TechCrunch Early Stage goes down tomorrow (not a joke!) and the agenda is jam-packed with breakout sessions covering everything a startup needs to know about fundraising and operations. We’ve already told you plenty about the fundraising sessions, which are high in both quality and quantity. Today, however, I’d like to tell you a little bit about what’s in store on the operations front.
From finding product market fit to recruiting your early team to building and leading a successful sales team, there’s something for everyone.
Take a look at some of our sessions:
Finding Your Product Market Fit – Sean Lane, Olive
Olive AI founder and CEO is no stranger to the pivot. Hear how he practiced patience in the search for product market fit, how he knew it when he finally found it, and tactics he used to build on it.
How to Get Into an Accelerator – Neal Sales-Griffin, TechStars
Accelerators provide an incredible launch pad for early stage startups, offering a built-in network, accessible advisors, and of course, capital. But first, you’ve got to be accepted. Hear Techstars Neal Sales-Griffin outline how to get into an accelerator and make the most of the experience.
How to Build Your Early Team for Future Growth – Sarah Smith, Bain Capital Ventures
More than your investors, or even you as a founder, your early employees will have a tremendous influence on the trajectory of your company. You hire them, and often times, they hire everyone else. Hear Bain Capital Ventures partner Sarah Smith talk through how to recruit a top-notch early team that sets up your startup for future growth.
What Startups Need To Know About Bug Bounties – Katie Moussouris
Should all startups launch a bug bounty program to improve their security? Learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly that startups will encounter when managing vulnerability disclosures and considering bug bounty programs.
Fundraising Terms That Affect Your Business – Dawn Belt, Fenwick
With each funding round, there is an exciting opportunity for growth, but it’s important to fully understand the implications of those terms. Fenwick partner, Dawn Belt, will discuss the key legal terms to focus on in your Seed and Series A rounds and how they affect the control and operational freedom of your company.
Finance for Founders – Alexa von Tobel, Inspired Capital
As a founder, you not only have to master your company’s finances, you also have to tackle your own personal finances. Managing your money as a founder comes with a unique set of questions (see: QSBS). Leveraging her expertise from LearnVest and as a Certified Financial Planner™, Alexa will share financial planning best practices so founders can remove this layer of stress from the pressure of building a business.
Building and Leading a Sales Team – Ryan Azus, Zoom
Contrary to popular opinion, even the very best products don’t sell themselves. Salespeople do. Hear from Zoom’s Chief Revenue Officer, at the helm of the company’s sales team during the biggest period of growth of any software company ever, lay out how to build a stellar sales team.
Leadership Culture and Good Governance – David Easton, Generation Investment Management
David Easton is a growth-stage partner at Generation Investment Management with portfolio companies that include Asana, Andela, Gusto, and Docusign, among others. Easton will talk through how to choose your board and foster a leadership culture that keeps sustainable, good governance top of mind.
The best part of TC Early Stage is that it’s specifically designed to prioritize audience Q&A. Bring your questions!
Oh, and ticket holders will be given free access to Extra Crunch. It’s not too late to pick up your ticket today.
