Let's Start Up Issue 2 | Janine in Paris (I wish) 🥐
POV: You're a founder trying to build a startup
Hi there! You’re reading Let's Start Up newsletter, curated by me, Janine Sickmeyer, a tech founder turned angel investor. Follow me as I share startup tips, industry news, founders you should follow, and investors putting their money where their mouth is. Let’s Start Up, is a community of its own with an emphasis on the overlooked and underrepresented.
What's In This Issue 🗞
A brief look into what you'll be reading about.
The Netflix show you need to binge this weekend
Two founders you won't want to sleep on
New initiatives to help the underrepresented
What's On My Mind 💭
I’ve been thinking…
If you binged the latest series Emily in Paris, you're not alone. As a "Top 10" show on Netflix, people have been falling head over heels for the Paris-set Rom-Com or maybe they're just watching it because it's so bad that it's actually good. And let's be honest, this kind of escape is exactly what we all need right now. Whether you're annoyed by the cliches or the fact that this social media marketer is going viral from cheesy hashtags, can we all agree that the pain au chocolat she bites into in that first episode is worth the watch? Of course, I've always had a thing for Paris. My husband proposed to be on the Pont des Arts seven years ago and we hoped to go back this year for our anniversary but alas.
Unfortunately, with travel plans on hold because of the pandemic, and it's hard to tell when we'll be able to get back out into the world. Though traveling isn't the only thing I'm missing. If you're anything like me, you probably miss the in-person conferences, fun lunches with co-workers or friends, and the occasional work-away day at a coffee shop.
But for now, all we can do is focus on ourselves and our work, and find the little escapes that keep us going.
What I’ve Been Working On 💁🏻♀️
Things I care about that I want to share
Earlier this year I made my FIRST angel investment in Stagger, a visual storytelling app for brands that helps them stand out. With Stagger, any entrepreneur (yes, even the design novice!) can create unique and engaging content quickly. I met Stagger's founder Chrissy Cowdrey in quite an unconventional way. Lolita Taub, Latinx operator and investor, shared a tweet, requesting that investors drop their details so founders can pitch to them. I received over 30 pitch decks, which led me to Stagger and Chrissy. Listen to the podcast episode featuring Lolita and Chrissy to hear the entire story and more about how these two ladies are innovating the startup world.
Syndicate investments with Backstage Crowd
As a part of Arlan Hamilton's investment firm Backstage Crowd, I've had the incredible opportunity to meet and invest in diverse founders of so many industries. My two syndicate investments of 2020 are Infinite Objects and Akash Systems 🎉 Infinite Objects is the art of the future. The company allows you to upload and print your videos. You can even purchase prints from video artists around the world. Akash Systems reimagines satellite communications, making the internet more accessible and affordable.
The future of work is (literally) in our hands with Guide
Remote work isn't going anywhere. It's estimated that 25-30% of the workforce will adopt telecommuting as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This new work lifestyle brings about so many benefits like working in your PJs and no time wasted on the commute, but it also has its challenges. One of the biggest is remote employee onboarding. Guide solves the complexity of training remote workers with a B2B learning & talent development app for distributed teams. I believe so much in Guide and the mission of its founders, Tim Salau and Taban Cosmos, that I joined their Guide Advisory Board AND become an angel investor!
Our community is growing
After just one issue of Let's Start Up, the number of subscribers more than doubled. In just one week we gained 246 subscribers, bringing us to a total of 453 readers. I am thrilled to be building this strong community of founders and investors with all of you! If you know anyone who could benefit from this, please share!
Recently Hit the Stands 📰
Things in the news I think you should check out
Investments in womxn founders are down
2020 has been a difficult year for founders who are fundraising, especially womxn. PitchBook just released data that revealed investments in womxn founded and co-founded fell to 2017 levels. For a few years, female founders were making strides and even saw an increase in funds raised. This disappointing news calls attention to the lack of diversity in venture capital distribution.
A VC's guide to investing in Black founders
We need to get behind Black founders. The social justice movement that began in June sparked a conversation in the startup and tech worlds. This conversation is far from over, and we must continue to fight for equality in fundraising. Black founders receive less than 1% of venture capital and as an industry, it's our responsibility to go beyond just taking a meeting with a Black founder. James Norman, the founder of Piloty, shared how VC's can actually invest in Black-owned businesses.
Meet 100 of the most innovative and game-changing womxn of the world. Inc magazine announced its picks for the top 100 female founders of 2020. The third annual Female Founders 100 highlights the successes of womxn who have started businesses in the healthcare space, food industry, and more! Celebrate and learn from these womxn who are changing the world to get inspired.
As a part of their diversity spotlight initiative, Crunchbase released a report on two of the largest underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.: Black and Latinx founders. The intention behind this report is to share the funding landscape for Black/African American- and Hispanic/Latinx-founded with hopes that "connections will be made, companies will be discovered, and, ultimately, that checks will be written." Some of the most notable figures founded by Crunchbase:
36 percent of Black- and Latinx-founded companies have a female founder
Black and Latinx founders have raised $2.3 billion, representing just 2.6% of funding through Aug. 31, 2020
San Francisco, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Atlanta are the top 6 regions with the highest investments in Black and Latinx founders
Hot Take of the Week 🔥
Somebody had to say it.
Walk the Walk 💰
Investors putting their money where their mouth is.
Forbes and Harlem Capital are partnering up to hold the #moreequity pitch competition. On October 20th, underrepresented founders will have a chance to win $50K. Now, this is what we're talking about! Hosts include Jewel Burks Solomon, Jenny Fielding, and Lolita Taub. Make sure to tune in, I know I'll be.
BLCK VC is announcing the Black Venture Institute with the goal of increasing the number of Black check writers. Less than 3% of investors are Black, and over the next few years, this statistic is about to change. In this two week program, participants will learn from top angel and venture investors, technology leaders, LPs, and the world-class faculty at UC Berkeley. Apply to be a part of this program here.
A Summit for Underrepresented Designers
Made in the Future is a fellowship summit for emerging design professionals who want to build their careers. This program starts at the 3-day design summit and continues as an immersive curriculum, support network, and mentorship. The next summit begins on December 8th. Apply now to be the first in line.
Founders You Should Follow 👀
Meet these founders who are making moves.
Kim Jolasun, Villie
Kim Jolasun is the Founder and CEO of Villie, a platform that makes games for parents and expecting parents to connect with friends and family for online support. The first game launched was the Gender Reveal Game, which turns the traditional Gender Reveal to an online guessing game that makes the expecting parents money! Kim and Villie are working to gamify the entire pregnancy journey to the baby's first birthday. Coming soon, Villie will be a virtual village for new and encore parents. The first time Kim and I had a call, we immediately connected. Laughing about mom life and startup life. She is the kind of entrepreneur you could also see yourself being friends with. Go follow Kim to stay in the loop with her progress!
Dani Passos, Phovi
Founder of Phovi, Daniela Passos is a Brazilian entrepreneur creating the next online community. Phovi is an app for gamers to meet and make new friends by means of multi-player games and communities based on common interests. But the app isn't just for online events connections, offline interactions are encouraged and users can gain access to local events and other offline experiences. Pretty cool right? Phovi is all about sharing good times and puts the best experiences in your pocket. I actually met Dani on TikTok and since then, we’ve been supporting each other through social media. She’ll be raising a seed round soon so follow Dani on Twitter to stay tuned.
What Founders Need to Know 🤔
Advice you didn't know you needed.
Newsflash: you don't have to be a technical founder to create an app or technical product. KP shares a ton of resources for new no-coders in this notion page.
TikTok for Startups and Business 101
Your brand can make impacts on TikTok. Yes, you read that right, TikTok. Learn the basics in this Twitter thread.
Founder-Market-Fit over Product-Market Fit
The unique skills and experience you bring to the table are invaluable to your startup. Are you the right person to start your business?
TopNine isn't just for reminiscing. If you're looking for inspiration, search the TopNine of your favorite Instagram accounts and build a campaign to resonate with your audience.
Start using icons and stock photos that are relevant for the current day. This directory is filled with design assets that cover COVID, social justice, redefining women, disabilities, WFH, and more.
Startup Events You Can't Miss 📅
Skip the FOMO and get your pass.
All Raise is a community and movement dedicated to helping women prosper. They hold several events per month for both founders and funders on topics such as leadership, fundraising, operations, and more. Check out their events line up and get learning.
Startup Bookshelf 📚
What our community is reading this week.
SuperMaker by Jaime Schmidt
This week's pick for startup book club is Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms by Jaime Schmidt. I just finished this book, and Jaime's story is incredible! Entrepreneur Jaime Schmidt went from "kitchen to acquisition" while starting her company, Schmidt's Naturals. Her startup story included setbacks, but ultimately she prevailed and sold the company in a nine-figure deal. Jaime learned a lot along the way, and in Supermaker she gives unfiltered advice on everything from marketing to operations to customer engagements and more!
Before you go 🚪
Check out what you might have missed
Morning Brew in talks to sell to Business Insider
Diversify your marketing by starting with your stock photos
A fundraising course for pre-seed/seed founders from Lolita Taub
Sneak a peek at the Arlan Hamilton / Backstage Capital documentary coming soon