Be Nimble Foundation’s Post

💡 Unsure about launching an idea in a *new* market vs an *established* market? All the years I used to think you needed something new and to be the first to market to capture all the customers. But after I started looking to acquire companies at Waterglass, my perspective has changed. The case for existing markets: – Market and product validation are already done. – A blueprint for 80% of the product already exists; the remaining 20% is what will set you apart. – A small piece of the market can be enough. – We are all using the same technologies nowadays anyway. – If you wait long enough, any incumbents will leave a gap in the market (i.e., move upmarket) Getting a business from 0 → 1 is hard enough. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Photo credits: S/O to the guys selling homemade lemonade in front of my office.

What should consumer brands know about the new VC landscape? “Venture investors are sending very mixed signals about what we want,” Michael Duda told Modern Retail. “We want to see strong growth, something in the realm of profitability and not a lot of burn.” Outside of the venture landscape, there are other sources of funding to be found. For example, "Family offices are picking up,” Mike shared. And, in this new funding environment, more companies are “raising less money and in different tranches.” Read the full article by Anna Hensel here. https://lnkd.in/eUzS4b3e

I’ve been selling SaaS in NYC for a decade, and I know things are going well when I hear: “I love that you guys are based in New York, we’d love to host you at our office.” We don’t live in the metaverse (thankfully), which means real relationships are built in real life. There’s only one place where you can meet with executives in Finance, Fashion, Media, Tech, and Healthcare in one place, and that’s NYC. When it comes to longer sales journeys, the decision-making process goes beyond just having a great product. Buying decisions are made by people, and meeting face-to-face increases interpersonal trust by up to 60%. It also doesn’t hurt that New Yorkers in particular have a soft spot for other New Yorkers. The opportunities Unthread finds as a startup in NYC are the kind of opportunities that can’t be bought. Your buyers are already drowning in Zoom calls and looking for something different. This is why “selling where your customers eat” works so well. Being the magnet for executives and decision-makers across all industries, NYC is a must if you’re building for enterprises. Every enterprise you want to sell has a major presence or HQ here, and you should too. Next week, we’ll dive into the “move fast, break things—but don’t crash” mindset, and how startups can better position themselves to these types of buyers. 30th 🗓

My career doesn’t make any sense when viewed from the outside. I’ve had a bunch of meetings in past few months talking about my journey to Woodstock / Palm Ventures. My guiding principles: ______________________ 1️⃣ get a diverse range of functional experiences CPA ➡️ i-banking ➡️ private equity ➡️ startup incubator ➡️ supply chain ➡️ marketing ➡️ 1st CEO gig / sales (failure) ➡️ new biz line creation ➡️ GM ➡️ 2nd CEO gig / incubator partner. Sheesh - feel like an old “job hopper” just writing that - but several of those roles were at the same company! Some reflections: ⏺️ I needed those experiences to learn how to run a business. I learn more by doing than reading or intuition. I’ve def worked for others who just “got it all”. Not me. ⏺️ I wish I learned sales MUCH earlier in my career - prob a whole post by itself ⏺️ I took roles no one else wanted bc it was new or undefined & that has paid off in spades ⏺️ I optimized around managers / co-workers (vs pay or role) - the right ones are career accelerators ______________________ 2️⃣ I have to be passionate about a brand or problem to work on it. ⏺️ intrigued with “frictionless commerce” & worked on RFID back in ‘01 - we thought Amazon "Just Walk Out" tech was gonna happen in 5 yrs - 20 yrs later, still waiting. ⏺️ dove into digital marketing early - raised my hand when no one else wanted the role. Developed our global strategy and helped make Gillette relevant to younger, digitally native men again. One of my best work experiences - since it was so unstructured and greenfield. ⏺️ first non-technical hire at a "laser" hair removal startup - joined a multi-exit CEO to learn from him and bc I saw Gillette mostly sit on the sidelines. Good example of bigco suppressing innovation bc of cannabilization (then later get disrupted by a startup). ⏺️ co-founded AI startup bc I was drowning in photos. Totally unprepared for non-stop fundraising, building SW w new tech, enterprise sales with an incomplete product, board & co-founder mgmt. Great learning experience even if unsuccessful. ⏺️ created regenerative food products in '18 bc I'm obsessed w sustainability - built new brand, supply chain & sold into Whole Foods nationwide (before project was nixed). Saw King Arthur just launch regenerative flour (we met w them 6 yrs ago about this). ______________________ 3️⃣ ideally, find a “mission” that motivates me Fun fact: I worked in Hair Removal for 12 yrs (!) - I barely need to shave and have virtually no body hair. So it's not really the industry that gets my attention - it's disruption & innovation. And that's why Cannabis intrigued me - how often does a $30B market open up virtually overnight? Then I learned about the medicinal aspects... and now I'm hooked and obsessed with getting everyone to experience the benefits of the plant 🌱. ______________________ It's been a long, strange trip - but feels like I'm right where I'm meant to be...

🚀 Be Part of the Next Big Thing: Stockware is Looking for a Co-Founder! This is not a regular job post—it’s an opportunity to create the future of flexible, real-time warehousing. Stockware is on a mission to revolutionize the logistics and warehousing industry, and we’re looking for a visionary co-founder with a passion for innovation and growth. We’re seeking someone who can bring expertise, creativity, and investment to the table as we prepare to launch our beta version and scale rapidly. Here’s your chance to: ✅ Join a high-potential startup at the ground level. ✅ Drive industry transformation with cutting-edge technology and AI solutions. ✅ Collaborate with like-minded individuals passionate about solving real-world problems. 💡 If you have what it takes to help shape Stockware into the next big name in logistics, fill out this form: Click here to apply https://lnkd.in/dASkh8mT 📌 Note: This is not just about investment—it’s about becoming a core part of the journey to redefine how businesses manage warehousing. Feel free to reach out for more details, or simply fill out the form to start a conversation. Let’s build the future of warehousing together! #Startup #CoFounderOpportunity #Stockware #LogisticsTech #WarehousingRevolution

Achieving ‘Product Market Fit’ might not be as hard as you think… PMF is a key milestone, typically marking the jump from Seed to Series A. It proves your business has achieved real traction. It’s also one of the key milestones for investors making funding decisions. Validating genuine demand for your product or service. The key operational changes will be seen in shifting from a organisation that’s testing to one that’s expanding. Signalling growth money is needed over proving the tech works and does what’s intended. There are clear ways to prove it: - customers are buying your product - in a fast fashion - as fast as you can deliver it As your product advances into new features and markets. PMF must keep up as the business changes and grows. Losing sight of continuously ensuring PMF when scaling, can be the downfall of many startups. Qualitative metrics are as important as numbers: - passionate customer feedback - retention and requesting new features - word of mouth referrals It’s a deep connection with your customers that actually confirms PMF. ⬇️ Who can relate the challenges in the image? ⬇️ Hit the comments below to help others learn. ♻ Repost this to help other founders in your network. ************************************************ 📌 Follow me, TOM WATTS for more insights.

Discover your next move

Think you need a mountain of cash to launch a startup? Think again. Many women believe funding is the key to success. That’s a trap. Profitability can start from day one. Here's the scoop: 🔹 Niche Focus: Identify a specific market need. 🔹 Lean Operations: Keep overhead low to maximize profits. 🔹 Direct Sales: Build relationships for repeat customers. When I started Fe/male Switch, I did not have deep pockets. I relied on a tight budget and a clear vision. We didn’t waste money on flashy ads. Instead, we connected with our audience directly. Breaking it down: 🛠 Define your unique selling point. 🎯 Create a simple marketing plan. 📈 Track every dollar spent. Example: Warby Parker began by selling glasses online, cutting out the middleman. They focused on what customers actually wanted. Profitability is possible from the start. What are your thoughts? Have you found creative ways to keep costs down?

🔥🔥[NEW] EXTERNSHIP: RevRoad Deal Sourcing Remote Externship 🚀 Join RevRoad's venture capital deal sourcing program and gain invaluable hands-on business experience! 🌟 Are you ready to uncover today’s startups that will reshape how we do things in the future? Look no further! Join RevRoad🌱💼 Why This Is Perfect for You: 🔍 Ideal for those passionate about deal sourcing, business, entrepreneurship, and more. 🎓 No specific background required—bring your critical thinking, strategic analysis skills, and eagerness to learn. During this journey, you'll cultivate a diverse skill set, including: 🎤 Presentation & Public Speaking 💰 Venture Capital Fundamentals 🔍 Research & Analysis 🔮 Strategic Insight What You Will Gain: 🤲 Hands-On Experience and a Widely Applicable Skill Set 🏆 A Competitive Edge 🌐 Professional Network 📜 A Certificate of Completion Deadline: 20th April 2024 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐎𝐖: https://lnkd.in/db2cXm8y Follow Samuel Iyokwizerwa for more opportunities. NOTE: LIKE and Share to get advice on application process. 🅰🅻🅻 🆃🅷🅴 🅱🅴🆂🆃! ✨ #RevRoad #VentureCapital #BusinessExperience #Entrepreneurship #DealSourcing #CareerBoost

In 2019, we were on top of the world. We watched one of our clients sell over $5M of our products on Shark Tank. My small team of 8 (at the time) just disrupted the manufacturing industry… What followed were 100s of inquiries from all over the world. It was our big moment: We‘ve got used to making VC-backed and bootstrapped brands rich. So we thought - why not build our own products and make it rain for Morpho? Ready to rumble, I put our money where our mouths are & invested in creating our own hardware brands. We launched écoute in 2023 and hit $400k in our first 4 months. Now we’re sitting on our next brand launch (stay tuned) … If you have two options: - Work on one business for many years OR - Work on different small bets and diversify. Which one do you go for? I choose both.