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Aytekin Tank, founder and CEO of Jotform, exemplifies how passion, perseverance, and strategy turned humble beginnings in Turkey into a bootstrapped tech success with 25 million users.
Gildre Spotlight Podcast
Learn how Michael Ceeley went from a Pro Cyclist, to teacher, no to founder and coach.
Aytekin Tank, founder and CEO of Jotform, exemplifies how passion, perseverance, and strategy turned humble beginnings in Turkey into a bootstrapped tech success with 25 million users.
Explore how Alex Bean's upbringing in Redmond, surrounded by tech giants and a family of entrepreneurs, shaped his path to founding Divvy and transitioning into venture capital. Learn valuable lessons in leadership, innovation, and resilience that are essential for founders, CEOs, and the entrepreneurial community. Dive into Alex's story to uncover insights on navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship and the power of mentorship in venture capital.
In this episode of the Gilder Spotlight podcast, host Taiga Gamell interviews Ryan Hughes, founder of FanPir Labs. Ryan shares his journey from studying computer science at Northeastern University to working at major tech companies like Google and Snapchat. He discusses the differences between working at large corporations and startups, emphasizing the excitement and opportunities in the startup world. Ryan also delves into the role of AI in modern startups, the future of AI technology, and offers valuable insights for aspiring founders.
Carol Palombini, a Brazilian psychologist and executive coach, transitioned to Portugal, building a thriving online business by leveraging LinkedIn and adapting strategically to a new market. Learn from her journey.
For Founders
Fundraising
So, you’ve got a brilliant startup idea, maybe even a co-founder or two, and now you’re staring at the daunting task of figuring out how to split equity. Who gets what? How do you keep employees incentivized? And what happens if someone leaves?
Welcome to Gildre’s Startup Equity 101—where we break down the essentials in a way that makes sense.
The transition from pre-seed to Series A is a pivotal phase that can determine a startup’s trajectory. A crucial yet often underestimated aspect of this journey is the cap table. More than just a record of ownership, a well-structured cap table tells the financial story of your company and plays a vital role in securing future investments.
If you’re a startup founder preparing to fundraise, you’ve probably heard the term “equity dilution” thrown around by investors, advisors, and fellow entrepreneurs. But what does it actually mean for you and the long-term success of your company? More importantly, how much equity should you realistically give away at each fundraising round?
Raising a pre-seed round is often the first major fundraising milestone for a startup. It’s a critical stage where you’re turning an idea into a viable business, convincing investors to back you before you have substantial traction. While daunting, many founders have successfully navigated this stage and shared key insights on how to approach it effectively.
Sales
The best founders aren’t just building products; they’re building solutions. And the only way to ensure you’re solving real problems is to gather, analyze, and act on customer insights. In this guide, we’ll break down how to effectively leverage customer feedback to refine and enhance your product offerings.
Let's talk numbers first: the average cost of a failed SDR hire ranges between $27,000 and $48,000. But the real cost? It's in the opportunities lost and the momentum killed. It has seen promising startups burn through their runway faster because they rushed to build their SDR team. Let's see what as a founder you can't overlook in this in-depth guide to launching (or growing) a high-performing SDR team.
Here's what most "international sales guides" won't tell you: There's no one-size-fits-all approach. That perfectly crafted sequence that got you 45% response rates in North America? It might fall completely flat in Japan. We’re launching into a cultural deep-dive, but don’t worry, if you’re aiming to take your startup global, this is content you’ll want to remember!
Marketing
If you’re building a startup, you’ve probably heard the phrase “build something people want” a thousand times. It’s the mantra of every accelerator, investor, and founder who’s been through the trenches. But here’s the thing: knowing what people want isn’t as easy as it sounds. That’s where market research and customer validation come in—the unsung heroes of startup success.
Many founders believe that if they create an incredible product, customers will naturally come. But in reality, a great product is just the first step—a solid product marketing strategy is what drives sustainable growth. In this guide, we’ll break down how to craft a comprehensive product marketing strategy that aligns with your startup’s growth goals, attracts the right customers, and builds a brand that lasts.
Many founders believe branding is just about a logo or a catchy tagline. In reality, it’s the foundation of customer trust, differentiation, and long-term growth. In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of building a brand identity that stands out and fuels startup success.
For founders, marketing isn’t just about getting attention—it’s about driving actual growth. Whether you’re building a B2B SaaS startup or a B2C consumer brand, the wrong marketing strategy can lead to wasted budgets, slow traction, and frustrated investors. This guide helps break down the core differences with actionable steps and strategies to implement.
For founders, a landing page isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s your 24/7 sales rep, investor pitch, and growth engine all in one. Yet, many startup landing pages fail to convert because they lack clear messaging, social proof, or a compelling call to action.
A well-optimized landing page should do one thing exceptionally well: convert visitors into customers, users, or leads. But how do you ensure yours stands out in a sea of noise?
SEO can feel overwhelming for startups—big players dominate search results, algorithms change constantly, and organic growth takes time. But here’s the good news: you don’t need a massive budget to rank for high-intent keywords and drive quality traffic. This playbook will show you how as we’ve spoken with dozens of early-stage founders who have found success with these methods as they scaled.
You’ve seen the brand partnerships and videos/posts all over Instagram and TikTok at this point. One strategy that has gained significant traction in recent years is micro-influencer marketing. However, finding the right micro-influencers and effectively collaborating with them can be a daunting task. In this article, we'll explore the most effective ways to identify and work with micro-influencers, unlocking the full potential of this powerful marketing approach.
Every founder knows that the first 100 customers are the hardest to get. You’re starting from scratch—no brand recognition, no word-of-mouth momentum, and often, no budget. But the good news? You don’t need a million-dollar marketing campaign to hit this milestone. Here’s how to get those first 100 customers, even in a crowded market.
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