#EntreTech

[breekelly]

Startup Resources: A Comprehensive Guide for New Entrepreneurs

Launching a startup is an exciting venture, but it comes with its challenges. One of the critical aspects of ensuring success is having access to the right resources. Whether you're in the ideation phase, seeking funding, or scaling operations, having a well-rounded toolkit of resources can make all the difference. This guide explores some of the most essential resources for startups, from financial support to tools for managing growth.

Mentorship and Networking

The journey of a startup is often filled with unknowns. Having the guidance of experienced entrepreneurs can provide insights into the pitfalls and opportunities ahead. Here are some avenues where you can find mentorship:

Incubators and Accelerators: Programs like Y Combinator, Techstars, and 500 Startups provide mentorship alongside funding. These programs often connect you with experienced professionals who have been through the startup process.

Entrepreneurial Meetups: Local and online events, such as those organized by Meetup or Eventbrite, can be great for networking with fellow entrepreneurs and potential mentors.

Founder Communities: Online communities like Indie Hackers or Reddit’s r/startups provide a space where you can ask questions, share experiences, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Funding and Financial Support

Securing the right funding is crucial to sustaining and scaling a startup. Depending on your needs and the stage of your company, you can explore different funding options:

Angel Investors: Individual investors who provide seed funding in exchange for equity. AngelList is a popular platform for connecting with angel investors.

Venture Capital (VC): For startups with high growth potential, VCs can provide significant capital in exchange for equity stakes. Some notable VC firms include Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.

Crowdfunding: Platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo allow you to raise small amounts of money from a large number of people, offering early products or other perks in return.

Government Grants: Depending on your location, there may be grants available for startups in specific industries, such as tech, health, or renewable energy.

Project Management Tools

Effective project management is essential for ensuring that tasks are completed on time and resources are utilized efficiently. There are numerous tools available that can help:

Trello: A visual tool that organizes tasks into boards and lists. It's great for teams that need a simple way to track progress.

Asana: A more comprehensive project management tool that allows teams to set tasks, track deadlines, and monitor project milestones.

Slack: While primarily a communication tool, Slack also integrates with many project management tools and allows for quick updates on team progress.

Conclusion

Starting a business requires a vast array of resources, from financial backing to the right tools for growth. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale, knowing where to find support can significantly increase your chances of success. For those seeking comprehensive resources to assist them on their startup journey, visiting entretech.org provides an invaluable platform with insights and tools tailored for entrepreneurs.

[mike-smith]

Entretech NYC Day 4 & 5

Day 4:

Lerer Ventures: Which has an amazing portfolio and crazy successful founding team. 

RebelMouse: "Your social front page" essentially they aggregate your posts from different networks and put them all on to one pretty site. Then you can freeze ones that you think are important. Swag: stickers

2u (formerly 2tor): They help leading schools create online versions of their degree programs. They are different from Coursera, edX et. al in that they don't offer courses they offer entire programs. Swag: Coffee cup, pen, bag

Bit.ly: Link shortener which in turn creates a ton of "second party" analytics. So I can understand who is viewing links that I create and where the traffic is coming from. Swag: moleskine, pen, stickers

iSchool SU Alumni Event:Held at one of WeWork's many offices in Manhattan. We heard a speech from NYCEDC's entrepreneur at large Steve Rosenbaum and got to mingle with the iSchool's Board of Advisors. 

Day 5:

Breakfast with the Board of Advisors (in the JP Morgan Chase board room). 

Arkadium Gaming visit. 

[mike-smith]

Entretech NYC Day 3

Reddit: We went to their office at WeWork labs and took a tour and chatted with their head of sales and General manager. Here are some fun reddit facts:

There are over 80 "my little pony" subreddits

They have 25 employees and 5 billion monthly page views

65% of their views are U.S. based

After receiving $20,000 initial funding Reddit was self sustaining

Google:

Unwritten rule at google: "Any googler should never be more than 150 feet away from food"

[mike-smith]

Entretech Day 1 & 2

Highlights from my past two days:

Foursquare: Chatted with Dennis Crowley for about a half hour. Originally I was very skeptical of Foursquare but when he explained that they are creating the future of maps I understood how big of an opportunity this is. Another 4sq employee mentioned that they are creating "page rank for the real world while building an engine for local (social) relevance". That really put things in perspective. I asked him about his twitter spat with Keith Rabois. 

We visited Contant Contact, Charity Water, and enjoyed Scott's Pizza Tour

Tuesday: Night Agency, Huff Post Live, 16 Handles, Rain. Definitely should check out Huff Post Labs.