Highlights for Entrepreneurs (12/28/23) Happy New Year!

It's that time of year when folks like to look back and reflect on the last 12 months. Since I've been sharing updates with you all year, I'm going to just focus on looking ahead and making 2024 a great year. I've already got some travel plans on the books and hope to spend more time on the east?coast visiting family (you too, Jess!) and friends. Whether you're reflecting or anticipating, I hope you saw some positive things happen in your life and business in 2023, and I wish you more of the same for 2024!???I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year, and thank you for reading and subscribing to my little newsletter.

I know that you are very busy, but I hope you enjoy the information and the?music selections?in the newsletter.?Get in touch if you have any feedback,?sources or other interested?readers!??If you hear of any?upcoming events, please pass them along too! If the links speak to you, consider subscribing to the source! If you find a link particularly interesting, let me know so I can look for more like it.

Have a great week,?be safe and healthy...?and take some time to care for yourself!?Here are this?week's resources for you to check out.?

Have a safe and fun New Years celebration and see you back here in 2024!

Paul?

1)?Preccelerator: Technology Startup Founders Meetup (In Person Jan 8 2024)

- I'm a mentor at the Preccelerator and hope to meet you in person at this event for founders

2)?Founder Institute: How Do You Find Product-Market Fit for Your Startup (Webcast Jan 8, 2024)

- The speakers will teach you the steps to discover a perfect product-market fit for your startup. This event is interactive, allowing you to not only benefit from proven methodologies but also ask your questions to our speaker and connect with other founders with similar experiences.?

3)?Founders Network: Startup Bootstrapping from Scratch to Acquisition with Jeremy Clarke (Webcast Jan 9 2024...currently shown as SOLD OUT, but try emailing the host if interested)

-?Around 80% of startups opt for bootstrapping as their primary method of business development. Bootstrapping is a strategy for launching and scaling a company that doesn’t rely on external investments or funding.?

4)?ExcelTips (Newsletter Subscription)

- Do you love Excel, or want to learn more about solving specific problems, then this newsletter is for you. Click the link and type your email into the ExcelTips box??

5)?Pitching Angels: How Big is the Market for Your Product? (Article)

- How well do you know your TAM, SAM and SOM? And do you know how to best arrive at these numbers and present them for best effect?

6)?How to create a solid foundation of business ops | Ep 40 | Uncapped Notes (Video)

- On this episode of Uncapped Notes, they spoke with the founder of operations consultancy firm STRUC, Susie Trujillo, to discuss how founders can build their operations to support their business as it grows.

7)?Chris Neumann: No, You Should Not Give Advisory Shares To Investors (Article)

- "What I'm specifically referring to is investors who demand, as a condition of investing, that they receive additional shares or options above-and-beyond what others in the round are getting."

8)?M13: How to Build a Fundraising Deck that Investors Actually Want to Read (Interactive Guide)

-?interactive M13 RocketGuides will help you learn from experts who’ve been there before—starting with how to build a knockout early-stage fundraising deck.

9)?The Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center: Entrepreneur Pitch Toolkit (Resource)

-??a free toolkit that helps entrepreneurs succeed at the various stages of pitching and delivering presentations with grace under pressure.?

10)?Napkin Math: Want to Build? Technical Excellence Won’t Be Enough (Essay)

-?In a world awash with technology, let's strive for the extraordinary, where our innovations don't just function but feel alive, enriched by the essence of the humanities.?

11)?Kurtis Hanni: Frameworks & Finance - How to create a financial dashboard (Article)

- You've figured out your key metrics, now create a way to show them off?

12)?Techstars: A Profound and Unprecedented Reset - TECHSTARS CEO MA?LLE GAVET’S END-OF-YEAR LETTER: (Article)

-?Look back at 2023 and look ahead to 2024:?

13)?Saastr: Rebecca Lynn, Co-Founder & General Partner at Canvas Ventures AND Top 10 Questions Every SaaS Founder Needs to Ask Their Customers with Lynn and Jake Heller, CEO of CaseText ( Q&A and Video)

- Below the Q&A is the video. Last week I posted a video from YC about Startup Metrics. They say that more important than metrics is to stay in touch with your customers regularly, among other concepts

14)?Crunchbase: From Longevity To Aging In Place, These Are The Top Areas For Senior-Focused Startups (Article)

- One of my friends is dabbling in this space, so I thought I'd share this on his behalf?

15)?Saastr: The Top 10 Workshop Wednesdays of 2023! with Salesforce Ventures, Bessemer, Andreessen, Harness, GGV and More!! (Videos)

-?The best of SaaS come every Wednesday? on Zoom with hands on presentations, data, advice and live Q+A. Topics include metrics, marketing, sales, change management. Check 'em out

Musical Diversions:

State of Independence - Jon Anderson & Todmobile

The former singer of Yes with an updated, and enhanced version of an old song of his

Corey Ledet Zydeco: Alon Kouri Laba

I went through a zydeco phase a long while ago, so I was glad to find this. If this song doesn't give you a smile, try track #3

Heisk: Tehi-Tegi

Instrumental Scottish Folk...no, really, give it a try

Matt Owens & The Delusional Vanity Project "One For The Grapes"

This Week's Cover:

Warren Haynes “Gold Dust Woman” – with Jim James and Grace Potter (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

Interesting cover with 2 male singers sharing the lead with Grace, doing her best Stevie N?

In Memoriam (an occasional section, hopefully)?

The Who - full live from Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour 1967

RIP Tommy. If you haven't seen this, stay tuned to the end where Keith Moon literally blows up the drum kit (and others)

___________________

Paul G. Shapiro, CPA

Startup Consultant

Santa Monica, CA

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