Highlights for Entrepreneurs (12/05/24)

It's the first edition of December and it's hard to believe that 2024 is almost over...wonder what we all remember from this year? Hopefully some good things! And I hope you're well into your 2025 planning and updating your models and assumptions!


Thank you for checking out my newsletter. As someone who enjoys sharing information with friends and colleagues, I started this as a way to help early stage founders find out about events, videos and articles that help serve as a guide and a reference. Even if you're not a founder, the content could be engaging for you. I hope you agree.

Have a great week, be safe and healthy... and take some time to care for yourself! Here are this week's resources for you to check out and thank you again for reading, subscribing and sharing! Welcome to all the new and recent subscribers! If someone forwarded this to you, please reply to me to subscribe (or subscribe on LI)

Best,

Paul

Check out my interview with Canvas Rebel 

Here are this week's links:

1) Eli Farhood: Founder Fridays Beverly Hills, CA (In Person Beverly Hills Dec 6...Tomorrow Subject to Approval)

- Founders Friday is a unique opportunity to meet and engage with like-minded individuals who are building the next wave of groundbreaking businesses. Whether you're a seasoned founder or an aspiring entrepreneur, this event is your chance to connect with potential co-founders, employees, investors, and mentors.

2) Stubbs Alderton & Markiles: Ukrainian Startup Founder Meetup (In Person Santa Monica Dec 18)

- Are you a local startup founder eager to connect, collaborate, and innovate? Join us for an evening connecting with the vibrant Ukrainian startup community right here in Los Angeles! 

3) Carta: The amount you raise changes your valuation cap | Mendel Chuang (GP at Acquired Wisdom Fund) (Video)

- The title omits many of the topics discussed; • How valuation caps have been changing over time since Q1 2022; • The percentage of seed rounds that are priced, by raise amount; Along the way, Peter and Mendel share insights and perspectives on countless issues in venture — from how often founders should update their investors, to what Mendel looks for in a company valuation-wise, the mentality of pre-seed VCs, and more. 

4) Founder Institute: Cap Tables Explained (Blog post)

- It's so important to have a solid understanding of your Cap Table, and the implications of fundraising and dilution. This article explains it all for you, and includes some resources. 

5) Molly Graham: Some Lessons for Rapid Scale (Article)

- "If you are inside a rapidly scaling company, the only thing I can GUARANTEE you is that NOTHING will be the same in 1 year....Your job is to change and grow as fast as you can — to try to keep up and stay on top of the bubble. "  

6) First Round: Starting Up - The Uncomfortable Truth: A 3X Founder's Guide to Intellectual Honesty (Article)

- “We were both willing to set aside some dilution, some pride and some sense of control to make this one cohesive thing that will actually create what we wanted to create for our customers in the first place”

7) Saastr: Dear SaaStr: Which Tactics Always Work to Drive Down Churn, and Drive Up Retention? (Article)

- Saastr has some ideas on controlling and reducing churn. They say: "90% of SaaS companies I work with and have invested in don’t get these basics right for a long, long time." 

8) Dear Stage2: How to Perfect Your Pitch: Practical Advice for Telling a Story Investors Can’t Ignore (Article)

- Sometimes an investor just doesn't get what your business is all about. "Crafting a clear, compelling pitch takes practice, feedback, and iteration. But when done well, it’s a game-changer for your fundraising process.  

9) Techstar: How to Approach Investors (Blogpost)

- Approaching investors can be a daunting task, but with the right strategy, you can make a lasting impression and build meaningful connections.

10) The Saas CFO: The Complete Guide to Software Bookings (Blog post)

- Bookings data is important for sales team performance tracking, commissions calculations, forecasting revenue accurately, and calculating our sales and marketing efficiency metrics....and so much more. Be sure you understand how it's calculated 

11) Crunchbase: Startup Speed Is Sine Qua Non For Startup Success. Here’s How To Achieve It (Article)

- "Speed drills" can prove to a team that it’s possible to move quickly and, once they know they can, they’ll start doing it without prodding. This mindset transforms speed from an abstract concept into daily actionable decisions.

12) Dear Stage2: 2025 Planning: Why CCAC is the Metric You Need to Watch (Article)

-When you're still figuring out your product-market fit, your ICP, and your go-to-market strategy, how can you possibly predict a customer's lifetime value? The writer suggests looking at monthly customer cohorts to track sales efficiency and assess customer value accretion over time. CCAC: Cohort Customer Acquisition Cost Payback 

13) TechStars: ENTREPRENEUR'S TOOLKIT Topic 6. The Power of Branding (Video Toolkit)

- Learn how to use the most powerful branding tools and techniques to elevate your brand equity and connect to your target audience. Featuring Thought Leader Chuck Pettis, President of Brand Solutions  

14) Only CFO: Annualized Gross Profit - New North Star? (Article)

- For some time, ARR has been a key metric for SaaS companies, but due to differing Gross Margins, ARR may not be the right stat for you. Read along for more info 

15) Saastr: Dear SaaStr: My Customer Missed the Deadline for AutoRenewal. How Do I Handle This Situation? (Article)

- Along with controlling churn, Saastr has some things to say about managing Auto Renewals and deadlines  

Musical Diversions:

Erin Ross - Southern Song

Woody Platt ft Tim O'Brien - Toe the Line {Get your bluegrass fix}

Larkin Poe - Mockingbird

Joshua Burnell & Band - Le Fay (Live At The Crescent)

Joshua Burnell & Band - Don't Lose Your Faith (Live At The Crescent)

TJ Rosenthal - Bad Habits

This Week's Cover:

Duran Duran – Evil Woman (ELO cover, pretty straight-forward)

Highlights Newsletter Soundtrack All of 2024 music picks on Spotify

I know that you are very busy, but I hope you have time to enjoy the curated information and the music selections in this newsletter. Get in touch if you have any feedback, sources or other interested readers - feel free to forward!  If you hear of any upcoming events, please pass them along too! If the links speak to you, consider subscribing to the source! If you find a link particularly interesting, let me know so I can look for more like it.

Paul G. Shapiro, CPA (Retired)

Startup Consultant

Santa Monica, CA

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_________________________

Paul G. Shapiro, CPA [Retired]

Startup Consultant

Santa Monica, CA

Robert Green

Entrepreneur/Innovator/Leader of Exceptional Teams

2w

Thanks, Paul! Great content!

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