iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

4/ Seek out other founders, engage with them, and create that safety net of people who truly understand what you’re going through. That community can make all the difference when you’re facing tough decisions, navigating roadblocks, or simply need a fresh perspective.

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3/ It’s not just about getting advice—it’s about finding a group of people who challenge you, support you, and help you grow. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t go it alone.

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2/ That’s why one of the most powerful things a founder can do is build a network of other entrepreneurs to lean on. With @joinffl.com, I’ve seen firsthand how valuable it is for founders to connect with like-minded people who understand the struggle.

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

1/ Early-stage founders often feel like they’re carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Building a business from scratch is daunting, and the isolation can be overwhelming. The truth is, no one can do it alone.

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2/"I actually emailed Chris and told him, 'Thanks for writing this,'" Charles shared. Thinking back to his early career, he remembered one boss telling him, "No one owes you a reply." There’s a lot more to unpack here. The Learning Corner podcast dive is definitely worth it!

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

1/Charles Hudson from Precursor Ventures is a VC who has his finger on the pulse of the startup world. So when he weighed in on Chris Neumann's post "In Silicon Valley, No Answer is an Answer," it definitely caught my attention. www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Xh...

youtube.com

Episode #11: Chris Neumann, Forbes, The Economist

YouTube video by The Learning Corner by Precursor

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Excited to see more of the VC and startup ecosystem on Bluesky! 🦋

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Hollaaaaa! 🎉 So glad you’re on Bluesky! 🦋

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Glad to! Yup, @hustlefundvc.bsky.social really puts on some fantastic events!

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Added! Fan of the equity-free model and how it gives startups the freedom to grow without giving up ownership.

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

1/ When a startup doesn't work out, it's really important for founders to wrap things up properly and land the plane. I was pretty surprised by what Dave Morin, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Offline Ventures, said he heard from an investor:

linkedin.com

#74: Winding Down From a $400M Fundraise, or How to Move Forward After Forward (with Adrian Aoun)

When Adrian Aoun, founder of Forward, joined the pod this week, he declared himself a member of our More or Less “elite listener club.” But this time, he swapped headphones for the mic – and honestly,...

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Free Carta for Startups — Founder Friendly Labs

As part of Founder Friendly Labs, startups get access to valuable resources like peer mentoring, 100% discount off the first year of Carta's Build or Grow plan w/ 409A valuations, and AWS credits. We understand founders are busy, so we offer a low-commitment experience. www.joinffl.com/free-carta

joinffl.com

Members of Founder Friendly Labs receive a 100% discount off your first year of Carta's Build or Grow plan w/ 409A valuations and 83(b) electronic filing in addition to the other program benefits. App...

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Founder Friendly Labs (FFL) is the equity-free startup accelerator for experienced professionals. Startups can receive startup and cloud credits from partners including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Firs...

Welcome back! Great to see more of the startup ecosystem move here. One thing I'm working on is Founder Friendly Labs, the equity-free startup accelerator for experienced professionals. www.joinffl.com

joinffl.com

Founder Friendly Labs

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VC & Startup Accelerators on Bluesky 🦋

Amanda, great list! Can you add me to it? Here's one with VCs, startup accelerators, and people who work at them on Bluesky. 🦋 go.bsky.app/5KqKYBg

go.bsky.app

Join the conversation

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Russ, thanks for sharing! Could you add me to the list? And here's one for just the VCs and startup accelerators for tech startups on Bluesky. 🦋 go.bsky.app/5KqKYBg

go.bsky.app

VC Bluesky

Join the conversation

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Thanks for reaching out. I'm limiting this list to VCs, startup accelerators, and people who work at them. Does that match what you do?

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Made a starter pack of VCs and startup accelerators for tech startups on Bluesky. go.bsky.app/5KqKYBg Happy Thanksgiving!

go.bsky.app

VC Bluesky

Join the conversation

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Whether you’re raising or investing, understanding the role of valuation caps in SAFEs is becoming more important than ever. They are the standard in early-stage funding and are by far the most popular way to structure a SAFE.

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A valuation cap sets an upper limit on the price at which the SAFE will convert into equity, protecting investors from excessive dilution in the event of a high-growth future round. For founders, it’s a way to raise capital while aligning incentives for growing the startup and a future raise.

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Did you know that 89% of recent SAFEs were issued with a valuation cap? 📊 This trend highlights how both founders and investors are seeking clarity around equity stakes and valuation in early-stage startup deals.

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Haha, love it! The world can use more in-person hangouts.

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If you're in the startup game, your customer is everything. Every decision you make, every strategy you implement, should be with them in mind. It’s your customer that ultimately decides whether your business thrives or fades away. It's their attention you're fighting for in a crowded market.

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

"If you don't think that it's a battle then you're probably not gonna win the battle. You have a lot of really capable well-funded companies trying to grab a minute or two out of 24 hours." - Dan Benyamin, Founder and CEO of Aeon

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

"It's your audience first and foremost. I mean that should be the start and end of every conversation. Everything else is helping you run a business, but at the end of the day it's a battle for attention."

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 10/06/2023

Reposted by Mendel Chuang

"I've met incredible fellow founders through FFL! The community is really supportive." - Jason Liu, Co-founder & President at Peblla in Silicon Valley, California and former Engineering Manager at Google. Learn more and apply by June 15th for the 2023 Summer Class at: www.joinffl.com

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Reposted by Mendel Chuang

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 08/06/2023

1/ "The peer mentoring session with other founders was really useful, and the cloud credits are a major benefit for startups looking to scale fast." - Lars Bakke Krogvig, Chief Data Engineer and Co-Founder at Nansen in Oslo, Norway and previously worked at Unacast and BearingPoint.

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 07/06/2023

Reposted by Mendel Chuang

"FFL is a great forum to meet a community of founders and share challenges and solutions in a group that has or is walking the walk." - Audrey Walby, Founder and President at SAFIO Solutions in Brookfield, Wisconsin and previously worked at BuySeasons, Nine West Group, and VF Corporation.

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 03/06/2023

Reposted by Mendel Chuang

1/ "FFL provides mentorship, credits that save your startup many multiples of the entry fee, and a fantastic community of other entrepreneurs and leaders. We loved our time as part of FFL and would recommend it to other startups, especially those at the beginning of their journey."

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 02/06/2023

Reposted by Mendel Chuang

"Apply to FFL summer program, network with mentors and entrepreneurs, and receive a large sum of cloud credits. Been there, done that, and will recommend!" - Zheng "Bruce" Li, Co-Founder at New Kind of Network (NKN.ORG) and previously worked at Google, Nokia, and Nortel Networks. #entrepreneurs

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 17/05/2023

Reposted by Mendel Chuang

1/ "If you are a first-time founder, this [Founder Friendly Labs] is the BEST founders' community that you want to be part of!" - Michelle Zhou, Co-Founder & CEO at Juji, a startup that powers Cognitive Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistants in the form of chatbots.

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 16/05/2023

Reposted by Mendel Chuang

"It was a great experience for me and ProtectOnce to join the Founder Friendly Labs - the startup community for experienced founders - www.joinffl.com We learned so many new things from other great startups." - Dan Benger, Co-founder and CEO at ProtectOnce and serial entrepreneur.

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 07/05/2023

Great post from @dunkhippo33.bsky.social: "Doing a startup is HARD, because it’s hard to see the long-term ups of where you’ve come from and how much you’ve accomplished." elizabethyin.com/2023/05/05/im-stil…

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 05/05/2023

2/ But if you're willing to put in the work and persevere, it can be incredibly rewarding.There's nothing quite like the feeling of building something from the ground up and seeing it succeed… or at least learning more about yourself along the way.

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 05/05/2023

1/ Building a startup is hard. Really hard.It's full of uncertainty, long hours, and a lot of rejection.The vast majority of startups fail, and those that do succeed often take years to reach profitability.

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Reposted by Mendel Chuang

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 05/05/2023

"The FFL community is so supportive of it's startups! So cool to have access to an engaged group of like-minded professionals to go to for advice and ideas." - Maureen Pozen, CTO at SAFIO Solutions and previously worked at Boats Group, NCR Corporation, and Intuit. www.joinffl.com

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Reposted by Mendel Chuang

Founder Friendly Labs @joinffl.com · 04/05/2023

1/ We're excited to have LokiBots as an alumni of Founder Friendly Labs. Applications are open until June 15th for the 2023 Summer FFL Startup Accelerator Class. www.linkedin.com/posts/joinffl_cong…

linkedin.com

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 03/05/2023

Excited to be helping more founders with another FFL Startup Accelerator Class! If you have some prior work experience and are aspiring to or have recently started a tech startup, check out this equity-free program: www.joinffl.com

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 02/05/2023

6/ If you’re a seasoned professional with the itch to take the leap and pursue your startup dreams, give yourself a leg up. Check out Founder Friendly Labs, the equity-free startup accelerator for experienced professionals. www.joinffl.com

joinffl.com

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Mendel Chuang @mendel.bsky.social · 02/05/2023

5/ If you have a strong desire to build a tech startup, the rewards can be immense. You'll have the freedom to create something from scratch and the satisfaction of seeing your idea come to life. You'll have the opportunity to build a team and make a positive impact on your customers' lives.