If you want better bottom lines – you put women at the helm. Women make such amazing entrepreneurs, and I LOVE to see this movement taking hold. On September 3rd, Startup Phenomenon Women is taking place. It’s a conference geared for both women AND men to understand how to better support women into more startups.
Join myself and some other amazing women at this great conference in Boulder. Get your tickets today, they’re going fast.
I’ve had this theory running around in my head for a while now, and I’ve finally broken down and written a blog post about it. It’s called the Confidence Coefficient and what that means for your startup, and anything else you feel like tackling in your life.
The notion is around how your confidence levels can impact your success.
Read about the Confidence Coefficient here – a guest post I recently did for UC Berkeley.
I’d love to know your thoughts and whether you agree or not.
Yesterday was our anniversary and I’ve spent an entire day trying to figure out words that adequately convey how much I love and admire my husband Mark. Its times like these that I wish I were a poet.
While we’ve only been married for 7 years, we’ve known each other for 16. We met on a 30 day NOLS course in the mountains in Washington, and every day since our relationship has only gotten stronger. Mark is my calm and peace, he is my music, he is my 72 and sunny. He is my energy source, my source of confidence and purpose. He is an amazing father to our 2 children, he’s sacrificed everything to give me the opportunities I’ve had in life. I don’t just love him, I respect him, I admire him, I try to be a little more like him every day, and he makes me a better person.
I love you, Happy Anniversary.
Yesterday we made final decisions for the next TechStars NYC class. It was absolutely gut wrenching. We had over 1700 applications, we narrowed it down to about 40ish, and then picked the final class from there. It took us FOREVER to decide this round – lots of debates back and forth between myself and Eugene. There were so many teams we fell in love with, there were so many projects we fell in love with, and I think today I just realized what my least favorite part of my job is. SAYING NO. I absolutely hate telling an entrepreneur no, I really want to help all of them.
I take these decisions very seriously – and for those that were not selected for this next class – know that I love what you’re doing, I think you have what it takes. I deeply and sincerely thank you for your time and energy. And my best outcome for you (other than landing in another TechStars program!) is that you kick total ass and prove my decision wrong.
While this should be a joyous day for me… looking forward to what the future holds… today I’m going to just be sad and disappointed for a while.
I’ve been serving as Interim Managing Director for TechStars NYC since November-ish while we look for a permanent replacement there. Well today, I’m thrilled to announce that after interviewing over 35 candidates, Eugene Chung from NEA has agreed to join us as the permanent Managing Director for TechStars in NYC.
We have a rule around TechStars, that when meeting candidates, the meetings would get better and better. And with Eugene, he just continued to impress with each additional meeting. His passion for the space is undeniable. His insight into the market is envious. His energy and enthusiasm are inexhaustible. I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to work with him and learn from him.
I’ll still remain in NYC for this next program, working alongside Eugene as he gets up to speed on the TechStars way. So those joining us for this next program will have TWO managing directors (plus David Cohen will be there for a month, and Brad Feld is spending a whole week with us as well).
But watch out NYC, he’s a hugger! (I’m from Boulder, we hug trees. Eugene hugs founders. It’s great)
App developers – you’re large in numbers but small in representation. That’s where the Application Developers Alliance comes in. They help connect, educate, and share best practices for app developers. They’re trying to be a unifying voice for the industry that has no clearly emerged leaders or representatives. Given my experience working with entrepreneurs, many of whom focus on building apps, I’m pleased to tell you that I’ve joined their Board of Directors. W00t!
If you’re an established company, consider joining and supporting this good cause. If you’re an individual developer, membership is free. Join us!
If you want to watch a video of me talking with the good folks over there about accelerators like TechStars – go here.
We just completed TechStars for a Day in NYC, and I was overwhelmed with the number of requests from teams that wanted to come but didn’t get an invite.
Don’t worry! If you didn’t get an invite, it’s not a cut. It was simply a reflection of how much time and mentors we had at the event – I wanted to make sure we connected with each team there.
Anyhoo – we’re down to the last week for applications, and if you’re looking to get into TechStars, (or any program really), we’ve put together a SkillShare class.
For those in the NYC area, come in person! It’s this Tuesday, Jan 15th at 530pm. For those that can’t be there in person, we’re attempting to livestream it (and there will be a recording of it on SkillShare). It’s $5 to attend, but we don’t keep any of it. 100% goes to HackNY.
Click here to learn more and to enroll.
I’m spending about 95% of my waking hours right now on TechStars – reflected so in this blog! Bare with me as I get through this.
Early application deadline for TechStars NYC is tonight at 11:59:59 ET. I’ve complied an awesome list of reasons why you should apply TODAY and not wait until the final deadline.
TechStars for a Day Opportunity!
Applying by tonight makes you eligible for a TechStars for a Day invite. TS4AD is a 3 hour min-camp, featuring a handful of awesome speakers, alumni, and mentors. It lets you get a small glimpse of what TechStars is really like, hopefully you’ll walk away with great feedback on what you’re doing, new ideas on how to think about things, and maybe even a contact or two. This year’s TS4AD features some amazing people including Ben Lerer, Joel Spolsky, Patrick Keane, David Cohen, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Jay Levy, David Tisch, Ben Siscovick, me, and more. It’s a power-packed few hours, designed to add value to your startup and let us get to know you better.
I need time to get to know you
The earlier you apply, the more time I can spend on your application, watching your videos, perusing your website, playing with the demo, etc. 25% of our applications come in the last day – and if you do the math, there’s no way humanly possible I can get through them all with any sort of quality. I end up skimming and skipping – and that’s just not how you want me interacting with your application.
You need time to prove what you’re capable of
If you’re paying attention, you know that an awesome team is our #1 criteria. One of the critical aspects of the team is selecting a team that knows how to execute like mad. Execute Execute Execute! If you apply early, you can prove to us how quickly you can execute. I remember working with the founders at Orbotix, before they had even conceptualized Sphero. Every day, they’d show me a new device they built to show off their talents. So go thee and execute – get your alpha launched, get users, improve your design – show me that you can build this thing you say you can build. Pro:tip – A little used feature of the application is the ‘update’ capability. Simply by sending an email to appupdates at notes.accelerato.rs from the email that was used to create the application, you can update it with any progress you’ve made. I go in frequently and look for which applications have been updated with great stuff.
So stop reading this blog post and get your damn application in already! http://apply.techstars.com
Happy 2013!
This week’s application tip comes near and dear to my heart. The Team.
We put a heavy emphasis on team. In fact, we like to say that we look for 5 things in an application:
So, spend some time crafting an AMAZING team section. I’m looking for telltale signs that you’re passionate about what you’re doing, you and your co-founders are capable of weathering storms together, and you have a demonstrable ability to execute. (either on this idea, or on past projects). I’m also looking for roles in the company, so I can see who does what and where the holes are.
Here is a checklist of stuff you can include to highlight how awesome your bad-ass self is:
“But Nicole!”, you might ask. “What if I’m a single founder?” Single founders are a very rare breed in the TechStars eco-system. We have funded single founders in the past, but it’s really tough on them in the program. The program moves 1000MPH and its often too much for even 2 people to manage, much less 1. BUT, we have funded single founders in the past that an execute like a madman (or madwoman). So just talk to me about your history, show me you can build stuff, fast, and I’m interested.
Also – use the team video! Keep it short, like to < 1 minute. Just sit yourselves down in front of your webcam or smartphone, and shoot. No need for production quality. But please, show me some personality. Sing, dance, beatbox, be creative… Just standing there and telling me what you’ve done in the past isn’t the most fun way to pass the time (especially when I’m on application #782).
For those astute readers, you’ll notice how many times I’ve alluded to brevity. Efficiency of words and video goes a long way for me. The shorter it is, the more likely I am to read the whole thing instead of just scanning it.
Early application deadline (to qualify for TechStars for a Day in NYC) is Jan 4th, that’s in just 2 days! Don’t procrastinate and apply now.
I’ve had a long standing belief in doing at least 1 philanthropic thing a year, trying to give back a multiple of what I’ve been given, and supporting the community.
This year, I get to do that in spades. I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been invited and have accepted a board role at the Entrepreneur’s Foundation of Colorado.
The premise behind EFCO is simple – donate 1% of your startup’s equity to EFCO. If your company is ultimately successful, that 1% can go to support the charity of your choice. It’s a great way to make a commitment of support to the very community in which you live and work. There’s no cash component today – only if you’re successful tomorrow. And it instills a culture of giving within your company. The only way we’re going to make our communities better is by standing up and doing something about it, not by waiting for handouts or for things to improve.
If you have questions about EFCO or are interested in joining these awesome startups in contributing, reach out. I’ll help you get set up.
Nearly Nicole 