I would suggest looking into 500 Startups or other accelerators that target developing markets. They will help you get up to speed and make invaluable introductions. After going through the right accelerator a lot of doors will be open to you and then you can expand your network in Silicon vall...
One of the best ways to identify real problems in a market is to be a consultant and actually get paid to help solve the problem. Many great product companies started off this way (ex: Freshbooks, Hootsuite, Shopify, etc). They solved their own problem, and then build a solution so that others ...
That is perfectly normal and really just fine. Creating a company, growing a company and maintaining a company are three different jobs and the best fit is rarely the same person. Now that your creation has matured, it may be time for you to hand it over to someone else who will protect your in...
You can find startup job / cofounder opportunities at these sites: http://jobs.startupxplore.com/ https://angel.co/jobs https://underdog.io/candidates (choose the 'remote' option) http://www.startuphire.com/ If you'd like to talk about startup culture in general, or a specific idea you have an...
Depends. How much do you really need to build out your app? If you don't need investor money, better to avoid it. And how will you disrupt the space? I don't think there are any shortcuts to organizing.
The best thing to do to start any kind of sales or relationship building process with a Fortune 500 company is to recruit willing champions of you and your company. The good thing about Fortune 500 companies is that there are *lots* of people who you can potentially recruit. Many of them are ac...
The core underlying factor for this is that platforms and behaviors took hold which did two crucial things for commerce, communication, and entertainment driven companies. The first was provide a graph to leverage for quick scale, Zynga on Facebook being the best example. Many others were able to...
You should never bring anyone on the team unless you feel they are awesome and will add value. I believe the first 12 team members will dictate the success of the company. That being said, you can bring in team members and give them equity that vest over 4 years, so that there is no risk to you...
The most important thing is to make sure that your immediate network (Husband, family and friends) are able to support you. I have a 15 mth old and a 4.5 mth old and launched my company 1.5 years ago. It was busy, but it worked because I had people in place to help me (with the kids). The ultima...
Mark is correct that the best advisors should have skin in the game but that advice is applicable only when you and your business are obviously investable. I've engaged advisors at times when I knew I wasn't ready to ask for their money and I've often begun advisory relationships in the earliest...