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This course will introduce and assist you in implementing the five models through which your customers can – and will, if you ask them! – fund your startup. These five time-tested models have been used by entrepreneurs such as Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and others. Unfortunately, the five models are rarely discussed and are poorly understood. That is, until now! The real-world stories of an inspiring collection of incredibly creative entrepreneurs from around the world – including successes and failures – will be brought to life through a series of captivating no-holds-barred interviews with founders and others, as well as investors.
Syllabus :
1. Why taking venture capital is a bad idea
- A customer-funded success story - Thomas Knobel
- A Silicon Valley perspective - Interview with Sramana Mitra, on bootstrapping; on why many great companies are not VC backable; on how to go to VCs as kings, not as beggars; and more.
- A growth guru's perspective - Interview with Verne Harnish, on managing cash; on scaling up; on creating rhythm in your business; and more.
- A venture capitalist's perspective - Interview with Bruce Golden, on why capital efficiency matters; on controlling your destiny; on unicorns; and more.
2. Matchmaker models
- A matchmaker success story
- A matchmaker failure story - ProFounder.
- The 'Inside Story' - interview with Amelia Armstrong. A DogVacay dogsitter provides an inside view of life as a supplier to a matchmaker business.
- Matchmaking: An entrepreneur's perspective - Interview with Nitzan Yudan, on pivoting; on the value of customer-funded traction; on building relationships with investors with lines, not dots; and more.
- An entrepreneur's perspective - Interview with Nitzan Yudan
- Interview with Ivan Nikkhoo, on the Uber phenomenon; on striking the right balance and timing between supply and demand; on choosing VCs; on building a matchmaker model in emerging markets; and more.
- Interview with Ivan Nikkhoo.
3. Pay-in-advance models
- A pay-in-advance success story - Funovation.
- The 'Inside Story': From garage to global leader - Interview with Erick Mueller.
- Eric Mueller on entrepreneurial teams; on why pay-in-advance works even for fledgling companies; on how to choose your first customers; and more.
- A pay-in-advance failure story - The Loot.
- When customer funding is all there is - Interview with Jon Smith. Jon Smith on addressing a real social problem - kids' literacy; on starting with no money; and on raising a first angel round.
- Celebrating kids' writing - Jon Smith
- Entrepreneurship in Latin America - Interview with Carlos Varela. Carlos Varela on the entrepreneurial landscape in Latin America; on government handouts for entrepreneurs; and more
4. Subscription models
- Customer-funding winemakers - NakedWines.com
- Building customer-funded SaaS Ventures - Interview with Bill Flagg, on winning your first customer; on identifying and delivering customer value; on earning ROI on new hires; on accelerators; and more.
- Customer-Funding SaaS Ventures - Interview with Bill Flagg
- A VC's perspective - Interview with Hussein Kanji, on the hard part about SaaS models; on early metrics that matter; on proving scalability; on the trade-off between organic growth and scale; and more
- A VC's perspective - Interview with Hussein Kanji
- How not to do it: Lessons from failure
5. Scarcity models
- Speed and scarcity wins for Zara
- The hands-on nitty gritty of getting customer funds - interview with Rud Browne, on getting customers to pay in advance and buyers to play ball; on managing through a downturn; on advice for entrepreneurs getting started today; and more
- The hands-on nitty gritty of getting customer funds - Interview with Rud Browne
- Interview with Rud Browne
- Easy money in India? - Interview with Ajeet Khurana, on 2015's easy money in India: Would it last?; on valuations in India; on mobile-first or mobile-only?; on positive cash flow; and more.
- Interview with Ajeet Khurana
- Interview with Ajeet Khurana
6. Service-to-product models
- Interviews with Claus Moseholm, Jimmy Maymann, and Hillel Zidel. Claus (co-founder), Jimmy (CEO mid-journey) and Hillel (investor) on getting started; on raising their aspirations; on growth capital as a funding source; and more
- Interview with Jimmy Maymann
- Interview with Claus Moseholm
- Interviews with Hillel Zidel
- Interview with Jimmy Maymann
- Interviews with Hillel Zidel
7. Putting a customer-funded model to work in your business
- Interview with Rob Fitzpatrick
