16 Mar 2013
By flashstarts

Entrepreneurs: Defer Your Student Loans Using SLIBRP

Other
Its not easy being an entrepreneur. Paying back student loans while founding a startup can be one too many things hanging over your head. Fortunately, there is an answer: The Student Loan Income Based Repayment Plan. (A great acronym: SLIBRP! Pronounced "sly burp") For example, if you owe $100,000 in student loans at 6.8% and you can live on $17,000 per year you can effectively defer all student loan payments until your startup takes off. Here is the official US Government site where you can learn more and calculate your numbers. SLIBRP One way of looking at this if you…
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05 Mar 2013
By flashstarts

Top Ten Reasons to Pick FlashStarts as Your Accelerator

Other
Why FlashStarts? Who doesn't love a top ten list? I had to leave off 23 other excellent reasons to select FlashStarts in order to fit the format. You can email me if you want the list of benefits that didn't fit on this list. Led by seasoned successful serial entrepreneurs Extensive Enterprise IT experience Access to numerous Healthcare organizations Iterative, educational application process Summer in Cleveland is beautiful Apprentice program for solo entrepreneurs For-profit DNA Intern guild (20 person) for technical services Agile software development methodology (11 years experience) Follow-on funding Applications open January 2014.
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31 Jan 2013
By flashstarts

Linkedin

Other, Tools
I just spent an hour updating my Linkedin profile. FlashStarts is the first business I have started where Linkedin has provided clear value. And that value is proving to be significant. FlashStarts, like most startup accelerators, is based on a network of mentors. Mentors provide advice, feedback, introductions, occasionally wisdom, and sometimes funding. Linkedin is ideally suited for this model. The underlying network model enables business connections across people, companies, and groups. We are already using Linkedin in a variety of ways: for mentor bios, applicant resumes, mentor group communications, team/mentor pairing, alpha customer introductions, and funding introductions. If you…
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18 Dec 2012
By flashstarts

FlashStarts to Launch Accelerator

Other
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…
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28 Nov 2012
By flashstarts

Traction

Other
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…
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07 Nov 2012
By flashstarts

Reporters’ Notebook: Stack starts anew in the shower

News, Other
Me and My Shower Crain's Cleveland covered the launch of FlashStarts with a nice and accurate piece in the Reporter's Notebook. On the blog, he said he plans to highlight his mistakes and failures — or “pending successes,” as he calls them — because he believes they can be instructive. “When you're in a space that's so new, so revolutionary, asking what other people's opinions are is a recipe for cowardice. Nobody gets it,” Mr. Stack said (Kudos to Chuck Soder for his always precise reporting)
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30 Oct 2012
By flashstarts

FlashStarts Core: The CEO Toolkit

Other, Tools
At the core of the FlashStarts business is a series of distinct conceptual tools that a startup CEO needs to have in their toolbox. These tools and the ability to know when and how to use them form the core of our value proposition to the startup CEO. Rapid iteration Focus on the core / Outsource the context Core metrics Time management: Getting things done Continuous feedback loops Profit models Building intellectual capital Negotiation with friends Strategic mindset Presentations and storytelling And because we are continuously iterating, this list is subject to change.
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26 Oct 2012
By flashstarts

Weekly Update

Other
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…
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23 Oct 2012
By flashstarts

Selling to Ahab, the Venture Capitalist

Other
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…)
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