

TechStars – RisingStars - arodceo

Is anyone familiar with TechStars RisingStars program? What are the benefits of it and how effective was it for you (if you went through it) and what are best ways to improve acceptance. 
Thanks :)
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terencestrong23
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

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takclo
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

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

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gbrandon
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

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arodceo
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?

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davidleecass
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

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

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Lassy
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.

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

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

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terencestrong23
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.

