This workshop will walk through some of the difficulties of being a founder, while also touching on the characteristics we see in great founders and expectations to have along this tumultuous journey into entrepreneurship. Hear from some amazing founders about the ups and downs of their startup journeys.

Mentorship is a seemingly simple concept: get some help from someone more experienced than you. So, why do we bother teaching a class on it? Because, like anything else, it’s a skill to mentor and to be mentored. And, if we can learn that skill, it can be a real gift to both give and receive. But first, you’ve got to know what you’re looking for. Is it a handout, or real help? Do you want answers, or are you really looking to learn? For those looking to learn and build, not just knowledge but skills for self-sufficiency and mastery, mentoring can be a mutually rewarding gift. Think of the process of being mentored as a game of chess. You can easily ask for the next move, but wouldn’t you rather learn how to master the game? This workshop will dive into core concepts in mentoring that we recommend, like asking questions and establishing common expectations within the relationship.

Case Study - Actifio by Startup Secrets

Case Study - Turning Products into Companies - Actuality Systems by Startup Secrets