Templates by Kevin Jurovich

Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.

— Steve Jobs, 1997

Grateful for your support.

The best is yet to come. Noa Khamallah

The day you understand this is the day you learn marketing. 🚀

No one cares about your product. They care about how great they'll feel and be using it.

Show, don’t tell.

The Ad Professor

#startups #marketing

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Two days ago, I decided to open up my schedule for quick 15-minute chats with fellow founders on LinkedIn.

I didn’t have a specific agenda—just wanted to connect with some founders and share some wisdom.

The response was incredible! One of the first to book a time was Shanise Thomason, who pulled over to the side of the street to secure a spot. (see photo) 🚗

Shanise is a second-time founder in the space; her previous company was acquired after reaching 18 locations.

Now, she’s the founder of Tressed, an Atlanta-based company that's like Warby Parker but for hair extensions and wigs. With two brick-and-mortar locations and nearly $500k in revenue, she’s making moves.

But Shanise has even bigger plans.

She’s looking to scale her business by building an online presence and creating an app that lets customers virtually try on weaves before purchasing.

If you've experienced Warby Parker’s VR setup, you know what a game-changer this could be!

To me what I loved about her is her self-awareness and humility. She knows her strengths and where she needs support. These are the kinds of people you want to back.

After just 15 minutes together, I knew I wanted to help.

She doesn’t have a tech background and isn’t familiar with building an app (which can be learned), but she has a growth mindset and a proven track record of winning.

Shanise doesn’t know this yet, but after reading this, she will—I’m connecting her with one of our designers to help bring her vision to life and mock up an MVP.

There are so many amazing people out there hustling. Sometimes, all it takes is a little direction and one conversation to make a difference.

Investors, keep Shanise on your radar—she’s planning to fundraise in a few months.

She’s a badass, and I’m excited to watch her journey unfold.

#startups #entrepreneurship #venturecapital

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How the Best Companies Build Their Products 🚀

We are living in the best time in human history for learning. When I first broke into tech, I found Lenny Rachitsky to be my virtual mentor.

If you want to be great, find someone already doing it well and emulate what works. Success leaves clues!

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀:

⬪ How Figma builds product → https://lnkd.in/gTxAgwtn

⬪ How Notion builds product → https://lnkd.in/gB-VqbZv

⬪ How Linear builds product → https://lnkd.in/gbeg_Eeq

⬪ How Shopify builds product → https://lnkd.in/gy5MXzF6

⬪ How Ramp builds product → https://lnkd.in/gw3ytYgu

⬪ How Duolingo builds product → https://lnkd.in/gnbsjdsd

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

⬪ Airbnb new playbook → https://lnkd.in/gc2uFZmv

⬪ Duolingo's massive user growth → https://lnkd.in/g7HTbGbX

The knowledge is out there—act accordingly and get it. 💙

#startups #product

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Why do investors keep saying NO to you? 🚫💼

There are several reasons investors pass on a deal. Usually, it's:

→ Doubts about your ability to execute

→ Not enough traction to prove your business's viability

While you can't magically create traction, you CAN improve investors' perception of you as a founder.

My friend Robbie Crabtree shared this fire post about what makes for a weak investor meeting and how to level up - a must-read for any founder looking to secure funding:

𝟭. 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀

When meeting with an investor they need to feel that you are their peer.

Coming into a meeting with too much deference or awe creates immediate red flags. That's because the founders or fund managers who can deliver results have a sense of confidence and conviction in themselves.

Present to investors like they are lucky to have this chance.

𝟮. 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀

When an investor hears rambling responses, two thoughts occur.

This person doesn't know what they're talking about.

This person isn't a clear thinker.

Which inevitably leads to... "this is a waste of time."

Prepare ahead of time by building your go-to answers and your set pieces to draw on for surprise questions.

𝟯. 𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀

When an investor meets a founder or fund manager who takes control of how the process will play out, good things happen.

Why?

It lowers the cognitive load and demonstrates leadership. This type of leadership speaks highly of the ability to run the same type of process when recruiting, building partnerships, and selling to customers.

Plus great investors want to see a great close to show them that fundraising won't be an issue in the future.

𝟰. 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻...𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘁

When an investor meeting is dominated by the "pitcher" there's a sense of desperation.

Sell, sell, sell. That's what it comes across as and that's not a winning strategy. If you're having to sell, you aren't in demand.

Instead, invite questions, ask questions of your own, and challenge the investor to demonstrate their thinking and value if they were to join your company.

𝟱. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

There's no investment if there's no emotion.

Numbers are cold. Stories are warm. That's why the storytelling sets the frame for the number of discussions.

Not only that, but storytelling flows from great leaders.

Jobs

Bezos

Oprah

Blakely

Chesky

Numbers matter in that they support your story.

Fix these 5 mistakes and you will see your success rate massively improve.

Fix these and win big.

#startups #venturecapital #investing

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Enjoy this? Follow Kevin Jurovich for daily startup & VC insights and the occasional meme. ✌️

Founders, I’m opening up a few 15-minute slots this week for quick chats on a first-come, first-served basis. I’m happy to talk through:

- Raising venture capital for your startup

- Growing your brand on LinkedIn

- Hiring A-players for your team

- How to launch your startup

- Pitch deck frameworks

…or anything else on your mind! I’m here to help and see you win.

Drop a comment / DM and I'll we'll set up a time.

#startups #venturecapital

In 2010, Ed Sheeran arrived in LA with just a one-way ticket, no money, and nowhere to live.

He heard Jamie Foxx was hosting a show called "Foxxhole," featuring aspiring artists. Determined to catch Jamie’s attention, Ed showed up and performed.

"You're incredible," Foxx said. "I know you don't have anywhere to go, so chill here."

Jamie offered him a place to stay at his house.

Ed lived on Jamie's couch for six weeks, eating his food, honing his craft, and perfecting his songs. This generosity wasn't just a roof over Ed’s head; it was a lifeline that allowed him to focus on his passion.

Before Jamie was going to introduce him to record labels he needed Ed to pass one more test.

He invited Ed to perform at a Monday night show he hosted, showcasing some of LA's best black talent.

The bar was sky-high, but Ed's raw talent and heartfelt performance won the audience over, earning him a standing ovation.

This pivotal moment marked the beginning of Ed Sheeran's incredible career.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀

Behind every startup is a person with a dream—sometimes literally living on couches and relying on the kindness of strangers.

A little help and a bit of hope may be all someone needs to keep going.

Sometimes, all it takes is one break, one investor, one cold email, or one act of kindness to change everything. Ed found his by moving to LA with nothing and taking a chance with Jamie Foxx.

Never underestimate the power of taking risks and offering a single act of kindness.

#startups #entrepreneurship #motivation

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Updated Y Combinator Expansion Pack! ⚡

Before we start, Microsoft 365 and QuickBooks can handle a lot of this, but that's only if you want to stay in the Stone Age. For the rest of us, here we go:

💸 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴

⬪ Pitch-deck Sharing: Dropbox DocSend *

⬪ Investor Lists: Crunchbase

⬪ Investor Updates: Paperstreet

⬪ Investor CRM: Foundersuite

⬪ Cap Table: Carta *

🏦 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

⬪ Bank Account: Mercury

⬪ Credit Card: Brex

⬪ Bookkeeping: Fondo

⬪ Payroll: Gusto

⬪ Expenses management: Ramp

⬪ Financial Planning and Analysis: Baremetrics

🎨 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 & 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱

⬪ Graphic Design: Canva

⬪ Interface Design: Figma *

⬪ Swag: Custom Ink

⬪ Website: Framer *

📝 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 & 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻

⬪ Project Management: Linear *

⬪ Team Communications: Slack *

⬪ Customer Success: Front

⬪ CRM: HubSpot

⬪ Forms and Data: Airtable

⬪ Note-taking/Wiki: Notion *

💻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 & 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁

⬪ Analytics: PostHog *

⬪ Infrastructure / App Deployment: Qovery

⬪ Cloud: DigitalOcean *

⬪ Emails: SendGrid

⬪ Chat: Intercom

⬪ Sms: Twilio

⬪ Search: Algolia

⬪ Automation: Zapier

⬪ Whiteboarding: Miro *

🚀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

⬪ Email Marketing: Mixmax

⬪ Referral Marketing: Viral Loops

⬪ Copywriting: Copy.ai

⬪ Inbound & SEO: Positional

⬪ Events: Luma

👨⚖️ 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹

⬪ Startup Legal Docs: Clerky

*𝘔𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴

Don't get overwhelmed. You can accomplish a lot with the trio of Stripe Atlas, G Suite, and Slack.

Thanks, Morgan Perry for helping compile some of these top-tier tools.

#startups #entrepreneurship #tech

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Enjoy this? Follow Kevin Jurovich for daily startup & VC insights and the occasional meme. ✌️