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Articles by Justin Zastrow
Startup Success 101: How To Assemble An All-Star Team
What’s the age-old saying? “You’re only as strong as your weakest link.” That’s why I’ve chosen to surround myself with as many strong links as possible. The bad news is it’s not that easy. Finding people who take ownership and work hard can be hard to do. After nearly 20 years of serial entrepreneurship, I’ve learned a lot about how to get the dream team that helps launch a business. Warning: The advice might not be what you expect to hear.
What To Share With Investors
There’s nothing more exciting than meeting (and intriguing) a potential investor for your startup. You’ve already gained their interest with your quick pitch, but now they’ve asked you for more information before wanting to get to involved. Fair enough, right? They want to date you before getting married. Getting the info together can take some time, so it’s a good idea to have it prepared in advance.
The Pros and Cons of Raising Money on Your Own
Back in 2013, my team and I had worked hard on a prototype for the world's first Bluetooth smart lock for controlling medication consumption. We went to every startup event, took every meeting and told our story to anyone who wanted to hear it. We were on the hunt for funding to take our idea and turn it into a reality. The problem? Nobody cared. We knew we were onto something, but sadly our network didn't. After several dead ends, I was forced to reconsider our idea.
9 Lessons Learned in the Trenches of Entrepreneurship
There are many things I've come to learn as an entrepreneur. Simply put, it's not for the weak. I remember a younger and more naive version of myself and what I thought being a business owner meant. After many failures and some successes, I've learned along the way what it really means to be an entrepreneur. Becoming an entrepreneur is perhaps one of the hardest things I've ever gone through.
Networking 101: Keys to Staying Connected
It's my humble opinion that in order to be a successful CEO or leader, you must first learn and master the art of networking. But understand that networking and "showing up" is only half the battle. In addition to networking, you need to learn how to meaningfully and authentically connect with people. Otherwise, your networking efforts will be wasted. I know that it can be intimidating and sometimes seem impossible, but it's an absolute must-have skill for growing a business.
5 Things to Add to Your Startup New Year's Resolution List
We're nearing the end of 2017. You have a new year ahead of you. When you're in the startup world, your resolutions will often look a bit different than most. You already wake up early and you most certainly know the importance of a solid gym session. In any startup, you'll want to focus on your major short-term goals first. Once you start doing business, you'll be going through the initial period of trial-and-error before you can realistically establish long-term goals.
3 Crowdfunding Myths to Understand Before Launching Your Next Campaign
One year ago this month, my team and I officially launched our campaign on Indiegogo. We had spent nearly a year prepping, over $50,000 on lead generation advertising and countless hours working with reporters to get our story out there. It was a ton of work, to say the least. It was absolutely worth it but I had no idea just how difficult launching a campaign would be.
4 Crowdfunding Myths to Understand Before Launching Your Next Campaign - The Network Journal
One year ago this month, my team and I officially launched our campaign on Indiegogo. We had spent nearly a year prepping, more than $50,000 on lead generation advertising, and countless hours working with reporters to get our story out there. It was a ton of work, to say the least. It was absolutely worth it, but I had no idea just how difficult launching a campaign would be.
The Real Habits That Will Get You Where You Want to Be
After reading yet another article on how taking cold showers and working out every morning are the two things that all millionaires have in common, I decided it was time to give you all some real-life, hard-truth explanations on how to become a millionaire. I could go on and on with outlandish exaggerations, saying that drinking your morning coffee at room temperature and doing hot yoga at midnight will help you get there.
How to Adapt the “Icy Hot Strategy” for Any Cash-Flow Problem
With a creative approach to problem solving, you can actually make money by working smarter, not harder. Has your business ever been in a pinch for money? This strategy may serve you well — it’s the same strategy Icy Hot used to become a household name. Back in the day, one of my college buddies was in need of rent money. He didn’t know what to do. His only idea was to work for it, because that was what he believed was right.
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