Founder Weekly (Issue 364 - November 21 2018)

Founder Weekly - Issue 364

November 21, 2018

Founder Weekly

Welcome to issue 364 of Founder Weekly. We have a packed issue this week. Enjoy it!

General

Superhuman founder and CEO Rahul Vohra walks us through the framework his startup used to make product/market fit more actionable, detailing the survey and four-step process that were key to measuring and optimizing it.

How Airtable’s Howie Liu Built A $1B Software Giant Emphasizing Substance Over Speed.

The Step by Step Process of How I Launched History Search on Product Hunt and Got 1000 Sign Ups in 2 Days.

Despite vast increases in the time and money spent on research, progress is barely keeping pace with the past. What went wrong?

We won the prize money for the Most Innovative Startup idea. This is an article where I reflect on the past two years and how it all contributed towards the victory. I talk about the lessons I learned over this period of time and how you can apply it to your situation.

This post isn’t a how-to guide or an exhaustive implementation manual. Its purpose is solely to provide founders and teams with a way of thinking about designing, implementing, and operating a startup.

In his now annual state-of-innovation talk at the a16z Summit in November 2018, Andreessen Horowitz’ Benedict Evans walks through where we are now in software eating the world... and how things may continue to change over the next 10 years.

Earlier this year, we killed our mobile app: it cost us 3,500+ developer hours and $200,000. In this post, I share the 4 mistakes that doomed the app from the start, and the 6 steps we'd take today to make sure those mistakes never happen again.

You can see the graying of your workforce as a crisis — or an opportunity.

Books

Managing people is difficult wherever you work. But in the tech industry, where management is also a technical discipline, the learning curve can be brutal—especially when there are few tools, texts, and frameworks to help you. In this practical guide, author Camille Fournier (tech lead turned CTO) takes you through each stage in the journey from engineer to technical manager. From mentoring interns to working with senior staff, you’ll get actionable advice for approaching various obstacles in your path. This book is ideal whether you’re a new manager, a mentor, or a more experienced leader looking for fresh advice. Pick up this book and learn how to become a better manager and leader in your organization.

Marketing, Sales and PR

It's not often marketers need to rename their company. This is the anatomy of a B2B re-naming and rebranding process, with lessons learned.

If you have an audience on YouTube, are you doing everything you can to reach them? Inspired by a large-scale study from Justin Briggs, Rand covers the top factors to invest in when it comes to YouTube SEO in this week's episode of Whiteboard Friday.

Learn how to get the best results from the most proven marketing strategy out there. This special infographic will help you start.

My time-tested strategy of using long tail SEO techniques to boost website traffic and sales.

Money and Finance

Your operating plan is not a financial or fundraising document: It has to be a plan you actually believe you can execute. To run a successful startup, you absolutely need one.

Big checks have empowered startups to put off their IPOs. But now they’re buying growth.

Startups of the Week

Lolli gives you free bitcoin when you shop online. It is a "cashback" site and browser extension that lets users earn bitcoin when they purchase goods from our partner retailers. 

Detecting cancer early using MRI & AI.

Easy Microgreen Kits For Growing Microgreens At Home.

Tips, Tools and Services

Serverless is Lego. Find the pieces you need, build fast and get to market as quickly as possible.

Think massive profits guarantee good UX? Quite the opposite. Find out why your high-growth industry encourages terrible UX.

Shopify makes setting up an online store easier. How far can a new user make it in 14 days? Below we’ll break down the free trial onboarding series for Shopify, one email at a time.

Tired of reading the words “Lorem Ipsum” time and time again? Don’t worry. We got the top ten alternatives that will make you and your team forget all about Lorem Ipsum for good.

Who to start, and not start, a new venture with.

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