Launch Chat

Today's question comes from Neil. How does compensation work in early team formation at a startup? I'm coming in as a partner so I want to make sure my value is compensated appropriately.

Today's question comes from Bruce. What are the things I should be looking for when trying to bring on my first co-founder?

Today's question comes from Lucien. I have a prototype built for a B2C app but I'm trying to decide what my focus should be in the MVP phase. How should I think about the next stages of my business development?

Today's question comes from Christopher. I have a product I want to import and sell in my country. I setup a pre-launch page with an email signup and have done some paid ads. How do I know when my idea is valid?

Today's question comes from Gloria. I'm trying to start a new startup, but I'm not sure where to focus on my attention. A lot of it feels like I can't focus on one thing without focusing on another and it makes me feel lost.

Today's question comes from Dan. I want to start an ecommerce business where I purchase products overseas and then rebrand them as my own. What are the possible implications of this route?

Today's question comes from Colton. I won a $1000 at a hackathon to use on my idea, but I have no idea what to do with the money. I've built a prototype on my own already but am not sure if it's something I can scale to take to investors. Where is the money I won best spent at this stage?

Today's question comes from an anonymous listener. One of our startup's founding members is not pulling his weight. He did not commit full-time and I do not enjoy working with him. Should I communicate these concerns to him now or should I want until funding is secured and we can find a replacement for him?

Today's question comes from Jolin. I want to approach strategic investors before launch, because we have enough to show. How can we best take this next step? Thoughts on how we should approach the initial email?

Today's question comes from Chris. What's a business that's not that obvious and wouldn't necessarily make money today, but would payoff big in the long-term?

Today's question comes from Louis. What are the ways people look to exit? I am not looking for the quick exit — I want to build and grow a business that I care about. How should I think about exit strategies along the way?

Today's question comes from Greg. I've been thinking about an accelerator for my startup, but most require that you relocate for at least three months. I have many responsibilities at home that I can't just walk away from without a plan. What is your opinion on these types of programs?

Today's question comes from Mike. My business has substantial revenue ($650k this year) and I'm starting to think about raising capital. How do I best estimate the value of my company?

Today's question comes from Joe. I'm wondering how companies such as Tesla survive before Series A funding. How can you produce big, expensive products without having funding first?

Today's question comes from Anthony. I used to be pretty good at sales, but lately I'm not keen on it and I don't have a partner to offload it on. I don't think I'll be good at closing the deal and the money I'd like to offer to a freelancer to do sales calls isn't enough. Where do I go from here?

Today's question comes from Joe. I am a former game developer turned social app development. It wasn't uncommon for a game to take up to four years to build, but now I'm reading that six months to a year is too long for a social app build. Are there exceptions?

Today's question comes from Javier. My startup offers services at lower prices than my competition and are generally more in depth than what they offer as well. How can I set myself apart from firms with huge client lists and established reputations?

Today's question comes from Max. I work for a niche software platform and we're struggling with offering a trial period for a host of reasons. I would like to move away from trials completely, but some prospects insist on one. Do you know of any strategies that move away from offering a trial period?

Today's question comes from Preston. My co-founder and I were a couple months in to pursuing an idea before he decided to quit, however I still like the idea and would like to continue without him. If I change some of the details am I at risk for a lawsuit?

Today's question comes from Christopher. I have a product I want to import and sell in my country. I setup a pre-launch page with an email signup and have done some paid ads. How do I know when my idea is valid?