All of our First-time founders articles
A Founder's Guide to Writing Well
There's a long list of most frequently-cited skills for becoming a successful entrepreneur. One that rarely makes the list is effective writing. Upstart CEO Dave Girouard pens this thoughtful case for the importance of strong writing in the startup world — and his tips for leveling up.
The Founder's Field Guide for Navigating a Crisis — Advice from Recession-Era Leaders, Investors and CEOs Currently at the Helm
We've tapped First Round partners, recession-era founders and our community of CEOs to put together the most comprehensive guide available about what it takes to lead a startup during this economic crisis. From extending your runway and reducing burn to supporting your team, this guide tackles the t
This Founder Built Startups in 2008, 2016 and 2018. Here’s What He’s Learned About Resiliency
Bob Moore's first brush with life as a founder started in 2008—three days before Lehman Brothers collapsed. Since he cut his teeth as a first-time founder in turbulent times, he's gone on to build two other companies. Here, Moore shares the lessons he's learned along the way.
NerdWallet’s CEO on Navigating the Shift from First-Time Founder to Seasoned Exec
NerdWallet co-founder and CEO Tim Chen reflects on the arc of his journey as founder after more than a decade of company building. He shares the six mindset shifts he needed to make to transition from entrepreneur to executive as his startup scaled, weaving together a collection of lessons that will
From Zero to IPO: How Growth Needs to Evolve at Every Startup Stage
There's no one-size-fits-all growth advice. Brian Rothenberg, former VP of Growth at Eventbrite, breaks down the three broad phases of the startup lifecycle. For each phase, he identifies key targets that startups should aim for to kick their growth strategy to the next level.
I Asked 100 Founders, CEOs and VCs About Career Transitions — Here’s What I Learned
After founding and scaling LendUp for seven years, Sasha Orloff decided to step down as CEO. He shares his journey and his illuminating takeaways about career transitions, structuring time off and founder life after the startup.
The Inside Story of How This Startup Turned a 216-Word Pitch Email into a $2.6 Billion Acquisition
Looker went from a single customer to more than 1700, from a small, scrappy team in Santa Cruz to a 700-person company spanning eight offices around the globe. Now on the heels of its acquisition by Google, co-founders Lloyd Tabb and Ben Porterfield, CEO Frank Bien, and first investor Bill Trenchard
Founder Exposed: Opening Up About Startup Failures and Vulnerability
Jeff Wald knows firsthand that behind every startup success story is a stack of seldom discussed defeats. The investor and three-time founder opens up about why leaders should embrace vulnerability, and offers tools for extracting lessons from failure and getting back in the game.
Navigating the Leap from Big Tech to Startups — Advice from a Former Google and Flipkart Exec
Punit Soni cut his teeth as a product leader at large companies such Google, Motorola and Flipkart before venturing out on his own to found Suki, a healthcare startup. Here, he shares his observations on the differences between the two experiences, noting what surprised him, what he felt unprepared