A talk I gave on 4/18 at Cornell on what it's like to be an early stage founder and "The Gap" between what it's like on Day 1 Minute ! and

1. THE GAP
How to not suck as an early stage founder
aka FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
Vijay Nathan
Co-founder & CEO of MyReci
MBA ’11
@VijayRNathan
#eship12

2. Who am I?

3. Who am I?

4. Don’t Listen to Me!

5. Don’t Listen to Me!
Not funded

6. Don’t Listen to Me!
Not funded
I still make $0

7. Don’t Listen to Me!
Not funded
I still make $0
VCs don’t want to get in my pants (yet)

8. Don’t Listen to Me!
Not funded
I still make $0
VCs don’t want to get in my pants (yet)
Yesterday, I put my boxers on backwards

9. BUT THE ONE THING
I DO HAVE IS

10. PERSPECTIVE

11. Building the largest online community for cooks
from around the world to:

12. Building the largest online community for cooks
from around the world to:
Collect all of your recipes from anywhere in one place

13. Building the largest online community for cooks
from around the world to:
Collect all of your recipes from anywhere in one place
Discover new inspiration from other cooks

14. Building the largest online community for cooks
from around the world to:
Collect all of your recipes from anywhere in one place
Discover new inspiration from other cooks
Share their food & cooking experiences with the world

15. What
you learn
in school

16. What
you learn
in school
Day 1
Minute 1

17. What
you learn
in school
Day 1 When you
Minute 1 can really
apply what
you’ve learned

18. What
you learn
in school YAY!
Day 1 When you
Minute 1 can really
apply what
you’ve learned

19. What
THE GAP
you learn
in school YAY!
Day 1 When you
Minute 1 can really
apply what
you’ve learned

21. IT SUX.

24. 5 THINGS TO HELP YOU
BRIDGE THE GAP

25. 1 Be a sponge, and start NOW

26. 1 Be a sponge, and start NOW
Read everything (for now)

27. 1 Be a sponge, and start NOW
Read everything (for now)
Be the most informed person in the room
(but don’t let anyone know)

28. 1 Be a sponge, and start NOW
Read everything (for now)
Be the most informed person in the room
(but don’t let anyone know)
Get on Twitter & start listening

29. 1 Be a sponge, and start NOW
Read everything (for now)
Be the most informed person in the room
(but don’t let anyone know)
Get on Twitter & start listening
Industry leaders
Influential people in your area
Entrepreneurs you respect
Cool companies
People you want to meet some day
Competitors

30. 2 Perfect your pitch

31. 2 Perfect your pitch
If I can’t understand what you do in 1 sentence

32. 2 Perfect your pitch
If I can’t understand what you do in 1 sentence

33. 2 Perfect your pitch
If I can’t understand what you do in 1 sentence
CONCISE NO JARGON MAKE IT REPEATABLE

34. LET’S TRY IT

35. 3 Get out of the F$&%#*G building

36. 3 Get out of the F$&%#*G building
Become a familiar face at events

37. 3 Get out of the F$&%#*G building
Become a familiar face at events
Meetup.com
Twitter

38. 3 Get out of the F$&%#*G building
Become a familiar face at events
Meetup.com
Twitter

39. 3 Get out of the F$&%#*G building
Become a familiar face at events
Meetup.com
Twitter
ABDC

40. 3 Get out of the F$&%#*G building
Become a familiar face at events
Meetup.com
Twitter
ABDC
A lways
Be
D eveloping
C ustomers

41. 4 Focus on incremental progress

42. 4 Focus on incremental progress

43. 5 #HUSTLEORDIE

44. 5 #HUSTLEORDIE

45. 5 #HUSTLEORDIE
Work harder

46. 5 #HUSTLEORDIE
Work harder
Work smarter

47. 5 #HUSTLEORDIE
Work harder
Work smarter
Want it more

48. 5 #HUSTLEORDIE
Work harder
Work smarter
Want it more
Otherwise, someone else will eat your lunch.

49. 5 #HUSTLEORDIE
Work harder
Work smarter
Want it more
Otherwise, someone else will eat your lunch.
RobGo.org

50. 5 things to help you bridge the gap
1 Be a sponge, and start NOW
2 Perfect your pitch
3 Get out of the F$&%#*G building
4 Focus on incremental progress
5 #HUSTLEORDIE

51. Resources
Books Apps
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Pen & paper
Do More Faster by Brad Feld Balsamiq (Wireframing)
Venture Deals by Brad Feld Photoshop
How to Win Friends by Dale Carnegie Squarespace or Wordpress
Blogs
AVC.com - VC perspective, current events
VentureHacks.com - fundraising, networking, how to play the game
BothSidesOfTheTable.com - entrepreneur turned VC
ViniciusVacanti.com - first time entrepreneur
EladGill.com - experienced entrepreneur
Feld.com - Honest, straightforward, current, respected
All of the e-ship blogs I read: http://bit.ly/I4tGQp

52. Get in touch
Vijay Nathan
vijay@myreci.com
@VijayRNathan