how to launch your startup

Powered by

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR STARTUP

CHAPTER 1: EARLY EXPOSURE

How did you get early exposure for

your startup? READ BLOG

Brittany Hodak

“The best thing I’ve ever done for press was join YEC, the Young Entrepreneur Council,

which allows me (and hundreds of other top entrepreneurs across the country) to contribute

articles to the world’s most reputable business publications.”

Matt Schnarr

“What we did was determine who our core consumer was and how they shopped our category. With these insights in mind, we

focused on a few pillars: In store placement and impactful pos, sampling, website and

social media, and public relations.”

Kellee Khalil

“Our early networking strategy was getting in front of key technology entrepreneurs who’ve started similar companies before, allowing them to share their feedback and advice. Those mentors turned into my

investors and because I had them on my side, Loverly attracted the tech press.”

Gene Gurkoff

“When I made Charity Miles, I didn’t try to get any PR, but instead focused entirely (and I mean

entirely) on making an app that people would use and tell their friends about. That is the best strategy. Our

members love the app, spread the word for us and get us all kinds of press.”

Rameet Chawla

“I hustled. I went went to Meetups, conferences, launches, and parties showing

everyone the first app I built. I did everything I could to associate myself to mobile.”

Neil Capel

“Be patient, but be relentless – a startup only fails if you walk away from it.”

CHAPTER 2: Funding

What’s your best advice for founders to raise their

first round of capital?

READ BLOG

Matt Schnarr

“Investment by founders first. You need to show skin in the game to make others believe.”

Ethan Austin

“The number one thing that helped us raise our first round was finding someone who believed in us to invest and then pitch us to others. When you are raising your first round you are an unknown entity

and since no one is going to return your cold emails, you need someone to make introductions for you

and do a lot of the pre-pitching.”

Kelle Khalil

“You’ll need to sell the dream, so come prepared to answer the question “Where can this company go?’”

Rameet Chawla

“Be able to answer, “Why now?” and then be able to explain, “This isn't crazy because..."

Gene Gurkoff

“The best strategy is to just focus all of your resources on making a product that people love and somehow generates revenue. That won’t necessarily make the investors knock on your door. But, at least

when you get the meeting, you can provide them with a real opportunity.”

Brittany Hodak

“Before giving up equity, look for alternative ways to finance your growth, using tools like

charge cards or lines of credit.”

CHAPTER 3: Finances

How did you manage money during your first

year operating?

READ BLOG

Brittany Hodak

“Once we got our first charge card, an American Express Business Gold Rewards card, it literally

transformed our company. We went from only being able to finance one or two projects simultaneously to

being able to finance four or five, and that led us to 350% revenue growth between our first and second years.”

Rameet Chawla

“Since payroll is often the largest expense, put all of your effort into minimizing it. Then, you’ll have the ability to be generous in other areas of the business,

and still come out ahead.”

Matt Schnarr

“Set out a budget and only spend on those things that are crucially important.”

Kellee Khalil

“Every CEO is frugal, but I definitely paid close attention to every dollar going

in and out of the company.”

CHAPTER 4: MARKETING

Which marketing strategy has generated the greatest ROI?

READ BLOG

BRITTANY HODAK

“We probably got 30 “nos” for every “yes” in the first year. But, we ended every “no” conversation by politely asking people to refer us to anyone

that might be a better fit...Don’t be afraid to say to someone, “Please keep my business top of mind in

case any of your colleagues or friends might find us useful in the future.”

Matt Schnarr

“The most important strategy that we employed was differentiated packaging. It is the foundation that the brand is built on and it needs to work for us even

when other marketing strategies (i.e. advertising and promotion) are not present.”

Kellee Khalil

“We’ve seen huge growth in traffic and on-site engagement due to our aggressive content creation strategy. Putting a voice to our brand has been monumental in getting our name out there.”

Rameet Chawla

“Personal branding...I have worked to become a thought leader in the mobile space by publishing

articles and speaking at conferences.”

CHAPTER 5: CULTURE

How do you implement an ownership mentality

for your team?

READ BLOG

Kellee Khalil

“Given that Loverly is a lean startup, we demand employees take ownership of their domain and I encourage people to feel empowered by helping them visualize their goals and creating short term

wins that contribute to moral.”

Rameet Chawla

“When people have the power to make their own decisions, any consequences are also a

direct result of their personal actions. As a result, they feel a significant sense of

ownership over their projects.”

Matt Schnarr

“Understand what motivates your employees. If you can’t pay a lot, ensure that your people are getting something that they

can’t get somewhere else (ie experience, fun, flexibility, empowerment, appreciation).”

Brittany Hodak

“One of the best things we’ve implemented to help with employee morale and team camaraderie is a rotating program called “Culture Captain.” Every month, a different member of our team takes a turn being in charge of fun activities for the team, both

inside and outside of work.”

CHAPTER 6: personal growthWhat’s the most important lesson you

learned your first year that informs every business decision you make today?

READ BLOG

Matt Schnarr

“When you start a business, you learn very quickly that it isn’t what you can do, it is what you can afford to do and/or when you can afford to do it. Cash flow is the

holy grail of small companies and cannot be taken for granted under any circumstances.”

Rameet Chawla

“Sales will fix all problems. No matter what problem you have, sales can get you out of that hole.”

Brittany Hodak

“It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.” ...If you aren’t getting your hand slapped every now and

then, it means you aren’t pushing hard enough.”

Kellee Khalil

“Knowing change is a good thing and it’s inevitable.”

What’s your best advice to launch a startup?

tweet us!

Tweet us @33voices for a chance to be featuring on our newsletter and website.

Have a different question?

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE FOUNDERS WHO CONTRIBUTED:

KELLEE KHALILBRITTANY HODAK RAMEET CHAWLA MATT SCHNARR

TUNE IN

Zinepak.com

TUNE IN

lover.ly

TUNE IN

Fueled.com

TUNE IN

awakechocolate.com

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE FOUNDERS WHO CONTRIBUTED:

NEIL CAPELGENE GURKOFF ETHAN AUSTIN

TUNE IN

charitymiles.org

TUNE IN

sailthru.com

TUNE IN

giveforward.com

CONNECT WITH US!

Tell us what you thinkJenna@voices.com

Presentation created by Chase Jennings

Insights by Jenna Abdou

LEARN MORE