Etohum

Not all money is worth taking. 👇

🚀 Founder Tips with Eoin McGuinness, from HubSpot For Startups, Each week I share invaluable insights and practical advice for budding founders looking to navigate the complex world of startups. This week: Startup Traction, the Truth! This is one of my Startup Pet Peeves, are you building a business for Ego or because you really want to slow a pain? I've taken the wonderful learning from the Founder of Startup Istanbul Burak Buyukdemir (Link to the article here I used for this week's video https://hubs.ly/Q02_n6gj0) Take the first step today by following along in the video below in the comments👇

The fastest way to kill investor interest? A pitch deck full of fluff. "What VCs Actually Want" in pitch deck 1. Simple Problem Statement: ✓ "Companies waste 4 hours per week scheduling meetings" ✓ "Online stores lose $50K yearly to fraud" ✓ "Restaurants throw away 30% of fresh produce" ✓ "HR teams spend 6 hours per hire on paperwork" = Clear pain, specific numbers 2. Direct Solution Language: ✓ "We send AI emails to schedule meetings" ✓ "Our software spots fake transactions in 2 seconds" ✓ "Our app connects restaurants with local food banks" ✓ "Our form builder cuts paperwork to 10 minutes" = Anyone can understand it 3. Real Metrics That Matter: ✓ "Processing 10,000 transactions/month" ✓ "40% margins on each sale" ✓ "Growing 20% week over week" ✓ "90% customer retention after 6 months" = Numbers that show traction 4. Clear Revenue Model: ✓ "Charge $299/month per store" ✓ "Take 2% of each transaction" ✓ "Businesses pay $50 per user" ✓ "Annual contracts at $24K each" = Simple math anyone can do 5. Actual Customer Evidence: ✓ "50 paying customers" ✓ "3 enterprise contracts signed" ✓ "Pilots with Nike and Adidas" ✓ "$50K monthly recurring revenue" = Real proof, not promises What Actually Works? • Start with real customer insights, not just your assumptions. • Show traction—not potential—through metrics. • Simplify the narrative; your deck isn’t a novel. Remember: • VCs don’t invest in slides. They invest in proof, clarity, and conviction. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: • Does your deck make investors say, “I want to learn more,” or “Next!”? Drop a 🚨 if you’re tired of decks full of fluff. #StartupAdvice #PitchDeck #VentureCapital

Dear Technical Founders: Stop focusing on solutions first. Start identifying problems instead. The deadliest pattern I keep seeing: "We built amazing tech, now hunting for problems to solve" Here's why this kills startups: 1. The Technology Trap: Built blockchain solution Searching for industry to disrupt Force-fitting into problems Chasing imaginary markets = Recipe for failure 2. What Actually Happens: No real customer pain Weak problem-solution fit High customer acquisition costs Zero organic growth = Slow death 3. The Right Way: Start with: Real customer pain Existing market friction Clear willingness to pay Validated problems Then build solution Real Example: Stripe didn't start with "let's build payment tech" They started with "developers hate implementing payments" Remember: "If you have to convince people they have a problem, You're solving the wrong problem."

I know this will trigger many founders: Stop pretending you're too important for email. Early stage founders who use assistants are just showing they can't handle basics. "Please schedule through my assistant" = Instant red flag for early-stage founders Early stage founders: • Never use assistants. • Never delegate communication. • Never delegate scheduling. • No exceptions. • No conditions. • No special cases. • No but. Why? 1. What It Really Signals: • Can't handle basics • Poor prioritization • Wrong focus early • Premature delegation = Deal killer 2. What You Lose: • Critical relationship nuances • Email tone understanding • Response timing power • Connection building moments = Deal killers 3. What Investors Think: "If this founder: • Can't manage their calendar • Won't make time directly • Needs help this early How will they run a company?" 4. What Actually Matters: • Response speed signals priority • Email tone builds relationships • Personal touch shows hustle • Direct contact builds trust 5. What Actually Works: ✓ Direct responses ✓ Personal scheduling ✓ Quick turnaround ✓ Clear prioritization Remember: "If you need an assistant at early stage, You're either lying about being busy Or terrible at time management. Both are red flags." The Rule is Simple: Do your own damn email. Handle your own calendar. Build your own relationships. No exceptions. No assistants. No delegation. #StartupAdvice #VentureCapital Drop a 🚨 if you've seen founders playing big CEO too early!

It’s fair to say I built my product management career on uniting teams around KPIs. It just made sense: everyone’s aligned around the bottom-line, all work ties into clear company objectives and everyone feels included — like they’re truly making an impact. It’s also fair to admit I often failed miserably… Sure, post-its with KPIs on a wall could rally a team like magic. But “easy-to-use” analytics tools? More often than not, they’d end up collecting dust—distrusted and forgotten by the people they were meant to empower. That frustration became my obsession. I wanted to scale that post-it note experience across entire organizations—to truly democratize data in a way that’s absurdly easy to use and radically effective. It took a few good (and bad) iterations, but today I’m thrilled to say we’ve finally built it: Datapad redefines how businesses interact with their data ⚡ Our AI Data Assistants replace clunky dashboards with proactive, constant KPI monitoring. In simple terms, Datapad takes all your data and tells you what’s working — it’s as simple as that. And to learn more, all you need to do is ask… With that said, I'm beyond excited to announce that Datapad has raised over $500k in an over-subscribed pre-seed funding round. A huge thank you to Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀, e2vc and all our amazing investors for believing in our vision. We can't wait to continue pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve in the world of analytics. Check out post for more details: https://lnkd.in/d6_nGk9q The journey has just begun, and we’re excited for what’s ahead! 🔥 Koen Christiaens, Wim Derkinderen, Boris Bogaert, Lotte Geldermans, Enis Hulli, Arın Özkula, Esat Acar, Burak Buyukdemir, Aydın Doğan Yalçındağ, Hristo Borisov, Melih Herman Simon, Orkun Soylu, Manolya Ruso #AI #Startups #Fundraising #Analytics

Been reviewing 100+ early startup pitch decks last week. And I keep seeing the same fake traction everywhere. While you waste time on: • Building social media presence • Getting into startup programs • Winning pitch competitions • Chasing TechCrunch features • Applying for "30 Under 30" Your competitors are: • Talking to customers • Fixing real problems • Building better products • Growing real revenue • Improving unit economics The Fake Traction Checklist: 1. The Social Proof Trap: • Startup awards (pure ego) • Conference talks (zero sales) • Accelerator badges (from 2 years ago) • Press features (no customers) • LinkedIn followers (that never convert) 2. The Partner Badge Trap: • "Selected for" [Big Tech] program • Featured in their newsletter • Access to standard API • Template email intros • Basic cloud credits = Zero real business value 3. The Celebrity Angel Trap: • Free shares for future promotion • Zero cash invested • One promised tweet • No strategic value • Pure vanity metric 4. The Recognition Trap: • "30 Under 30" features • "Top Innovator" lists • "Rising Star" awards • Pitch competition wins = Great for LinkedIn, useless for business The Truth: While you're chasing fake traction, Someone else is building real business. Remember: "If you have to explain why your traction is impressive, it's not actually traction." Drop a 🚨 if you're done with vanity metrics! #StartupAdvice #Growth  ---------------------------------- Follow me for weekly insights https://lnkd.in/dvj3pkNC

"Your 5-Year Projections Are Killing Your Fundraising What VCs Want Instead of Fantasy Numbers" I had Ed Kang on my podcast. His controversial take: "I completely ignore financial projections. Every founder shows the same hockey stick." Here's why smart investors skip your financial slides: 1. The Reality: • You'll be wrong • I'll be wrong • Nobody knows • Especially in innovative markets 2. What Actually Matters: • Real unit economics • Current customer acquisition costs • Actual lifetime value • Battle-tested assumptions 3. The Hard Truth: Financial projections matter AFTER: • You have real data • You've proven assumptions • You're scaling something that works Not when you're dreaming 🎯 Key Quote: "Later on, I want to see a financial model we can plug real numbers into. Early on? It's just fantasy." Drop a 💣 if you've ever made a "hockey stick" projection! #StartupAdvice #VentureCapital #Fundraising Want to hear the full episode about what investors actually care about? Link in comments 👇

Stop following startup 'best practices.' They're keeping you average. Insights from Pattern Breakers book that'll make startup advisors angry... Earlier this summer, I finished Pattern Breakers by Mike Maples, Jr and Peter Ziebelman. Here are some insights from the book: Here's why pattern matching kills innovation: 1. The Pattern Trap: • "Best practices" limit thinking • "Industry standards" block breakthroughs • "Track records" prevent revolution • "Market research" kills creativity 2. The Wright Brothers Effect: • No aviation background • Ran a bicycle shop • Changed flight forever = Pattern breakers win 3. The Timing Secret: • Twitter → Smartphone era • Airbnb → Financial crisis • Lyft → GPS + sharing economy = Market inflections matter 4. The True Believer Rule: • Tesla didn't want customers • They wanted revolutionaries • Early adopters built the movement • Vision attracted evangelists The Truth: Timing > Ideas Movement > Product Vision > Best Practices Your startup expertise is your biggest weakness. Can't wait to dive deeper with them on my upcoming podcast, featuring Mike Maples, Jr and Peter Ziebelman as guests! Drop a 🧠 if you're ready to break patterns! #Innovation #Startups