Ayhan K. Isaacs

I had a big pleasure to discuss my journey (from writing novels, to consulting, to running startups) with Kamal Jahid. The link to the full conversation in comments - the link takes you to 42nd minute where I'm discussing #startups #vc and other more LinkedIn appropriate topics! SquarePlan

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🚀 Pavilion: Investing in yourself! 🔥🧠 .. no investment yields better ROI. ✅ Joining Pavilion has been nothing short of transformative, and I'm excited to share some highlights from the incredible journey (still early!) and the brilliant minds I've connected with: - Shai Haddad: His insights on GTM metrics have revolutionized the way I view our strategies at Stay22. Thanks to Shai, my approach to metrics is forever changed. 📊 - Sylvain Bergeron: His expertise in leveraging events for sales is unmatched. We’re now implementing his strategies at Stay22, and the results are speaking for themselves. 📈 - Vyara Ndejuru: A true "Suave Cool Queen 👑", Vyara has significantly upskilled our PR tactics (thank you for the time you gave Rami Nuseir!). Get ready to see Stay22 in the headlines! 🌟 - Ryan Staley: Ready to dive into AI and boost efficiency? Ryan's AI Bonanza is the toolkit to save time and enhance productivity. 🤖 I can't wait! - Mario Krivokapic & NOAM TAMARI-WEKSER : Their guidance is paving our path to upscale to enterprise-level clients. With their help, the #GTM team at Stay22 is reaching new heights. 🚀 These connections aren't just networking opportunities; they are deep, ongoing learning experiences that continue to profoundly impact my professional life. 📚 Pavilion is more than just a community; it's a powerhouse of knowledge, growth, and collaboration. The ROI from learning from such esteemed peers? Immeasurable.📈 Thinking about investing in your growth? Well, you should. .. there is no better investment than yourself. There’s no better place than Pavilion. Learn from the best, connect with leaders, and transform your professional journey. Check out how to join us here: https://lnkd.in/eRJNGMA4 #ProfessionalDevelopment #GTMLeaders #Stay22 #LearnAndGrow #JoinPavilion #tech #travel #GoMap #montreal

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Thrilled to share that I have been shortlisted for the The VC Fellowship! This opportunity aligns perfectly with my passion for innovation and supporting visionary entrepreneurs. Excited to contribute to the startup ecosystem and learn from the best in venture capital. #VCFellowship #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #PassionForGrowth 🚀

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Are you an early stage B2B startup? Last Friday, I hosted a webinar for a couple of YC funded startups on how to structutize their GTM funnel. Here are the things I covered in that. 1) Identifying systems & putting that into action 2) Founders as the first SDRs 3) Constructive criticism on blogs & early SEO efforts 4) SEM from Day 0 5) LinkedIn optimization for Tech cofounders 6) Setting up offshore sales teams in India 7) Introducing AI as the new best friend & Advisor If you're an early stage startup and would like to attend the next webinar, pls DM. Not accommodating more than 4 startups per session.

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You are a bunch of first-time tech founders, none of whom have prior experience in sales. Whom will you choose as your CEO? For some reason, it's always the person with superior social skills who gets the nod most of the time. In my opinion, a CEO must possess many qualities, which will become apparent over time. But as a first choice, always choose the person with the best storytelling skills.

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The biggest paradox of our time: 1. Doing product-led sales requires a Sales team 2. It also requires a big pipeline from product-led growth 3 Yet to get a chance, startups should focus on 1 go-to-market motion 4. So how can a startup be both product-led & have a sales team? You have 4 hours... #youhave4hours #paradox #productled

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Understanding the Rule of X for SaaS Scaleups For SaaS scaleups, the Rule of X offers a straightforward framework to estimate revenue multiples. It was originally developed by Bessemer Venture Partners and supplemented with data last week by Dealroom founder Yoram Wijngaarde. It emphasizes that growth significantly outweighs profitability, even amid VC crunches. However, when growth is constrained, profitability becomes essential. Framework Overview: The Rule of X combines growth rate and free cash flow (FCF) margin to evaluate company value, using a multiplier (typically 2-3x) on growth. Datadog Example: With a 25% growth rate and a 25% EBITDA margin, Datadog achieves a Rule of X score of 100%, implying a 15x revenue multiple for 2024. Importance of Growth: Growth has a compounding impact on valuation, significantly outweighing FCF margins. Subscribe to ‘Siliconnector’ Telegram channel for insights and news from Tech world and Silicon Valley: https://t.me/siliconnector

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Zepto raises $665 million at a $3.6 billion valuation. Here's why this raise is exciting for the Qcommerce space and startup ecosystem: Zepto's repeated fundraising success is impressive. > Pioneered the 10-minute commerce game. > Reached $1 billion GMV in under 2 years. > Founders are among the youngest in the startup world. > Built an exceptional team quickly. > Raised significant funds despite strong competition from Swiggy, Blinkit, BBNow, and others. > India is leading in aggressive Qcommerce growth. Reflecting on my TinyOwl days in the early FoodTech space, competition was fierce, and investors were cautious. However, things are different now: > Markets have scaled, unlocking multi-billion dollar opportunities. > IPOs are now viable, even for third or fourth ranked players with strong financials. Investors may feel relieved, but the Qcommerce space will remain highly competitive for the next few years. Consumers, meanwhile, are spoiled for choice. Interesting times ahead.

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We're building Inovact Social - a social network that enables students and entrepreneurs to collaborate on projects & ideas in 2 simple steps with incentives for creating and sharing proof of work on the platform. Metrics: - Perseverant founder - 3000+ users - ~400 MAU - Early revenue and profitability Ask: - $100k - 150k ( For people, promotion & product ) - Strategic guidance and mentorship I would happily share my journey with early-stage investors looking to bet on a passionate founder trying to solve a ready-to-be-disrupted problem. Please refer if you know any early-stage investors interested in looking at Inovact Social. Check out Inovact Social here - https://lnkd.in/d3DgQm4b Here is Inovact's pitch deck - https://lnkd.in/ghJDNmWF #startup #investment #vc #angel #investor #grant #money

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🚀 Seeking a Startup Co-Founder? Here’s How to Start Your Search! 🚀 Embarking on a startup journey and looking for the right co-founder to bring your vision to life? Here's where I would start: Reconnect with School Alumni: Your alma mater's network is a treasure trove of potential co-founders. Reach out through alumni networks and social media to find like-minded individuals. Leverage Professional Contacts: Your current and former colleagues understand your work ethic and skills. They might be the co-founders you need to complement your strengths! Dive into Communities and Events: Attend industry meetups, hackathons, and seminars. These venues are great for meeting proactive, innovative individuals. Explore Accelerators’ Founder Matching Platforms: YC’s Co-Founder Matching platform is one of the most well-known platforms for connecting with others who are as eager to build a successful startup as you are. Use Dedicated Matching Platforms: Platforms like Founder2be and CoFoundersLab can help streamline your search for the perfect co-founder by matching skills and interests. Finding the right co-founder is a critical step in your startup’s journey. By tapping into your networks and utilizing resources designed for entrepreneurs, you’re setting the stage for a successful partnership. Fellow founders, how did you find your co-founder? 👋 Hi, I’m Ioanna, co-founder and CEO of Dextego. I'm sharing my Gen Z founder insights, so fellow underrepresented founders can accelerate their entrepreneurial journeys. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #CoFounder #BusinessPartners #Networking #YCombinator #Innovation

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One of my biggest growth unlocks as a CEO: Saying "no" to custom product features. In the early days of building a SaaS business, saying "yes" unlocked possibilities. It unlocked new customers. It unlocked momentum. It unlocked capital. In the growth phase of building a SaaS business, saying "yes" closes doors for our business. It creates unneeded complexity. It bloats the product. It slows us down. I recently spoke with head of strategy at a large bank who cemented this world view into my brain. He described his experience buying a point of sale product, but it does apply to any SaaS. His big insight? Lenders (Truv's buyers) often seek consensus when making buying decisions. So, they bring cross-functional teams together for input before transacting. And, anytime you sit someone down to get their opinion, they'll give you one. Even if it isn't that important. They'll poke holes in whatever's about to happen to justify their seat at the table. So what happens in the context of a SaaS purchase decision? You get feature requests. We like the product, but it would be even better if X. We like the product, but it would be easier to buy if Y. We like the product, but it would be less risky if Z. Inexperienced CEOs (me in my early days) take the bait and agree to these one-offs in the name of revenue. New logos. Growth. But, let's call him Matt, taught me that these requests aren't often dealbreakers. They come from consensus meetings with stakeholders who were handed the microphone. They didn't necessarily have conviction in their requests, they just offered them up when asked. More often than not, these requests are nice-to-haves. So default to "no" and win just as many deals without adding unneeded complexity to your product.

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Titles in Pre-Seed & Seed Startups 🚀 A topic many founders stress about. Here's a framework: 🔹 Early on, everyone must execute 🔹 Easy to add responsibilities than remove 🔹 Let people grow into roles, prove themselves 🔹 Past success ≠ future fit 🔹 Hunger to learn & make it happen > skills Red Flags 🚩 ▪️ Asking for C-level in the first meeting ▪️ Talking more about past than future contribution ▪️ Needing to recruit others to make a difference ▪️ High-level talk, no execution plan Start with a growth-oriented title, e.g., avoid CxO at pre-seed/seed stage - it's a dead-end. Let talent rise based on performance, not just pedigree. #startups #preseed #seed #titles #founders

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You’d be shocked at how many people nail the discovery call and then fumble the follow-up. (I know because I was one of them.) Luckily it isn’t just me; 48% of SDRs fail to make quick follow-up attempts. I liked Salman Mohiuddin's three essential parts of a perfect follow-up email: ▶️ Buyer Challenges: Highlight customer pain points that need resolving. ▶️ Business Impact or Cost of Inaction: The day-to-day losses of the current approach. ▶️ Clear Next Steps to Solve: Particularly ones that reduce the cost of change by keeping it streamlined. This is why we built it into our process. And now we are using AI to do it for us.

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I spent about 10 hours analyzing the referral programs of 80+ DTC brands. Yesterday, I wrote a post about optimizing referral programs after analyzing these brands. I received a few inquiries about it in my DMs, so I thought, why not share the actual swipe file with you? Referral programs are often the starting point for most DTC brands, even before rewards or loyalty programs. They're a cost-effective way to acquire new customers without overspending on ads. Here's a fun fact, Customers referred by other customers: > Convert 3X higher > Stay 37% longer > Spend 200% more This swipe file is perfect if you're looking to optimize your referral program or implement a new one. It includes examples from top brands like True Classic, BattlBox, Alo Yoga, Allbirds, Bombas, Blume, Third Love, and Rothy’s. Check out these examples and A/B test them to find what works best for your audience. Comment REFER (or whatever you want) on this post to get access to this swipe file.

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Two trends I am observing for consumer apps: 1. Deep focus on a sector and providing an engaged "service". For example, healthcare apps, Flo, Brain training etc. These apps try to optimize for monetization and generally rely on running ads for UA. Being an app is simply an UI to reach end users but the platform does not really matter that much, it is the "service" that is playing a pivotal role. 2. Another big category is about focusing on exploring a particular "core play loop" that exploits the underlying platform and tries to leverage viral growth. God examples are Gas app, Airchat, Locket etc. The focus is not a particular "service" but on exploring a form of "core play loop". This category of apps explore ways of boosting k-factor and aim to achieve organic/viral growth. The goal to be optimized here is reducing UA cost, while finding ways to boost monetization. These are the two ends of the spectrum that I am observing in consumer landscape. Some apps are in the middle ofc. So everything can be boiled down to 1) monetization 2) k-factor.

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The most important rights to negotiate in a SAFE round (it’s related to pizza!). Part I. Most startups nowadays raise early rounds of financing via post-money YC SAFEs, and some investors get additional rights in side letters. The most important non-economic rights to understand and negotiate for a founder, Part I: Pro rata. It means that in future rounds of financing, your investor will be entitled to purchase more shares to maintain their ownership percentage. Think of a SAFE as a promise for a slice of the pizza—say 10% of it. And as the pizza gets bigger, a pro rata right is like having the option to grab more slices to keep your share at that same 10% of the now larger pizza. You might think it's great if investors invest more money. But there's a catch. If your startup is doing well, your rounds of financing will be competitive, meaning investors will be fighting over allocation in your round. It's a good problem to have, even better to plan for it. Negotiation tip: if you have to give a pro rata right, consider limiting it to the first priced round, and avoid pro rata in perpetuity. #startuplawyer #startupfounder

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Do you really love startups? Do you want to start a company or join an early stage startup? . . . Here's a little tip: You probably aren't cut out for startup life if you: * Relax and take things slow * Measure happiness with money * Avoid taking responsibility * Don't want to have sleepless nights thinking about problems * Haven't ever made products that people love We are all human. We can't work 80 hour weeks forever. But that's the reality for startups. So if you want to start a company, go ahead. But be prepared to grind it out. And don't do it for money. It's probably the worst financial decision you will ever make (in terms of odds). But it will probably the most satisfied you will ever be if you love building something that matters. You might feel a bit envious seeing others who seem to have an easier job. Sometimes, you might doubt whether it’s all worth it. It might not always make you feel happy. Sometimes, it'll make you feel restless (a lot of times!). But it's all worth it, if you love what you are building! Just keep going!

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