Startups and Networking

Startups and Networking -

Startups and Networking

  • (Slide 2) Brand Desk Intro
  • (Slide 3) Why networking is essential to your startup's success...
    • (Slide 4) "How deep are the benches?" - Jim Van Fleet  Local in most cases is usually better.
    • (Slide 5) Meeting co-founders
    • (Slide 6) Building your team
    • (Slide 7) Finding resources
      • Legal, accounting, advisors, partnerships, strategy
        • e.g. LLC vs. C-Corp, freemium vs. paid, escrow vs. delayed payments, feeback and validation, marketing strategies, etc...
    • (Slide 8) Funding - VC's and Angels prefer warm intro's
      • Law firms and accounting firms
      • Other successful founders
      • Advisors
      • Partners
  • (Slide 9) How to network...
  • (Slide 10) Social media adds a new dynamic to networking
    • Twitter (my personal platform of choice), Facebook, and LinkedIn
    • (Slide 11) Face to face events
      • Meetups and groups - CLT Launch, Hackers and Founders, etc...
      • Conferences
      • Special Events
        • Startup Weekend
        • Launchbox Digital events in RTP
  • (Slide 12) Tools and tips for networking...
    • (Slide 13) Maximize your use of social platforms by using clients/tools such as Sprout Social
      • Search keywords
      • Following recommendations
    • Meetup.com, Plancast, Sonar, and Hashable are other apps/sites to help you maximize and plan your networking activities
    • (Slide 14) Always carry business cards - Moocards.com is a great site for cards.
    • (Slide 15) Understand that when you interact with individuals via social media their web persona may differ from their real life persona
    • (Slide 16) Perfect your elevator pitch
    • (Slide 17) Be helpful and sincere
    • (Slide 18) Don't wait for someone to become successful before you start building a relationship with them
    • (Slide 19) Follow-up
    • (Slide 20) Startup Weekend Tips - Maximize your XP...
      • Try to pitch if you can to maximize your exposure
      • Arrive early and mingle
      • Think about your team choice carefully - It's not only about the concept but who you're working with as well
      • Contribute
      • Bring all of your skill sets to the table
      • Meet the other teams
      • Have Fun!!!
      • Follow-up