#FounderTools

[itsmarcusquinn]

Behind every smart startup is a smarter system. Ashkan Rajaee is connecting infrastructure, fractional execs, and global talent to help founders grow without the usual chaos.

[getsimplist]

Good morning Founder, 99% of your job is finding the right people

You're a founder. You're a visionary. You're bold, You've started something...like maybe even Costa Rica (really Google, that's the example you're going with?)

So stop reading this and go find the people your business needs.

Ok. Still reading? Fine, how about this:

In his awesome 2013 Forbes piece on Fundraising, entrepreneurship expert Eric Wagner gave 12 amazing tips on raising capital for your startup. Fully FIVE of the tips are about finding the right people. Team, advisors, experience, investors. #'s 3,4,5,9 and 11 make a good case for you to stop reading and start FINDING the people you need.

Start with your network. Get help and get suggestions. Now.

[getsimplist]

Investors don't want to meet you. They want to be INTRODUCED to you.

Jason Freedman [42Floors, FlightCaster, Y Combinator] absolutely NAILS IT with this blog post about how investors aren't listening to you unless someone they trust makes the introduction.

Cold Pitch = Dead Pitch.

"Investors don’t want to meet you.  They wanted to be introduced to you."

...It’s a huge difference.  Another top tier VC once told me that out of the thousands of business pitches he receives in his office every year, his firm has never funded one that came in completely cold.  In other words, the only way to get their investment was through an introduction...

-@jasonfreedman

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Getting introductions is the most time-effective way to engage the most important people you need. It could be investors, talent you need to hire, people with industry expertise, or potential customers.

So find the right people to introduce you - I'd start with a Simplist list filled with "founder", "start-up", and "vc backed" keywords. 

[getsimplist]

What if you needed to ask Entrepreneurs (lots of them) what they thought about yout founder-focused product? What if you needed to ask a bunch of CMOs about how they make tech investments to validate purchasing decisions? ronjdub shares how he turns his network connections into really smart outreach. FAST.

What if you're recruiting like this guy and want your network to make targeted suggestions easily?

I could use help with my ** list http://t.co/EnQaUr7R3G via @getSimplist

— sonny caberwal (@caberwal) May 21, 2014

It might be time for you to get your network working.

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