Straight Talk From the Experts
What’s it really like to work in a high-growth company?
What do successful company founders look for in new hires?
Yes or no – is it for me?
When: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
Enjoy a lively discussion from this diverse panel of outspoken investors and entrepreneurs as they talk the truth of entrepreneurial life from the inside out.
We are very proud to have JPMorgan Chase as the sponsor for this event.
Meet the panel.
- Ryan Frederick, principal at AWH and Columbus director of Startup Grind
Talent guru · “There’s no such thing as a talent shortage.” · regional catalyst for entrepreneurial skills
- Matt Reid president and co-founder of Clarivoy
Experience in small and big companies · creative customer advocate · market expert and team builder
- Robert Hatta, partner at Drive Capital
Super passionate and knowledgeable · advises portfolio companies on building teams
- Louisa Lee: Venture for America (VFA) fellow at Beam Technologies
VFA fellow at 2 Columbus startups · graduated cum laude 2014 from Williams College · loves the life
Here’s a taste of their straight talk.
Ryan: “Ideas are nothing. Execution is everything. People execute. If you pick the right people at the right time, it’s going to propel your plan and the pace of your execution. If you add the wrong person to the team, it’s going to do more harm to your team than any competitor.”
Robert: “We are all a composite picture of our choices and individual decisions, and that’s who we are. If you have a background that doesn’t demonstrate even once taking a chance or deviating from a prescribed career path or making mistakes, entrepreneurship isn’t for you.”
Louisa: “It’s a crazy business in the best possible way. I have zero regrets. One of the team members at VFA describes working in a startup as building a car as you drive it. It’s exhilarating and cool, but at the same time, you are building a car while you are driving it.”
Matt: “Everyone in a startup has to focus on solving the customer’s burning pain point. That’s why we’re in business. If we our technology can’t solve their problem, we won’t be in business.”
Ryan: “If you want to work at a startup, you need to have an all-in mentality. It’s not going to be a 9 to 5 gig. There’s a lot of sacrifice involved.”
Louisa: It isn’t romantic. Ditch any idea you have of that. Entrepreneurship means hard work and ambiguity. The fulfillment of working this hard on something and seeing it grow is greater than any paycheck right now.
