WTF?! - Cut through funding BS

Dearest Founders,

Can you believe how fast summer went by? Kids are already back at school. ?? As we move into Autumn, we are delighted to announce: Tech AF is cooking up some fantastic Fall events for you–like none you’ve attended before!

?? Atlanta area peeps- RSVP and mark your calendars for this in-person event:

WHAT THE Funding?!- A Tech Square ATL Happy Hour with EZ Innovation

Tues, Sept. 24th, 5-7pm EST (More details below!)

?? Emerging women founders- Keep an eye out to apply for 1:1 quality time with investors:

Oct. Investor Breakfast - An invite-only event with Local Investors, aimed at strengthening relationships in the Atlanta tech ecosystem

?? Women entrepreneurs in the San Diego area- Catch our CEO speaking on 2 panels: Where is AI Going? and Building Bridges: Strengthening Emerging Startup Ecosystems and Empowering Underserved Communities

Plus more events on the way...

We can’t wait to see you in the next few months!

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Pssst! In this edition, you should also feast your eyes on:

• A free (and killer!) 1:1 opportunity for you to refine your pitch deck with a pro
• The real real on utilizing AI to build tech
• NDA 101 for startups
• Our Member Spotlight – Meet the delightful founder of Sharpen

Much love,

The Tech AF Team

WHAT THE Funding?! - A Happy Hour Event

Tired of the same old startup funding talks? So are we.

Get ready to break through the noise at this in-person happy hour that dares to tell it like it is. At WTF, we’re pulling back the curtain on what fundraising really looks like these days. Spoiler alert: it’s not all VC pitches and term sheets.

When: September 24 from 5-7pm

Join us for an unfiltered panel with founders who’ve walked every path—traditional, non-traditional, and those who’ve harnessed the power of EZInnovation’s unique equity model to build serious traction. You’ll leave with the clarity (and sass) to tackle your own funding strategy, whether you’re bootstrapping or gunning for that million-dollar check.

Our Rock-Star Panelists:

Let’s get you funded—without the fluff. ??

Register Here

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Every month, Tech AF reaches 120+ women and nonbinary tech founders through our online community PLUS another 4k in our various communications channels– including this newsletter!

Thank you to all our sponsors who help make the magic happen!

A Letter (Read: Semi-Rant) About Building with AI

Let’s chat about AI in regards to building tech.

Over the last ~5 years there has been a #nocode revolution in how we can think about building products.

No code is essentially pre-built code on the back end that the primary user can “drag and drop” to create an application.

Similarly to a website builder: If you can learn to use the program, it builds you a kick ass website.

In our opinion, it’s great for:

1. Internal products or processes that you need to automate
2. Early versions of your product to prove product market fit without anything “custom”

What I don’t think it is for is a long term solution for a product that you are building a company around that will need to scale substantially. Plus, where is your IP?

Taking it a step further, AI is advancing SO FAST that now we have tools that are starting to go above and beyond the limitations of No Code, such as Copilot that actually writes code.

But here is where I STILL stand on this:

Yes, we now have tools that make it easier to build a product, but do you KNOW exactly what you are building?

That’s where I get stuck and like to remind founders that CRITICAL steps must be taken before you build anything unless you want to waste time and money.

1. YOU MUST VALIDATE YOUR BUSINESS. Will your target customers PAY for your solution? Is their pain that BIG that they will come running to you? No tool out there will help you get that product sold more than robust customer discovery.
2. YOU MUST KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD. If you have a canvas, paints, and brushes - you can paint. But do you know where to start? Do you have the skills to play with different brush strokes and blend colors for that perfect shade? If you have the tools but don’t know what to do with them, is what you are creating going to look like what you have in your imagination?

No, I promise you, it won’t.

That’s why I founded Tech AF Founder Academy.

We give founders the exact roadmap to validate their business to ensure loyal customers will pay for it. Sign up for our academy waitlist to receive more info on when we roll out the red carpet for our next cohort.

Cheers!

Kristin Slink

Nab that Investor Meeting: Receive Complimentary 1:1 Guidance from a Pitch Deck Pro!*

Wonder if your pitch deck is resonating? Take the guesswork out! Jump into the Tech AF platform and get access to 1:1 help with your pitch!

Our dear friend and pitch deck pro, Nicole Leandra Morris is launching a course and inviting Tech AF founders to be her FREE beta participants!

Introducing: Pitch Deck HQ, an instructional course built in three modules: Planning & Research, Structuring Content, & Branding Your Story.

The goal is to provide you with the knowledge, tools, and resources you need to build your pitch deck so that a potential investor will schedule a meeting with you to learn more about your business.

Pitch Deck HQ Membership includes:

• Step-by-step instructions for building your Pitch Deck
• Downloadable Pitch Deck Template with example content
• One-on-one hour consultation, and monthly 30min check-ins as you’d like to schedule them
• Financials how-to and guide for creating your first P&L Chart
• Resources for designing your deck in your visual brand — or creating a new one
• Tips for practicing your pitch and communicating with potential investors

This is SUCH a valuable offer AND you’d get to work with an incredible human. ?? We really hope you take advantage while it lasts!

Get Me in that Beta!!

*This offer is made exclusive to members of our free Founder Community. To become a free member, you must be a female or nonbinary founder. Follow the links above to register and be granted access to the community.

Should You Request an NDA? Our CEO Gives You a Mini Intro Lesson

When is an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) applicable to you and your startup?

? Showing very detailed and privileged information (inner workings) of your business.

? Sharing ideas, pitch decks, and basic information about your vision and high level strategy.

For more NDA 101, watch the video below!

Graduate Spotlight

MEET ONE OF OUR “OG” FOUNDERS

-A MASTER OF DESIGN & DELIGHT-

MICHELLE MORGAN loves creating new experiences. As a UX Designer, she is excited by the intersection of physical space, digital space, and how people think.

As the founder of Sharpen, Michelle’s quest is to “get it right”, so she can build beautiful, useful things that bring delight, education, and close the gap between people. Having coached numerous startups, Michelle’s approach is not just about creating aesthetically pleasing interfaces, but also about understanding the business model and integrating design with strategic objectives.

If you’re looking for help with product design, website development, content strategy, sales materials, or internal work- like product roadmaps and customer journey mapping -feel free to directly email Michelle!

When asked what she values about our Founder Academy, Michelle said:

Are you (or know of) a woman or nonbinary tech founder looking for a supportive startup community?

?? Join (or forward the link to) our FREE community: community.iamtechaf.com

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Tech AF brings together women tech founders in a safe and supportive community to create money-making businesses and products customers love so that we can live life on our own terms.

Make a Difference

Tech AF is a movement. Our mission is to diversify the tech landscape by getting funding into the hands of women and non-binary founders. Here’s how you can help:

• Wear our Merch
• Book an Investor Breakfast
• Make a Donation
• Become a Member

Wishing you all the best on your Founder Journey. ??

Sincerely,