How To Get Your Team Onboard with Changes in 2026
Simple, straightforward ways to build alignment
Read More
Simple, straightforward ways to build alignment
Read MoreNew year, new ideas!
…And new pushback from the team. Whomp whomp 🙃
It’s normal and healthy to have internal debate at companies.
You want to have at least a few skeptics on the team so help you think through downsides and clarify your approach.
But when it’s important to get alignment around a new initiative, what can you do?
Here are 2 very simple but effective ways to get your team, board, family, anyone on board with something that feels like a (scary 😱) change!
I LOVE this strategy and do it all the time in my own life, personally and professionally.
Almost any new idea or project, I consider an experiment.
Let’s try it for a predetermined time frame and then reevaluate.
Takes the pressure off everyone involved!
Keeps the door open for change or feedback
Allows you to get started without having to consider every possible repercussion
Breaks it into a manageable chunk of time (e.g. it’s not forever, just for a month)
Makes it easier for people to come along on the journey
(Literally for everything but here’s some examples…)
Trying a new wellness habit
Seeing if an event has good marketing ROI
Implementing a new metrics tracking system
Working with a consultant or coach
Iterating on your family’s nighttime routine
Launching a new product offering
Going after a stretch goal like speaking at a large event
All of these examples have money, time, or ego at stake. Lessen the risk by making it an experiment!
#PROTIP
Schedule time at the outset for the evaluation and feedback stage. Make sure to *ACTUALLY* cut or pivot the experiment if it’s not working!
Another strategy I love across all areas of life is bringing people into the fold by asking for their help.
According to the Ben Franklin effect, you like someone better after you’ve helped them, even more than if they helped you.
(This is why asking for feedback from an investor is a great way to build a relationship!)
Start with that person’s strengths (“You are great at designing a streamlined process.”)
Acknowledge concerns or reluctance (“I know you are not sure about this new product release strategy.”)
Ask for help (“Would you be able to spend a few minutes mapping out a process that might work?”)
Explain their importance (“Your operational brain power on this will really help the team save time and be more efficient.”)
Something specific they are good at
Feedback on a v.1 or something that already exists (this can take less time if bandwidth is a concern)
Plan or recommendations on how to best implement a high level goal (“Here’s the desired outcome — how do we get there?”)
Finding the right person or training someone (“Can you help me find and onboard the leader we need?”)
A good attitude (“Your energy is contagious.”)
If you’re asking for their time and work, specify how much time they need to spend (“30 minutes to help me think through pitfalls and how to avoid them”)
If they have only criticisms, ask for their suggestions and solutions! (“What would you do? How would you mitigate that?”)
What *NOT* to do
Ask for help and then totally ignore it 🥴🙃😬
What to do instead
Explain upfront how you will use their help and the decision process. Don’t promise to include someone’s ideas. (“I’m asking for everyone’s input and then will use that to make a final plan.”)
Give public shoutouts for any ideas or work they did (“Sarah found a great software option for us.”)
Find something to include — give everyone a small win within the final plan (like in the Core Values process). Even if you don’t have high confidence or disagree about that item, if it’s not mission-critical, it may be worth conceding for the sake of alignment and the larger goal. Again, you’re testing it out and will reevaluate!
#PROTIP
Works for families, kids, loved ones as well. If I do a small part of a house project, I feel more ownership and interest in future projects. When my kids help cook dinner, they’re more likely to eat it. We let everyone pick an activity for family trips — adults have the final say — but everyone shapes the plan!
How do you get your team onboard? What helps you navigate change? Any tips or strategies to share?
Avoiding holiday shopping? Procrastinating on your 2026 planning? Wondering what O’Daily gems you missed while building your company?
My gift to you — the top 5 posts of 2025!
(Is this what you were hoping for? I’m sure I saw it on your wish list! 😂😜😉)
And if you have an extra 30 seconds, please tell me, brilliant O’Daily readers, what do you want more of or less of next year??
Planning is underway and it’s all about founders! What topics, formats, info are most helpful to you? Reply and let me know!
10x your startup’s progress by sending a weekly update. Learn the why, what, and how in this detailed post!
What we’ve learned — good and bad — about starting companies in our Venture Studio with examples and playbooks.
Run this 6-step process to uncover your startup’s culture and then leverage it for hiring, performance, and speed. It’s a competitive advantage if you do it right!
Most people (including me) spend years measuring the wrong thing! Here’s how to align your company metrics with what your customers care about. Hint: it’s not usage data.
You want to support parents but startups can be the wild west when it comes to things like maternity and paternity leave. Here’s how to craft a startup-friendly plan and what really matters (that you may not realize).
What was your favorite post — here or otherwise — this year? Any blogs that you refer back to regularly? HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
On the tiny, off-chance that you’re feeling overwhelmed with holidays, end-of-year sales targets, and — oh yeah — a new year starting in 3 weeks…
Here’s your playbook for Annual Planning in 60 minutes or less.
Yes, you can do a 12 day silent retreat with monks to fine tune your strategy.
Or schedule a one hour block on your calendar and get most of the value in 0.3% of the time.
If you have more time (like, TWO hours - gasp!), I share a few more planning strategies at the end.
But no need for all that. You can get it done in 60 minutes.
Ready…set…GO!! ⏳⏱️🏃♀️
Select a day where you will have maximum mental capacity (fewer meetings, lower stress).
Pick a “high energy” time (e.g. first thing in the morning).
Do it in a location with minimal distractions. Mix it up to feel refreshed and inspired!
Disable all notifications. You will not succeed if you are side Slacking!
#PROTIP
For extra accountability, add someone to the invite who will make sure you do it.
Ask yourself:
What is working?
What is not working?
What is the most important thing for the year ahead?
Where do I want to be by end of 2026?
You can do this ahead of time, within the hour, or both!
Feel free to add other questions but shorter is better for simplicity and time.
#PROTIP
Think about these questions before you go to bed. Jot a few things down on paper. Let your subconscious work overnight!
Download and copy this One Page Strategic Plan template (from Atlanta Ventures’ Resources).
Prep yourself with this overview and a real life example.
#PROTIP
Set a timer. Don’t overthink it. Trust your instincts. If you get stuck, jot something down and keep going.
If you can, let it sit for a day or two or even share with trusted folks for feedback.
If not (I promised <1 hour), after your first draft, simplify, simplify, simplify!
#PROTIP
Cut ruthlessly. The less you have, the more you and the team can align and focus. If you crush it and have all this extra time (said no startup ever), you can add more later.
Reminder from my boy Warry B: say no to almost everything.
Set calendar invites today for future touch points.
3 options:
Calendar blocks for yourself only
Team/leadership meetings to review (schedule now to hold the time!)
Working session with fellow founder, coach, or other accountability friend
Timing:
End/start of quarter - how did we do? what are next quarter’s goals and priorities?
Mid-quarter - are we on track? (Very helpful to us at Rigor.)
#PROTIP
Include your mission, elevator pitch, and goals in your Weekly Update.
I like a quarterly check point to zoom out and think strategically, but annual and quarterly goals need to be talked about weekly (and daily) to make progress!
Something is better than nothing and 1 hour will get you 80% of the value in 20% (or less) of the time.
5 Simple Tools For Annual Planning - common goal and accountability frameworks that work at startups
5 Annual Planning Strategies for Busy Startups (w/Tools + Resources!) - what to do if you have more (but not much more 😆) than 1 hour
5 Strategies For Annual Planning Success Despite Startup Chaos - how to actually make planning work in a startup
Did you get your annual planning done in 1 hour?? What are your favorite tools or frameworks for planning? Do you follow the same process for both professional and personal annual plans? I’d love to hear about your planning process — good, bad, and ugly!
(P.S. If you’re working through your Annual Plan and want feedback on priorities and metrics (or accountability!), come chat with us at Office Hours in January.)
ICYMI: At Atlanta Ventures…WE LOVE AUTHENTIC DEMAND!!!!!!!
Read MoreICYMI: At Atlanta Ventures…WE LOVE AUTHENTIC DEMAND!!!!!!!
It’s our guiding principle when finding new business ideas.
That’s why I spent a whole blog explaining Authentic Demand including 8 articles other team members wrote, 5 resources with examples, and 7 strategies to find Authentic Demand.
But wait…there’s more!
Today, we dig into specifics:
What do people say?
What are good signs?
What are real examples?
What are misleading “false positives”?
How long does it take to find the illusive and magical Authentic Demand???
Let the journey begin!
What They Say:
“Can I give you money now to build this?” (aka be a Design Partner)
“I also have a friend who would be interested. How do I get them involved?”
“I’d like to be a customer and also an investor.”
“When can we start?”
“I’ve been looking online for something like this but haven’t found it.”
What They Do:
Follow up with you, take a second meeting
Share honest feedback (because they care and want it to exist)
Login or engage with a prototype
Pay for it now (not “when this feature is added” → that’s a warning sign)
Make time to get set up
“You know it when you see it” is true…but not that helpful 😉
Here are specific examples I’ve seen or experienced with startups that found Authentic Demand:
Multiple customers get a tattoo of your logo.
You make a Youtube video of a hacked together version of your product and people comment asking where they can buy it.
Your marketing manager does implementations for a year because there’s so many new customers signing up.
100% quota attainment from every sales rep for multiple quarters.
You have 6 figures of revenue within one quarter of launching, selling a combination of services and off-the-shelf product.
Your customers are really mad about some critically bad bugs but they don’t cancel (because you’re still providing so much value).
Your team is troubleshooting a “high class problem” several times per week.
You hire multiple in-house recruiters to keep up with hiring targets.
To offer the counter-point, here are some things that may seem like Authentic Demand but are not, or things that may feel “normal” for startups but indications that you need to dig further!
Raising lots of money (“good at fundraising” does not necessarily mean Authentic Demand)
You need paid campaigns for new customers (if you’re paying a lot of money to get a new customer, that’s a yellow flag)
Customers like you (but don’t love you)
Easy to get new sales, but low retention/high churn
Getting meetings (that don’t convert to sales)
Many deals are slow rolling
Social media engagement (can be a good sign but this alone is not enough)
People telling you they like your idea (reread The Mom Test!)
Rate of sales is steady but not increasing
Everything feels like a f***ing slog (startups are hard but with Authentic Demand, they are also really fun)
It depends.
Every founder’s favorite answer. 🙃
Salesloft iterated for 3 years, while building a great community of their target customers, before finding the right product.
In our Studio, most founders spend several months researching and testing a specific idea before launching a company.
The “company” still starts very scrappy with one or more of these strategies to continue to learn and refine the offering.
Even businesses that are physical locations go through significant testing phases like the golf simulator at Atlanta Tech Village before launching Intown Golf Club or doing in-house wine gatherings and signing up 100 paid founding members before breaking ground on The Perlant.
So, successful companies can take months or years to find it.
What I have seen to be true:
When you have it, you feel it and it feels fast.
You’re struggling to keep up with the demand.
You’re getting lots of inbound activity.
You’re dealing with problems of growth, not moving mountains to generate sales.
It’s why it’s SO WORTH IT to take more time in the early stages. Better to spend a year finding Authentic Demand than spend a few months, commit hard, and then roll a boulder up a hill for the next 3 years.
Do you agree with the concept of Authentic Demand? How did you find your business idea? When did you know you were onto something??
Gratitude is a superpower for startups and life.
Read MoreThe quickest and shortest way to a more successful life?
Realizing how great your life already is!
Gratitude is a secret super power you can leverage in startups and beyond.
Even when startups are really hard, there’s still so much to be grateful for!
Any of these resonate with you?? What else should be on the list? What are you grateful for this year? (Here’s mine w/📸!)
Not possible without them. Even — or especially — when they’re mad.
Every dollar matters. Especially early on.
Extra, extra, extra grateful for cash flow positive.
It can be hard in the moment but if you take a step back, feedback means that someone (whether customer, advisor, investor, employee):
cares
believes in you
sees even greater potential
Angel investors, early employees, first customers. Those who took a chance on you — before it was a thing — have a special place in your heart forever.
That key person who loves doing what you suck at. Co-founder, COO, future COO, or world-class intern.
Non-dilutive grants, free website design, the legal advice that saved you thousands, deal negotiation advice, and, of course, conference swag. 😉😜😂
Small moments with big impact add up.
Partner, founder friends, non-founder friends, employees, advisors, coaches.
The people who join you for late nights, support your insanity, make you shut your laptop, ask the question that unlocks everything, and most importantly, care about you no matter how your startup is doing.
Here’s 5 free ways to show gratitude or go wild with something off this year’s gift guide. 😉
It’s never been less awkward to say you’re an entrepreneur at Thanksgiving dinner!
From historical figures and How I Built This idols to the entrepreneurial family members and local founders who pay it forward → thank you for blazing the trail!
No one ever gets enough but OMG are we grateful for whatever we get!
The power of a good night’s sleep is incredible:
Fresh ideas
Clearer outlook
More optimism
Better health
Financial, social, political freedom. Having life circumstances that make it possible.
Even when startups feel really, really hard, it’s a privilege to pursue the work, dream, and meaning of building a company.
Here’s my favorite before-the-holidays wisdom from Alex Friedman:
Idk who needs this but I’ve seen a few startups fail because of founder burn out. I haven’t seen any startups fail because a founder took a couple days off.
Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!
The one thing all venture capitalists (VCs) have in common?
Patagonia vests! 😬😜😆
But after that, there’s huge variety.
If you’re new to the wild world of venture capital and startup investing, here’s a primer on the many ways VCs are different!
Many investors focus on companies of a certain size.
Typical categories are:
Pre-seed, Angel, Friends & Family
Seed
Series A
Series B (anything Series B or later is often called “Growth Stage” or “Growth Equity”)
Series C + beyond
How each firm defines a stage can vary. Some may say “Series A” is $1M ARR. Others may say Series B is $1M-$5M ARR.
“Size” is often revenue-based but number of customers, how much money you’ve raised, and how quickly you’re growing can all be a factor.
Why do investors specialize by stage?
You can’t be an expert at everything. (No, not even investors. 😜) Assessing and advising Pre-Seed companies is totally different than Series B.
It requires different people and systems.
Most investment firms pick a lane and are pretty careful to stay there.
Just like with startups, being focused and knowing your strengths is a key for success!
So many types of businesses out there!
Developing software
Building robots
Making food
Constructing buildings
…to name a few. All great businesses. All with wildly different skills, needs, and financial models.
It’s hard to be an expert in all of those things.
(Except for you. O’Daily readers are unprecedented geniuses, of course. 😁)
Most firms will hone in on business types where they have experience, connections, and competitive advantages.
A few examples:
Business Model: B2B SaaS, marketplaces, consumer apps, consumer packaged goods (CPG)
Industry: robotics, supply chain, agriculture, fintech, real estate
Customer, Mission, or Founder: maternal healthcare, underrepresented founders
I love this one — Laerdal Million Lives Fund is measured on lives saved!
Another common differentiation is geography.
Where is the firm located? Where do they invest?
Atlanta Ventures focuses on the southeastern United States.
If you have a business based in Europe, no matter how amazing it is, it’s very unlikely we invest.
Other firms have a HUGE presence internationally. They specialize in Latin American startups or focus on global expansion.
Geographic presence, focus, and expertise can vary wildly among investors!
Another way investors are different is how they invest.
How much money do they usually put in?
Do they lead (set the terms) or follow (come in with other investors)?
How do they think about valuation or deal terms?
Here’s some examples:
Some firms only co-invest.
Some firms (like Atlanta Ventures) prefers to lead and will often fill the whole round.
Some firms write smaller checks but have certain expertise or relationships to offer (e.g. development resources or enterprise relationships).
Usually there’s a balancing act on valuation too. Higher valuation but more caveats and protections. Lower valuation but cleaner terms.
Typically, the later the stage, the bigger the check. 💰
There’s no right or wrong, but it’s important to understand what an investor typically does so you know alignment and tradeoffs!
What happens after investment?
Investors and firms will vary in their philosophy and approach.
(And will usually tell you ahead of time how they work. They don’t want surprises or misalignment either!)
There’s pros and cons either way.
How much control and decision making does the founder have?
What kind of support and value do investors bring?
Are they hands on or hands off?
Do they bring in their favorite execs?
Do they have certain strategies they recommend or implement?
What are typical outcomes for their companies?
More involvement can be a big accelerant — unless it’s intrusive or distracting.
Less involvement can provide lots of autonomy — unless you don’t get enough guidance.
Understand what you want and how that aligns with an investor’s typical M.O.
ICYMI - not every investor is a hard-charging, in-your-face tech bro!
Lots of personality types among successful investors. There’s no “right” way to do it.
Do you want someone who will really push you?
Do you want someone who is calm and supportive?
Do you want someone extremely analytical or more of a people person?
Most founders appreciate a variety of styles and input from investors. It’s good to have a balance of personality types — while also being aware if something really doesn’t work for you.
Finding an investor whose personality meshes well with yours is important. It’s (hopefully!) a 10 year relationship!
They will tell you!
It’s on their website.
They don’t want to waste your time or theirs.
If it’s not specifically on their website, look at what else they invested in.
As far as their personality and playbook, ask questions during the courting process.
Pay attention to their responsiveness, what they help with, what they’ve done with other companies, how they act when hard topics come up.
People tell (and show) you who they are.
Investors and founders both want a great match!
What other ways are investors different? What surprised you about VCs? What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed among VCs?
I wore a sweater last week which can only mean one thing...holiday season!
Read MoreI wore a sweater last week which can only mean one thing:
The holidays are upon us! 🎁🎁🎁
It’s time to finalize the gifting plan for customers and employees.
Here’s a sample timeline (it’s crunch time⏳), lessons learned from real customer gifts, and 10 budget and remote-friendly gift ideas for employees.
Last year, we shared 50+ ideas for founders.
This year, we got recs directly from founders and top notch gift givers!
Here’s 20 more ideas from YOU (and me — I couldn’t resist adding some faves).
P.S. If you’re from Atlanta and want to shop local, follow the 🍑.
Time. Get hours back with services like 🍑Accomplished App or 🍑My Panda (on Angela Fusaro’s wishlist!) for household management or Base for flexible executive assistant options.
Gourmet Italian gift baskets. There’s a reason 🍑Mercato Di Bellina wins awards. Tal Baum (Atlanta founder and restauranteur) sent me one and blew my mind. Great for families too!
Luxury candles. Great call from Courtney Wilbanks. Who doesn’t love a gloriously delicious candle? Le Labo is a go-to and 🍑Brick and Mortar is a great local option.
Custom gift boxes. Check out the gorgeous options from 🍑EspyBox. They also have subscription boxes for your favorite dudes. Or make it themed with local items via 🍑LocalHippo (founded by Sara Maffey). Check out LocalHippo’s experiences for unique community building ideas!
Snacks. CT Smith clued me into customizable snack boxes from SnackMagic! You could also DIY with someone’s favorite snacks or local specialties. 🍑Edible Arrangements are also delicious with fruit and desserts. Great for an office to enjoy!
Booze. Beer, wine, liquor, cocktails, fancy mixers. Meredith Kowal doesn’t just give money-saving tax advice, she also sends gift boxes from Buonguido Wines. Get on her “nice” list! If you know your client well enough, 🍑Edibles.com ships gift boxes.
Signature scent. Craft your own perfume at 🍑Chémin. Also awesome for a unique customer or team event.
Coffee. Multiple folks said MORE CAFFEINE, uh, I mean, coffee shop gift card. They didn’t specify but I’m sure they meant 🍑Spiller Park and 🍑Kula Coffee. Civilized Coffee offers fantastic gift box options — love this share from founder Mark Patterson!
Easy, delicious meals. Gift cards to fave restaurants, meal delivery, or meals prepped in your house by a chef via 🍑Livin — great ideas from founder (and foodie) Loren Mount-O’Brien.
Relaxation. Massages, mani/pedi, blow out, spa day. What are your fave places in Atlanta? Jacey Cadet and I want to know! I’ve had great experiences, including with groups, at 🍑Suzy Q Nail Bar, 🍑Les Main Nail Bar, and 🍑Jiao Reflexology (foot massages).
Music. Jameson Hughes shared the story of a branded portable record player (with the Charlie Brown Christmas album!) gifted from Shannon Waltchack that’s still in use at his in-law’s house today. Head to 🍑Crates to grab a vinyl of a favorite album, easy to mail if needed (another great idea from Courtney Wilbanks).
Giving back. The most timeless gift that’s always appreciated? Make a donation to a favorite non-profit. I consulted the experts Brianna Jackson, CEO of Heart of South Downtown, and Karen Houghton, CEO of Infinite Giving. They shared more than I can list here so please let me know if you want ideas! A few that stood out: 🍑The Boyce Ansley School, 🍑Our House, 🍑Lazarus, 🍑Inspiredu, 🍑Extra Special People, Katmai Conservancy (fat bear contest!), World Relief.
What are you looking forward to this holiday season? What’s the best gift you’ve given or received? Any other favorite brands??
6 ways it will accelerate your company plus 8 key components to any update.
Read MoreThe longer I do this, the more I’m convinced that the humble Weekly Update might be the most powerful tool of startup success.
There’s a reason that every founder in the Studio, starting when they’re an Entrepreneur-In-Residence, does a Weekly Update.
Many of our portfolio founders do them too.
If you ask us for a suggestion — “what will help me as I’m building my startup?” — it’s one of the first things we mention.
(Authentic Demand is the other! Especially if you’re in the idea and discovery stage.)
Here’s why the Weekly Update is so powerful, why I think every founder who is serious should do it, and the key components of a great Weekly Update!
An email you send every week to key stakeholders (investors, employees, smart friends, your mom) with an update about the business you are building.
We like a Sunday update because it anchors week ahead and can be read Sunday night or first thing Monday.
Forces you to step out of the weeds, be strategic and thoughtful, look at your business as a whole at least 1x/wk. You can spot problematic trends and see new opportunities.
Every founder works hard. But knowing you’ll be sharing your progress with others, adds a little extra incentive to deliver value each week.
It’s weekly for a reason. Meaningful weekly progress over months and years is how great companies are built. Each week matters.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day or your own creative brain, and all the sudden, you’re doing 10 projects but none move needle!
What is most important right now? Spending time every week to answer this question helps you (and your team) focus on what really matters!
“Asks” are a key part of a weekly update. What do you need help on? You never know what sales deal or business problem will get a key assist by someone who receives your update!
Weekly Updates keep you top of mind with your key stakeholders. Maybe they have an intro or idea for you. You increase the frequency and likelihood of serendipity with a weekly communication!
One sentence about your mission, your company elevator pitch, or something quick to anchor the rest of the update.
I can repeat verbatim the mission statements of several companies because it’s at the top of their weekly update. One time, I knew it better than the founder. 😉
What did you get done. What is important to do next.
With a bigger company, you may have department sections.
At the idea stage, you’re reflecting on your learnings and explaining what you’re exploring next.
Regardless of how you structure it, this is the (plant-based) meat of the update!
How are you measuring success?
Identify your business’s key metrics or goals and track those every week. Right at the top. Make it the same order every week.
DON’T HIDE FROM THE DATA!!!
Yes, it will evolve as you grow, scale, pivot, learn.
You don’t need to track sales revenue if you’re in the customer discovery phase.
But too often I see founders who don’t do this because they don’t like what it says.
Are your sales at $0?
Report that metric every week so that you stay focused on improving it!
What gets measured gets managed.
Open with a customer quote. Vary your email subject line. Have a “Points of Interest” section. Include a video or photo.
All real examples of ways that founders tell stories within their update.
It makes the update fun and adds humanity and depth to what they’re building.
Every founder is different. Every update is different.
It’s fun and expected for your update to reflect your style as a leader.
Look at a couple examples, try out a couple variations, and eventually, you will land on something that feels right for you.
If it’s always good news…
1) I don’t believe you
2) I can’t help you
Make sure to be appropriately candid about challenges!
You can be positive about it, have solutions you are testing, but don’t bury the bad stuff.
If sales are slow and you don’t mention it, you’re clueless, you’re delusional, you think I’m dumb, something is terribly wrong, or all of the above. None of which we want!
Let us help you! What do you need?
Most times, people can’t help.
But every now and then, they will know the right person, or it will remind them about a good sales prospect.
Asking for help is one of the things that accelerates the journey!
The shorter and cleaner, the better. Might sound counter-intuitive.
“I want people to know alllll the things we’re working on.”
But too much can feel chaotic, overwhelming, or unfocused.
(Note to self: take your own advice 😂)
That said, I get some updates that are quite long but they’re well-formatted and thoughtfully written so I read them fully.
Exceptions for everything!
Some founders do section headers with bullets. Some do more of a story-like format with paragraphs. Some do a table with metrics and a customer quote.
There’s lots of good ways to do it, it’s fine to test out new formats, but focus on finding a consistent structure!
If you mix it up too much, it’s hard to follow.
That’s a no for me, dawg.
If you want more speed, accountability, help, focus, and serendipity, it needs to be weekly.
A few caveats:
Every other week may be fine if you’re further along with a larger team, millions in revenue, more moving parts. (You will have other tools for internal alignment and communication.)
Monthly or quarterly is a good cadence for sharing more detailed financial updates with your investors.
Monthly or quarterly is perfectly fine for a general update (e.g. investors or other stakeholders you want to stay in touch with for the future).
The Weekly Update and these other updates ^^ are also different from your customer newsletter or a “general public” communication.
Yes, you’ll have certain info that’s shared across all communication types (Look at this customer testimonial! We have a new VP Sales! See you at this conference!) but don’t try to have one-update-that-rules-them-all. It’s messy and never hits the mark for anyone.
Need specific examples? Want a template to copy? Let me know and I’ll do another post!
I’ve seen founders use the following tools to send a regular update:
Email client with a bcc “to” list
Email marketing tool (not as often though unless they are much further along)
Any Weekly Update fans out there? What do you think makes a great Weekly Update? What has been most helpful to you while building?
Give yourself a little boost — no sugar, money, or days off required!
Read MoreIt’s almost Halloween which means it’s time for my favorite tradition.
Eat candy corn until I feel sick. Vow never to do it again. Repeat next year.
Who can resist high fructose corn syrup that tastes like wax!?!
If you, too, have regretted your sugar hangover and are looking for alternatives, or it’s just Q4 insanity and you need a break that doesn’t break the bank or the schedule…
Here are 10 ways to give yourself a little treat this week — no sugar, money, or days off required!
Not everything needs to get done.
Speaking from experience, there’s likely several things can be delegated, are no longer a priority, or just won’t get done so might as well accept it now and…ENJOY THE FREEDOM!!
Or excuse yourself from it.
(Are you the bottleneck?? Asking for a friend.)
Use that extra time to do a meeting audit or explore ways to have fewer meetings in the future!
I’ve spoken to many founders and execs who LOVE reading fiction. (Me too!)
Business books are great but sometimes your brain needs a break.
Fiction books I can vouch for:
City Spies by James Ponti - read with my kids, family friendly
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles - rated book of the year by, like, everyone
Crescent City Series by Sarah J. Maas - romantasy all the way!
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - mysteries with hilarious characters
Once A Runner by John L. Parker Jr. - a running nerd must read
If you genuinely love Dante’s Inferno, awesome. But don’t force yourself to read books that you “should.” It’s a treat, people!
Step One: Create “Pump Up” label in Gmail
Step Two: Go back and tag all the positive messages you’ve received
Step Three: Keep adding the tag as you get great feedback
Step Four: Reread these emails on a hard day!
Happy customers, thank yous from employees, a webinar attendee explaining why they loved your advice…you’ll have more than you think!
A small afternoon nap is a big productivity boost AND feels so luxurious.
It is hard to step away, but unwrapping 20 Tootsie Rolls takes about 15 minutes also! 😂
It’s hard to see progress when you’re in the weeds. Plus, every high-achieving person has imposter syndrome.
Upload your company weekly update (or your Pump Up emails!), add wins as they happen, or make a list of your accomplishments.
Then have your own AI superfan repeat it back!
“Can you summarize my experience in the most awesome way possible?”
“How much progress have we made since last month? Last year?”
“What is something amazing about me that I may not even realize?”
When you hear it from someone else, even a robot, it hits different.
Turn a Zoom into a call so you can walk outside while talking.
Do your meeting at the nail salon, golf course, park, new coffee spot, friend’s office, your back porch, whatever seems like a treat!
Our kids leave out their candy and magically the Switch Witch has exchanged it for toys in the morning!
Why not swap sugar for that amazing thing-you’ve-had-your-eye-on-but-couldn’t-quite-justify? Treat yourself!
(Note: you’ll need to be your own SwitchWitch. I’m not coming to your house with gifts wrapped in spider webs, okay?)
Block the calendar, move your meetings. If it’s not this week, plan ahead and DEFEND THAT DAY.
Give yourself the unbridled joy of having a full day of deep work, inbox backlog, strategic projects, or whatever else needs uninterrupted flow time.
P.S. I love this as a company-wide practice. 1 day/wk of no internal meetings. Huge productivity boost for everyone.
Order in or use the time to catch up with someone you like but haven’t seen in a while!
Bonus: if your guest is a work contact, the lunch is a business expense. 😉
What’s your favorite non-sugar treat? What’s your favorite sugar-filled treat?? What other ways do you treat yourself? Other low-cost, founder-friendly ideas??
“Authentic Demand” is the most important, most frequently discussed concept in the Atlanta Ventures Studio.
We bring it up with almost any founder at the idea stage.
We talk about it constantly when we are starting new companies.
“Where is the authentic demand??”
Today, I’m breaking down (overexplaining???) Authentic Demand.
What the heck is it? How do you find it? How do you know if you have it?
All wildly successful startups have found Authentic Demand.
Authentic Demand is when the market pulls you.
It’s when you are building something people want, you’re solving a hair-on-fire problem, the boulder rolls down the hill.
With Authentic Demand, you don’t need to execute perfectly. The business grows anyway.
Authentic Demand is when there are multiple winners in your space because the market is on fire.
Great founders can grind it out. They can get customers through their sheer force of will, sales skills, and relationships. They might even be able to hustle to a decent outcome.
But they will not build a large, high growth business without Authentic Demand.
A billion dollar company requires something beyond a great founder.
It’s the right timing, market, and solution.
From the founders that have experienced the non-Authentic Demand grind and then find a business with the Authentic Demand fly wheel — they say things like:
“I’m having so much fun!”
“This is the growth I was hoping for.”
“It is hard but feels easy.”
“It felt fast from the beginning.”
“I knew we were onto something almost right away.”
“These are interesting problems to work on.”
P.S. These are the same founders. Yes, you need a great founder. But a great founder in the wrong market will never build something big!
It’s the million billion dollar question!
And we definitely don’t have all the answers.
But here are some things that guide us as we start new companies or help founders in the early stages:
Use The Mom Test for customer discovery. Don’t pitch your idea, but rather, look for the most painful, expensive problems that someone is experiencing. Ask lots of questions of lots of people.
Look for small but growing markets. What will be a big market in 3-5 years? Picking the right market is more than half the battle.
Explore multiple markets and ideas. Don’t pick the first idea that seems promising. Spend time in the idea phase to see what “pulls” the most.
Testing. Lots and lots of testing. See what people will spend time on, pay for, share with their friends. Trust what they do, not what they say. 😉
Stay open. The first iteration is rarely the “winning” idea. Get started, put something into the world, and continue to learn and listen to customers. (Like, really, actually listen. Don’t just hear what you want!)
Financial constraints are helpful. It forces better listening, more testing, and scrappy and creative solutions. Too much money can actually blunt Authentic Demand signals. Fancy marketing, well-trained sales people, and a robust product can result in some revenue. But is it really Authentic Demand? Hard to tell.
You cannot research your way into Authentic Demand. It’s important to understand the market, competitive landscape, and industry, but it’s the conversations, experiments, and action that really lead the way.
7 Ways To Test Authentic Demand (With Real Examples)
4 Things We’ve Learned in the Atlanta Ventures Studio
4 Ways To Test Your Tech Idea (With Real Examples!)
5 Resources With Great Ideas On Getting Started
Build-A-Tech-Company Starter Pack
Here’s more from Atlanta Ventures folks about Authentic Demand.
Like I said, we talk about it a lot! 😂
The Hunt for Authentic Demand (David Cummings)
Authentic Demand’s Role in Startup Success (David Cummings)
Finding Authentic Demand (Jon Birdsong)
Finding Authentic Demand (A.T. Gimbel)
0 to 10 Unaffiliated Customers as 1st Major Milestone (David Cummings)
What Is Product Market Fit? (A.T. Gimbel)
Why You Should Start With Things That Don’t Scale (A.T. Gimbel)
3 Big Ideas When Launching Your MVP (Hubert Liu)
Stay tuned for more on Authentic Demand with real life examples, things that seem positive but are not, and promising early signs of traction!
How did you know you had Authentic Demand? What’s your guiding principal for finding a great business idea??
Want to stay up to date? New blogs come out weekly.