Pre-IPO v. Public Tech Company Salary (I will not promote) Would love to get input from this group (thank you in advance)! I don't have startup experience so hoping to tap into this group's expertise. I'm currently interviewing with a fintech startup that's pre-ipo (filed paperwork). The recruiter won't share what the total package would look like yet but the base/bonus (quarterly) is basically the same. It would also be the same title and similar work (so basically a lateral move). I'm trying to evaluate if it's worth pursuing this startup opportunity (particularly the financial upside). My guess is... 3 0 replies
Where do early-stage founders “hang out” before launching publicly? (i will not promote) Hey everyone! I’m a brand and web designer (not promotion my business or anything, just looking for information) and I work with new startups, especially those with female founders or diverse founding teams. I’m trying understand better of where founders or future founders “hang out” so I can reach them before that hire someone else to do their branding for launch? How do you go about choosing the right designer to work with? Any insights would be super helpful! Ghanks in advance 3 0 replies
Got an Interview for Founder in Residence program, what to expect ( i will not promote) I recently got an interview for a Founder in Residence (FIR) program with a well-known VC. What should I expect in the process? I was part of a startup’s founding team, and we scaled well. How do these interviews go? Any tips from someone who went through FIR program. I will not promote 5 0 replies
I feel like we are going to fail... Advice, thoughts appreciated. - I will not promote We are an asian startup coming from a very conservative entrepreneurial culture. That doesn't matter so much I just wanted to mention that VC culture in this region is quite conservative, usually with very bad term sheets. Our investor has some control over how the money flows and now instead of about 12 months we have a 6 months runway due to a restriction. Next to fundraising we also have to prove to them that we can have the rest of the money that they invested. Our product is... 2 1 replies
We fundraised! $1.5m pre-seed [i will not promote] Wanted to share a little success story on our end. We raised a $1.5m pre-seed. Happy to answer any questions, even if I'm far from being an expert. Perhaps my experience is useful to you! Area: crypto/fintech Stage: pre-seed Current company size: 5 people (hiring) Location: EU, remote 3 46 replies
I will not promote. Build a waiting list or launch? Hi all 👋 I have fully built my web app but no one on the waiting list - launch anyway? I will not promote It’s a web app mainly for events that fundraise for various homelessness charities. Also, it’s got profile upload with liking others and matching and messaging. Then there’s section for reflections and prayer requests. I’ve been active on instagram and MeetUp for about a month and I have a landing page but no one’s signed up to the waiting list. The value prop is “meet people... 3 0 replies
I have fully built my web app but no one on the waiting list - launch anyway? I will not promote Hi all 👋 It’s a web app mainly for events that fundraise for various homelessness charities. Also, it’s got profile upload with liking others and matching and messaging. Then there’s section for reflections and prayer requests. I’ve been active on instagram and MeetUp for about a month and I have a landing page but no one’s signed up to the waiting list. The value prop is “meet people who care as much as you do” and it’s mainly a Christian website. The events are only in London so far... 1 0 replies
YC invitation emails a marketing stunt? I will not promote I've been seeing more and more different varieties of yc emails. You're in top 5 pc You're the type of founders we fund You're the one!! I received one too.. I had signed up for reminder long long time ago.. but the reminder was sent two days after the deadline inviting to apply by 19th Feb! They first created four batches instead of two.. thinking that that would lower their acceptance rate by half.. that every one will apply four times a year Is there anything more to it... 4 1 replies
Founders: What Are Your Biggest Fears, Frustrations, Pains, and Challenges Related to Marketing? (I will not promote) It’s common in the startup world for founders to struggle with marketing. I’ve seen it countless times—a highly skilled technical founder who thrives in technical work. They create a great product with strong design and solid functionality but struggle to gain traction. I have a few questions for you: * What keeps you awake at night when you think about marketing? * What fears come up when marketing is the topic? * What frustrates you the most about marketing in your venture? * What marketing challenges are you facing?... 4 2 replies
How do I get clients for my SaaS product? (I will not promote) So I work with a SaaS platform and we provide WhatsApp Chatbots and automation solution to businesses. We sell our SaaS product on subscription and take custom automation projects as well. Currently we're not getting enough inbound leads and the outbound I tried are unqualified? How do I go about selling it? 5 5 replies
I don't trust investors!(I will not promote) Hi everyone, I really want to startup my own company but I am terrified of asking VC's for money because of a variety of reasons.. being told how to run my company, having it taken away from me, not being able to 2X,4X,10X and so on, I am currently working as a software engineer and in my spare time have created an ecommerce site its nothing flash, The site really only works based on users, I chose this because I didn't want a product based company simply because I... 5 10 replies
Building a Trademark Filing Success Predictor - Need Community Input - I will not promote I'm developing a tool to help with trademark applications and success prediction. Before investing further in development, I'd love to hear from the community about your needs. Current pain points I've identified: • Uncertainty before filing • Time spent researching similar marks • Costly failed applications • Challenging office action responses Questions for the community: 1. What's your biggest challenge with trademark applications? 2. How do you currently decide whether to file? 3. What would make you trust a prediction tool? 4. What would you pay for higher certainty... 3 0 replies
When you are a small teams and growing businesses/startups. What is the biggest challenge against scaling your business? ( i will not promote ) For small teams and growing businesses/startups It is difficult to grow fast while handling all the business operations. What has been your experience with it? And what do you think makes it harder to scale and work on the current operations simultaneously? 3 0 replies
Any other crowdfunding platforms than Kickstarter and Indiegogo for hardware (I will not promote) I'm making a travel size hot air brush. For now I did an initial prototype and working with the designer to make it nice and create photos. What are the other crowdfunding platforms than Kickstarter and Indiegogo? I was told that Y combinator is not really a good match for hardware and for the hair brush (it doesn't have any AI, it is very simple, but there is no such thing available now) 2 0 replies
YC Alternatives (I will not promote) (I will not promote) What are some good YC alternatives to check out in the meantime in case you get rejected by YC? I searched some to name a few: - 500 Startup - Antler - Startmate - Angelpad Anyone who has experience going through any? Would love some ideas or any path for getting into the startup world. Even networking with the right community would be great to start learning Level 0 of startup > scale. Just like any business or field it’s much much easier and executable... 1 0 replies
Are Smaller, Specialized AI Models the Future for Startups? Lessons from OpenAI’s Talent Exodus (I will not promote) Hey Reddit! Just read something wild about the latest AI drama that's got me thinking. Remember when Mira Murati left OpenAI? Turns out she's been busy building something that could flip the AI world on its head. What caught my attention isn't just the $300M war chest or the talent exodus (though 30+ OpenAI researchers jumping ship is pretty spicy). It's how they're approaching AI differently - instead of building massive models like GPT-5, they're creating smaller, specialized AIs that are weirdly effective. Like, they built one that speaks... 2 0 replies
Is a Product Hunt Launch Still Worth the Effort for Startups in 2025? - I will not promote Hey everyone. I’m working on a new **SaaS** product (early-stage) and trying to decide if a Product Hunt launch is still worth it in 2025**.** I’ve seen some mixed opinions—some say it’s a **must for credibility and visibility (especially for SEO)** while others claim it **no longer drives real traction** unless you already have an audience. For those of you who have launched on **PH in the last 1-2 years**, did it actually move the needle? * Did it drive **long-term signups or just a one-day spike?** * Any... 3 0 replies
Got an Interview for the accelerator program but what to expect. (I will not promote) So I am applying for multiple accelerator and got and selected for 2nd round what for the first time in my life we have 4.2k MAU and and total around 9k User but as this is my first time I don't know what to expect in the interview if any of you have any experience plz share it . (I will not promote) 1 0 replies
Starting from scratch and learning what not to do (I will not promote) Basically, the title. I'm diving into entrepreneurship while still holding down my 9-to-5. Since time is limited, I want to make every step count by learning from those who have already navigated this path. Instead of reinventing the wheel (or making unnecessary mistakes), I’d love to hear insights from experienced entrepreneurs, especially on what not to do. I know that some lessons only come through experience, but if I can sidestep common pitfalls early on, I’ll have a much better chance at building something sustainable. Whether it’s avoiding bad... 2 0 replies
I will not promote, M19 - After long preparation I am seeking guidance on building my first legitimate start-up I'm 19, the oldest of 4 in a low-income, single-parent household. After working 13 jobs, I’ve saved enough to commit a year to building a startup full-time. My biggest roadblock: **identifying a real problem worth solving.** I understand that solutions in search of problems fail, so I’ve spent the last month trying to talk to businesses—cold emails, calls, in-person visits—**hundreds of attempts, almost zero useful responses.** I know the best startups solve real pain points, ideally B2B, but I can’t even get in front of decision-makers to ask what... 2 0 replies
