In 6 Months we mentored over 2000+ entrepreneurs! Join the movement!
We’re changing the game- one city at a time.Each year we host the annual business boot camp in different cities around the world. Entrepreneurs are taught all stages of startup development (funding, beta testing, product development, customer acquisition, legal, marketing, press, team building, social impact,partnerships and more). We teach in 15-minute workshop formats followed by a panel of experts to provide different perspectives on each stage of business development.
So what’s next? We will continue these boot camps in 2017! We cover ideation, product development, customer acquisition, marketing, funding and branding! Also-Each week we share top tips and funding prizes with the network. Follow to get access!
http://brandentrepreneurs.com/
2. Agenda
Starting 101
How to Pitch in 7
days
Product Dev 101
Customer Acq 101
Press & Marketing
101
Funding 101
Mental Engineering
End Keynote
Ex Tech & Singularity
Intro To Exponential
Tech
Exponential Rules
AI, VR, Bio: Deep
Dive
Intro + Evolution: IOT
Connectivity &
Trends
Build ExTech Startup
1-3
Disruption vs
Innovation
Business Boot Camp
Exponential Tech Boot
Camp
Speaker Slides
• NYC
• Boston
• DC
• SFO
Access all 70+ speaker
slides here:
http://www.slideshare.net
/itschristine/2016-
brandentrepreneurs-
business-boot-camps-
speakers
www.BrandEntrepreneurs.com
3. Who, What, When, & Why
3
Who-
• BrandEntrepreneurs.com is a project
initiative
By Christine S. Ntim & Einstein Ntim
What-
• It is also the home of the ultimate
business boot camp for entrepreneurs
A.B.B.C
When-
• The A.B.B.C will be hosted in 10 cities
around the world this year from July to
December
Why-
• Startup events is now its own industry
and founders are not getting any value.
We’re changing this with our global
programs and resources!
www.BrandEntrepreneurs.com
5. Follow Us on Social Media
In 6 Months we mentored over 2000+
entrepreneurs! Join the movement!
So what’s next? We will continue these boot
camps in 2017! We cover ideation, product
development, customer acquisition, marketing,
funding and branding! Also-Each week we
share top tips and funding prizes with the
network. Follow to get access!
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/brandentr
epreneurs/
T-Shirt:
https://teespring.com/brandentrepreneurs
Meetup Group
https://www.meetup.com/brandentrepreneurs/
Newsletter: http://brandentrepreneurs.com/www.BrandEntrepreneurs.com
6. Get the E-Book Summary
https://csouffrantntim-
com.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/p
roducts/how-to-launch-scale-your-startup-
in-6-months
For a limited time only, we are pricing this
blueprint guide book for 99cents!
www.CsouffrantNtim.com
What's Inside?
-24 HR Start List
-24 HR Audit List
Learn how to:
-Code a MVP app & website
-Raise $250k in free money
-Get featured in global press for free
11. Intro- Christine S. Ntim
Forbes 30Under30 + AdAge 40Under40
Founder @Vendedy
Managing Director of Startup Grind Dubai
Managing Partner @BrandEntrepreneurs.com
Graduate of Dartmouth, Hult, Draper U, Singularity U
@NASA
Global Speaker @ United Nations, TEDx and
European Union Forum
Featured in:
www.BrandEntrepreneurs.com
12. Intro- Einstein K.
Ntim
Managing Partner Bold Emerge Capital
Founder & Director Enabled Health
Partner @BrandEntrepreneurs.com, AfricaStartupEcosystem.com,
Graduate of LSE, Nanjing, Draper U, Singularity U @NASA
Global Speaker
Singularity University, LSE, and European Union Forum
Topics: Mental Health, Exponential Technologies, Emerging Markets,
Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Disruptive Impact Innovation
Featured in:
www.BrandEntrepreneurs.com
13. Agenda
Starting 101
How to Pitch in 7
days
Product Dev 101
Customer Acq 101
Press & Marketing
101
Funding 101
Mental Engineering
End Keynote
Ex Tech & Singularity
Intro To Exponential
Tech
Exponential Rules
AI, VR, Bio: Deep
Dive
Intro + Evolution: IOT
Connectivity &
Trends
Build ExTech Startup
1-3
Disruption vs
Innovation
Business Boot Camp
Exponential Tech Boot
Camp
Speaker Slides
• NYC
• Boston
• DC
• SFO
Access all 70+ speaker
slides here:
http://www.slideshare.net
/itschristine/2016-
brandentrepreneurs-
business-boot-camps-
speakers
www.BrandEntrepreneurs.com
14. WHERE TO START 101-
HOW TO LAUNCH
COMPANY IN 24 HOURS
www.Csouffrantntim.com
16. Startup Inspiration Platforms
Take a full weekend to go over this 10 week
course material- Binge it!
www.StartupClass.co
Take a day to read through the beginner
articles
http://launchthisyear.com/
A curated email digest of
startup activity in every part of
the world:
https://www.startupdigest.com/
A curated hub of startup communities,
resources and programs around the world
https://www.googleforentrepreneurs.com/
www.Csouffrantntim.com
18. 24 Hour Startup Check List
Part 1 Website Set Up
1. Domain ($20 or less)
2. Hosting ($Varies)
3. Theme + Editor (Choose Wordpress.org)
4. Google analytics (track traffic behavior and sources)
5. Sumo Me (Email capture + social media share)
6. DropBox Account (Free- Sync as backup)
7. PlugIns: Cashe, Updraft, GoogleSiteMap
Part 2 Profile & Social Media Set Up
• Facebook (Necerssary)
• Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Google Plus (Optional)
• Register on Gust.com, Angelist.com, F6s.com Crunchbase.com
Part 3 Admin
1. Gmail account (infoCOMPANYNAME@gmail.com)
2. Eventrbite Account (Digital Demo Day) or Thestorefront.com (Pop
Up Tour)
3. Meetup Account
4. Zoom Account
5. Maillchimp Account (Free 2k or less)
6. HootSuite Account (Free for 3 profiles)
7. UPS or USPS Po Box Set Up- Shipping Address
Part 5 Post Traction Setup
• Legal Zoom/ Clerky
• Bank Account
• Paypal Account
Part 4 Startup Branding
• Get logo done for $5 by
fiverr
• Get Business Cards
done by Vista Print for
$10
• Get stand up banner
done for $40 by
Vistaprint
www.Csouffrantntim.com
20. THE BASICS 101
HOW TO IDEATE, TEST, &
PITCH IN 7 DAYS
www.Csouffrantntim.com
21. Ideation (The Basics)
A. The Basics-How to
Ideate
1. List out all of the
things that annoy
you; all the things
you love and what
could make it better;
all the devices that
you use in a day and
ask why do you use
them
2. Search top searched
items on
ebay/amazon-
create the product
3. Search successful
and failed
campaigns on
kickstarter
B. The Basics-How to Test
1. Use tools like Balsamiq to
create a mock app; Use
wordpress + plugins to test
user needs w/potential
customers.
2. Use landing page creators
like unbounce/kickoffpages
to post on
facebook+linkedin groups
or Craiglist and get
feedback within a week
3. Send app link or mockup
to beta users and get
feedback via online
surveys or in person
Interviews
4. Do the “Why activity”
5. Summarize in a exec doc
C. The Basics-How to
Report
• Website: Wix or
WordPress
• Blogs: Post Problem,
Solution, Value
Proposition
• Media: Post photos,
videos, testimonials
• Social Media: Create
a FB Page, Twitter
Account
• Get Noticed: HARO-
Help A Reporter Out;
Submit to
HackerNews, Reddit
• Google Alerts on
your competitors
www.Csouffrantntim.com
22. Pitch (The Structure)
30 Seconds- 1 Minute Pitches (Teaser)
• What & Why in 30 seconds
• Value in 10 seconds (tailor to audience)
• Traction & Call to Action (20 seconds)
2-10 Minute Pitches (Details)
• 1 Minute Teaser Intro
Additional Info
• Pre recorded demo
• Competition Matrix details
• Customer experiences
• Financial metrics
• Team profiles
• Call to Action
Elite Pitch Competitions
• Application materials are longer
• Review previous winners
• Exploit application weaknesses-
don’t avoid them
• Highlight the publicity effect you will
have: your story, your traction,
unique product, etc.
• Keep emails of organizers for future
use
• Request blasts on social media
• Leverage names for other
competitions & opportunities
• Keep photos w/ logos for marketing
material
www.Csouffrantntim.com
25. Agenda
A Message to Non Tech
Founders
Product-Ideation & Beta Plan
Product-Ideation & Beta
Costs
Product- If You Choose
Option 2
1. Understand the Basics
2. Learn to code
3. Transition to Development
4. Build An App
Non Tech Founder Check List
www.Csouffrantntim.com
26. Non-Tech Founders- Stop it!
26
Learn to
Code &
Launch an
MVP
Learn the
basics of
tech to hire
the right
coder
OR
www.Csouffrantntim.com
27. Product-Ideation & Beta Plan
27
Ideation Phase:
1 Write out idea. Market Research
2 Test demand for your solution with
google keyword, google trends,
etc
3 Google alert your competitors and
copy or enhance their strategies
4 Landing pages- share in at least
20 FB groups w/ target consumer
5 Use tools like (Balsamiq)/
Fiverr.com to create a test app or
mock app to potential customers.
Beta Phase:
Plan out the App versions of the product
and the potential release date for each
1. Alpha Q1: Stripped down version of
your application
2. Beta Q2: System might have complete
set of features, but there might be some
undiscovered bugs in the system.
3. Beta Q3: Reality check version- based
on feedback
4. Release Candidate Q4: System is very
stable at this point
5. Release (v1.0, v1.2): At this stage
system is usually released to the
customers.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
28. Product-Ideation & Beta Costs
28
Option 1- Not You
• External Freelancer work (might
come with a lot of bags and has to
be managed)
• External outsource agency/team
• Internal team member with high
coding skills for MVP/inspire the
onboarding of a extended tech
team
Option 2- You
• Understand the basics
• Learn to code
• Design and release w/ no code
https://www.appmakr.com/blog/mak
e-apps-without-experience/
www.Csouffrantntim.com
29. Product- If You Choose Option
2
1. Understand the Basics
2. Learn to code
3. Transition to Development
4. Build An App
5. Low Cost App Maker
Platforms
www.Csouffrantntim.com
30. Understand the Basics
Learn the Web
• Front End Development: HTML, CSS,
Javascript
• Back End Development: Ruby, Python,
PHP (and a dozen other languages)
Learn Stages of web development
• Design (Mockups, Wireframes, Information
Architecture)
• Develop (Hard coding w/ functionality)
• Test (bug issues, user experience)
Get inspired by other experiences
• Self taught in 12 weeks
http://www.jamesfend.com/learned-ruby-rails-
12-weeks-launch-freelancify
• Self taught in 8 weeks
http://lifehacker.com/how-i-taught-myself-to-
code-in-eight-weeks-511615189
www.Csouffrantntim.com
31. Learn to code
Online Coding Env. Free
• Codeacademy,
Freecodecamp,
• SkillShare, Youtube
• One hour of Code Event
• 45 placed to learn code
for free
• Learn Command Line
• Join Local
MeetupGroups- There
are weekly Hackerhours
for free in every city
• Forums for support
http://stackoverflow.com/
• Go to paid programs
and copy and paste the
curriculum order. Than
Google all of the free
online resources to do
each stage of coding
Online Coding
Environments (Cheap)
• Onemonth.com $50
• Codeschool,
• Treehouse,
• Udemy,
• Coursera,
• Udacity, etc.
Offline Boot Camp Environments
• A full-time program will typically cost
$5,000-$15,000.
• General Assembly- Programming
for Non-Programmers BootCamp
• Help you decide on bootcamp
https://www.themuse.com/advice/lea
rn-to-code-now-how-to-pick-the-
right-dev-boot-camp-for-you
• Ultimate Guide to Coding
bootcamps
http://www.skilledup.com/articles/
the-ultimate-guide-to-coding-
bootcamps-the-exhaustive-list
• The Top 33 Coding Bootcamps
http://tech.co/top-33-coding-
bootcamps-2015-02
• Weekend & nights bootcamps
http://anyonecanlearntocode.com
/
www.Csouffrantntim.com
32. Transition to Development
Setup Development Environment
• Life After Codeacademy
http://www.shubhro.com/2014/05/2
9/development-environment/
• Setup Development Environment
http://churchm.ag/the-beginners-
guide-to-setting-up-a-development-
environment/
A development environment is a set of
software that enables you to write
programs for a particular language or
platform.
This software oftentimes includes a text
editor and shell.
1. Text editor is simply a program in
which you’ll type your code. Examples
include Sublime Text, Notepad++,
and Eclipse.
2. Terminal: The shell is the second
component of a development
environment. Simply put, the shell is a
program in which you give commands
to the computer, and the computer
returns its response. Though
bewildering at first, the shell will very
quickly become an indispensable part
of your software development toolkit.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
33. Build An App
How to Build Your First Web
Application
• Select a programming
language: Ruby, Python,
PHP etc?
• Select a language
framework for faster
development. Frameworks
are code libraries which
make the life of a web
developer
easier. Frameworks give a
structure to a web
application, help web
developer do some tasks a
lot easier and faster then
coding everything yourself.
• Note: The most popular is
Ruby on Rails
Leverage Online Tutorials
• First web app Tutorial
http://bigemployee.com/how-to-build-your-
first-web-application-tutorial-series/
• Ultimate Ruby on Rails Tutorial
https://www.railstutorial.org/book/beginning
Have a go to place for q/a and feedback with
other coding experts and beginners
• Join Local MeetupGroups- There are weekly
Hackerhours for free in every city
• Forums for support http://stackoverflow.com/
Transition to Launching Your APP
• Deployment- Heroku (free)
• Landing page to send links to test users
• Google best analytics software
www.Csouffrantntim.com
37. Agenda
Prep-Before We Begin
Part 1 Bucket 1 & 2
For Startups w/ a great product that
is ready to go!!!
40+ Ideas based on Growth
Marketing Hacks
Part 2 Bucket 3 & 4
For Startups that need to focus on
product enhancement and user
engagement. 40+ Ideas based
product improvement Hacks
Bucket 5:
Random Gorilla Marketing
5 Bucket Strategy
www.Csouffrantntim.com
38. Before We Begin
Are you prepared for the traffic?
Website
Has all information needed to download, signup and engage
with new users. Has a FAQ ? Contact us page?
Social Media
Make sure all social media pages have your app launch
information in the banner or pinned to the top.
Google Analytics
Make sure your website is tracking all activity.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
39. Bucket 1- Site
Submissions/Posting
1. Post on the legendary 3: Reddit, Digg, HackerNews, (Ninja Tip: Before posting a link of your screenshot to
Reddit, first share it on Twitter and then post the Twitter status link to Reddit. It’s an easy way to pick up a few
Twitter followers) ; Go to the /subreddit (Page on Reddit) related to your business and leave comments
2. Post a screenshot of the app with the link on Product Hunt, Dribbble, DesignerNews and other niche
forums. Don’t limit your self to the legendary 3.
3. Post on Craiglist, Eventbrite.com, Meetup.com: Launch a Competition, Campaign or Event to test your
app on advertise it on these platforms. Offer money, discount or pizza. Get creative!
4. Post Question on Quora (and other question forums) Try answering questions (with links to your startup) for
1 hour, 3 days a week. Get creative with other forum postings-google search etc
5. Post an answer on Google Search: Leave comments on the top 5-10 search results - On a related note,
you can search your keyword on Google and find the top 5-10 articles then leave a similar comment. Insider
tip: you can search that keyword on Google Keyword Planner to see how much search volume it gets. Search
5-10 keywords related to you on Google and leave comments on those related pages.
6. Post on the TNW Market- While primarily a place for specific special offers or promos, you can also create a
listing of your startup for free. If you do also have a special offer you can create (e.g. first 3 months free) then
it costs nothing to post and you can monitor the affect it had using stats.
Website: http://market.thenextweb.com & Add New Company Twitter: @TNWMarket
7. Post on Dubbler. Promote your blog posts or content having to do with your app's niche on Dubbler -- a 60-
second audio social network.
8. Post a deck demo on slide share with a perk: http://www.slideshare.net/ and Add comments on other
slideshare power point presentations
www.Csouffrantntim.com
40. Bucket 2: Social Media
Influencers
1. Reach out to organizers of meetup, eventbrite, facebook
to post on their page, or email out to followers
2. Reach out to the newsletters organizers that you
subscribe to already.
3. Reach out to Bloggers & local tech newsletters: Provide
500 word document: app’s features, startup story and value
proposition
4. Reach out to twitter influencers with 20k+ followers:
Provide tweet and link about app. Request that they tweet at
midday.
5. Contact admins of related Facebook pages. “Look for
pages with 100k+ likes and reach out to their admins. Make
sure these pages have something to do with the focus of
your app. Then give them a compelling reason to mention it”.
6. Select 100 twitter influencers with at least 10k followers or
more and have them tweet your app campaign on the same
day/ stagger for 20 each day if necessary
7. Download email contacts on linkedin and Email blast
ONLY once w/ mail chimp
8. Google form campaign- get people to signup to be network
ambassadors for a day/week
9. Google alert competitors and reach out to reporter to write
a follow up story or rebuttal
10. Follow your Audience: Target your customers/users on
intagram + pinterest and comment the link to the app on a
relevant post.
1. Look at new channels that have less competition
(rules) like snapchat, pinterest, instagram to drive
traffic
2. Search Twitter for related hashtags - then tweet at
the people to offer feedback
3. Leave video responses on popular-related YouTube
Videos
4. Create a six-second how-to series. Make the most
of Vine with videos potential customers will find
useful. The hashtag #howto is one of the top trending
tags on Vine.
5. Thunderclap campaign your network for the launch
date
6. Do Content marketing: Blog away not about your
product, just anything that your target market would
want and that would make them want to explore the
product.
7. Ride a wave- If an image is going viral put your name
on it and share it too
8. Use snip.ly to share viral blogs with your own advert
9. Find Trending Content http://buzzsumo.com/ find
titles that gets the most shares
10. Google Keyword Research Tool To Know Search
Volume and Demands
11. Click To Tweet Tweet From any Blogs or Pages
12. Bounce Exchange To Track User’s Mouse
Movements on your page
www.Csouffrantntim.com
42. Bucket 4: User Targeting &
Empowerment
Find and Engage the Right Users
1. Use 3 prong strategy - Hubs, Connections,
Communication. Hubs - Find places where target
users aggregate. Connection - Find ways to
establish connections with the
users. Communication - Find most effective
messaging
2. Find your target users on instagram, pinterest,
and twitter- send personalized blurb and link to fit
their needs. Target only ones who will truly use
your app. Target a micro-market.
3. Manually reach out to your competitors’ users
on Twitter / Facebook etc
4. Email the existing users you have asking for
them to refer other people.
5. Use Email Insights To Track Competitors’
Emails and Newsletters
6. Landing Page- “Build and they will come”- place
value proposition on one pager and have users
sign up
www.Csouffrantntim.com
43. Bucket 5- Random Gorilla
Marketing
1. Take a weekend, afternoon, major
event parade etc to go our to the
streets and attract users to sign up.
Have a big sign with the value
proposition and make it fun.
Timesquare madness- you never
know- you might get caught on
youtube or news.
2. Sit in Barnes and Nobles with $5
Starbucks cards and get people to
talk with you about your service.
3. Go to events and try to get users
as they leave or enter an event- make
sure you coordinate with organizers
so you don’t harass them. Go to
parties, festivals etc to get users
4. Email 10 entrepreneurs you know
and ask them how they got users
(target ones in your field and ones
that aren’t) you will be surprised what
you learn.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
44. Conclusion
We covered over 100 different
tactics today and hopefully
you feel ready to go our there
and get your first viral group
of users.
Please note- that you should
not attempt these strategies
prior to experimenting with a
small set of users- 100 or less
to make sure that you are
targeting the right people for
scale/growth
www.Csouffrantntim.com
47. Agenda
Before we begin
Week 1: Blueprint &
Strategy Plan
Week 2: The Email Blast
Plan
Week 3: Campaigns & Ad
Spend
Week 4: Replicate other
Hack Stories
Case Study Examples:
Vendedy
30 Day Plan
www.Csouffrantntim.com
48. Week 1 Blueprint & Strategy
Plan
Day 1: Timeline + Content
Blue Print Your Announcement Dates & Frequency for 1 year:
• Beta signup, launch, updates
• Q1 Blast (Jan-April)
• Q2 Blast (May-June)
• Q3 Blast (July-Sept)
• Q4 Blast (Oct-Dec)
Blue Print Media Channels & Content
• Email: Construct a 3 paragraph email (press release format + personal outreach format)
• Social Media: Construct the 140 tweet, facebook, linkedin, instagram etc
• Events: Compile press links, photos, videos
Day 2: Budget & Prep
Plan the monthly/quarterly Budget
• Social media Marketing
• Google Adwords
Day 3: Do Trial Day Run
• Assign roles & engagement management workflow
Free tools for the day: MailChimp (2000); Hootsuite (3 accounts);
www.Csouffrantntim.com
49. Week 2-Email Blast Plan
Day 1
• List: Coordinator, supervisor, and/or representative for the following
networks-Alumni of High school, College, Programs, Clubs, sports,
church etc.; Part time jobs, full time jobs, internships, contract roles
• Input confirmations into launch excel file (to follow up 3 days prior + on
the target date)
Day 2
• Post google doc form for volunteers to blast their networks (goal 50)
• Message- Event+ Competition networks + previous press coverage
(send update email)
• Eventbrite attendee lists +Meetup.com: message coordinators to share
Day 3
• Email Blast: Excel Spread sheet of all linkedin contacts- blast (mailchimp)
Day4/ 5
• Google alert & compile reporters & reference story
• Submit to: HARO, Reddit, HackerNews, BuzzFeed
Day 6/7 Social Media Groups (Personal Email)
• Facebook/Linked in groups
• Social Media Ambassadors (Personal Email)
• Create a list of 20+ Twitter/FB w/ 10k followers+ to share your post on
the target date (send personal email)
Free tools for the day: Boomerang, Google Analytics
www.Csouffrantntim.com
50. Week 3- Campaigns & Ad
Spend
Tools of the Day
• ThunderClap
• Wistia, Unbounce
• KickoffLabs
Try:
• Online: Competition/ prize campaign
• Online Call to action social media share
• Online Webinar introduction + Google
hangout- live demo
• Offline: launch free events/workshops at
restaurants, cafes and local spaces
• Boost all campaigns with $1-$10 facebook
boosts and $10-$20 Google Adwords.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
51. Week 4 Replicate Other Launch
Stories
http://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-
Epic-Launch-Strategy/
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/how-mint-grew/
https://medium.com/unboxd/how-i-built-an-app-with-500-000-users-in-5-
days-on-a-100-server-77deeb238e83#.g6m82kar5
Know the difference btw
a step by step guide vs
a story
www.Csouffrantntim.com
52. Go To Market – Press & Media Examples
Vendedy Case Study
www.Csouffrantntim.com
59. Agenda
Rethink Startup Funding
Preparation & Perception
Turn Your Bills Into Funding
Resources
Conclusion
The 5 Bucket Strategy
Bucket 1: Competitions- Prizes,
Contests, Grants
Bucket 2 : Family, Friends, and
Supporters (Crowd funding
Campaign) w/ Email Blast Strategy
Bucket 3: Smart Capital Investments
Bucket 4: Incubators, Accelerators,
Boot Camps, Corporate Programs
Bucket 5: Get Creative & Monetize
Part 1 Part 2
www.Csouffrantntim.com
60. Rethink Startup Funding
Always Target:
1. Cash investments
2. In kind services for free-
marketing, legal etc.
3. Partnerships- validation
• Your goal is not just to raise cash but value that
can propel your startup forward.
• Remember- you are raising money to spend and
advance your startup. If you already get what you
need for free, then you’re on the right track.
Make strategic requests. Example-
instead of can you sponsor our event?
Say, “can you host us at your venue and
we will gladly share your brand with our
network”
Our startup received closed to $50k
in cash, $50k in legal support and
$100k in marketing, partnerships,
services. That’s $250k in 6 months!
www.Csouffrantntim.com
61. Preparation & Perception
1. Prepare
Material
• Bplan
• Financials
• Youtube 1
minute pitch
• Pitch deck
• Media
materials
• Web
presence-
website,
social
media,
press,
partners
2. Be Clear on Funding Need &
Milestones
• $25k-$100k Expected that you
already have an MVP and tested
market need (need-expand
userbase)
• $100k-$500k-MVP + userbase
(need-expand userbase and product
market fit)
• $500k-$1M- Already had several
product iterations, have a user base
and need to solidify market + hire
• > $1M- you now have a playbook
and want to repeat the same cycle
and scale quickly to either
penetrate current markets or stretch
to new geographic markets,
customer target brackets etc
3. Plan Funding Rounds
(calendar and target list)
• Pre Seed- Bootstrap funds
(your savings, credit card,
loans) + competitions
• Seed- competitions, crowd
funding campaign or
monetization of your product
from first users/customers or
small angel investors (this
requires having a heavy
marketing strategy loop to get
stakeholder support)
• Series A, B, C- Smart Capital
investment from Angels, VC
funds, corporate investments
www.Csouffrantntim.com
62. Turn Your Bills Into Funding
$5k Walmart Community Grant
$5k UPS Store Small Bix Salute Pitch Contest
$15k MasterCard Elevator Pitch Competition
$10k Capital One Hackathon Competition
$25k FedEx Competition
$25k Microsoft Competition
$25k IBM Smart Camp Launch Prize
$40k Staples small Business Break Room
Makeover
$50k AT&T Agility Competition
$1 Million Forbes Prize Competition
Turn Credit Cards, Shipping, Magazine
Subscriptions into funding opportunities. Here
are my top 10 Favorites:
www.Csouffrantntim.com
65. Bucket 1-
Competitions- Prizes, Contests,
Grants
Create the ultimate
pitch/funding calendar
1. Calendar: Use main databases
to list out all applications for at
least 6 months ahead- Gust,
Angelist, Younoodle, F6s
2. Apply: In bulk for all due in
one month over a weekend. Ex.
Do all February applications
during the first weekend of
February.
3. Document: all application
answers in word.
4. Track: your progress w/
highlights.
5. Note: Keep track of missed
opportunities for next year
www.Csouffrant.com
66. Bucket 1 Cont….
Competitions- Prizes, Contests, Grants
Do Corporate Contests for Small Business: Fedex,
UPS, Mastercard, American Express etc. All corporates
have a contest arm for small business. Apply to them.
Pitch Local: Go through eventbrite.com and
meetup.com and search not based on groups but
based on your city calendar. Select all of the pitch
competitions that offer cash prizes, in kind services or
access to resource partners. Prizes usally range from
$500-$5000
Bucket 1 Note: Make sure you complete at least 20
apps due in 1 quarter with results showcased in the
next quarter. You need fast turn around results so be
strategic with w/ not just deadlines but multiple round
apps that take several months to determine winner.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
67. Bucket 2
Family, Friends, and Supporters
(Crowd funding Campaign)
Top methods/platforms
• Kickstarter.com- product perk
• Indiegogo.com – thank you perk
• Gofundme.com – need
• Prosper.com- Peer Lending group
• Kiva.org- Microloans by a group
• Crowdrise- equity based funding
• Teespring- T shirt crowdfunding site
Before you begin
• Prepare the media plan, list out potential campaign partners…
• Reach out to the top 50 campaign raisers across different crowd funding
groups. Ask for 15 minutes of their time to tell you how they did it and if they
are similar or complimentary, if they can partner with you; recommend you
to reporters and investors! Also reach out to the top worst campaigns
and ask them what they regret.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
68. Bucket 2
Family, Friends, and Supporters
(Crowd funding Campaign)
Email List can make or break a campaign. Target paid mailing lists*:
http://betalist.com/, http://startuplister.com, http://www.startuptabs.com/,
http://startupli.st/, http://erlibird.com/, http://ideasquares.com/,
http://killerstartups.com/, http://launchingnext.com/
Campaign Must Haves:
1. Add thunderclap to crowd fund campaign
2. Have landing pages set up to debut product all over
3. do small increments- its better if you go over your funding goal
4. Must prepare network at least a month in advance: organic list + paid lists
5. Do affiliate marketing to drive traffic to complimentary companies that can redirect
traffic right back to your campaign
6. Always have a competition campaign- a sharing competition with an entry form
and a leaderboard and offered prizes
7. Always have a Matching campaign board $500 for $500, $1000 for $1000 etc
8. Always have a $1 option.
9. Partner w/ at least 5 media networks with 100k viewers and up to blast your link
to followers
www.Csouffrantntim.com
69. Bucket 2 Cont….
Email & Social Media Blast Strategy
Prepare
• Email: Construct a 3 paragraph email (press release format + personal outreach
format)
• Share: Construct the 140 tweet, facebook, linkedin, instagram etc
Target amplifiers
• Coordinator, supervisor, and/or representative: Alumni networks
• Pitch on HARO
• Social Media Groups- Facebook/Linked organizers
• Eventbrite attendee lists +Meetup.com: message coordinators to share &
message group members
• Create a list of 20+ Twitter/FB w/ 10k followers+ to share your post on the target
date (send personal email)
• Post google doc form for volunteers to blast their networks (goal 50)
• Email list: Excel Spread sheet of all linkedin contacts- blast (mailchimp)
• Facebook Ads: $5 increments. Do 20 different versions and target different
subgroups
• Rally online communities*: by posting or guest blogging on networks of
coworking spaces, Reddit, job boards, ProductHunt and entrepreneurial online
hangouts.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
70. Bucket 3
Smart Capital Investments
• Target Angels First: on Angelist.com +
Gust.com + Angel Capital Association. Angel
investors (individuals) or (syndicates) can
invest from $10k to $500k to $1M
• Ask for feedback: 50-100 angel investors
and send them this message: "Hi <>, I'm a
student at <> University looking to solve a
huge problem in the <> space. We're still
pre launch and not ready to raise yet, but I
was hoping to get 5-10 minutes of your time
to ask some questions. Since you invested
in <> and <>, I figured you would be perfect!
Thanks!”
Golden Rule:
Ask for advice, get
money…ask for money, get
advice...
DO NOT DO THIS BUCKET BEFORE YOU HAVE TRACTION!!!
“If you can’t be bothered to spend $5k-$10k to build a prototype, of what you
want to do, then why should I take you seriously?” — Jason Calacanis
www.Csouffrantntim.com
71. Bucket 3
Smart Capital Investments
Reach out to 50 VC firms- not for advice but mainly to
showcase the traction that will reel them in!
• List out 100 VC firms that fit your startup- your hit
list draft- make an excel spreadsheet.
• List all of the people in your linked in network who
knows them and can make a warm introduction-
do this by adding all of them on linked in and
following them on twitter.
• Close the gaps: lets say only 20/100 are within
your network reach but the other 80 aren’t…devise
a plan to see how you can reach them warmly- are
they going to be at an event, they do have an open
pitch round, etc. Cold pitch deck submissions
seldom get noticed!
• *Tip: Don’t say you need money for development. This is a big (and common)
mistake from newbies… no one wants to invest in a first-time founder and
have their money go towards building the first product!
www.Csouffrantntim.com
72. Bucket 4
Incubators, Accelerators, & Corporate
Programs
Get $20k-$100k from Accelerators
• According to the National Association of Business Incubators, there are about
800 incubators in the US.
• Apply to at least 12 that fit your niche. Even if you don’t get in, the interview
process reveals a lot of wholes that you night of missed.
Target Corporates for Startups
• IBM Global Entrepreneur, Microsoft Bizspark, Amazon,
Target, Nike, Disney Hubspot, Citi Fintech,
Barclays,Coca Cola, GE, Google Ventures, Qualcomm,
Sales force, Digital Ocean, Rackspace etc
• Some have their own accelerators!
• Google name of company and startup company or
innovation hub.
• Go on linked in to find innovation coordinator. Go to
events targeted for corporate companies
www.Csouffrantntim.com
74. 2. Then Do a Pre-Accelerator
Leverage Startup Weekend and Conference bootcamp events too!
www.Csouffrantntim.com
75. 3. Find the Right Accelerator
• Seasonal batches accept applications 3-6 months in advance. So apply early
and do at least 5-7 applications that fit your profile
• Similar to college admissions process; 2 are safety, 2 are reach, 2 are crapshoot
but would be amazng to get in )
www.Csouffrantntim.com
76. 4. Leverage the profile of Unicorns for Your
Application
• Find 3 Startup that is similar to you and study their business model, scale
strategy etc/tweak for your own startup.
• Then apply to an accelerator (It will make your application stronger)
www.Csouffrantntim.com
77. Bucket 5
Get Creative & Monetize
Get Creative
• Host events, workshops where you offer your
solutions to customers…charge $5, $10 etc
• Google consulting projects at major
entrepreneurship centers- colleges and graduate
schools are consistently looking for live cases to
do work for
• Donations via social media . For example,
the Tweetsgiving drive via Twitter pulled in over
US$10K in just 48 hours, simply from donations
of $5 or $10 dollars.
• Online ad revenue and Affiliate advertising
Monetize
• Subscription
• Beta sales etc
Air BNB
raised $25k selling
cheerios- We made 500 of
each (Obama O's and
Cap'n McCains). They were
a numbered edition on the
top of each box, and sold
for $40 each.
www.Csouffrantntim.com
81. Exponential Tech & Singularity
U
"An exponential entrepreneur is
an entrepreneur who is leaning on
exponentially accelerating
technology — so network
sensors, AI, robotics, synthetic
biology, 3D printing — these
technologies that are all on
exponential growth curves.
Empower global community with
the mindset, skills & network to
leverage exponential
technologies and create an
abundant future for all
Futurists like Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil have argued that
the world is rapidly approaching a tipping point, where the
accelerating pace of smarter and smarter machines will soon
outrun all human capabilities. They call this tipping point the
When Humans
Transcend Biology is
a 2006 non-fiction
book about artificial
intelligence and the
future of humanity by
inventor and futurist
Ray Kurzweil.
83. List of Exponential Technologies
(We Will Discuss Top 8)
Artificial Intelligence
Space
Robotics
Energy (energy
storage)
Autonomous Vehicle
Gene Sequencing
Digital Biology
VR & AR
IOT
Cloud Computing
Digital Currency
3D Printing
NanoTechnology
Solar
Medical Devices
Quantitative
Computing
92. Exponential Technologies
1. Artificial intelligence (AI),
2. Augmented and virtual reality (AR,
VR),
3. Data science,
4. Digital biology and biotech,
5. Medicine,
6. Nanotech and digital fabrication,
7. Networks and computing systems,
8. Robotics, and robocars
www.Csouffrantntim.com
93. Exponential Rules
• The Law of Accelerating
Returns (Ray Kurzweil): The
rate of progress in any
evolutionary learning
environment (a system that
learns via trial and error over
time) increases exponentially.
The more advanced a system
that improves through
iterative learning becomes,
the faster it can progress.
• Moore's Law: Computing
power has exponentially
increased in price
performance for more than a
century. Moore’s Law is the
observation that the number
of transistors per square inch
on integrated circuits has
doubled every 18 months
since they were invented in
1958 and the prediction that
this trend would continue into
the foreseeable future.
The 6 D's---(Peter Diamondis)
• Digitized: Once a technology is digitized it becomes an information
science, and so we can use computers to manage it.
• Deceptive: Exponential growth is hard to spot. At the beginning of most
exponentially advancing environments, the early stages of development
are almost imperceptible.
• Disruptive: After the initial deceptive growth, the development of an
exponentially advancing technology can make the previous paradigm
effectively obsolete, out-performing it in both effectiveness and cost.
• Dematerialized: tems that were once large and unwieldy can now fit
easily into our pockets. The miniaturization of sensors paired with
digitization allows for the elimination of dedicated single-use physical
devices.
• Demonetized: GPS systems and high resolution video cameras were
prohibitively expensive in the past, but almost anyone can access them
now that they are applications and sensors included on and in your
phone. The cost of producing and replicating software is dramatically
cheaper than creating the physical version of it, and the economies of
scale associated with the sensors allow them to become eminently
affordable.
• Democratized: Products, services, and information that were once only
available to wealthy nations, research labs, or companies, are now
becoming accessible by an ever-increasing percentage of the global
population. If you can buy a cheap phone with an internet connection,
you have the same communications capabilities and access to the
same exact platforms as a billionaire.www.Csouffrantntim.com
94. Ai Tech
Sofia--- 2016-The latest
robot from Hanson
Robotics took the stage
at the Web Summit in
Lisbon, displaying
simple emotions,
humanlike facial
expressions.
Tay was an artificial intelligence
chatterbot released by
Microsoft Corporation on March
23, 2016. Tay caused
controversy on Twitter by
releasing inflammatory tweets
and it was taken offline around
16 hours after its launch.[1] Tay
was accidentally reactivated on
March 30, 2016, and then
quickly taken offline again.
Watson is a question
answering computer
system capable of
answering questions
posed in natural
language,[2] developed
in IBM's DeepQA.
99. Exponential Tech- Deep Dive
VR
Virtual Reality (VR) artificially creates sensory experiences, which can include sight, sound
and touch.; A related technology is AR, or augmented reality, which merges computer-
generated graphics or video on top of the real world we see before us.
Top 5 Recent VR/AR Breakthroughs 2013 – 2015
1. Major companies (Oculus/Facebook, Sony, HTC) will
launch consumer products this year. Oculus (via
Facebook), HTC and Sony. Add this to the Samsung
Gear, which is already out on the market, and we've got
a new industry.
2. Development of hand controllers, most recently the
Samsung 'Rink’.
3. Development of photogrammetry and video
photogrammetry (like 8i.com), Tango and Lytro to map
3D rooms.
4. Apple signals intent to enter the space (patents,
acquisitions). Apple, a leader in consumer electronics, is
signaling a move into VR and AR by filing key patents
and making multiple acquisitions in the space-Faceshift,
which works to capture and scan the human face to
recognize your facial features.
5. Oculus, HTC announced pre-orders for VR consumer
products.HTC recently announced preorders starting at
the end of February for their VR device called the Vive
Top 6 Anticipated VR/AR
Breakthroughs 2016 - 2018
1. Screen resolution matches visual
brain input.
2. Eye tracking adds both presence and
control.
3. Face tracking from head-mounted
displays perfectly conveys your real
appearance.
4. VR impacts conferences, education
and travel. AR eliminates need for
TVs and screens.
5. The End of Displays and Screens---
replace all "displays and screens,"
Philip says.In success, your Magic
Leap headset will allow you to view a
virtual TV anywhere, on any wall, or a
mobile phone screen on the palm of
your hand
www.Csouffrantntim.com
100. Intro to Internet of Things
Definition: a proposed
development of the Internet in
which everyday objects have
network connectivity, allowing
them to send and receive data.
Data which is acquired,
submitted, processed or sent to
devices, in most cases travels
across the Internet, across
cloud ecosystems
WWW Phases: Download,
Upload, Platform
104. Build An Ex Tech Startup Part 1
Step 2: Follow & learn with
the experts
• Take free courses:
Coursera, Skillshare, &
Udemy
• Complete free Intro to AI,
VR, IOT course at
https://www.udacity.com
• Read articles on
Singularity Hub/ Summits
• AI Startups Must
Complete: (Understand
phases of AI, Code in
Python, Code a
Bot)http://blog.hackerearth
.com/2015/12/artificial-
intelligence-101-how-to-
get-started.html
Step 1: Background Check
You should have basic knowledge in
• linear algebra and calculus
• probability and statistics,
• experience implementing computer science
algorithms
• programming in Python.
• Expertise: Deep learning; Neural Networks;
Coding; Machine LearningStep 3: Understand the Industry
• Follow Crunchbase Acquisition and Google alert
the top companies; follow their stories, hires, sales
etc
• Join local Meetup Groups, Attend top conferences
Like Oreily AI Conference:
http://conferences.oreilly.com/artificial-
intelligence/ai-ny
• Slideshare & Medium are your best friends- top
experts release their data and startup secrets
here! www.Csouffrantntim.com
105. Build An Ex Tech Startup Part 2
http://mattturck.com/2016/09/29/building-an-ai-startup/
http://www.slideshare.net/mjft01/building-an-ai-startup-realities-
tactics?ref=http://mattturck.com/2016/09/29/building-an-ai-startup/
http://mattturck.com/2016/09/12/frontiertech/
https://thinkmobiles.com/blog/how-much-vr-application-development-
cost/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNHMeXDwQAc
http://savvyapps.com/blog/how-much-does-app-cost-massive-review-
pricing-budget-considerations
www.Csouffrantntim.com
106. Build An Ex Tech Startup Part 3
Leverage Partnerships & Prizes & API
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