Sentiment in the markets has turned sharply downward. What does this mean for venture-backed startups?

Don't panic.

-Is this more like 2001 or 2008?

-What should you be doing differently?

-Should you extend your runway?

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What do you need to do to keep employees engaged and committed? What should your position be on remote work? Side hustles? Ping pong tables? Should you offer all employees equity?

Look at any great tech company, and there is an exceptionally talented team behind it. Great talent is always in short supply, so how do you make sure that you are able to secure incredible people for your startup? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:

Chris' "Tips for hiring like Uber" post: https://www.chrissaad.com/startupsnippets/2021/12/oxin1bo5ow0s53tz7vcsh7c3g8z5k3

The co-founder relationship is far and away the most important one in any startup. If you get the partnership right, you become an unstoppable team. If you get it wrong, the relationship will blow up -- most likely taking the startup with it. So how do you know what to look for in a co-founder? And how do you find Mr/Mrs/Mx Right? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv dive into:

You’re a “tech” company, so you’re building technology, right?

Wrong.

Technology is merely the medium through which you are bringing a product to the world. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv talk about what it means to build a product, what that means for your relationship with customers, and the profound importance of learning how to say “no” to your customers.

Have you followed your heart when choosing the business model for your startup? Or are you making the choice out of fear?

Yaniv and Chris examine when to go B2B and when to go B2C, and how too many startups are selling to the very industry they should actually be disrupting.

Episode overview:

[1:44] Chris explains how the Netflix and Uber b2c business models made them so truly disruptive

[7.22] Why pursue a full-stack disruption over a traditional B2B model?

[11:16] Case study examples: Uber and Instagram’s success with customers

[13:51] The consequences of moving from B2B to B2C

[16:21] Aggregation theory and power of aggregating demand

[29:01] The mirage of playing it safe in life and in business

[29:53] How to bring investors on board with your b2c, full-stack disruption business model

References:

Stratechery blog - https://stratechery.com/

Chris and Yaniv have a discussion with Nick Crocker, General partner at Blackbird Ventures. 

Building compelling and clear fundraising narratives and pitch decks can be life and death for your startup. 

In this episode, Yaniv and Chris discuss what a standard pitch deck narrative looks like and go deep on each slide and explain best practices and common mistakes when telling your story. They also talk about other important uses of the pitch deck that you might not have considered yet!

Knowing how to run a good fundraising process (and what to ask for) can make the difference between a glorious partnership that takes you to your next big milestone and serious resource constraint and a fractious relationship with investors. Getting this right is one of the highest leverage things and founder can do. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:

Article link: VCs Should Play Bridge