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  1. Articles from On Startups by Dharmesh Shah

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    1. 6 Quick Tips For Landing That Startup Dream Job

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Feb 12 2012) Recruiting

      6 Quick Tips For Landing That Startup Dream Job My startup, HubSpot, has done a fair amount of recruiting/hiring over the past year (the team has grown by over 100%, despite the down-turn in the economy). Along the way, I’ve found some “patterns” to the recruiting that we do and the kind of people that end up joining us. I’m going to stay away from the overly obvious stuff (mostly because I have no idea what the obvious stuff actually is). I’m also going to assume that you’re already smart and passionate and all the other trimming (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Boston   Cambridge   Facebook

    2. Startup Lessons From 17 Hard-Hitting Quotes In "Moneyball"

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Feb 2 2012)

      Startup Lessons From 17 Hard-Hitting Quotes In "Moneyball" I'm an idiot. Not all of the time, mind you, not even most of the time, but every now and then, I'm an idiot. Like the time my friend and co-founder Brian Halligan asked me to read the book “Moneyball”. This was back when we had first launched our startup, HubSpot. “But, I'm not a baseball guy,” I said. “It's not about baseball. It's about data.” And, I put it on my reading list, and then still failed to read it. I even bought the book, but still failed to read it That was a ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Oracle   Apple   Dropbox

    3. 17 Pithy Insights for Startup Employees

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Feb 1 2012)

      Love startups? Join the OnStartups community on Facebook. Winner post. No guts no glory. No learning really bad! Become a sponge. If you're working for a startup more than likely you have the aspirations someday to own your own. Most of the startup CEO's have been around the block and may have several contacts in the industry. Pay attention to these details; you're not just an employee, you're a future startup founder in training! http://www.runfatboy.net - Exercise for the rest of us. " When yo (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Google

    4. 7 Lessons On Startup Funding From a Research Scientist

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Jan 16 2012) Funding , Marketing

      The following is a guest post by Ty Danco. Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor. Read more of his thoughts at tydanco.com. My wife isn't in business, but she is wise in the way of funding. Just as I have experience on both sides of the funding table (as an entrepreneur and as an angel), so does she. As a research scientist, she gets her own grants and also reviews grants from others. While she doesn't talk in startup lingo (pivots, minimum viable product, etc.), she has taught me that many of the issues we ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Eric Ries   Steve Blank   Ty Danco

    5. The CEO Should Be The Chief Experience Officer

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Jan 3 2012) Marketing

      The CEO Should Be The Chief Experience Officer Earlier this week, I was chatting with my friend, co-founder and CEO of HubSpot, Brian Halligan. We were doing one of our ad-hod strategy sessions about the business, and working through some things. After that conversation, as I was driving to a dinner meeting, an idea occurred to me. The phrase “Chief Executive Officer” doesn't convey much, if anything. There's a better way to describe the role. I will posit that in a technology company, the CEO should be the Chief Experience Officer. If the C (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Apple   Guy Kawasaki   Steve Jobs

    6. The Big List: The Best and Worst Startup Stuff In 2011

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Jan 2 2012)

      The Big List: The Best and Worst Startup Stuff In 2011 The following is a guest post by Ty Danco.  Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor. Read more of his thoughts at tydanco.com.  Or, check out his recent article "What To Do If You Don't Have An Idea" It's time to review the past year, so without apology for personal taste, here's my list of the best (and a few of the worst) of 2011. Best Startup Book of 2011: Mastering the VC Game by Jeff Bussgang of Flybridge Capital I keep a loaded Kindle copy of this book on my iPad, and I'm ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Joel Spolsky   Jason Calacanis   Mark Suster

    7. 13 Ways To Think About And Crush Your Competition

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Dec 27 2011) Marketing

      A few weeks ago, there was an article that came out called "Google Currents, Onswipe's Nightmare?". I'm also preparing for our first board meeting with newly elected independents and one of the points we are talking about happens to be competition. As you start to grow competition becomes a healthy thing to think about. Here's how I think about competition as a cofounder and CEO of a growing venture backed startup: Don't Worry About Google Almost every growing startup comes to a point where they have to worry about "what if Google does it." If it ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Microsoft   Amazon   Yahoo

    8. Startup Tips for the Early, Early Days

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Dec 13 2011) Marketing

      My favorite stage of a startup is the early, early days. This is when things are the most chaotic, resources are limited and the team is small enough to fit into a single car. I've been thinking about the early days of the startups I've been involved in and put together some quick (and practical) tips on these early days. Tips For Startups:  The Early, Early Days 1.  You don't need office space:  Plenty of startups do just fine working out of a basement or spare bedroom. 2.  Don't Bargain Shop F (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Sun Microsystems   Guy Kawasaki

    9. Startup Marketing: Tactical Tips From The Trenches

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Dec 7 2011)

      Startup Marketing: Tactical Tips From The Trenches I’m speaking at the Inbound Marketing Summit later this month in San Francisco.  There are some really great speakers lined up (David Meerman Scott, Chris Brogan, Charlene Li, Paul Gillin and others).  If you’re looking to learn more about inbound marketing and how to get found in Google, social media and blogs, this should be a great event.  If you decide to attend, use the code HUB200 for a special $200 discount.  Drop me a note if you’re going to be there, would love to meet-up. My sess (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   San Francisco   India   Ireland

    10. 12 Things Entrepreneurs Should Be Thankful For

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Nov 23 2011)

      12 Things Entrepreneurs Should Be Thankful For A simple thanks to all the people that have made it possible for me to be an entrepreneur.  There are few more fulfilling things in life than finding one's calling.  And, for millions of entrepreneurs around the world, that's precisely what it is. A special thanks to all the people that have joined existing startups and small businesses.  Joining an existing effort requires risk and a degree of selfnessness.  You are all entrepreneurs in my book for one simple reason:  You're crazy enough to join a merry band of misfits even though it makes absolutely no sense ... (Read Full Article)

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    11. DON'T start a company...yet

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Nov 21 2011)

      The following is a guest post by Andrew Payne.  Andy is a Boston-based entrepreneur and angel investor, and a HubSpot director.  You can read his blog at blog.payne.org or follow him on Twtter at @payne92. I was visiting Harvard a few weeks ago and the professor said, "yea, every undergraduate here is working on a startup!"  Nearby, MIT is practically putting "startup" in the school water supply, and incubator programs for new graduates abound (e.g. TechStars, Y Combinator, etc.) For those new graduates itching to start a company, I'm giving some very contrarian (and possibly unpopular ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Harvard   TechStars   Y-Combinator

    12. The CEO Should Be The Chief Experience Officer

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Nov 15 2011) Marketing

      The CEO Should Be The Chief Experience Officer Earlier this week, I was chatting with my friend, co-founder and CEO of HubSpot, Brian Halligan. We were doing one of our ad-hod strategy sessions about the business, and working through some things. After that conversation, as I was driving to a dinner meeting, an idea occurred to me. The phrase “Chief Executive Officer” doesn't convey much, if anything. There's a better way to describe the role. I will posit that in a technology company, the CEO should be the Chief Experience Officer. If the CEO can make the following set of experiences amazing, by definition, she will ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Brian Halligan   HubSpot   Maui

    13. Choosing A Minimally Viable Co-Founder

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Oct 5 2011)

      Choosing A Minimally Viable Co-Founder If you're starting a company, one of the most important decisions you'll make early on is the selection of a co-founder. Some might advocate just “going it alone” because finding a great co-founder is hard and fraught with risk. It is hard and it is fraught with risk. But going it alone is harder — and riskier. Startups are very challenging and having someone to share the ups and downs with, to be a great sounding board for ideas and to just help get things done is immensely valuable. One additional thought: I'm an introvert. I don't ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Jessica Livingston   Harvard   Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    14. 23 Tweetable Insights From "The Lean Startup"

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Sep 14 2011)

      Across different industries, there are people that I deeply respect.  This respect is based fundamentally on two attributes: 1) They are disproportionately right with their ideas (or at least, I think they're right). 2) They are exceptionally good at communicating their ideas at useful levels of abstraction. In the marketing industry, one of my favorites is Seth Godin. When it comes to startups, one of my favorites is Eric Ries. I had dinner with Eric in Boston when he was in town for the Business of Software conference (it's coming up again, you should go.  I'm speaking ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Boston   Seth Godin   Eric Ries

    15. Why Venture Capitalists Invest In Pigs, Not Chickens

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Sep 8 2011)

      Why Venture Capitalists Invest In Pigs, Not Chickens The following is a guest post from Jeff Bussgang. Jeff is a serial entrepreneur and currently a general partner at Flybridge Capital Partners, a Boston-area early-stage venture capital firm. Jeff is also the author of “Mastering The VC Game”. There is an old parable about the concept of commitment when it comes to breakfast. The story goes that when looking at a plate of the traditional fare of ham and eggs, it's obvious that the chicken is an interested party, but the pig is truly committed.When I tell this story to entrepreneurs, my point is usually to contrast ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Jeff Bussgang   Flybridge Capital Partners   Flybridge Capital

    16. 3 Quick Entrepreneurial Sales Lessons

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Sep 6 2011) Marketing

      3 Quick Entrepreneurial Sales Lessons The following is a guest post by Daniel Tenner.  Daniel is the founder of several companies including GrantTree.  He blogs about startups and founders at Swombat.com.  You can also find him on twitter. 3 Quick Entrepreneurial Sales Lessons "Every no gets you closer to a yes." Permeating the human science (or art) of sales is this fundamental idea: sales fail all the time. One of the hardest things for me to get used to, as a geek/artist/writer in business, is the constant disappointment of sales. The harsh reality, however, is that many leads will not turn into ... (Read Full Article)

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    17. How To Pick The Right Idea For Your Startup

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Aug 29 2011) Marketing

      How To Pick The Right Idea For Your Startup The following is a guest post by Kapil Kale, co-founder of GiftRocket, a Y Combinator-backed gift card company. Kapil usually blogs here. As a current startup founder, one of the most common questions I get is how to come up with a good startup idea. I most often get this question from non-technical or semi-technical founders who would probably regard themselves as outsiders to Silicon Valley. Picking which idea to work on is the most important decision a founding team can make. Execution is important, but is too amorphous a concept to be called a decision by itself. Team is ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Apple   Y-Combinator   Facebook

    18. Raising Money On AngelList: 21 Tips From Two Active Angels

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Aug 10 2011) Funding

      Raising Money On AngelList: 21 Tips From Two Active Angels The following is the result of a collaboration between Ty Danco and Dharmesh Shah. Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor (you should be reading his blog). Dharmesh is founder and CTO of HubSpot, runs OnStartups.com and is an advisor to AngelList. [Note: All the smart useful stuff in the article is Ty, all the feeble attempts at humor are Dharmesh] AngelList (AL) connects promising startups to a sterling network of early stage investors. AL has been getting a blizzard of well-deserved press of late after Venture Hacks released the networks 18 month statistics. But not a lot ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Jason Calacanis   Mark Suster   Venture Hacks

    19. The Benefits Of The Perfect Independent Board Member

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Aug 9 2011)

      When we were first starting HubSpot, we identified the perfect candidate for an outside board member: Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact. We got a meeting with her through a colleague of mine, and that meeting only reinforced our opinion. At the end of the meeting, I asked her if shed join our board and she politely declined. Crap! About a year later, we raised our Series A round of venture capital from General Catalyst. It turns out that Gail knew and trusted one of the partners at General Catalyst who set up another meeting with her at GC's ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Marc Benioff   Sequoia Capital   General Catalyst

    20. Prison Break: Escaping From Shawshank Inc. For A Startup

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Aug 1 2011)

      Prison Break: Escaping From Shawshank Inc. For A Startup I first laid eyes on Andy Dufresne during his orientation session here at the Shawshank Software. To tell you the truth I didn’t think much of him—I figured a couple of 4-hour mind-numbing “planning” meetings and he’d break down in tears. That’s what happened to most new developers at Shawshank. Sometimes it took a day. Sometimes a week. Rumor had it Andy was some hotshot programmer fresh out of MIT. Usually someone that talented can write their own ticket, so why Andy was at Shawshank, I can’t say. But I’m betting it had something ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    21. 5 Reasons An Angel Investor Will Walk From Your Deal

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Jul 25 2011)

      5 Reasons An Angel Investor Will Walk From Your Deal The following is a guest post by Ty Danco. Ty is an angel investor and startup mentor. Read more of his thoughts at tydanco.com. You’ve got a killer idea, a good prototype, a terrific market opportunity, and maybe even some funding already. But you still may lose potential investors that have nothing to do with your deal, and everything to do with you. Here are 5 of my non-negotiable hot buttons that will make me turn down an investment, no matter how good the financial prospects appear. 1. You knowingly mislead people. If you’re not trustworthy, it ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Steve Jobs   Google   Ty Danco

    22. Dear Friend: Sorry. My heart says yes, but my schedule says no.

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Jul 21 2011)

      Dear Friend: Sorry. My heart says yes, but my schedule says no. The following started out as a late night email I was going to write to someone that reached out for some guidance and advice.  Expanded version posted here in a somewhat desperate attempt at garnering sympathy and understanding.  Thanks for your patience. -Dharmesh Dear Friend, Thanks for reaching out and connecting. It is likely that you, your idea, your company, or your proposition is awesome. Unfortunately, my schedule is totally not awesome. One of my biggest weaknesses in life is that I too often say yes. I'm passionate about startups. I get excited about new ideas. I love making ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   StackExchange   Joel Spolsky   India

    23. Should Your Startup Have Its Own App Store? Insights From HubSpot

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Jul 14 2011) Marketing

      Should Your Startup Have Its Own App Store? Insights From HubSpot The following is a guest post by Yoav Shapira one of the early team at HubSpot and VP Platform.   Earlier this week, HubSpot unveiled its "App Marketplace," an area for customers and prospects to install "apps" much like Apple’s App Store or Salesforce.com’s AppExchange. Why would we do this?  Doesn’t the world have enough App Stores already?  Does an app store really make sense in the world of business to business?   This article describes our early considerations on this topic, what we did, and why we did it.  We’re probably wrong on some of these ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Apple   Google   Yoav Shapira

    24. Some Heart-felt and Humble Advice For Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz

      Explore On Startups by Dharmesh Shah (Jul 7 2011) Funding

      Some Heart-felt and Humble Advice For Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz Dear Rand, Really enjoyed the recent article on your personal blog, “Inflection Points: Bravery vs. Foolishness”. Very few entrepreneurs have the courage to be that transparent. On behalf of entrepreneurs everywhere, thank you! We've known each other for many years now and have had many a late-night conversation, and many dinners. I'm honored to call you a friend. Though our direct chats are always fun and useful, I thought it might be interesting to have a longer, “in written form” response to your article. I was inspired to write this article a bit by Brian Halligan, my co-founder ... (Read Full Article)

      Comment Mentions:   Brian Halligan   Dharmesh Shah