Founder DM’d me asking:
“We’re seeing a lot of traction (currently bootstrapped and profitable), but we’ve been getting rejected by VCs because our product is not defensible. What does it mean to be defensible?”
Sharing my response. Hope it’s useful for others.
Founder asked me:
"How did you go about replacing yourself as CEO at Product Hunt? I'm trying to do the same at [redacted]."
This topic deserves a longer post. Here's the short version.
First-time founder DM’d me asking:
“What do we need to achieve to raise a pre-seed round?” (paraphrased)
My response on an important prerequisite.
A question from my DMs:
"What approach do you recommend to founders to get advisers and mentors?"
My take: Try to be helpful.
I received an email from someone today asking for advice on how to find a technical co-founder for his startup idea. 🤔
My feedback…
Founder asked me:
"What are some effective/clever ways you’ve seen startups get their first customers?”
Links mentioned in the DM:
ryanhoover.me/post/how-we-go…
lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-bigg…
Just spoke with a designer who’s looking to join a new co. He asked for advice on where to look.
My suggestion:
“Consider working on a product you use and love. Look at your homescreen or browser bookmarks for inspiration.”
Founder tip: Send your investors monthly updates.
I know it can be annoying and I’ve missed months when things are hectic, but it’s for your benefit. It’s a great way to:
- Get help (ask for it!)
- Build trust (very important for raising the next round)
- Reflect internally
Friend interviewing for the next @ycombinator batch asked for advice. My response:
Simple advice for founders: Don’t lie in your pitch deck.
A friend informed me I was listed as a user of the product in a company’s deck. I’ve never heard of them before.
A product manager intern emailed me asking for advice. Figured I’d share here as well.
Pro tip: When launching a product, especially for an unknown brand, avoid super-vague-marketing-jazz-hands copy.
E.g. I just saw a product described with the tagline, “For anywhere work takes you”. I have no idea what that means.
Tip: When cold emailing people, make sure you’re using unformatted text with consistent fonts and sizes.
I’m surprised how often people don’t do this (usually copy and paste flubs).
Another tip: Everyone you list in your deck is a possible reference check, so make sure they’re able and willing to provide a positive recommendation
A question from my DMs:
"I saw you give advice on fundraising and wondered if you would do things differently at Product Hunt if you could go back in time?"
Bootstrapped founder asked me:
"For a $1.5M ARR bootstrapped startup with 70% margins, would you raise money, keep it going, or sell now?”
Ofc I can’t answer that but here are thoughts.
Founder DM'd me the classic question:
"What’s the best way to find a technical co-founder? Wondering if I should suck it up and learn to code myself."
Quick thoughts:
