The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Founder
Now is the time to build! The startup tech stack, finding your investors, finding your first advisors, the perfect pitch deck and more
Welcome back to another edition of New Economies, which is rooted in my experiences working in venture. We’re living in extraordinary times—the most exciting era ever for technology, with groundbreaking trends emerging constantly that will redefine how we live and work in the future. Join me on this journey—subscribe to New Economies to stay ahead of the curve in technology. We’re just getting started!
The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Founder
Now is the time to build…
We are living in the greatest time in startup history, where innovation and technology are constantly evolving, reshaping the way we work, interact, and create. AI, in particular, has become a major focus for many founders and a huge reason why I founded New Economies.
However, for both first-time and repeat founders, venturing out on this journey can be daunting. Not only is the road ahead challenging, but finding reliable resources on how to start can feel overwhelming, especially with so much misinformation out there. That’s why we’re here—to support you as your go-to technology newsletter.
In this edition, you’ll find the following resources designed to guide and support you throughout your startup journey:
How to find your co-founder
The startup tech stack
The most active accelerators globally
Finding mentors and advisors
Operators investing in startups
The ultimate list of investors
Pitch deck feedback
Let’s dive in!
Finding your co-founder
Building a startup is challenging, and finding that perfect co-founder is a critical factor in a startup's success—yet, they can be hard to find.
If you're working at a well-known tech company, a great place to start is by connecting with current or former colleagues. In our newly launched series, Startup Factories, which explores the key characteristics behind technology powerhouses that produce founders, we've found that nearly all successful startups have at least two co-founders—many of whom meet each other within the workplace.
For those coming from non-startup backgrounds or lacking a strong network in the startup world, joining an accelerator can be a great option. Accelerators not only help you find a co-founder but they also invest in you to help bring your vision to life.
YC's co-founder matching tool is also an option.
The Startup Tech Stack
Finding the right tools when building a startup can be incredibly time-consuming. That’s why we’ve curated a list of the most popular tools used by startups—to help plan and streamline your tech stack efficiently. We have categorized the tools into the following categories:
Finance: Payroll, collecting payments.
CRM: Managing customers.
Sales: Landing new customers.
HR: Onboarding new employees and providing benefits.
Fundraising: Cap table management and managing your investors.
Design: Design tools.
Meeting Notes: Automated note-taking tools.
Cloud: Cloud providers.
Customer Support: Tools to support your customers.
Productivity: Tools to speed up your productivity.
KYC: KYC and security tools.
Team Collaboration: Tools for collaborating internally and externally.
Product: Tools for product and dev teams.
Marketing: Tools for marketing teams.
Legal: Legal tools.
Become a paid subscriber to access these tools and hundreds of others.
Most Active Accelerators
For first-time founders, many choose to join an accelerator to help refine their ideas, raise capital, and potentially find a co-founder or build their founding team.
Discover the most active accelerators (or investors who run similar programs) globally and those within your region.
Finding your mentors and advisors
Building a company is incredibly hard and often very lonely. Finding those advisors, mentors, and operators who are well-networked and have a lot of experience within your category of interest can be one of the most rewarding milestones within the early stages of building.
Discover the most forward-thinking advisors, mentors, and operators who are actively supporting early stage-startups who are ready to support you.
Operators investing in early-stage startups
Having a former or current operator from a notable tech company on your cap table can be incredibly valuable—especially those with expertise in product, marketing, growth, or sales.
Whether you're building for the first time or the tenth, having one of these operators on your cap table is a game-changer. They bring deep industry experience, strong networks, and valuable insights specific to your category. Plus, they’re often interested to invest in or even join an early-stage company at the right moment.
Finally, having operators on your cap table can provide a valuable entry point for acquiring customers, particularly through the operator's previous employers and networks.
The ultimate list of investors
Fundraising can be one of the most exciting parts of the startup journey—however, it can also be one of the most frustrating.
Identifying the right, most aligned, and supportive investors takes time. You need to research who they are, which competitors they've backed, where they’re based, and what stage they invest in.
To save you time, we’ve curated a list of forward-thinking investors who specialize in your sector, region, and stage—helping you find the right partner for your journey.
Pitch Deck Template
Organizing and refining your pitch deck is the most important when pitching to investors. We've worked with hundreds of startups, and we know that a well-crafted deck can make or break fundraising efforts.
Looking for pitch deck feedback?
Upgrade your New Economies subscription and receive a 15-minute FREE call with me, which includes a free pitch deck template.
Additional chapters within this edition
Pricing rounds per stage: How to price your fundraise.
Startup ideas I have been thinking about.
Mistakes made by founders from Day Zero to Series B.
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