Edgar Chiu’s Post

Greg Satell was interviewed on the You Are Not So Smart podcast (excellent, highly recommended) about his book Cascades. Cascades explains Greg's observations on what it takes for innovation of all kinds (political movements, cultural change, startups, re-orgs, etc.) to achieve lasting impact. Here are the key takeaways that I believe relate to startup / intrepreneurial innovators.

Loved jamming with Jason Calacanis on This Week in Startups about what we're building at Melengo. TL;DR: 🛠 There is a lot of manual labor required to make the cool clothes you wear. Melengo is building technology that automates this process. We do all the heavy lifting for you. 👚 Launching a product is really hard. We had a customer who came to us after spending $6,000 on a new sample that she wasn't happy with. It had taken over a year. We charged her $600 and are helping her get this manufactured in the USA. 🚅 Speed, agility, and flexibility (low minimums) is key in a world dominated by SHEIN (👎) and TEMU (👎). Melengo gives you a world class supply chain to plug into — whether you're just starting out or an established brand. 🗣 We solved our cold start problem through referrals and word of mouth. Revenue is a lagging indicator for us so we focus on what inputs we can control. Our 'aha moment' is when someone gets a sample for the first time and realizes how easy, fast, and affordable it was. We're leveraging Rahul Vohra's framework at Superhuman to quantitively measure our NPS. ⌚ The time is now. Somebody is going to build a massive company that makes custom manufacturing as easy as ordering a car to pick you up or staying at a stranger's home. It's the last part of the commerce supply chain that hasn't been solved. If you look at YC's latest Request for Startups, there's a lot of themes around manufacturing automation, nearshoring, and small LLMs for old industries. ♥️ Team is everything. Grateful to be working with great people like Greg Dennis, Ban Kawas, Veronica Jean Vergara, Yasmin Lebedeva, Edmond Penn, Zenkilda Kalemi, Kevin Santana, and more. 💰 Fundraising is tough, especially in today's environment. Programs like Founder University (Kelly Schricker, Presh Dineshkumar) then LAUNCH (Jacqui Deegan, Andre L.) provided us with support to level up quickly. Surround yourself with great founders who push you, just like we had in the accelerator with Edward Brawer, Raechel Lambert, Kashif Ali, Jamshidbek Mirzakhalov, George Lam, Daniel Gjokaj. 👀 Find your true believers out there. Investors who see the vision just as clearly as you do. Most of them just don't get it and it's not your job to convince them to see a future they can't see. We got lucky in finding our perfect partners with Cyan Banister and Jason Calacanis. 🔮 We're heads down building for the future — growing our customer base and building the technology to scale. If the mission of helping others make world-class products and sticking it to SHEIN (boo) and TEMU (booo) excites you, I'd love to chat. If you want to listen to the full podcast, here's a link: https://lnkd.in/gdtfBMHM

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my recent podcast appearance with Eric Melchor, host of the “Innovators Can Laugh - The Fun Startup Podcast.” We covered various topics in arts, bees, and numbers. 📸 🐝 📈 Looking back, I see my journey has been full of pivots. 📸 I went to Cambridge as an aspiring scientist and fell in love with photography. During the three years, I did several wedding and event photography gigs. A few fortunate shots received awards! 🐝 But something changed in my final year. My father had a stroke, and I spent 9 months in Malaysia with my family. During that time, I became involved in a few projects, inspiring me to take on an entrepreneurial path. Once I was back in the UK, I joined and led a venture-backed biotech startup; it is also known as the “Sniffer Bees Company”. It feels like a plot of a sci-fi B-movie; we trained honey bees to find explosives, drugs, and even bedbugs. We began as a small team of three and grew to eight scientists, winning grants and commercial contracts with a listed company. 📈 Fast forward a decade, and I’m an advisor to pre-seed and seed startups. I’ve supported over 50 companies which collectively have raised £30m in funding. In the end, Eric asked a very important question.   “What advice would you share with founders looking to raise funds?” 👉 Here’s the thing: most of the time, founders raise funds way too early. They can spend months and money raising funds and then be surprised that no one is investing. 👉 Instead, build traction. It doesn’t have to be revenue; it can be a pilot project, MVP, or user acquisition. When you have enough evidence to show that the business is solid, they will have a better chance of securing funding. Here’s the link: https://lnkd.in/eWAJGbxZ If you aren’t already a subscriber and want some good laughs from other fellow innovators/entrepreneurs, follow Eric. The last thing I want to say is this: Starting a business is the most rewarding experience one can have. There will be ups and downs, and you may question whether it’s worth the hardship. But no matter how it ends, you’ll come out of it, look back, and experience that ‘aha’ moment. Somehow, all the dots will connect. #startups #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

🌟 Harness the Power of Tech to Propel Your Startup 🌟 Today, we're sharing insights from an intriguing video highlighting the importance of integrating technology into your startup: - Utilize tools like ChatGPT for idea generation. - Embed these innovations into your website. - Apply tech for tasks like business development and PowerPoint creation. Making tech a core part of your strategy can significantly ease the incubation process. But don’t shy away from rejections—they're an essential part of growth. Remember, even the most successful entrepreneurs faced numerous setbacks before their big break. 💡 What tech tools have you found invaluable for your startup’s growth journey? Share your experiences below! #Startups #TechIntegration #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #AI #Innovation #iamarecruiter #podcast #founder #startup #rejection

“Acquiring a tech startup can help larger companies stay at the forefront of technology and innovation.” – Jay Bartot I had a fantastic conversation with Jay based on his experience as a serial technology entrepreneur who has created and incubated nearly a dozen startups. Listen to our discussion for more of Jay's insights: https://lnkd.in/gNGiFmR4

Reflecting on a year of innovation and impact at Preduzmi ideju! From hosting the largest regional event, Splet Tech Conference, to groundbreaking research like Startup Scanner & 'Women in the Serbian Startup Ecosystem' report, and the launch of inspiring projects like Entrepreneurial Stories podcast, Route2Launch, and Ideation Program. https://lnkd.in/dc3aUnr4

Statistics doesn’t work if the sample size is one. Its not possible to make a 1000 different copies of your situation in your start up every time you have to make a major decision and see which of those 1000 samples yields you better chance of success. Harsh truth is you get to make it only once. And it can either keep our start up alive above the ground or it will dig it into the ground 6 ft deep under. Those are the odds for you to build a successful start up. That’s where a decade long experience from good mentors at aalamarm comes to support, It helped me to take a much more informed decision that have saved agri inverse in multiple situations. And build a market resilient business model without compromising our strong hold on R&D focused experimentation. Thanks to Ambi Moorthy, Praveen Krishna, Sriram Selvan, Aalamaram Startup Incubator for making this a podcast a possibility for agri inverse and their continued efforts to support agri inverse growth.

Meet Karin Gabriel, a global architect of innovation, startups, and emerging technologies. With a career spanning public sectors, large corporations, and family businesses, Karin's journey from Austria to India and Dubai is a testament to her passion for pioneering change. In this thought-provoking podcast episode, Karin shares her profound insights on innovation. She's not just an advocate for startups; she's a builder of innovation ecosystems. Karin believes innovation is about more than just trends; it's a strategic imperative that transcends industries. Join us as Karin delves into the differences between working in corporate giants like Microsoft and the dynamic world of startups. For her, failure is a word she doesn't favor. Instead, it's all about focusing on the end goal and learning from every step of the entrepreneurial journey. Karin's experience underscores the importance of fostering innovative thinking, regardless of an individual's age or background. Her advice for entrepreneurs centers on qualifications and mindset rather than stereotypes. Discover the most crucial aspects of a startup pitch, as Karin sheds light on what investors look for and why problem-solving matters. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or innovation enthusiast, Karin's story will inspire you to embrace innovation as a strategic imperative. Listen to Karin Gabriel's insights on innovation, startups, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/eKSSpd_g

There are endless opportunities as a consultant to gain exposure to different industries, projects, problems, and technologies. Instead of spending loads of time and money on schooling for a specialty– consulting allows you to put your eggs in many baskets. Nicole Coustier shares her own journey in the consulting world and provides valuable insights to carve your path in this industry too. Check out her tips at the link in my bio 🙂 #startup #startupjourney #misconception #womenintech #womenintechnology #femalesintech #ladiesintech #femalepodcaster #techpodcast

I'm thrilled to release another fascinating segment from my conversation with Paul Orlando Founder of Startups Unplugged, on the Innovation Storytellers Show. This time, Paul unpacks the often overlooked but crucial element of timing in the startup and innovation sectors. 🕒 With years of experience co-founding startups and leading innovation programs, Paul noticed a gap in discussions about timing—despite its obvious importance. In our chat, he shares his journey to address this gap through his latest book, where he explores why timing is so pivotal and how it can make or break a venture. 🛠️ Paul doesn't just theorize; he provides practical frameworks and methodologies that anyone can apply to evaluate their own ventures. Whether it's deciding that the market timing is perfect, recognizing it's too early, or identifying potential risks, Paul’s insights aim to equip entrepreneurs with the tools to make informed decisions. 📚 For anyone leading a startup, involved in product development, or steering a corporate innovation lab, understanding the intricacies of timing can be transformative. 👂 Tune into the full episode for an indepth look into how you can harness the power of timing for your projects. How do you assess timing in your initiatives? Let’s discuss the strategies that have worked for you and explore new ones together! https://lnkd.in/euB5aTwm #podcast #Startups #Innovation