Hi there 👋 Welcome to the 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 know, 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
My recent trip to Vail, and how skiing is a lot like being a founder
Big news coming soon
Hot VC deals and startup news
Founders you should be watching
What's On My Mind 💭
I’ve been thinking…
I took a short newsletter break to go skiing in Vail. I've only done it one other time three years ago and never made it off the bunny hill. But this time, to my surprise, I worked with an instructor for two days and was going down greens and blues by my second day. I didn't exactly love it and I ended up getting stuck sideways on a steep incline on the last hill and might have cried a little while trying to figure out how to side-step my way down the hill.
There's this thing that happens on the mountain when I'm skiing... I literally freeze. I forget how to make turns, and stop, and I just stare down the hill frozen. Not to be too metaphorical, but it reminds me of being a founder.
Everything is new and exciting in the beginning. You feel like you're learning so much and able to slide back and forth so effortlessly. But after so much grinding and too many falls, you get mentally exhausted and forget how to do the simplest things. Everything feels daunting. The higher you go, the thinner the air, the steeper the hills and you feel like everything you do is just to finish. And you realize a few things:
Maybe you were never meant for this - and that's OK
You find it within yourself to build confidence and keep climbing
But no matter what you chose, it's your decision to make and no one else's. If you want to quit, pivot, change course or challenge yourself to keep going through the hard parts, make sure you do it FOR YOU.
Just like there are many pathways to climb up a mountain, there are just as many to get down. It's important to find your own path.
What I’ve Been Working On 💁🏻♀️
Things I care about that I want to share
Big News Coming Soon...
I know I've been hinting at a few things I've been working on and I wish I could tell you all right now but that wouldn't make for a fun surprise on launch week, now would it? The thing is... I would love your support but I can't tell the secrets yet so I'm thinking I'll tell you all first, maybe like an hour before I announce it or something so you can be the first to know. I don't know, clearly I haven't had big news since I found out my third and fourth kids were twins!
In the meantime...
Recently Hit the Stands 📰
Things in the news you should check out (in the past few weeks)
Since its valuation last year, Canva has more than doubled to a $15 Billion Valuation. The company just raised $71 million in a new round. Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht are now billionaires but plan to use some of their fortunes for good and to give back to the world. Read more about the deal and the Sydney-based company in this Forbes article.
I’m Always Disappointed by the Erasure of Black Creators
Jimmy Fallon hosted Addison Rae, a famous TikTok dancer, on The Tonight Show, where she taught him 8 TikTok Dances. The problem was that Jimmy Fallon and Addison Rae did not give credit to to the Black creators who originated those dances. Unfortunately, there is a history of not recognizing Black creators. Adrienne Sheares lists how brands can learn from the Tonight Show blunder with actionable tips in this article.
a16z’s TxO Initiative is funding culture innovators. Here’s why.
Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, started Talent x Opportunity Initiative (TxO) to accelerate startups on Product Hunt. This program specifically helps emerging cultural geniuses with funding, training, and mentorship. Currently Talent x Opportunity Initiative works with consumer brands that place culture at the forefront.
Meet Gen Z’s fierce female founders aiming to radically reshape the tech world
Gen Z's are one of the most racially and ethnically diverse generations we've seen, and it's estimated that they will be the most tech-savvy and educated. Digital Trends sat down with three Gen Z entrepreneurs who are creating products for the future that will improve connectedness. Read this article to meet Kelsey Davis, Emma Salinas, and Corine Tan.
Honest Company, founded by Jessica Alba, is now going public after a strong year. In 2020, the company hit $300.5 million in revenue and on Friday filed for an IPO. The company is planning on selling shares on the Nasdaq. The placeholder IPO is $100 million. Even though 2020 had immense growth for the Honest Company, it wasn't profitable and hasn't been since its founding.
A Little Birdie Told Me 🐦
Tweet of the week
Hot Take of the Week 🔥
Somebody had to say it
Walk the Walk 💰
Investors putting their money where their mouth is
Anyone can become an investor in Earnest Capital
Earnest Capital began as "funding for bootstrappers" which they now call capital + community + mentorship for entrepreneurs building calm companies. Tyler Tringas, General Partner and Founder of Earnest Capital sent out a tweet gauging interest in starting an equity crowdfunding campaign for his bootstrappers fund and within one month, had it launched. Just yesterday, within 24 hours, he almost hit the $1-million mark. Congrats Earnest!
Rarebreed Ventures Fund II (Currently Raising)
McKeever “Mac” Conwell is raising for his second fund for Rarebreed Ventures. LPs can join for a minimum check size of $25,000. The first fund has raised $3.5M so far and made 13 investments. It all started with two founders who changed his life. Read the story here and sign up to be an LP at rarebreed.vc.
Harlem Capital, Rare Black-Led VC Firm, Raises $134 Million Second Fund
Henri Pierre-Jacques and Jarrid Tingle, founders of Harlem Capital, started the fund in 2018 and it took over a year to raise $40 million. The two started the firm "racially focused with diverse people at the top." Now over three years later, the firm raised a $134 million second fund to invest in overlooked and underrepresented founders.
Claire Díaz-Ortiz has a plan to get women investing in women
Unfortunately, Silicon Valley still isn't investing enough in women startup founders. Claire Díaz-Ortiz, a prominent investor in Latin America and all over the world, is coming to the rescue with Angel Collective: “women investing in women across borders.”
AngelList introduces Roll Up Vehicles
AngelList started Roll Up Vehicles to help founders send investors commit and send funds online through a link to founders. Founders use Roll Up Vehicles because it streamlines the entire process. All they have to do is send a link to their investors, and then they can benefit from more cap table control and even save money on admin costs.
Founders You Should Follow 👀
Founders making moves
Sherrell Dorsey, The Plug
Sherrell Dorsey is the Founder of The Plug, which first started as a daily tech newsletter and has now evolved into a data insights company that investigates and reports on Black tech trends. Since Sherrell started The Plug, she's led the team to publish over 600 briefings and almost 10 datasets. Sherrell is out there making Black tech data useful. The Plug has membership options for whichever insights you may be looking for, which include detailed reporting and live interviews. Make sure you subscribe to The Plug's weekly briefing here.
Lydia Elle, Supplies for Allies
Founder and CEO of Supplies for Allies and best-selling author, Lydia Elle believes in embracing life and doing everything with authenticity. She is also a mother and speaks on entrepreneurship, business, and motherhood. Lydia started Supplies for Allies, which is an antiracism platform with supplies and resources for being an ally, after the murder of George Floyd and the events at the capital. Supplies for Allies sells merchandise, and recently released an allyship calendar. With the calendar, you also gain access to a Facebook group so you can further your work and the discussion of anti-racism. Get it now!
What Founders Need to Know 🤔
Advice and resources you didn't know you needed.
Marie, the maker of Tally, a platform for creating forms, created a Product Launch template. Launching on Product Hunt is a big day for startup founders and a lot of preparation. This handy template will help you make sure you have everything you need to climb to the top on Product Hunt.
If you're struggling to come up with ideas for your content calendar, there's a website for that. Enter in a brand, a phrase, or just about anything else to get insights into what people are searching for online. Marketers - this is a content goldmine!
Copywriting tips from the queen
Kaleigh Moore is a freelance writer for eCommerce & SaaS companies who specializes in copy that drives conversions and sales. She introduces three formulas that are very simple to follow, even for the content novice.
Giving someone a large title off the bat at a startup can lead to unmet expectations and bruised egos. According to Brian Brackeen, you should let the leader naturally emerge during the early life of a startup.
When Leo Polovets was a new VC someone told him not to give the founder's direct feedback. He decided to go another way and give people good feedback. Turns out they wanted it.
A checklist for your funding announcement
Your funding announcement is an important introduction. A well-timed and well-done announcement helps your startup gain attention from investors, future employees, and customers. Here's how you do it right.
Being a first time founder is hard!
Starting your first company can be 2x or 3x harder! I tweeted out a few tips to help keep you going despite the difficulties. Read this thread for advice and things first-time founders need to know.
If Hamilton Characters Were Venture Capital Revolutionaries
There are some similarities between the popular musical and the landscape of venture capital today. The characters of Hamilton face similar struggles to today's founders, and they even resemble some of the most popular types of VCs.
Customer acquisition strategies for startups
Getting customers on board is so important for a new business, but how do you acquire new customers? Elizabeth Lin lists out answers to your most common questions for testing out customer acquisition strategies in this Twitter thread.
Deadline to Apply 📅
Inside VC is hosting a Meet our Fund event on June 8-9, 2021 for founders where 50 funds and accelerators will be pitching to the founders! It's free for founders to attend, so make sure you register so you can sit back and let the VCs pitch to you. The different funds will be giving 30 min deep dives into how funds invest to help your startup grow.
Startup Bookshelf 📚
What our community is reading this week
Heart Boss: Trust Your Gut, Shed Your Shoulds, and Create a Life You Love by Regan Walsh
My good friend Regan Walsh, an executive and life coach, just released her forthcoming book. Heartboss is a book for women who are doing it all. Many women are trying to handle it all - working, raising kids, starting companies - and are finding themselves unfulfilled. Read her story and pick up tips along the way so you can make your heart your boss.
Cleared for Takeoff 🚀
Startups in beta launching soon
Async by Yac
Having meetings while working remotely can be difficult. Constant back-to-back video calls lead to zoom fatigue. Yac helps you fight burnout with voice messaging groups. All you have to do is create a meeting using this link and share it with your coworkers. Conducting meetings this way helps keep the conversation flowing, but more importantly, it allows everyone to respond on their own time easily with audio recordings. Say goodbye to burnout, this is the future of meetings.
Portco Asks
I want to share an ask from my Portfolio Companies at Let's Start Up Ventures. If you can help, please let me know!
Stagger is looking for a Growth Marketer, Brand Copy Expert for Website Review, Content Marketer!
Before You Go 🚪
What you might have missed.
Two questions I ask before accepting any speaking opportunities.
Let's talk about privilege.
Now it's time YOU talk about privilege.
Thanks for reading! I’ll catch you next time. And don’t forget to share Let’s Start Up with your community!