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"What You Have to Believe" Template / Example

“Must-have” vs. “Nice-to-have”

A.T. Gimbel shares insight when it comes to evaluating a new business idea as a “Must-have” vs. a “Nice-to-have”.

3 Areas Investors Observe Grit in Entrepreneurs

All entrepreneurs will say they have grit and investors will say they are looking for it, but how do you…

3 Questions to Ask Yourself When your Customer Discovery has Stalled

Successful customer discovery depends on finding engaged potential customers who genuinely care about the problem or idea.

4 Different Types of Revenue Models for your Startup

From recurring to contingent to one-time, the revenue model you decide for your startup can 10x your growth.

Be careful having lots of “good meetings”

Push for clear next steps and tangible commitments to truly gauge interest and progress.

Be Wary of Building More Product Features

Three thoughts you should consider before you build too much, too soon.

Build your new product with development partners

Nothing beats authentic feedback from real customers. Find a development partner that can help you iterate quickly and get your…

Building Too Much, Too Soon, Can Backfire: Here's How to Avoid It

Prioritize customer discovery and authentic demand before building an MVP to ensure a must-have product.

Competitor Analysis Template / Example

Customers are right about problems, not solutions

Unveiling the Crucial Distinction: Customer-Driven Problem Identification vs. Solution Generation in Entrepreneurship.

Different Business Models

What business model is right for your next venture?

Example Customer Problem and Conversation

McKenzie Folan shares a tool to help you identify a true customer problem, the first step toward launching a successful…

Example Workflow

External Market Tailwinds

A.T. Gimbel shares how founders can capitalize on external market tailwinds and be poised for tremendous growth.

Failure Makes You Stronger

A.T. Gimbel on why failure — and the discomfort it brings — is one of the most important tools for…

Finding Authentic Demand

A.T. Gimbel shares about finding authentic demand and some indicators you’re on the right path.

Focus On What Customers Do, Not What They Say‍

Why you should place more value in what customers do verses what they say, a warning against biased feedback.

Good Questions Versus Bad Questions

A good question can show your depth of preparation and thinking; a bad question might be better off not asked.

How to Do Quick Market Research on an Idea in Less Than a Day

Market Sizing Example

Right to Win Competitive Positioning

David Cummings breaks down the “right to win” framework for articulating competitive positioning to investors, partners, and your team.

Simple Dilution Model

Simple ROI Calculator Template

Simple Startup Budgeting Template

Simple Startup Strategic Plan

TAM - What is it, How to Quantify, and Why it Matters

The 3 Rules to Customer Interviews from The Mom Test

Following these three rules from The Mom Test will help you get to the answers that really matter from your…

The Business Model Canvas

The Innovator's Dilemma

The Mom Test

Three Must-haves to Vet Your Startup Idea

Crucial Steps for Validating Your Startup Concept

Using Financial Modeling to Vet Ideas

What is Product-Market fit and how do you know you have it?

So what exactly is product-market fit? How do we find product-market fit, and how do we measure it?

Wisdom of the Crowd

Here’s how, with the right conditions, crowds of customers can provide amazing insight into customer discovery and R&D.

Zero to One

10x Better Solution

In his latest blog, A.T. Gimbel shares why your solution must be 10x better and expands on ways to prove…

3 Big Ideas When Launching Your MVP

4 Cold Outreaches That Actually Worked on Me

Kathryn O’Day breaks down four real cold outreach messages that worked — via LinkedIn, a website form, email, and an…

6 Ways to Think About Pricing for Your Startup

Here are a few things for entrepreneurs to consider regarding their pricing. Keep it simple and go!

Beyond the Buzzword: What Traction Actually Looks Like

A.T. Gimbel breaks down what real traction looks like at the idea, early, and growth stages — and the vanity…

Building Your Brand from the Ground Up

A.T. Gimbel walks through the identity and storytelling elements every startup needs to build a powerful brand story.

Defining the ideal customer profile

External resource: Defining the ideal customer profile

How an ideal first customer drives iteration and growth

External resource: How an ideal first customer drives iteration and growth

How to scale a sales team

External resource: How to scale a sales team

Simple Social Media Calendar + Metrics + Goals Template

Social Media Strategies for Startups

A.T. Gimbel’s eleven-step guide to launching a startup’s social media presence, from setting objectives to iterating on content.

The Lean Startup

Tips on Getting your First 10 Paying Customers

Three tips for discovering and obtaining your first 10 paying customers.

Top 5 Misconceptions about Building an MVP

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

Using consulting to fund your startup and iterate effectively

External resource: Using consulting to fund your startup and iterate effectively

3 Challenges with Tracking Metrics and How to Get it Right

Aligning your go-to-market strategy

A.T. Gimbel shares about one of the most important, yet difficult things to get right: your go-to-market strategy.

Basic Startup Sales Funnel Challenges

There are many versions of sales funnels, here are the key components at each stage.

Burn the Ships

Calculating ROI: Three Different Types of Value

Considerations When Looking For Early Team Members To Join Your Startup

When building a startup team, it's crucial to prioritize individuals with diverse skill sets and that align with core values.

Different types of pivots

Understanding different types of pivots in the startup journey and how to navigate them for success.

Do's and Don'ts of AI Implementation

Kathryn O’Day shares Fastlane AI founder Rebby John’s top do’s and don’ts for implementing AI at your company.

Hiring For Diverse Personalities and Skill Sets

How to Optimize Business Equations in Your Startup

Cracking the Startup Equation: Is it time to rewrite your business formula? Discover how optimizing can drive growth.

Implementing OKRs: aligning goals and measuring success in startups

External resource: Implementing OKRs

Measure What Matters

Pick a North Star Metric (Not Revenue)

David Cummings on why revenue is an outcome, not a North Star — and how to choose (and embed) the…

Planning your Future Org Chart

A.T. Gimbel shares a few tips on how you can plan ahead for your future org chart.

Raising Prices

Scaling Up

Startup Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy

Time to pivot your startup, or time to move on?

Navigating the Startup Crossroads of when to Persist and when to Pivot

Unaffiliated, Passionate, Paying Customers

Early investments should seek unaffiliated, passionate, paying customers. They validate sales, ensure retention, and drive growth.

Using NPS for Actionable Insights

How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague?

What to Look for When Hiring: Values, Abilities, Skills

A.T. Gimbel shares thoughts on values, abilities, and skills in the hiring process and how to prioritize them.

Your First Customer Success Hire

If you’re looking to make your first customer success hire, here’s a few thoughts on where to begin.

“Raising” Money Through Services

Thoughts on how to bring in revenue before you have a tech product

Different Frames of Reference on Valuation

Valuation is both an art and a science. A.T. Gimbel shares some different approaches to valuation.

How to Show Traction Pre-Revenue

Raising money from investors can be tough as it is, but when pre-revenue it can be difficult. Here's three simple…

How to write (and not write) a cold reach-out to an investor

A.T. Gimbel, Partner at Atlanta Ventures, shares some tips and tricks for how to write a good cold outreach to…

Keys to Financial Modeling

O Startup, Where Are Thou VC?

David Cummings unpacks why newly VC-backed startup formation is down sharply outside the Bay Area — and why overall entrepreneurship…

Practicing For An Investor Pitch

Three key ways to prepare for investor pitching.

Questions a VC Might Ask

Gear up for successful VC meetings by treating them like well-prepared interviews

Relationships Over Transactions: When to Reach Out to Investors

A.T. Gimbel on why the best time to talk to an investor is before you need their money — and…

Responding to Emails with Investors

Enhancing Investor Engagement: Crafting Effective Email Correspondence

Showing Traction in Your Startup Pitch Deck at Every Stage

A Guide to Demonstrating Traction and Success in Your Pitch Deck

Spend Time Learning from Your Customers Before Chasing Investor Money

Spotting Pitch Deck Red Flags and Overcoming Them with Confidence

Winning Pitch Decks: Navigating Red Flags, Inspiring Investors, and Unleashing Early-Stage Potential

Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat.

Summer Fruit: Watermelons or Grapes

A.T. Gimbel on the tradeoff between bootstrapping (owning an entire grape) and raising capital (owning a slice of a watermelon).

Term Sheets - What to Think About

Decoding Term Sheets: Unveiling the Path to Successful Investments

Three Areas to Focus on When Fundraising For Your Startup

A three step guide to the fundraising process for your startup, based on our experience helping thousands of startups raise…

Valuations: What to Think About When Valuing Your Company

What Founders Need to Know About Raising Capital in 2026

Kathryn O’Day recaps her Women + Tech talk on what’s changed (and what hasn’t) about raising venture capital in 2026.

When To Raise a Lot, And When To Not

A.T. Gimbel shares his advice on how much money entrepreneurs should raise.

Where To Start When Building a Financial Model?

No financial model is perfect, but these tips can give you a better direction.