Startup Advice

6 VCs share advice for laid-off tech workers planning to launch startups

You may already have the experience investors are looking for when it comes to reaching product-market fit and solving engineering problems.

Hustle Fund’s side hustle just helped it close a third fund

Hustle Fund, an early-stage-focused venture firm built by former 500 Startups partners Elizabeth Yin and Eric Bahn, is growing into its name. The firm has steadily grown its assets under management si

The ‘ideal runway’ is a myth, isn’t it?

Startups are given a lot of advice about extending their runway, but after speaking to sources, it seems like there is no magic number.

Need advice on navigating a tough startup market? Start here

The market for startup investment has changed. From the hottest year in startup VC history to a period of pessimism, how did we get here? This digest of TechCrunch coverage looks to answer that.

Giving discounts will bite ya — use them with caution

I’ve run a startup or two in my time, and I’ve run companies that have struggled to meet payroll from time to time. More than once, running a limited-time sale with a discount saved the co

5 things you need to win your first customer

Ask any founder what really proves their startup has taken off, and they will almost instantly say it’s when they win their first customer. That’s easier said than done, though.

Box’s Aaron Levie says it will take creativity and focus to get through this crisis

The COVID-19 virus is touching every aspect of our lives and having a profound impact on individuals, businesses and society at large. Box’s Aaron Levie has built a successful business from dorm

Essential advice for securing your small startup

Jeff Bezos’ phone was hacked. And if the richest person in the world is vulnerable, chances are good that your startup could get hacked, too. The good news is that, as a tiny company, you’re not a

20 critical startup truths no one will tell you

Some knowledge is so important, everyone assumes everyone already knows it. But they don’t, especially in the tech world where things move so fast that most people are faking. But Stripe’s

Due diligence is a responsibility for investors, an opportunity for startups

Many startup companies begin with either an idea or a proprietary technology. Sometimes this technology is straightforward and easily explained; other times, it is novel and revolutionary. For some fo

How to communicate with your board in tough times

For startup CEOs, tough economic periods are like stressful stretches in a marriage: They test your mettle while making ugly truths impossible to hide. These days, amid industry-wide belt-tightening,

Seattle angel investor Jon Staenberg on the state of startup investing

Jasper Kuria Contributor Share on Twitter Jasper Kuria is the managing partner of CRO consultancy The Conversion Wizards and is the founder of Capital & Growth, an e-commerce education site. More

Breaking a myth: Data shows you don’t actually need a co-founder

We are often told that starting a startup on your own is madness. There are thousands of articles out there that tell you that and why why you need a co-founder. Probably solid advice, but data from C

Startup spending guide: Where to spend money

There is no shortage of advice when it comes to which tools software companies should use to run their businesses. We’ve all come across numerous “Top 100 resources for startups”-type posts at l

For A Stranger In Silicon Valley, Success Isn’t Only About Who You Know

<b>Editor's note:</b> <em>Cherian Thomas is founder and CEO of Cucumbertown, a recipe-publishing platform.</em> Cucumbertown raised its first round from the Valley a month ago and during the cours

Ten Lessons I Learned from Shark Tank

I just gave up all parenting responsibilities this weekend to Mark Cuban. Meaning, my kids and I watched eight straight episodes of "Shark Tank". For the past two years, people have been begging me

How To Get People To Do What You Want

Leadership in management is the art and science of getting others to do what they don’t necessarily want – or don't understand why they’re being asked – to do. Doing it at a startup is accompl

In Startups And Life, You Need Plan A, B, And Z

An entrepreneur receives lots of contradictory advice from really smart, experienced people. For example, you’ve probably been told to be both persistent <em>and</em> flexible; to have a clear visio

Patience is a Virtue, for Losers

Patience is one of the seven virtues, the lesser-known cousins of the seven sins.  And indeed, “patience <em>is</em> a virtue” – or so goes the saying.  But another saying states that “fortu

To Pivot or Not to Pivot

Ah, the internet – how you hijack our vocabulary.  A few years ago, “embedded” had connotations of journalists following soldiers.  Today, it’s most associated with YouTube clips.  Similarl
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