Startup Advice
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With the new advances in AI over the past two years, every company is looking for guidance on how to manage the new risks and opportunities it brings. A company…
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Cooking has long been a hobby of mine. It is a creative outlet, but it also has an element of near-term gratification when you sit down to enjoy the meal…
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As a startup founder and investor, I've seen a variety of business plans and pitches. One aspect that often gets overlooked by ambitious entrepreneurs, but is consistently of high interest…
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Discovery is the process of listening to users talk about what their needs are, how they are currently meeting those needs, and what they would love to have in order…
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At my most recent company, we built a fantastic team. This led to a powerful high-performance culture that attracted even more talented people to want to join us. As a…
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Thales, one of the Seven Sages of Greece and often considered the Father of Science, was a pretty sharp dude. So we can probably take him at his word when…
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Here's what you should know: In the previous installments of our four-part series on building a successful new product, we've explored the “Aha” moment of identifying an unserved need and…
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Recently, I had a company ask me to help lead a strategic planning process. Whenever I hear someone say “strategic planning process,” I have to fight a reflexive tendency towards…
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SWOT stands for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. It is a high-level analysis tool that can help inform the development of a strategy. Importantly, it is a tool that considers…
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A Capital-Efficient Approach to Sales Channels for B2B SaaS Startups Today, I want to have a conversation about a crucial topic that’s close to my heart: how to build a…
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Here's what you should know: Avoid the pitfall of raising funds too early. Focus on product development and finding your Product Market Fit (PMF) before seeking venture capital. Raising excessive…
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Here's what you should know: This post is for startup founders who are new to raising money or simply want to learn more about the pros and cons of the…
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Every startup feels the crunch of having too much to do in too little time. Mark II Ventures is no exception and we’re taking advantage of the latest developments in…
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Here's what you should know: Product-Led Growth (PLG) is a go-to-market strategy where the product itself drives customer acquisition, conversion, and retention. Key benefits of PLG include faster customer acquisition,…
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Here's what you should know: Product managers (PMs) and startup founders share common traits that are critical for success, such as problem-solving, customer focus, decision-making skills, negotiation and prioritization abilities,…
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Here's what you should know: Recently, there's been a shift in focus back towards profitability within the startup ecosystem. Prioritizing profitability from the start instills a culture of responsible spending,…
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Here's what you should know: Hiring the right Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is crucial for a startup's success as they lead the technical direction, build the initial product, and communicate…
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Here's what you should know: Taking a new product to market can be likened to building a fire. Initially, it requires a lot of attention and careful additions of fuel…
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Here's what you should know: Equity Distribution: Instead of splitting equity equally among co-founders, distribution should be based on the allocation of responsibilities and expected contributions, reflecting the differing levels…
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Recent advances in large language models and their ability to generate code have the AI field buzzing with excitement. And made many in the software industry nervous.
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Here's what you should know: As a founder, you've recognized your "Aha Moment", stoked the passion to solve it, and you're eager to turn your idea into a successful startup.…
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Here's what you should know: When ChatGPT was announced a few months ago, it blew the doors off a business community who hadn’t been keeping up with the progress of…
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Here's what you should know: As a founder, one of the most critical moments in your entrepreneurial journey is the "Aha Moment." It's that instant when you realize that you've…
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Here's what you should know: The startup world can be fast, exciting, and fun. You often get to build entirely new solutions that no one has thought of before, acting…