UnMBA

This is one of the biggest risks to any new business and often overlooked - especially when fundraising: talent acquisition and retention. #unMBA When you're pitching to investors and asking for funds to hire, you're not just asking for cash—you're asking them to believe you can build a winning team. Talent is everything, and if you don't have a solid plan to attract and retain the right people, you're introducing major risk to your business. Here's how to approach this with investors: 1️⃣ Quality of talent matters. Be crystal clear about the skills and expertise you need to succeed. If you can't articulate why a certain role is critical or how gaps in talent increase risk, you'll lose credibility. Show you've thought deeply about what success looks like for these hires. 2️⃣ Do your homework. Investors will expect you to know: Compensation benchmarks: What's the average pay for similar roles in your area, including the low and high ends? -Talent pool size: How many qualified candidates are out there? -Market competition: How fierce is the fight for this talent? -Knowing these answers shows you're prepared and have a realistic view of the hiring landscape. 3️⃣ Understand the tradeoffs. Can you reasonably attract someone away from their current role? If so, is your compensation package strong enough to keep them around long term? Hiring is expensive, and turnover is even more costly. If your strategy doesn't address retention, you're risking your ability to scale. 🔑 Key takeaway: When asking investors for funding to grow your team, don't just talk about what you need. Show them you've got a concrete plan to secure the right people—and keep them. Investors want to see you've de-risked this critical piece of the puzzle. #startups #entrepreneurship

Did you know this? Early stage investments are down 42% since 2021, this is a big reason why…. #unMBA One of the biggest challenges in early-stage funding is founders trying to follow outdated pitching formulas, like the old Sequoia method, which might have worked five years ago but feels forced and formulaic today. Investors have seen it all, and frankly, they're tired of founders "making stuff up" to fit a mold. Here's the truth: If you're raising less than $1M, the process is way more personal than flashy. It comes down to three things: 1️⃣ Can investors trust you? The first thing they're assessing is you. Who are you as a person? Are you someone they believe can navigate the chaos of a startup? Trust is your foundation—everything else is secondary. 2️⃣ Can you clearly pitch the idea and vision? Forget the perfect slide deck. Investors want to hear the gist. What's the opportunity? Why does it matter, who cares?!? If you can't articulate it simply and compellingly, no fancy pitch template will save you. 3️⃣ Are you transparent about risk? Investors know early-stage startups come with uncertainty—it's part of the game. What they don't want is surprises. Be upfront about what you know, what you don't know, and how you plan to de-risk the investment. This level of honesty is rare and makes you stand out. The move isn't to fake certainty; it's to show that you're thoughtful, honest, and prepared. Combine that transparency with a compelling story, and you'll build trust in a way most founders overlook. 🔑 Key takeaway: Investors aren't looking for perfection—they're looking for people they can believe in. Stop faking it. Start building trust by being real, clear, and upfront about the journey ahead. #startups #investors #entrepreneurship

We had so much fun at Trevor Spires Generative AI made simple workshop, and we wanted go give everyone the insider view and demo if you missed it! If you want to see the code and screenshots, they are included at the end :) #unmba #rvatech

Financial stress can break a founder faster than anything else. Let's be real—starting a business is hard enough without the added pressure of wondering how you'll pay rent next month. Financial stress doesn't just drain your bank account; it drains your mental, emotional, and physical energy, leaving little room to focus on what matters: building your business. #unMBA That's why one of the smartest moves you can make is finding ways to supplement your income while working on your startup. Think of it as "buying time" to keep going without burning out. Here's how it helps: 1️⃣ Less stress on paying bills. Knowing your basic expenses are covered frees up headspace. You can't make good decisions when financial pressure is weighing you down. 2️⃣ Balance for your mindshare. Look for jobs or gigs that don't deplete you mentally, emotionally, or physically. The goal is to earn enough to stay afloat without exhausting the energy you need to focus on your business. 3️⃣ Extend your runway. A side income can give you the breathing room to refine your idea, test your product, and build traction—without rushing decisions or scaling prematurely. 🔑 Key takeaway: As a founder, you're playing a game of buying time. The longer you can stay in the game, the better your chances of building something sustainable. Don't let financial stress take you out. Find a way to balance earning and building until your business can stand on its own. #startup #entrepreneurship #wellness

This is one of the most common questions by founders. Here's the reality: If you're not laser-focused on understanding your customers, you're building on guesses. And guesses don't scale. Here's how prioritizing customer discovery transforms your business. #unMBA 1️⃣ Identify real problems and pain points to solve. Don't just assume you know what customers need. Ask them. Listen. Then go back and confirm. The goal isn't to validate your idea—it's to validate their pain. 2️⃣ Continually test your solutions. Engage with those same customers to see if your solution hits the mark. Keep refining until you reach a critical milestone: customers start advocating for your product or service on their own. Referrals = proof of value. 3️⃣ Don't scale until it's validated. Scaling a guess is a fast way to burn time, money, and credibility. Double down on discovery, get to the truth, and build a solution you know your customers want before you go big. Customer discovery isn't glamorous, but it's the foundation of everything. Skip it, and you'll be stuck solving imaginary problems. Nail it, and you'll create something your customers not only need but want to tell others about. 🔑 Key takeaway: Jumping ahead is tempting, but the biggest ROI comes from digging into discovery. Solve real problems, test your solutions relentlessly, and build a foundation that scales. #startups #entrepreneurship #CustomerDiscovery

This is one of the most successful strategies I've learned in 15 years of pitching to investors. #unmba Transparency with investors isn't just a "nice to have"—it's the foundation of trust. When you're raising capital, especially at the early stages, investors aren't just betting on your idea; they're betting on you. And let's be honest—most early-stage investors (friends, family, seed, angel) won't have the time or resources to do deep due diligence. They'll base their decision on whether they feel they can trust you to navigate uncertainty. So how do you build that trust? 1️⃣ Be upfront about what you know and don't know. Investors understand startups are filled with unknowns. Own them. Clearly lay out the assumptions driving your business, which ones are most critical, and your plan to test and validate those. 2️⃣ Proactively discuss challenges. Don't wait for investors to ask hard questions—get ahead of them. It's a chance to show you're thoughtful, realistic, and action-oriented. 3️⃣ Use transparency as a strength. If you're honest about gaps or risks, you can invite investors to help. The best ones want to contribute beyond just writing a check. Transparency sets the tone for a stronger, more collaborative relationship. The flip side? If you aren't upfront, it will come back to bite you. Either investors will pass because they sense something's off, or worse, your relationship will break down later when they feel you hid something. That's a quick way to derail your company and burn bridges. 🔑 Key takeaway: Trust is your most valuable currency when raising money. Separate yourself from the pack by being transparent, proactive, and collaborative. It's not about looking perfect; it's about being someone investors know they can count on. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #EarlyStageInvestors

Here's the hard truth: as a founder, you have five critical resources, and if you're not intentional about how you use them, you're setting yourself up for burnout or worse—running out of runway. #unmba That's when desperation kicks in, or you're forced to hit pause and get a job to stabilize. Here's the breakdown: 1️⃣ Financial resources: Every dollar counts. Focus on revenue-generating activities—like selling—rather than pouring too much into things like branding that don't pay the bills right away. Cash flow is king; keep it top of mind. 2️⃣ Mental, emotional, and physical energy: These are finite, and burnout is real. Focus on the essentials—the things that must move forward—not the distractions of what you "could" work on. If you're running on empty mentally, emotionally, or physically, it's game over. 3️⃣ Your network: Your mentors, advisors, and partners are incredible assets, but even they have limits. Lean on them wisely, and make sure every interaction is focused on measurable progress. If you waste their time, you'll lose their engagement when you need it most. Time management isn't just about organizing your schedule—it's about protecting your runway and ensuring every move you make is purposeful. 🔑 Key takeaway: Ruthlessly prioritize where you put your time, energy, and relationships. Focus on what's essential to keep moving forward and protect yourself from running out of fuel too soon. #FoundersLife #StartupPriorities

Must see Interactive AI Art Exhibit! You can only see this exhibit at art galleries or at #rvatech conferences, next chance is #ProductFest in April. We'll see you there! #unmba

Simply said...there was a 30 person line of people wanting to talk with Trevor after his Generative AI workshop yesterday at #rvatech Code&Cloud Conference. And we asked him to demo the workshop for us...can't wait to share on the #unMBA for everyone to benefit!

Ya'll. We've already established that some things need to be explained to a kindergartner , so thank goodness Jessica and Adam broke it down so a kiddo brain could understand it! Come listen to all the experts break things down for those of us who need small words and short sentences to grasp the basics! Richmond Technology Council - rvatech/ #codeandcloudcon2024 UnMBA