Mario Hernandez’s Post

Co-Founders need to align their visions. Or they will fail. ❌ Early-stage startups often fail because the team isn't aligned. My previous startup faced this too. A shared vision is crucial. When you find your niche and product-market fit, a new question arises: What kind of company do you want to become? Our company, Scripe, could be: - 🚲 a small profitable business - 🚀 a hyper-growth VC-backed business - 🔎 a tool focused on LinkedIn content creation - 🌐 a general-purpose content creation tool for all platforms - 💼 a bootstrapped content creation platform for B2B corporate influencing There are many options. You need to find your path as co-founders. I’m grateful to have Eva and Carmen as my co-founders. We share a vision and have complementary skillsets. Here's what drives us every day: - Eva Johanna Egg: Building a 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 that changes how people think about content and creating a place where people love to work. - Carmen Jenny: Empowering professionals to use their voice and be heard, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 of happy and authentic Scripers. - Me: Creating the 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 for content creation, focusing on design, usability, performance, and user experience. So, my two cents for aspiring founders: - Ask your co-founders early what motivates them and what they want to build. If one wants to build a small tool and flip it, while the other wants to scale a large company over a decade: IT. WILL. FAIL. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Leadership

To all the early-stage founders out there 👋🏻, Navigating the startup landscape is no easy feat. One crucial aspect often overlooked is the importance of tailoring your pitch to different audiences. 📈 Founders typically spend the majority of their time focusing on two main goals: 1️⃣ Securing funding 2️⃣ Acquiring customers Both audiences need to be convinced, but the key is understanding that they need to be convinced of *different* things. 👩🏻💼 **Investors** → Need to be convinced that you’re on the path to building a billion-dollar platform that will deliver substantial returns. They are looking for scalability, market potential, and a robust business model that will cover their entire fund. 👨🏼💼 **Customers** → Need to be convinced that your product or service can effectively solve their day-to-day problems. They seek immediate value, ease of use, and tangible benefits that improve their lives or businesses. The common mistake many founders make is mixing these two messages, which leads to: ❌ Weird landing pages that alienate customers ❌ Out-of-touch sales pitches ❌ Non-converting content and ads ❌ Underwhelming investor pitches To avoid these pitfalls, remember to use a strategic matrix to anchor the right message for the right audience. Here’s a helpful guide: **For Investors:** - Highlight market opportunity and growth potential - Showcase your team’s expertise and track record - Detail your business model and revenue projections - Emphasize scalability and long-term vision **For Customers:** - Focus on the problem you’re solving - Highlight features and benefits that address pain points - Use testimonials and case studies to build trust - Offer clear, actionable steps to get started By clearly distinguishing between these two messages, you can ensure that your landing pages, sales pitches, content, and ads resonate with the right audience, driving both investment and customer acquisition. Let’s make this week the one where we refine our pitches, connect with the right people, and push our startups to new heights! 🚀 #Startup #Entrepreneurship #Founders #InvestorPitch #CustomerAcquisition #PitchPerfect #StartupSuccess #Funding #ProductDevelopment #MarketStrategy #GrowthHacking #MondayMotivation #MakeItHappen #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth #founders #entrepreneurship #marketstrategy

🚀 The Art of Knowing When to Shut Down Your Startup by Aaron Harris Partner at Y Combinator As founders, we often celebrate successes, but it's equally important to discuss the challenging decision of when to shut down. Having gone through this myself, I want to share some insights: 1. The Zombie Trap 🧟♂️ It's tempting to keep a struggling company on life support. But beware - this "zombie mode" can drain resources and morale. Sometimes, a clean shutdown is the braver choice. 2. Stakeholder Considerations 🤝 • Investors: They understand risks, but hate being misled. Be transparent! • Customers: A gradual decline in service is worse than a clean exit. • Employees: The hardest part. Be honest and help them transition. 3. The Decision Framework 📊 Ask yourself: a) Any growth ideas left? b) Can you grow profitably? c) Do you want to work on the resulting startup? d) Do you want to work with your current co-founders? 4. The Emotional Journey 🎢 Shutting down is tough. It feels like admitting failure. But remember: • It's a sign of maturity and business acumen. • It frees you for new opportunities. • Most successful entrepreneurs have faced this. 5. The Aftermath 🌅 • Short-term: It's normal to feel down. Give yourself time. • Long-term: Many founders find this experience invaluable for future ventures. 6. Reframing Shutdown 🖼️ Instead of viewing it as an end, see it as: • A learning experience • A chance to reset • An opportunity to apply lessons to your next venture Remember, the ability to make this hard call is a crucial entrepreneurial skill. It's not about never failing; it's about failing smart and fast when necessary. Have you faced this decision? How did you handle it? Let's discuss and learn from each other's experiences! 👇 #StartupLife #EntrepreneurialJourney #BusinessDecisions #StartupAdvice #FounderLessons

Let's get to Series-A.... Fast! Let's be honest, most early-stage founders are worried about landing the Seed round I say, let's look to the future Let's go for the Series-A and grow baby, grow!   These are my tips to get you there   ✅ Partner with recognizable names for your go-to-market strategy. Trusted partners can give you instant credibility. Investors love it, and it's great for branding   ✅ Put successful founders on your board. Investors love seeing people with a proven track record; after all, success breeds success!   ✅ Focus on the problem you solve For the love of god.... stop talking about your features and benefits. Focus on the problem you solve, why it needs solving, how you solve it, and who you solved it for.   ✅ Engage the right service providers Whether it's Recruitment Agencies, Digital Agencies or Virtual CFO's; all can help streamline your operations and set you up for a successful raise. BUT, I caveat this by saying, stick to working with experts who specialize in startups. I'd go one step further, and say work with the founder of the firm directly! Ps. my fav CFO is Luke Rix   Stay focused, be strategic, and take decisive steps—that’s how you level up your startup. SCALERR #StartupGrowth #SeriesA #Fundraising #GTMStrategy #Entrepreneurship

All founders are the same! I said what I said... As a content creator for founders on LinkedIn, I've had the privilege of working with incredible leaders from across industries – eCommerce, health and wellness, cosmetics, and D2C. Despite their diverse journeys, industries, and personalities (narcissistic tendencies aside!). I have realized all of them do the same thing when they are stuck and nothing seems to work, That is- return to fundamentals. There's a powerful truth here: success isn't about constant innovation or chasing the next shiny object. It's about mastering the groundwork. These brilliant founders remind us that entrepreneurship, for all its challenges, offers a consistent path. The key lies in getting the basics right. This principle applies universally.  Whether you're a startup or an employee, focusing on basics is always a good idea. Can you recall any founder who lacked basics but did great in startup ecosystem? #startups #founders #fundamentals

1 Year of Growth Gen! 🎉 Linkedin reminded me yesterday that one year ago, I took the leap and launched my own fractional business, Growth Gen. It’s been a rollercoaster — building something from scratch (again), working with incredible startups, and helping companies scale. It hasn’t always been easy—there have been challenges, a lot of learning, and even a few pivots along the way. But seeing the impact I can make in helping companies scale makes it worth it. In the end I am doing this because of my passion to see companies grow. What I am seeing: Flexibility drives innovation: Being able to plug into various businesses means constantly learning and adapting. Impact over hours: It’s not about being “full-time”—it’s about the value you bring and the results you deliver. I’m still learning and evolving every day, but the need for flexible, high-impact sales leadership is real. Going from Founder-led sales to building a sales engine is very hard if you don't have the right skillset. I will keep refining how I deliver value and help even more startups reach the next level! 🚀 Looking forward to what year two has in store! #entrepreneurship #fractional #startups

‘Founder' is a state of mind, not a job description As much as I resonate with this quote from Reid Hoffman, it’s not surprising how a Founder’s state of mind drives the entire startup. There are times when you don’t get the product right, There are days without any sales There are weeks you spend with critical roles being unfilled The easiest thing feels like losing hope – dropping off the targets, slowing down and just waiting for the favorable scenario (which is an illusion)   But there’s one thing that gets you going - the belief. More importantly - Being paranoid takes you to a state of mind which remains much farther than the noise Being a founder for the last 6 years, here are my top 6 takeaways - most of which have been learned the hard way, so you wouldn’t want to miss: - Problems are around you Try to find easy solutions to identified problems - not problems for ideated solutions  - It’s essential to get closely inspired By history, startups, events, systems, or anything else. Ensure having your guiding light. - People with experience help you build great companies They just need people with enough hunger. And you, need a combination of both - Having a big vision is important but that’s not all Evolving with the changing needs and expectations, is even more critical - Don’t marry your ideas Marry your goals instead. Adapt to what people actually want, not what you thought they would, and pivot or rebuild if you need to. - Raising money without market adoption doesn’t help Don’t raise money unless you have the exact roadmap to spend it and grow your business. #founder #startup #growth

No one cares about your personal brand. What matters is how your brand solves their problems. A strong founder brand is built on the value you bring to your audience and investors. Demonstrate expertise: Share insights on how you're tackling challenges in your industry. Highlight your startup's unique approach and the lessons you’ve learned. Build trust: Be transparent about your journey—both the wins and the struggles. Consistency and authenticity build credibility with investors and customers. Expand your network: Engage with founders, investors, and potential partners. Collaboration within the startup ecosystem opens new doors. Boost visibility: Share your milestones—product launches, customer wins, or even pivots. Keep your startup on the radar with regular updates. Remember, your personal brand isn't about you—it's about the impact you create for others. Share an update on your startup’s progress today—stay on the radar of those who matter. #founders #startups #personalbrand

Social media makes starting and scaling a business look easy. I’ve built 2 startups: PURE Private Label LLC and RevMulti. And I can tell you → reality is far from what’s shown online. If I could give advice to my younger self, it would be this: 1) Not everything matters. Focus on the few things that drive growth and say no to anything that pulls you off track. 2) Your team is everything. Their growth, well-being, and trust are what will help your company thrive long-term. 3) It’s hard to let go, but you can’t do it all. Learn to trust your team, delegate clearly, and step back. 4) Plans rarely go the way you expect. Stay flexible, face challenges head-on, and pivot when needed. 5) Your values are your company’s backbone. When things get tough, a strong culture will hold everything together. Scaling a startup will push you to your limits. But overcoming challenges, seeing growth, and learning along the way is worth it. Stay focused on what matters most. Take care of your people. Learn from mistakes. And keep moving forward. *** What’s the best lesson you’ve learned while scaling a business? Let me know in the comments! #startup

Founders, skipping the strategic marketing work to “move fast” is a myth that costs you time and money. Build the foundation first, or risk wasting your marketing efforts later. 📌 Most startups often prioritize action over strategy, thinking that constant execution is the only way to move fast. ↳ Could that be the reason why so many fail? I bet this carries much weight. 📌 The urge to “do” creates a cycle of implementing tactics without a strong USP, clear messaging, or a true understanding of their audience. ↳This is a critical part, and inevitably, it takes research and validation time ⏳ 📌 Neglecting strategic marketing work might feel productive, but it wastes time and resources and results in missed growth opportunities. 📌 The best marketing partners will push you to slow down and get the fundamentals right before scaling efforts, and to go fast The worst part is that many often realize too late. Do you need help to scale your impact-driven startup? 👉 DM Help! for a complimentary intro strategy call. #CMO  #startups #growth