Startup Real Talk

Startup Real Talk offers practical guidance and insights for startup founders, covering the challenges and strategies involved in building and leading a startup. It addresses themes such as crafting a compelling company narrative, leadership, fundraising, managing tough times, dealing with rejection, and optimizing operations.

Leadership and Management Startup Fundraising Strategic Planning Operational Efficiency Investor Relations Product Development Team Building Financial Management

The hottest Substack posts of Startup Real Talk

And their main takeaways

Tips for managing your startup's cash

194 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24

The main goals for managing startup cash are capital preservation, liquidity, and income in that order.
Keeping startup cash in a startup-friendly primary account and a secondary operating account is recommended.
Investing the remaining cash in Treasury bills is a safe strategy, and it's important not to chase yield with riskier investment products.

Your back office should be boring

630 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23

💼 Business Management Startup Strategy Entrepreneurship Innovation

Focus on innovation for your core product, not back-office functions.
Stick to popular and proven solutions for tasks like accounting and legal.
Avoid reinventing the wheel in areas that won't directly benefit your customers.

You’re not here to make friends

727 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23

💼 Business Leadership Startups Decision-making Growth Efficiency

Your job as a leader is not to be well-liked, but to be effective.
Making unpopular decisions is necessary for the success of your startup.
It's impossible to make everyone happy, focus on being an effective leader instead of being popular.

Getting investor introductions

485 implied HN points • 22 Mar 23

💼 Business Investing Networking Entrepreneurship Pitching Startups

Make targeted, tactical requests when seeking investor introductions.
Research and connect with investors who are relevant to your business.
Optimize for introductions made by founders of previous investments who can vouch for you.

Running your startup in tough economic times

485 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23

💼 Business Startups Efficiency Investing Team Management

In tough economic times, focus on making your startup efficient without cutting corners.
Prioritize essential initiatives over experimental ones to ensure long-term success.
Maintain transparency and honesty with your team when navigating challenges together.

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Structural advantages of startups

194 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23

💼 Business Startups Funding Talent Acquisition

Startups have fundamental advantages over big companies to exist.
Startups can move fast and ship features quickly.
Startups can offer white-glove service and hire exceptional talent.

Does the “no” ever get less awkward?

242 implied HN points • 31 May 23

💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startup

Rejections in business still sting regardless of experience.
Passion and care are crucial for success.
Learning from losses is key to growth and improvement.

Discounting is the root of all evil

291 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23

💼 Business Sales Pricing Customer Relations Startup

Discounts are a bandaid for a problem elsewhere in the sales process
Aggressive discounting can lead to customer friction during renewals
Discounts should be structured and principled to avoid engendering ill will

You’re going to hire the wrong executive

194 implied HN points • 14 Jun 23

💼 Business Business Strategies Company growth

When hiring an executive, ensure they have the necessary experience for the size and stage of your company.
Don't just rely on a candidate's impressive resume - make sure they have the right expertise for your specific business needs.
Be aware of signs that your executive may not be willing to put in the necessary effort, and be prepared to make tough decisions if needed.

How much money should you raise?

145 implied HN points • 17 May 23

💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startup funding Financial planning

When raising money, aim to raise enough to become profitable or get to a point where you can raise another round.
Work backwards from your next funding round to determine how much money you need to achieve your goals.
It's better to raise too much money than too little, as running out of funds can lead to the company failing.

FAQ for startup founders re: SVB

145 implied HN points • 12 Mar 23

💼 Business Startups Founders Finance

The FAQ is focused on tactical and actionable advice for startup founders.
The document is a living one, open to additions and updates.
The most frequently asked questions about SVB from customers are compiled.

Delegate, don’t abdicate

48 implied HN points • 28 Jun 23

💼 Business Management Leadership Accountability Startup

Empower your team but don't check out entirely
Delegate responsibility, not abdicate it
Stay accountable and intervene when needed

Don’t start a tech-enabled service

3 HN points • 20 Sep 23

💼 Business Entrepreneurship Technology Startups Finance Investing

Starting a tech-enabled service is hard and punishingly difficult.
Initial traction can be deceiving, leading to challenges with scaling.
You'll face issues with achieving full automation, bad margins, and a mix of challenges from running a software company and a service business.

Managing your psychology as a founder

2 HN points • 06 Sep 23

💼 Business Entrepreneurship Work-life balance Motivation Mental health

Avoid burnout by finding a balance between work and self-care.
Remember that being super-rich won't solve all your problems.
Understand your motivations and find fulfillment in the journey.

Be a rocketship or leave a big crater

1 HN point • 18 Oct 23

💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Investors Business Growth Financial Strategy

Venture capital investors expect high returns, so startups need to aim to be either hugely successful or risk being considered failures.
In the world of venture-backed startups, growth is essential - if a business can't sustain growth, it may face failure.
Founders should carefully assess if venture capital funding aligns with their business goals and take steps to mitigate potential misaligned interests with investors.

Your startup has to be inevitable

3 HN points • 03 May 23

💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Investing Innovation Marketing

To attract investors, employees, and customers, your startup needs a compelling story about why its success is a sure thing.
A good story helps you stand out from other startups, while a bad story makes you forgettable.
Craft your startup narrative with a sense of inevitability, highlighting the current problem, a better future, and why your company is the one to make it happen.