TIA Ventures

?? Shortcut to Success? Hire Exceptional Talent Just wrapped up a week of meetings and board sessions with portfolio companies, and one thing stood out: Founders who bring A-players into key roles set themselves up for a much easier journey and give their businesses a far better shot at success. When someone owns a function, speaks with confidence, credibility, and shows results—it’s clear the right hire can transform a business. ?? ?????? ????????????????: Never go cheap or underestimate the power of exceptional talent. Aim to build that talent internally—don’t just rent it. If you're growing your early team, aim high. Those first hires can be the difference between winning and just surviving. #Leadership #Startups #Talent #Hiring #Entrepreneurship

Introducing Our Venture Partners! Charlie Lambropoulos and Ram Parimi have been long-time?TIA Ventures Experts?to our portfolio companies. Watch the video above to hear about their expertise in go-to-market, product, and engineering and how they are leveraging these skills to accelerate the growth and outcomes of our portfolio companies. Charlie Lambropoulos:?Product and growth-oriented entrepreneur, operator, and investor with 15+ years of experience building technology businesses. Founder of global IT services/development firm ScrumLaunch, with +150 software engineers worldwide. ? Ram Parimi ?Deep go-to-market expertise, executing leading strategies to accelerate growth. Revenue leader at companies including Google Cloud, Blend, and Social Tables (Cvent). Multiple successful software launches across industries, from hospitality to finance. Wills Hapworth | Andy Greenfield | Alara Dinc | Harry Landis #venturecapital #startups

?? Does Your Startup Name Length Predict Unicorn Success? ?? There’s more to a startup name than just sounding cool—it might even correlate with success. Research shows that shorter names tend to dominate among unicorns. Companies like Uber, Stripe, and Zoom capitalize on simplicity, which aids recall, branding, and SEO. ?? Here are some numbers: - Unicorn companies frequently lean toward one or two-syllable names, making them 40% more likely to be remembered and recognized in crowded markets. - Over 60% of current unicorns (e.g., Uber, Slack) have names under 10 characters, reinforcing the value of brevity. - As of 2024, the U.S. leads with 720 unicorns—and many follow this naming trendStartup Genome PitchBook The takeaway? While a name alone won’t guarantee success, clarity and simplicity give your brand a competitive edge. So if you’re aiming for that billion-dollar valuation, maybe think short and sweet. ?? What’s the best short startup name you’ve seen? Drop it below!?? Alara Dinc | Wills Hapworth | Andy Greenfield | Charlie Lambropoulos | Ram Parimi | Harry Landis #Startups #Unicorns #Branding #VentureCapital

?? This is one of the best founder pitches we've seen in a while and here is why: Just watched Mark Nauroth's pitch on Sion from our Slack channel—a unique and excellent example of selling your product. Here’s what stood out... ?? Start with authenticity: Mark, the technical cofounder, wasn’t a salesperson but used humor to connect instantly with the audience. ????Build credibility fast: He quickly established trust, focusing on the why behind the product, not just the technical details. ??Lead with VALUE: Forget features—hit them with real benefits. ?? Storytelling: Shared a compelling success story—an agency recovered $114k in unpaid commissions in just 5 days using the product! ??Engagement: Didn’t even mention a product demo until 6 minutes in, ensuring the audience was hooked on the value first. ?? Pro Tip: Focus on the impact, not the interface. Your audience needs to know why they should care before you dive into features. Wills Hapworth | Alara Dinc #Startups #Pitching #Founders #VC #ProductDevelopment #Engagement #Storytelling #Impact

Later stage startups are starting to invest earlier and earlier, in the process trying to come up with a systematic way of finding the next unicorn. Despite understanding their eagerness to find companies at earlier stages we think this could pigeonhole founders and Wills Hapworth and Alara Dinc explain why...

Why 99% of Startups Get Rejected by Venture Capital Funds? Harry Landis #venturecapital?#investing?#finance?#startup?#tiaventures

Portfolio companies (#startups) are like children and here is why... Wills Hapworth #venturecapital #founder #seed

Thinking beyond traditional real estate investments? Ryan Barone's latest Inc. Magazine article uncovers unconventional ways to generate income from properties that often fly under the radar. From parking lots and storage units to event spaces and mobile home parks, these innovative investments can diversify your portfolio and provide steady income streams. https://lnkd.in/gh68TcbE #RealEstateInvesting #PassiveIncome #FinancialGrowth

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Crunching Numbers, Baking Success ?? Meet SVA Incubator startup, Cookie Finance, the secret ingredient to every content creator and social media influencer’s financial recipe. Founded by Nate Coughran, Cookie Finance offers specialized tax, bookkeeping, and accounting solutions tailored for content creators. The goal is simple: to keep the dough where it belongs – in their pocket. Whether it’s capturing the perfect shot or creating viral content, creators can focus on what they love while Cookie Finance expertly manages the complexities of taxes and compliance. Nate’s insight into the unique needs of content creators led to the founding of Cookie Finance, providing support that understands the challenges of this creative industry. We’re excited to continue showcasing innovative startups and their stories. Which startup should be featured next? Let us know! #virginiastartups #startupspotlight