Author: flashstarts

FlashStarts is launching a startup accelerator in 2013. We will annoyingly dribble out coy details every week so you need to check back often. Applications will open in January. We will be using a highly iterative application format, where you will apply and then be rejected and encouraged to apply again. You will repeat this process until we accept your application or you give up. JUST LIKE AN ACTUAL STARTUP! Worst case - you can view our process as practice for more famous accelerators. Best case - we help you build a great new company. So begin now interviewing for…

We now have five paying clients, and the pace of iteration is really picking up as we test our assumptions on real clients. The assessment model is a winner and is now fully automated online. It has provided an excellent starting point for developing the coaching plan. We are continuing to streamline the coaching process using Google as a secured email/document drop. The coaching piece has included more strategy topics than originally envisioned. But that may be because the early clients were very effective, highly rated, CEO's. Their average assessment score across all dimensions was above 8.5/10.0. Their presentation skills…

Slight lag in posts is due to a possible strategic pivot. Stay tuned ... Should be mostly baked by Monday.

We landed our second client this week. In addition to crafting our positioning and marketing plan we also opened a bank account, selected a logo, ordered business cards, endured 45 minutes of self-doubt, created a new client template in Basecamp, tweaked the website, scheduled seven meetings, received our Corporation book from BizFilings and issued shares. The highlight of the week was refining the positioning based on actual feedback from clients and prospective clients, to whom I now say, "Thank you." Note also, there is a new website image showing the concept of rapid iteration. Look for a detailed post on…

The number one comment we hear after describing our business as "selling CEO assessment and coaching to venture capitalists" is "How do you get past the VC's ego?" Yes, VC's are necessarily smart and successful by definition, and many of them have very large egos. And yes, selling a service that inherently implies the VC can't always do everything necessary to assist a startup CEO is fraught with difficulty. But, we believe FlashStarts can increase the likelihood of big returns with selected portfolio companies. Here is our approach. (more…)

We just received official notice that we are a Delaware corporation. You may refer to us from now on as FlashStarts, Inc. We also received our Federal Tax ID Number or EIN. So Monday, I can open a bank account. Which leads to the final, most important piece of good news. We have our first client. So, I'm now going home.

At some point yesterday, the number of tasks I needed to accomplish began exceeding my ability to remember them. Time for a list. There are many types of to-do lists: personal, group and institutional. A personal list can be anything from pen and paper to an excellent software program like Things. Group task management solutions can be anything from a whiteboard to web-based project management or MS Project. I greatly prefer a group task management solution that can also increase institutional value. Today, most companies are valued based on their intellectual property (IP). The more you as CEO can do…