Startup Shinobi

For those not in the know, I am Startup Shinobi and I am disrupting the last industry vertical left in startups and VC...entertainment. Follow me for comedy as well as startup and VC knowledge.

@StephNass 🥷

On Thursday, we’re doing a PRIVATE SESSION with a top startup lawyer! - How to incorporate (US or not) - Splitting equity with cofounders - How to optimize your cap table Free. 150 seats. Zero bullshit. Comment with your best emoji, and I’ll DM you the link!

@StephNass @LRoquilly @HarrisonFaull Finally something good enters the startup and VC world. @darrenmarble this is how it is done, with real effort and genius, not your silly little show.

Introducing OVC Ventures and announcing our first two portfolio companies 🎉 @LRoquilly and I are thrilled to announce the launch of OVC Ventures, an investment syndicate powered by OpenVC. The talented @HarrisonFaull, ex-JP Morgan, will lead OVC Ventures from London with an initial focus on EU + UK. And because good news always come in pairs...

Are accelerators worthless? Probably. Are founders worthless? Most of them.

@StephNass I would say most founders are worthless.

Are startup accelerators worthless? 💀 Get our list of 36 accelerators who ACTUALLY invest cash, and our methodology to pick the right one for you. openvc.app/blog/are-start… Also, please Like + Comment this post to support our work! 😇

@cagrisarigoz I approve

I fed the questions and answers from the interview I've done with @startupshinobi to NotebookLM from Google and really liked the "Audio Overview," which featured two AI voices talking about the interview. 🎧 Here it is: media.bizstack.tech/watch/bWnbUF87

@darrenmarble Not needed. Just have to remember it was everyone you ever pitched.

A CRM tool to track investors who ghost you. Just an idea! 😆

@darrenmarble The perfect reason to stay home.

Miami bound next month! 🌴 I'll be speaking at the LATAM Investment Convergence Summit, with keynotes and panels focused on PE, VC, Alternatives, Philanthropy, Real Estate, AI, and more. Come hang, and register here: tinyurl.com/3myz4urr

A preview of things to come in a world where the IPO market is dead, VC's can't raise or deploy capital, and startup founders are more foolish than ever.

Actual footage of a VC receiving and reviewing your pitch deck.

@SiriusX888 It usually is.

@startupshinobi I talked with a VC today… it was a pure waste of time …

VCs after founders have sent a long thank you email and asking for clear next steps.

@trentjhughes @gus_tiffer Absolutely not. I left you all summer and returned to find you attempting to use the same old tired playbook.

Word is out, we created a newsletter for entrepreneurs. I may be biased, but the value in this thing is next level @gus_tiffer is the best writer in the game and we have him on our team for it! If you want to subscribe, drop a comment below! PS definitely check out Gus

@CharlieTBeagle @jjen_abel Red flag #7-"we're doing something no one else has done!"

@startupshinobi @jjen_abel We get that alot. Being a founder isn't for everybody. By definition, we're doing something no one else has done. This means that almost everyone will tell us we're crazy.

b2b startups: while obvious, it's worth restating: >> smb: user and buyer are likely the same person >> ‘mid-market’: user and buyer are often adjacent roles >> enterprise: user and buyer have significant degrees of separation each step up or down market requires a significant change in the GTM and, maybe less obvious, but to land a deal — small business loves ‘all-in-one’ — VS — enterprise which loves ‘really good at one, unique thing’

@swbarns @StephNass Except you. Put your head down. You have no hope.

@StephNass Dude said, "August is over so I better start trying to raise again."

This is the last sprint to years' end. To all the founders out there, let's crush it!

@dberenzon You forgot to mention most startups have no traction or are terrible.

A few founders I've been working with on fundraising have been getting discouraged about their lack of traction, so I wanted to share some thoughts here that might be helpful for others. Fundraising is extremely time-consuming and mentally draining for most, and to have a successful fundraise involves an understanding of process and mindset. - Process: it is (unfortunately) all about momentum. Most investors are like ice cubes in the back of a cup - nobody wants to move and then they all throw themselves at you because of FOMO. You should not wait for ANY investor to get back to you on a decision. You need to apply consistent pressure on the market and continue to have conversations until a term sheet is signed. Without a signed TS, all verbal commitments are BS. I take inspiration from @PhilippZentner, who has an impressive numbness to rejection and runs head-first through hundreds of walls to get a raise across the line. It often takes >100 conversations. - Mindset: asking for money is a vulnerable position to be in, but there is a healthier reframe - your project is a rocket ship and you are giving investors the opportunity and privilege to join you. Investor ghosted you after 2 conversations? Fuck 'em - their loss. You don't even have to follow up - if they were actually excited about the opportunity then they wouldn't have dropped the ball in the first place. If they do get back to you, every rejection is a gift of information that you can use to refine your pitch, strategy, product, GTM, etc. The more conversations you have, the more data you will receive from the market that you can translate into a competitive advantage. DMs open if you want to chat more about this.

@darrenmarble Explains your lack of success

Competitive founders win.

@darrenmarble None of the above if one of them is you.

Would you rather have an incredible co-founder, or three incredible employees? 🤔

@CharlieTBeagle @jjen_abel Sounds like a horrible way to live but you do you

@startupshinobi @jjen_abel We can’t ever stop thinking about our business.

@gabriel__xyz I am not your friend and you need to have bigger goals.

5000+ twitter friends <3 If you're lurking around here and not posting/building in public - this is your sign to take that leap!! Say hi below 👋 Building your product doesn't have to be boring/lonely #buildinpublic Take the leap 🌱

@farukdurak They appear homeless on X

What do startup founders do on Sundays? They organize their startup business while doing construction work on their house!