Amilcar Chavarria’s Post

Within days our ghost startup SproutCo will open to the public, and we have 3 AI Startups within our business group all working to solve Outbound Marketing, and specifically Appointment Setting. My next post will present my thoughts on this long term project, stay tuned! Roger Auge CEO SproutCo Digital Canada

Mini Series - Building a tech Startup This is Ep 1 of 4 - Ideation & Validation What are the broad strokes in creating a business from ideation through to commercialisation? In this short series, I'll cover the 4 'broad stroke' topics to launch a tech startup. They are...Ideation, preparation, creation, commercialisation. All the -ations (there are a lot). IDEATION & VALIDATION Obviously you need an idea! Whether you come by an idea via 'Brainstorm' or 'Brainwave', once you have something of interest, try to confirm 2 things... 1. Can this idea help a small number of people and make a significant change in their lives? Tip : If this is true, these people will be your champions. 2. If these people get hooked to my product, can I scale this idea to a large audience? Tip : In other words - can the product be delivered to the world via technology? Most importantly: without needing human involvement every time a new user wants to come onboard. Next, validate that the first is true (AKA : PMF - Product Market Fit). To do this, you could: 1. Talk to friends and family (be careful of bias in these people though) 2. talk to competitor's users (if you don't think you have competitors... you do. Sometimes you just need to think lateraly to identify them). 3. Talk to Facebook groups in the space. 4. Comment on YouTube videos in the space and create conversation. 5. Create a landing page for people to signup for the waitlist of your awesome new product. Run a targeted Facebook ad to drive traffic to it. You don't need to spend much money to find out if people are going to want this product. If you get a (large) handful of people who seem very interested, and you can see (via competitive products) that there is obviously a growing market, you can move on to the next step! Step 2 tomorrow : PREPARATION

🧐 What's Your Founder's Truth, Who Are Ya? Do we need to understand our entrepreneur type so we can better align our story with stakeholders? Of course we do, it highlights what we are about, keeps us authentic, and shows us areas where we are lacking. 🚀 There are essentially five types in tech startups, and there are no right or wrong ones. 💡 Innovators Dreamers pushing the boundaries with groundbreaking products. 🔨 Hustlers Execution experts who turn brilliant ideas into realities. 🔄 Imitators Masters at refining existing models for new opportunities. 📚 Researchers Data-driven minds that bring scientific rigor to startups. 🧩 Buyers Visionaries piecing together businesses to form ecosystems. 🤔 Why Knowing Your Founder's Truth Matters 🎯 Self-Awareness Knowing your type helps you channel your strengths into a focused business strategy. 👥 Team Building It serves as a blueprint for recruiting team members whose skills and perspectives either complement or enhance your own. 🔗 Stakeholder Alignment Different stakeholders, customers, investors have different preferences. Recognizing your archetype helps you identify who is more likely to buy into your vision. ✅ Authenticity Your archetype forms the foundation of a compelling, true-to-self brand and pitch, helping you gain the trust of stakeholders. 🌟 Famous Founders and Their Truth. ➡️ Elon Musk - Innovator/Hustler Visionary ideas meet relentless execution. ➡️ Reed Hastings - Innovator/Buyer Transformed media consumption and scaled through acquisitions. ➡️ Daniel Ek - Innovator/Hustler Revolutionized music streaming with scalable tech. ➡️ Peter Thiel - Researcher/Buyer Melds deep research with tech integration at Palantir. ➡️ Brian Chesky - Innovator/Hustler Disrupted lodging with quick, effective execution. ➡️ Larry Page - Innovator/Researcher Merged innovative algorithms with data-driven research. ➡️ Melanie Perkins - Innovator/Imitator Simplified design by iterating on existing platforms. ➡️ Anne Wojcicki - Researcher/Innovator Fuses genetic research with disruptive healthcare tech. ➡️ Travis Kalanick - Imitator/Hustler Transformed taxis through tech and rapid scaling. 👣 Some Steps for Startup Founders ✅ Start with Self-Assessment: Reflect on what most closely represents your inherent business traits. ✅ Adjust Messaging: Fine-tune to align closely with your recognized archetype. ✅ Seek Compatibility: Identify team members whose entrepreneurial types resonate with or complement yours. ✅ Iterate and Reassess: As your business evolves, keep reassessing to ensure continued alignment. 🗺️ Your Journey and Your Truth Your "founder's truth" is a tool that guides you through your journey, helps shape your strategy, your team, and your interactions with all stakeholders. 🤷 Which One Are You? for the ❤️ of startups #startups #founders #cofounders #venturecapital #angelinvestors

Let's clear a myth: Tech is not a sprint. It's a marathon. As entrepreneurs, we have an innate craving for being the first mover. The fastest to deploy a scalable solution. But tech isn't all about speed, it's about sustainability. Remember Friendster? Once the king of social media, fumbled because it couldn't manage growth. So if you're in the SaaS space or planning to venture into it, don't just develop. Scale and sustain. Questions? Drop them below.

When you think of the most revolutionary technology companies from Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Shopify, Stripe, Netflix, or virtually any other, you'll find a common thread. These companies took an interaction that was Ok, and they fundamentally transformed the user experience of doing that thing. Startups talk about Product Market Fit but underlying that is one thing that has connected every major technology revolution over the past 30 years. User Experience. Across both consumer and business technologies we often think about the waves of technology being Web, Mobile, and now AI but these waves were really just opportunities to re-invent the user experiences of our typical interactions be it productivity, commerce, transportation, or communication. Yes, the underlying technology is important but the companies that rethink the user experience from a fundamental level tend to do exceptionally better. As many of you know I'm teaming up with Jessica Lynch to start Raiz Capital. Our vision is to help fund entrepreneurs making an impact, but more critically we are focusing on founders who use technology to meld the elements of technology and design, to build transformative products.

Let's clear a myth: Tech is not a sprint. It's a marathon. As entrepreneurs, we have an innate craving for being the first mover. The fastest to deploy a scalable solution. But tech isn't all about speed, it's about sustainability. Remember Friendster? Once the king of social media, fumbled because it couldn't manage growth. So if you're in the SaaS space or planning to venture into it, don't just develop. Scale and sustain. Questions? Drop them below.

Tech as a Solution or Distraction? → Your Startup's Reality Check Discover 7 key insights to align your startup's focus: Problem Identification → The Foundation of Success ↳ Don't let tech overshadow the real problem you're solving. ↳ Understand the “why” beneath feedback and then ask. Solution vs. Technology → Knowing the Difference ↳ It's not just about using AI or other trendy tech. ↳ Stay grounded in what your market actually needs. (These next few are crucial!) Customer Feedback → The Reality Check ↳ Continual feedback keeps your product relevant and user-focused. ↳ Be obsessed with the problem, not with your current solution. Resource Allocation → Invest Wisely ↳ Time, money, and energy spent on irrelevant tech can be costly. ↳ Identify and prioritize the right things to focus on. Sustainable Growth → Building a Problem-Solving Culture ↳ A culture focused on solving real problems fosters long-term growth. ↳ Let your mission and market need drive your technology choices. 🚀 Remember It's not about having the latest tech, it's about having the right solution. 🎯 Focus on the Problem. 🌟 Harness the Right Tech. 💡 Drive Real Impact. Avoiding tech traps and steering towards meaningful solutions? That’s what we do best. --- 🌟 Ready to Make Your Product a Success? We specialize in making sure your product is exactly what your customers need. We understand how to figure out what people want, design products that hit the mark, and ensure they keep getting better. Think of us as your guide in this journey. Get in touch with us! We're here to help you avoid these pitfalls and make your product a success! ⬇️ The sale details are in the comments – Tag a friend! ⬇️ #startup #startupjourney #startuplessons #tech #techempowerment

“Tribal Knowledge” is a ticking time bomb threatening your tech startup. Here’s why (and how to avoid it for smooth, steady growth) ”Tribal Knowledge” is: → Information → Processes → Skills Which exist only in the minds of certain employees. (Versus being formally documented and shared) It becomes a major liability when: → Key employees leave, taking that critical information with them. This can grind operations to a halt. → The knowledge is incorrect or outdated. Leading to inconsistency, errors, and inefficiencies as it gets passed down informally to new employees. → It's difficult for new hires to get up to speed quickly. Without access to a centralized knowledge base, onboarding can drag on. → Siloed tribal knowledge hinders collaboration and scalability as the startup grows. Because staff lack access to the information they need. Let’s defuse this bomb (by making knowledge management a priority from early on). → Hold monthly “knowledge capture” sessions to document insights and best practices. Build a centralized, accessible digital knowledge hub with key resources. → Make knowledge-sharing a performance indicator to promote participation. Assign clear owners for each knowledge domain to ensure accountability. TL;DR: Document, Centralize and Disseminate critical knowledge. Get it out of heads and down on paper. That way you’ll: → Drive consistency in execution → Preserve business continuity → Enjoy faster employee onboarding → Position yourself to scale smoothly ”Tribal Knowledge” has its place, but you can’t afford to over-rely on it. ____________________________ Hi, I’m Richard, a 3x Entrepreneur, and Venture Capital Investor Early-stage Tech Founders: I can help turn your startup into a VC magnet. I've opened up 3 slots for my Tech Startup Launchpad Program. Send me a DM to see if you qualify for hands-on guidance to nail your niche and wow investors.

Startups are a thrilling ride, especially the early stages. It's a unique experience to shape an idea into reality. However, there's one aspect non-technical founders often find overwhelming – navigating the tech landscape. The world of technology is fast-paced and ever-evolving. New languages, platforms, and architectural designs crop up frequently, and it can be difficult to keep pace if coding isn't your forte. But the key to success lies not in becoming a tech wizard overnight - rather in hiring wisely. As a fractional CTO, I urge startups to value the role of a CTO or tech lead right from inception. Their expertise helps you bridge the gap between your vision and its technical execution. They're pivotal in choosing the right technology stack, setting up scalable tech processes and creating a capable tech team. Being open about tech competency also fosters trust within the team - they'll appreciate your honesty about what you know and what you don't, leading to transparent discussions on how best to contribute. Remember - it's not about knowing all the answers; it's about asking the right questions. Let's demystify technology together!

Psst... Hey you! Yeah you! You want 1% of the next Tech Unicorn in exchange for 10 minutes of your time? Yeah you heard me right. Here's the deal... At Forum's Venture Studio, we build and invest in the next generation of tech companies. Our goal is to launch 8 companies every year. But before we even get to launching a company, we need an idea. That's where you come in. We're looking for innovative business ideas to transform industries such as HealthTech, Supply Chain Tech, GenAI, and more! You don’t need an MVP, or a co-founder, or traction to pitch us. Just an idea. It could be an idea you heard somewhere. An idea you discussed with a friend but don't have the time or capacity to build. Even if you never want to build it, that idea could be worth something. The only catch is it has to be B2B SaaS and you need to live in Canada or the USA. So, if you have 10 minutes right now, share your idea in this form and, if we launch the company, you get 1% of the equity! https://lnkd.in/gF6VtFpD PS - for every 10 likes, I will make this unicorn more tech