Things I Learned While In Rising Stars:

#1. Focus on customer data and delight..not on competition #2. Before you scale...run the startup like a small business not a side project #3. Test, Iterate, Repeat #4. Unit economics are king #5. Everybody has to hustle (i.e..do whatever it takes to get something done..i.e sales and execution) #6. Action trumps pontification #7. Team culture and mutual respect is the foundation for success. Great teams are like cults! #8. Put together processes, standards and systems for everything (values, hiring, firing, expectations, roles, sales, etc.) and ensure everyone is accountable to those standards #9. If you are overly stressed it’s because something is wrong with the timing, idea or team. Don't stress, just fix it #10. Success comes from your peers helping you out. Find a knowledge sharing group of like minded founders, preferably in the same vertical and join it #11. To build a startup, you must self realize (let go of fear, doubt, ego, shame, identity) and double down on your personal power #12. It's all about sales...everyone founder has to be willing to learn how to SELL (leverage relationships, PR, market, brand, bring on partners, etc.) #13Differentiation comes from the heart not a textbook

I'm a RisingStars alum from the first cohort in DC.

Benefits: - great network of like-minded people bent on helping each other succeed. Some of my best entrepreneurial friends are from my cohort - a weekend optimized for you and your entrepreneurial growth. his cannot be understated - leveraging Techstars resources and best practices

Optimizing Acceptance: - execute execute execute. show you can hustle - show you're product focused - interact with other RisingStars alums

Good luck!

Tak Lo, Techstars London

Hey Tak, I'd love to talk more. Is there an email I could reach you at?

I was in one of the first Rising Stars programs and our company was subsequently accepted into the full, 3 month, TechStars program. The program was great because it gave us access to a community of entrepreneurs and mentors who could help us navigate the endless challenges of leading a startup.

I definitely recommend the program!

Greg Coleman, President & COO, Nexercise

Greg, thanks for the recommendation. I read a blog post you wrote on it. Is there an email I could reach out to you at?

I am Rising Stars alum. Biggest benefits for me were:

1. One-on-one mentorship from an extremely high quality mentor. 2. Preparation for Techstars application (which we successfully were accepted to Techstars-Kaplan)

Highly recommended and well led program.

-Dave Cass, CEO, Uvize

Thanks Dave. Is there an email I could reach out to you at?

We went thorough RisingStars and then got into Techstars Boulder. It's an incredible opportunity to receive top notch mentorship and get your business pointed in the right direction.

Thanks for the input. Mind if I reach out via email?

If so, what's the best email to reach you at?

Yes, it is very effective. I think the way you can improve your chances of acceptance is by having a live product, @ least some customers and a metrics driven decision making process.