The How-Tos of Navigating the Startup Journey

Founders should partner with investors who offer more than capital. Beyond serving as board members and strategic advisors, investors can serve as an extended team - from business development to marketing and recruiting - to help portfolio companies reach their milestones.

In our latest Compass, Blumberg Capital team members, advisors, and founders cover “how to” navigate key areas of startup growth such as board appointments, finding the right co-founder, and how to grow efficiently and manage customer acquisition costs.

How to Navigate Startup Board Appointments & Meetings: Advice from Debora Tomlin and Juan Pujadas

Board members can be a huge contributing factor to a startup’s growth and member selection is just the first step. We spoke to Blumberg Capital advisors Debora Tomlin and Juan Pujadas to learn more about how founders can maximize board appointments and meetings. Four main pieces of advice:

1. Establish clear expectations and boundaries
2. Encourage open communication and updates between meetings
3. Skip presentations and optimize meeting agendas for productive dialogue
4. Cultivate a high-performing advisory network

How to Maximize Value Add from VC Investors with David Blumberg

For startup founders, finding and building relationships with investors serves as a critical part of the growth process. David Blumberg talks to TechCrunch about the three phases of the funding lifecycle and how founders can make the most of the investor relationship at each stage: before the term sheet is signed, the Seed/Series A term sheet, and ongoing growth.

How To Find the Right Co-Founder with Tanis Jorge

Investors that fund early-stage businesses are largely investing in its people. The chemistry, relationships, and spirit displayed by the team are critical, as they can ultimately make or break the company. When establishing a founding team, the main consideration for entrepreneurs is the number of founders. Building a startup can be extremely stressful and difficult to do without an internal sounding board. 100% of the companies that Blumberg Capital invested in from our newest early-stage fund have at least two co-founders.?

Tanis Jorge, a serial tech entrepreneur and founder of The Cofounder's Hub , shares actionable insights for entrepreneurs on how to find a co-founder, navigate the roles each founder plays, and get the most out of the co-founder relationship. With over 20 years of building startups, including “unicorn” Trulioo , Tanis shares her experience building a successful business and co-founder partnership. Blumberg Capital was the first investor in Trulioo.

How to Grow Efficiently and Manage Customer Acquisition Costs: Q&A with Veteran CMO Debora Tomlin

In today’s economic environment, it’s no longer acceptable to grow at all costs. The emphasis is now on cash efficiency and growth. In this Q&A, Deb Tomlin, former CMO at 赛门铁克 , NortonLifeLock , CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer , and USAA , shares insights for go-to-market leaders navigating this challenging economic environment. According to Deb, it’s back to basics and managing customer acquisition costs (CAC) with precision and ruthlessness by gaining small efficiencies everywhere.?

How To Optimize HR for Startups Using Generative AI: Q&A with Blumberg Capital’s Lt. Col. (Ret.) Sharona Mizrahi

Generative AI has become a key recruiting tool for startups over the past several years. Creating a successful team is one integral step in getting a great idea off the ground.?

Blumberg Capital’s HR & Recruiting Specialist, Sharona Mizrahi, expands on how AI is reshaping HR and recruiting for startups. She goes beyond the overarching trends of the industry as she dives into the important questions like “How can early-stage startups leverage generative AI to reduce costs in their HR and recruiting processes?” and “How can generative AI enhance a startup’s appeal to potential candidates and ensure a more accurate match?”?

How to Build a Productive Investor-Founder Partnership: TechCrunch Live interview with Yodfat Harel Buchris and Oren Netzer , founder and CEO of DataHeroes and founding CEO of DoubleVerify (NYSE: DV)

Oren Netzer and his co-founder Alex Liverant started DoubleVerify in 2008 and the company went public on the NYSE in 2021. TechCrunch Live talks to Netzer and Blumberg Capital, DV’s first institutional investor, about the company's early days, startup growth, and how the founders maximized investor support.?

What other ‘how to’ topics are top of mind for founders and startup teams? Let us know in the comments. ??