5 Ways To Get Better At Talking About Money
Money is the language of business. Here's how to have a not-awkward conversation about it!
Read More
Money is the language of business. Here's how to have a not-awkward conversation about it!
Read MoreTalking about money is SO IMPORTANT.
Possibly the easiest and most impactful way to improve your startup or make more money.
I spell it out with these 5 examples.
But how do you actually do it if you’re not used to money talk?
“Talking” really means “asking questions” which leads to helpful conversations!
What are the unwritten rules about these questions and conversations?
Here are my best how-to tips to get a money conversation started!
Get the information that will help you negotiate better deals, understand term sheets, pay (or ask for) market rate salaries, and 100 other benefits of talking about money!
If you’re new to asking about finances, contracts, margin, revenue, or other money and business topics, here’s 5 suggestions to get started!
Keep it to an intimate conversation or small group to start. Often people can’t share info in public settings but they can (or will) privately.
Important: don’t believe the news!
Often what’s reported publicly is not the full story. Get the nuanced info from an insider.
Of course you are asking about money. And of course they are going to answer you. You don’t need to be apologetic or act like it’s confidential.
Asking questions in a neutral, matter-of-fact way is a key business skill!
It may take a few tries to nail the right tone. That’s okay!
Just get started (ideally with a founder friend or mentor) so you can get the awkward ones out of the way.
If you’re not sure how someone will react, an indirect money question is a good warm up:
What’s a typical salary for a role like that?
What kinds of offers did you see when you raised money?
What’s the price range per square foot for property like this?
You’re not asking personal financial specifics. It’s a general, informational question.
You can even ask about non-money numbers to start:
How many sales people do you have? How quickly are you hiring?
Approx how many deals per quarter are you closing?
How many locations do you have? Do they vary in size or pretty standard?
Here’s the funny part.
Most (business) people will immediately jump in and say:
Oh, I’ll just tell you. Here’s what we paid. Here are the terms we negotiated. Here’s our margin. And this is what we’re going to do this quarter and next quarter.
Seriously.
Business people love to talk about money!
Occasionally, someone will give me a vague or general answer. UGH. Annoying.
Then I explain:
I love hearing about the specifics so I can learn and share with other founders so they know what is normal.
Floodgates unlocked!
If you explain that you want to learn, you love business, you’re building a startup and want to negotiate well for all involved, I guarantee people will share!
I do NOT recommend talking about money at the next church potluck or school party.
(Or at least feel them out carefully — see #3!)
A lot of people fall into the “money is private” category. Or, sadly, the “I don’t understand money” category.
I DO think the world would be a better place if we could talk more honestly and openly about money.
(Note: posting expensive things on social media is NOT the same as talking about money!)
I encourage everyone, especially people historically excluded from financial systems (ahem, women and people of color), to normalize talking about money and sharing financial information!
High tide raises all boats. Expensive boats. Like yachts.
How much did that yacht cost, btw? 😉
When you go out to lunch with business friends and only talk about revenue, COGS, and growth projections…
When you get a great holiday gift and start asking questions about the cost and time to make 30 homemade cookie cakes…
When you go to a store, meet the owner, and ask what their highest volume and margin items are…
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’re a money conversationalist and certified business nerd.
What strategies do you use to broach sensitive business topics? Do you find that people share information if you ask? What’s the most random money conversation you’ve had??
Your startup is your baby. Here's how to plan for human babies at your startup too!
Read MoreYour startup is your baby.
Sometimes people at startups have human babies too!
You want to do the right thing, but money is tight, parental leave policies can be daunting, and you’re still a teeny company!
I’ve been through 2 parental leaves at startups (2-for-2 as the first woman to go on leave), plus seen or supported many friends and colleagues.
I’ve shared tips on prepping for leave:
And tips for scrappy startups to support new parents:
Today we cover 6 key considerations for parental leave at startups (and beyond!)
Especially if:
you don’t have kids
you have kids but forgot everything about the first year (all hands go up 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️)
you have kids but weren’t at a startup so it was totally different
Whether you’re the expecting parent or someone on your team has a baby on the way, here are 6 insights to help with planning and parental leave!
P.S. Unrelated But Fun!
Fresh, new Substack from Front Porch Venture Partners, a VC firm here in the Southeast. I had a great time as Joe Mancini’s first guest! Check it out here.
Okay, back to babies…
As the COO and first woman to go on parental leave, I was in a weird spot.
I was trying to balance company interests with what would help my family.
I didn’t want to be seen as selfish, especially not when I was already feeling vulnerable in my career as a pregnant woman. (“Is she going to come back after the baby? Will she be the same?? What’s she even going to do when she’s back?”)
It was way harder to advocate for myself as the policy maker and recipient than it was for me to advocate for others!
#PROTIP
Understand the pros/cons of asking someone to design their own leave
Talk to other parents (outside your company) about their leave experiences and company policies
Ask other founders
Ask questions about leave proposals to understand the thought process, what was added or cut, and why
Be as generous as you can or suggest to make something better; people always remember when you did more than you had to, especially at pivotal life moments!
Some people want to be totally disconnected. Others get more stressed not knowing what’s going on at work.
There’s no “right” way to do parental leave.
Supporting what a parent actually wants (not what you think is best) is truly the most supportive thing!
#PROTIP
Be flexible where you can. It’s your startup superpower!
Don’t “leave-shame” or compare people’s leaves (or returns-to-work) on your team. Support everyone’s choices.
The best laid plans…get punched in the face by tiny humans!
Maybe it’s an unexpected c-section or maternal health issue. (Check out Mere Health! 😉)
Maybe a medical or lactation issue means more doctor appointments (aka a 3 hour undertaking with a baby 😂).
Maybe a new parent thought they could do a few hours per week but turns out that feeding a baby takes 8 hours/day.
(MATH: 8 feeds/day * 1 hr/feed * 7 days/week = 56 hours/week. Yep, it’s like a startup job!)
#PROTIP
Be open to plans changing. You’re good at this! #startups
If a new parent reaches out about a change in their leave plans, they’re probably already having a tough time. They will always remember your support.
Excuse me while I get on my soapbox.
THE BEST WAY TO HELP WORKING MOMS IS TO GIVE WORKING DADS MORE LEAVE.
(Yes, talking about male-female relationships specifically because of this research. Same-sex marriages divide labor more evenly. )
When Dads have more leave, they get a chance to be the default parent.
Multiple benefits to this:
Moms return to work with less stress and more focus and energy to fully re-engage. Baby is home with Dad and no childcare logistics (yet).
Dads learn the details of baby schedules, feeding, sleep patterns, and all the other kid logistics. Making it easier to take more ownership going forward!
If you want more women to stay in the workforce long term (at your company or in general), think about the Dads too!
#PROTIP
Give Dads the same leave as Moms
Correct terms are: “birthing parent and non-birthing parent” or “primary caregiver and secondary caregiver”
Is now a good time to mention adoption, fostering, surrogacy and other ways that families grow?? Be inclusive in your language and planning!
I was surprised to find out my maternity leave paystub was based on last year’s W2 and not my current salary (which can vary wildly at a high growth startup).
Not a fun surprise tbh. 🙃
It wasn’t the company’s fault. It was how the short term disability was paid out. I had assumed and didn’t confirm. ALWAYS CONFIRM!
#PROTIP
Help expecting parents get specifics about their pay before going out
Start the process several months prior because it may take a while, especially for commission-based roles, if they’re the “first,” or it’s administered by a third party (like short term disability provider).
You know what’s harder than parental leave and newborns?
Working full-time with a tiny baby!
Daycare, doctor appointments, feedings, cleaning bottles and pumps, nighttime wake-ups, and having no time to yourself…are all new things that parents are navigating when they return to work!
Not to mention finding time to bathe yourself, wear adult clothes (without spit up stains), and cook food.
Those are just the tactical items.
There’s also an emotional tsunami:
Can I still do good work?
Is my baby ok?
Am I doing the right thing?
How do I find the time to get it all done?
What the f do I wear because none of my clothes fit?? Do I really have to buy new clothes??!! Where can I buy a black muu-muu?? When do I have time to shop??? (Insert Fashivly 😂)
Often the hardest time with an infant is the transition back to work.
#PROTIP:
Schedule flexibility is HUGE — working from home, leaving early/arriving late to accommodate daycare schedules (or spend more daytime hours with your baby!), or heading out in a hurry to get a sick kid.
If a woman is breastfeeding, she may need to pump (~3x/day for 30 minutes) during the workday — in addition to the other new responsibilities and logistics listed above. CDC has a great write up.
When in doubt → meals.
When someone is having a baby, it’s a great time to be a little more patient, flexible, and generous.
A great performer before a baby will be a great performer after a baby too!
It may take an adjustment and a little time but they’ll be back.
If you’re wondering who on your team is absolutely destrominating their priority list…follow the goldfish crumbs to the desk of a working parent!
Necessity breeds efficiency!
What have you seen work well for parental leave at startups? Any advice for expecting parents at startups? If you had a baby while at a startup, what do you wish you would have known?
Real strategies used by founders that are low cost or free!
Read MoreWe’ve shared a lot of resources about startup hiring:
3 Simple Strategies For Employee Onboarding (Template Included!)
How To Hire Stellar Startup Interns (applies to all hires!)
…to name a few 😜
But we have never dug into the important underlying topic:
SHOULD you hire?
And of course:
What do you do when you want to hire but can’t afford to?
Which is actually every startup at some point because resources are constrained and there’s always too much to do!
We keep it scrappy ourselves in our venture studio. We have a small full-time team and many experiments and companies at different stages at any given time. Gotta stay creative and lean when getting stuff done!
Here’s an overview (aka friendly reminder and sanity check?!?) of hiring tradeoffs plus 8 free or low cost ways to get things done without a full-time hire!
First things first — do you even need to hire?
The best startups, regardless of their financial position, are always careful and intentional about hiring.
More cash cushion and budgetary flexibility
Move faster, less bureaucracy
Fewer systems, processes, meetings, emails
Fewer people to manage the additional people (hiring results in more hiring)
Higher pay, better benefits
Avoiding layoffs. When you do layoffs (which is different than firing someone because of performance), people lose trust and top performers start looking elsewhere.
Increased workload, stress, risk of employee attrition
Less career mobility (no new roles opening)
Slower product, sales, or company growth
But it’s always great to explore all options before pulling the trigger on a new role!
Duhhhhhhh. Can you build an internal tool quickly with Cursor, spin up a CustomGPT, or use an “out-of-the-box” AI tool (aka a wrapper) for your specific use case like creating presentations, analyzing data, prepping for sales calls, or building beautiful videos?
Can you buy or build a tool that solves the problem or does 90% of the work? (See “Use AI'“ above 😁) Zapier for anything is a great start. It may take a bit of time to research and implement but hiring humans takes time too!
Duckbill is $100/mo. And Jacey Cadet has a 50% discount code for you ;)
They can do scheduling, calendar invites, research, travel reservations, gift ordering, and anything else you can think of online.
Cheaper and more effective (for now) than Agentic AI.
I love the idea of “requiring” employees to have a virtual assistant and see who can use their assistant the most.
Technically it is hiring, but there’s no better startup ROI than interns. (More here on why I love interns and how to vet and hire top intern talent!)
You can find them for sales, marketing, engineering, anything. They are also eager to learn and can dig in on a new technology or subject when others don’t have bandwidth.
(Contractors can also be very cost-effective depending on the person and project!)
Can you trade work-for-work with another founder? I know a founder who bartered sales training for an app build!
Or maybe you can offer career coaching, work experience, and a great reference to a recent college grad in exchange for a few social posts per week?
You have skills and talents that can help others. Post on LinkedIn or ask your network for what you need.
Pre-sell your product or sell a solution that’s manual behind-the-scenes while you get enough revenue to build the tech version. Not exactly doing the work but a good way to validate that it makes sense to hire and generate the cash to do so.
Pay for results only. I know of several founders who have found interns, friends, or side hustlers willing to cold call or set demos in commission-only roles. Not a forever thing but a great way to test a market or strategy before hiring.
Sometimes a founder or the team gets fixated on “needing” a role and loses sight of the big picture. Is this work still a priority? Should it be a priority? If you don’t hire, what happens? Does this role generate revenue or pay for itself quickly?
Even startups with plenty of money use these strategies frequently.
Keep your hustle muscle strong! 💪💪💪
The best businesses (regardless of cash position) stay focused on efficiency, speed, budget, and ROI.
Do you have other scrappy ways to get stuff done? Other tools, services, or fun stories? Founders are the best at creatively solving problems! Share what has worked for you.
5 reasons money conversations are essential to grow your startup and career!
Read MoreOne of the most important, frequent pieces of advice I share with founders and business people wanting to grow their career:
TALK ABOUT MONEY!
I grew up, like many folks, understanding it was rude to ask people how much they make, how much their house or car cost, or their bank account balance.
Then I became an investor.
And I learned that all the great business people — founders, investors, executives — talk about money all the time!
What are the margins on that?
What’s the business model?
What do you pay in taxes?
How much did you make last month?
What’s the net income for the business?
What’s your comp package?
What deal terms did you get?
How much are you charging?
Professional, personal, casual. All topics are fair game. Everyone is asking questions, sharing information, and then doing back-of-the-napkin math to analyze the financial situation.
If you want to make more money, improve your startup, or accelerate your career, the simplest place to start is:
TALK ABOUT MONEY.
Here’s 5 specific ways talking about money helps you personally and professionally.
THAT founder did $500k in quarterly revenue?!? But I am smarter and better at sales than them. I will do $600k!!
Just an example. That I bet 99% of you have thought before!
I know lots of founders who want to “beat” their other founder friends.
It’s why there are “teams” for individual sports and head-to-head races result in world record times.
Competing makes you better. It’s fun. It pushes you.
But you can’t compete if you don’t know the scoreboard.
Talking about money gives you a scoreboard!
When you talk about term sheets, contracts, salaries, vendor pricing, or anything else related to money or business…you have information.
You know what is normal. You have data points to bring to the table.
Use it to your advantage in negotiations and ask for better terms or more money!
Stick with me on this one.
No one thought it was possible to break the 4 minute mile. Then Roger Bannister did it. The next year, at least 24 more people went sub-4.
Because they knew it was possible.
Many (money) things seem out of reach.
No way that you can charge $5000/hr, be a billionaire in your 20s, or make $10M on one deal — until you meet someone who did it!
Talking about money opens your eyes to possibilities and inspires you to set more ambitious goals.
As an investor, I LOVE it when someone knows the metrics of their business inside and out.
I LOVE it when they lead with revenue.
I LOVE it when they know the ROI of a marketing campaign, run through the latest won deals, know the salaries of every employee and last month’s burn, ask about the financials of other businesses, and any other money thing!
It tells me they know and care about money (which is really just a proxy for business value), and that they are constantly learning and collecting information to improve their business thinking.
You can read 100 blogs about fundraising. (At least 20 from the O’Daily 😂)
Or have 3 conversations with founders who successfully raised and learn just as much.
I recommend both!
When you regularly have conversations about money, you expedite your business learnings 10x.
You also pick up industry lingo, insider info, lessons learned, additional context, and — best of all — you can ask real-time follow up questions!
Any advice for talking about money? Do you talk about money with friends or other founders? Have you always talked about money or did you get more comfortable over time?
Love (and money) is in the air!
Read MoreLove is in the air!
Happy almost Galentine’s Day!
(Or Valentine’s Day if you don’t worship at the altar of Leslie Knope.)
Does love make you think of investors?
Probably not.
Okay, literally, no one ever thought this.
But maybe we should.
Most folks understand, or at least have some experience, with dating and romantic relationships.
Fundraising, on the other hand, is a black box.
What goes on in the head of investors? What are the unwritten rules of venture capital? How do I decode the mystery of fundraising????
Good news! (maybe? depends on your love life 😂) Fundraising is more like dating than you think.
Here are 5 classic dating guidelines that apply to fundraising too!
Everyone knows the drill.
Dress nice, share the normal and successful parts of your life, save your neurotic shit for later.
People understand this when dating.
(Or learn quickly.)
Ditto for fundraising!
The first meeting is best foot forward!
Now is not the time to dwell on your agoraphobia or problematic churn.
That will come up. You may want to proactively bring it up later. After you establish your awesomeness in so many other areas.
Related — and VERY IMPORTANT — never, ever lie.
An innocent white lie on a first date or VC meeting can come back to haunt you. If you need to lie, it wasn’t the right fit anyway.
The best time to date is when you feel confident and don’t need a partner to be happy.
The best time to raise is when you don’t need the money.
If you are desperate for investment or expect an investor to save you (“if we only had capital, then we would be successful”), you’re fundraising for the wrong reason.
But what if you really do want a partner and/or to raise money?
Always project confidence (even if you don’t feel it), take lots of at-bats, and be willing to walk away.
Investors have hearts. (Well, most do…😉)
They know your company is your baby and don’t want to hurt feelings or burn bridges.
Who knows? Maybe this company isn’t a billion-dollar unicorn…but your next one is!
This is why investors will give you the nicest, most vague reason possible why they can’t move forward:
“You’re too early.”
“You’re too far along.”
“It’s outside of our thesis.”
“Timing isn’t right.”
“We’ve moved away from that market.”
Don’t read too much into it, don’t take it personally. It’s a no. Stay on good terms, move on.
On the flip side, straight from a classic Millennial dating manual and a very mediocre rom-com: If you’re the exception, you will know.
When investors are interested, they follow up quickly, stay in touch, and tell you how great you are.
Of course, if you hear a consistent theme from the “no's”, take note.
“This market is too small.” → pick a bigger market or tell your story better!
“You are a loser without a job.” → start a tech company! 😜
If things go well, a founder-investor relationship will last 10+ years!
It’s not a financial transaction, it’s a long term relationship.
Approach the fundraising experience with this mindset and you’ll evaluate people differently.
Investors show you who they are in the fundraising and due diligence process. They are not going to change when you’re married they’re on your board.
Make sure you like and trust them!
There has never been more capital sources and types of investors out there!
Just like relationships, it’s not one size fits all and it may take a while to find “The One.”
The hard-charging Silicon Valley investor may be ideal for your friend, but the nice but ambitious Atlanta-based investor with lots of practical startup experience shared weekly may be just right for YOU!
(Hypothetically speaking of course. Just a random example.)
Find a good match based on your vision, experience, goals, and personality!
True for founders, investors, and love. 💕💕💕
Any other dating + fundraising advice? What helped you with your fundraising process? Any unwritten rules or expectations you navigated?
Here’s 8 ways to make workouts enjoyable and manageable when you’re building a company!
Read MoreIt’s February.
How’s that New Year’s Resolution going? 😉
If one of your goals was to get fitter, be more active, or improve your health...KEEP GOING!!
This post is all about how to fit in exercise and make it fun, even when you’re a busy startup founder.
I know it’s crazy and you don’t have hours every day. That’s why I love tiny wellness habits, quick healthy meals, and other ways to make good-for-you choices easy and default.
I did 7 Ironmans while scaling startups which meant 10-25 hours of training per week depending on the season (and that doesn’t include travel time, packing, equipment prep…).
Nowadays, with young kids at home, I’ve traded family time for Ironmans but still do running races with 7-8 hrs/wk of running and strength training.
Sure, I work hard during workouts.
And sometimes it takes calendar gymnastics, but I genuinely look forward to my workouts every day.
Is this because I’m a weirdo? Yes.
But also, I set it up so they feel fun and seamless.
Here’s 8 ways to make workouts enjoyable and manageable when you’re building a company!
I love working out with other people!
It’s social, there’s accountability, and you work harder (but it feels easier).
As a founder, there’s enough hard things. Don’t make workouts harder than they need to be!
You don’t have to do anything but show up. The rest takes care of itself.
I do a long run every weekend. If I had to run 10-20 miles by myself, it would be a drag.
(Just ask my husband…solo long runs lead to meltdowns 🙃)
But when I run with friends, it’s like a weekly happy hour catch up minus booze, plus calorie blast.
Do you only make time for things that help your company? Does work get priority?
Great! Turn your exercise into a work event.
Join a Founder Funder Jog or Pitch and Run
Check out 29029 Everesting - business networking meets big mountain
Do a company-wide charity bike ride, fun run, or 100 pushup challenge
Start your own networking/activity group! Invite a few key connections to join an activity you all like (dance cardio, yoga, cycling)
Now, you are networking, getting advice, and building sales and recruiting pipeline while exercising! And ties built under duress run deep.
Kristin Oja, founder of the amazing STAT Wellness, does 12 minutes of strength work per day.
Last year, I was getting bogged down with a 60-90 minute strength program.
My physical therapist, Dr. Sam, at Athlete’s Potential suggested a time-based format instead.
Now I do 10 exercises, 2x each, 50 seconds on, 15 seconds rest. I’m done in 25 minutes (and equally as tired as before 🥴)!
If you don’t have time for an hour, start with 15 minutes.
Founders are awesome at achieving goals.
GIVE YOURSELF A GOAL.
Find an athletic event you’re excited about.
There’s tons of options these days: adventure races, obstacle courses, strength/crossfit events, pickleball leagues, martial arts competitions, yoga retreats, charity walking events.
I promise you can find something with a bit of searching!
Even the most motivated, elite athletes will tell you they struggle in the offseason or without race on the calendar.
It’s so much easier to focus, motivate, and cut out the noise with a specific date and target!
Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Set your alarm and go straight to your workout!
And whatever happens…do not look at your phone!!
There will be 100 emergencies that need your attention. All of which can definitely wait 1 hour while you meet your run buddy or go to a spin class (see #1 meet a friend — the accountability!!!)
Personally, I love having my workout done first thing and have a really hard time if I have to switch to the afternoon.
THAT SAID — if you are a night owl, an afternoon workout sesh may be just the thing. I know a fantastic entrepreneur who struggled with morning workouts but everything clicked when she moved it to early evening.
Another example — if you like the alone time, don’t meet a friend. Maybe you need the solo time to sort out a problem or think strategically.
Treat yourself to your fave Netflix series during your workout (and ONLY at this time — you’ll be excited to watch Bridgerton exercise).
Or make it productive by listening to a business podcast, self-improvement book, or cranking through emails.
Schedule your 1:1 calls while you’re on a walk or Peloton. I often breath heavy on calls and it’s only a little weird. 😂
Seriously, once you explain that you’re doing <activity>, it’s no big deal and over time, people expect it.
If you live in Europe or NYC, you have a major advantage over 99% of America…you have walkable cities and great public transportation!
Walking is naturally incorporated into your day without trying.
For the rest of us…
Make it a walking meeting
Use a walking pad during Zoom calls (MY FAVORITE PURCHASE OF 2025!!!!!!)
Walk to the coffee shop or lunch spot
Take the stairs
Park far away and walk
Walk your kids to school
Take public transportation (more walking and less road rage)
Look for small ways to incorporate more activity into things you’re already doing!
I do all of the listed items and it rarely takes more time than the sedentary option.
Often it saves time and it always improves my mood and stress levels!
Last but not least, for goodness sakes, FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY!
You wouldn’t start a company you weren’t passionate about. You wouldn’t hire someone who sucked.
WHY WOULD YOU DO A WORKOUT YOU DON’T LIKE???
Working out is personal. It’s your body, your head space, your experience.
There are 100s of options these days. If you’re having trouble finding something, keep going!
Give something a few tries (the first time at any new workout situation is usually sub-optimal), find a different instructor or format, try a new gym, switch to an outside version, ask friends or ChatGPT for recs, join a team, join a circus, get wild!
What’s your favorite type of exercise? What’s the wildest fitness event you’ve done? What helps you get a workout in? Any tips for founders or folks struggling to find time and motivation? What was your New Year’s Resolution and how is it going??
I’m excited to share — hot off the presses — what’s been going on in the Atlanta Ventures Studio and what’s new in 2025!
Read MoreI’m excited to share — hot off the presses — what’s been going on in the Atlanta Ventures Studio and what’s new in 2025!
But first - what the heck is the Atlanta Ventures Studio?
It’s where we co-found companies from scratch with amazing entrepreneurs.
Read more here and I’m happy to do a full post if folks are interested.
Examples include Intown Golf Club, Greenzie, Zinnia, and…drumroll please…
A private social club rooted in wine, the Perlant is an incredible community focused on the values of humility, generosity, and kindness.
It was a spark in CEO Christian Ries’ eye only 22 months ago, which in hospitality and commercial real estate terms is yesterday!
The first milestone was bringing on 100 Founding Members who believed in the vision and put down a deposit — a great way to validate authentic demand and kickoff fundraising.
Next, raising funding, finding a space, designing the buildout, and assembling an all-star team — threads seemingly happening simultaneously (aka moving mountains at 100mph, you know, a typical startup journey 😉).
Last week, after months of incredible effort from Christian, co-founders Rachel Katz and Elizabeth Dames, and the entire team, the Perlant opened its doors in the heart of Buckhead…and blew everyone away!
The space is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS (thank you, Rachel!), the food is impeccable (thank you, Chef Jordan Sanchez!), the wine list is unmatched (thank you, Elizabeth!), and the experience is seamless (thank you, COO Cherie Huey!).
I’m thrilled to be a board member and cannot wait for the vision of Perlant, as the world's leading food and wine community, to become a reality, one interaction, one member, one club, at a time.
An overnight success, 10 years in the making! 🥂
Read more about the Perlant here.
Just down the road, in South Downtown, another startup has been unleashed.
(Pardon the pun…you’ll see in a second…)
Undaunted is using cutting-edge robotics wrapped with software to provide more proactive, reliable, effective security.
Their secret weapon? (I’m hilarious.) Quadrupeds, the amazing robo-dogs that can climb stairs, navigate obstacles, and deter or respond to bad actors.
After the purchase of 10 city blocks in South Downtown, we had a “living laboratory” plus an incredible founder, Bryan Dinner, to start working on an idea we’d been noodling on: modern technology to improve security.
This month, Bryan brought on technical co-founder Chris Ozgo (former Atlanta Ventures intern!) whose deep software and robotics expertise is a perfect fit.
Quadrupeds are faster, safer, instantly trained, and provide more complete coverage — but they don’t do it out of the box. You need software, specially configured hardware, and integrations into security monitoring and alerting systems. Undaunted to the rescue!
Undaunted has already deterred trespassers from constructions sites (the first market) with multiple clients on the roster.
Robotics for security will be a huge market, this is the team to do it, and we are thrilled to support Undaunted making our communities safer!
Fantastic team in a big market with strong traction and — BONUS for O’Daily Readers — CEO Jack Boudreau’s startup content is amazing!!!
I was jotting notes from his most recent blog (“If you only had an hour…”) and his videos are helpful, authentic, and fun.
Yes, Jack is truly that energized and relentless.
Or — like we say at Atlanta Ventures — he’s a total animal! (Our highest compliment 💪)
Fynn Glover, co-founder and CEO of Schematic, was the brains behind our recent pricing webinar and resource-packed blog.
Karen Houghton was the director of Atlanta Tech Village before leaving to found Infinite Giving which grew 10x last year helping non-profits manage their giving.
Both raised big ole, over-subscribed rounds in the fall, details here and here. A testament to their markets, traction, and, of course, the awesome leadership and teams!
Atlanta Tech Village Sylvan has opened its doors to entrepreneurs in South Downtown. Check out the photos, read more about the incredible backstory of South Downtown here and here, and come tour the newest ATV location.
If you’re annoyed that I don’t do these newsy updates more often, sign up for the Atlanta Ventures monthly newsletter!
It includes:
Upcoming events
Startup resources: our fave blogs, podcasts, books, and companies
Portfolio or studio company news
Let me know — do you like this type of content or prefer startup-specific, action-oriented posts? What companies are you most excited about in 2025??
4 key considerations, tradeoffs, and real life examples!
Read MoreThe eternal question of startups:
Should I outsource this or hire in-house?
No right or wrong answer and a lot of “it depends.”
ANNOYING, right???!!!!!
But if startups were easy, everyone would do it. 😉
Let’s get into the tradeoffs, considerations, and how to decide the right path forward on your hiring plan!
(BONUS: a few of our favorite “outsource” folks are listed at the end!)
In-house and outsource are casual, non-official terms so if you hear someone using them, ask clarifying questions!
Definitions can vary across industries, roles, or companies, but here’s how I’ve seen it often used at startups.
Hiring a full-time person
Hiring a contractor
Hiring a firm or self-employed individual to provide the service (e.g. recruiting agency, legal services, marketing agency)
Part-time employee (e.g. someone who is a W2 employee but only works 20 hours per week)
Fractional executive (e.g. fractional CMO, fractional COO)
Here’s a good overview on the difference between 1099 consultants/contractors and W2 employees — and when you might legally need to hire someone “in-house” even if they are not full time.
Basically, if you want to control when and how someone works, even if they are not full-time, they should be a W2 employee.
First off, I always like to confirm that you really do need to pay a human for this work.
Can you use AI, software, interns, bartering, or get creative in some other way to keep your startup budget light and flexible?
For the sake of this blog, I’ll assume you explored other options and you DEFINITELY need another human to help.
How do you decide if you should look for a full-time, in-house hire or outsource in some way?
No right answer - lots of tradeoffs!
Here are the top four considerations to evaluate if they should be in-house vs outsourced.
Is this obvious? Hopefully!
Crunch the numbers on the annual cost of a full-time hire vs the cost of an outsourced resource doing the work.
Get a few quotes, do online research to get ballpark salary or per hour numbers, or ask other founders.
Make sure to include the cost of benefits, health insurance, taxes, computers and software, onboarding, and other “hidden” costs of a full-time hire.
Should you hire a in-house recruiter or use an outsource one?
How many hires are you making this year?
What will you pay per hire to a recruiter?
What is typical comp for a full-time in-house recruiter?
Napkin Math: usually, if you’re planning to hire 1 employee/mo, it’s worth it to hire a recruiter in-house.
Hopefully, this, too, is obvious!
What work will this person do?
Write it down! If you can’t write it down, you’re not ready to hire. Put # of hours per week next to each task.
How much work is it?
Is it definitely full-time, maybe full-time, or definitely part-time?
Other considerations:
Is it steady or cyclical?
Is this an ongoing need or one-time big lift? (e.g. launching a product or going to a conference)
Are you running an experiment into a new market or industry? Or is this a validated area?
Should you hire your own in-house lawyer or use someone on a part-time/fractional basis?
How much is a full-time lawyer salary vs per hour rate? How many hours per month?
Is there a “busy” time (e.g. end of quarter for contract review, when a large transaction is occurring) or is it always busy?
Usually, smaller startups keep it outsourced (e.g. a lawyer on retainer for x hrs per month). Larger ones bring it in-house. Especially when they start to get really big bills and find someone they like working with. Come on, lawyer friend, join the company! 😉
Very important, least often discussed.
How does incentive alignment shift when someone is not on your team?
Lawyers - paid per hour → the longer it takes, the more they make; not incented to be fast and simple; no direct focus on company revenue or customer happiness
Recruiters - paid per hire → will coach a candidate on what you are looking for, higher salary means higher commission; less incentive for long term fit and salary negotiation
Engineers - paid per project/hour → happy to build what you say even (especially?) if it increases time or scope; no incentive to push back on speed, priority, or customer utility
HUGE DISCLAIMER:
I know, and you probably do too, many wonderful people in these roles who don’t operate this way!!
They are amazing partners and I often work with these “outsourced” roles and many others with lots of success.
But it’s important to understand where incentives may be different so you can see the tradeoffs or potential friction points and go in with a plan.
There’s also incentive alignments that work to your advantage — your partners want to do a great job so they can continue to win your business and you only pay for work completed or results delivered.
A little warm and fuzzy here but there is a certain loyalty and energy that comes from people who are full-time, in-house hires.
Like a marriage compared to a girlfriend or boyfriend, they’re more likely to share improvement feedback, stick through tough times, go above and beyond, and invest in people and relationships within the company. Not to mention, get drunk at the holiday party, create a crazy tradition, or other key team-bonding behaviors. 😂
Of course, every founder has different preferences or goals. Some love the flexibility of contractors or like having no full-time hires.
And, there’s tons of amazing contractors and consultants who care deeply. Some even work with specific companies for years and years.
But the nature of outsourced work is that it’s less likely they are investing in your company culture.
There may be certain roles or people where the spreadsheet says to outsource but you bring in-house because of the positive impact on culture.
Or maybe a better way to put it is: every person you work with — in-house or outsourced— is shaping your company culture.
Do you like how it’s shaping up? 😉
So many amazing people out there! Please list your go-to recommendations in the comments 👇👇👇
Here’s a plug people for we work with at Atlanta Ventures!
Evie Lutz of Confetti Social - brilliant and lovely to work with
Carver Creative - fantastic team for all marketing activities
Hilton Thompson of Folks Events - our go-to for happy hours and big events
Skip Blankley of Juxt Media - video marketing and podcast everything
Virgil V - our WebFlow and other martech guru
The many, many interns - love y’all, best talent-per-dollar on the market
Our amazing, kind lawyer who I won’t mention by name because he not taking new clients but he sometimes reads this blog, so Hi W!
What are your biggest hiring questions or challenges? Any learnings related to in-house hiring vs outsourcing? Who are your favorite contractors or consultants to work with??
Tips, strategies, meals, and more to be your best self while building!
Read MoreBuilding a big company? Hard but possible.
Staying healthy while building a big company? Also hard but possible 😉
Your company wants and needs you at your healthiest.
There are real business benefits to a healthy founder:
more mental clarity and sharpness
better emotional regulation during startup highs and lows
energy for travel, customers, and emergencies
rarely out sick
endurance for the startup journey (a 10 year overnight success 😂)
happiness! which translates to confidence, optimism, and making shit happen
It can be hard to carve out time for an important-but-not-urgent thing like your health.
That’s why I have spent 15+ years figuring out how to move, eat, and rest in the most time and cost efficient ways (including 7 Ironmans while scaling startups).
HERE ARE THE CHEAT CODES.
These are the top health-related O’Daily blogs with allllllll the tips, recipes, strategies, tiny habits, daily schedules that make it possible to infuse health into a chaotic schedule.
No gimmicks. No big price tags. Simple, actionable, manageable things that I’ve done, healthy founders do, and you can too!
Don’t have time to even read this article? Here are my top 3 recommendations in priority order.
Walking meetings, a walking pad at your desk (<$200 on Amazon!), take the stairs, park far away and walk. Exercise is the most important factor in longevity - 3-4x more important than what you eat. Check out the eye-opening analysis in Peter Attia’s Outlive.
Change nothing else about your diet except adding vegetables wherever you can. More fiber, more water, more nutrients. Humans love adding and hate restricting so this mindset and habit is easier than other dietary changes.
If you missed the memo on sleep, it makes you smarter, healthier, better looking, and happier with no other changes to your life.
I say “better” not “more” for a reason. “More” is ideal but if that’s not possible, make it high quality. Eye covers, cool temps, blue light glasses, morning sunshine, and avoiding late night caffeine, snacks or booze, can make a huge difference in quality with no additional time. (Pick one change to start!)
Pick 1. They are easy. I promise you can do at least 1 even if you are working 100 hrs/wk. PROMISE.
The most important strategies I’ve used again and again during every stage of startup and life.
My favorite lunches — brown bag or going out. Use as your weekly meal plan.
Our slow journey to more (easy!) homemade foods with recipes, examples, and the list of foods we still buy pre-made.
I share my go-to spots with healthy options that are easy to find, especially when traveling.
How to test possible new habits and make small, sustainable changes instead of overhauls. (I am guilty of many failed overhauls!)
Your friendly reminder that all new things are hard at first. That doesn’t mean it’s not working. It will get easier.
Or as my husband says, the first step of a new habit…is when you realize you forgot to do your new habit. Forgetting is the first step to remembering!
I’m a HUGE believer that daily, sustainable habits beat occasional, heroic efforts.
True for health and building startups 😉
My favorite recent example that I learned from this podcast:
Walking 5 minutes every half-hour is better than walking an hour at the gym followed by sitting all day. (And the reason I got a walking pad for 2025!)
This research from Microsoft shows small breaks have brain power benefits too.
Don’t have 5 minutes? Do 10 squats. Refill your water bottle. Stretch in your chair. Tap your foot and annoy everyone around you!
Your small daily habit will compound over time. Just like your startup!
What’s the #1 healthy habit you’re tackling in 2025? How do you stay healthy while building? Any favorite tips, recipes, or tools? What’s the hardest thing to make time for as a founder?
Are you slowing your company down? Here's why and how to fix it!
Read MoreRemember when we talked about not being the bottleneck?
And how important it is for the company to be able to move fast?
But here we are…2 months after I gave you the keys to the speed castle, and you still feel totally bogged down.
What’s going on???
Why are you still getting in your own way?
Let’s take a look at 4 common ways a founder or startup leader might be unintentionally slowing things down…and how to fix it!
What’s seagull management, you ask?
My favorite business term.
My least favorite business practice.
Defined as: swooping in and shitting all over everything!
The key to a successful anti-bottleneck campaign is you.
You cannot delegate and second guess every decision.
You cannot hand off a project and then redo everyone’s hard work at the very end.
If there is something absolutely awful and it’s very important, then by all means, get in and fix it.
(Even better: use it as a teaching opportunity or improve and clarify the process!)
If it’s simply not how you would do it or it’s 90% as good as what you would have done, make like Elsa and spend energy on more important things.
Remember: you made mistakes along the way also! 😉
Congratulations!
You audited, delegated, documented, and let the people around you succeed!
Sit back, relax, and prepare for…your problems to happen all over again.
Wait whaaaaaa?
No productivity strategy is set-it-and-forget-it, especially not in a fast-moving startup.
You will forever be in your own way if you delegate, optimize, or streamline once and expect to be done.
You *MUST* revisit your priorities, time allocation, and what you’re delegating (or not) on a regular basis!
Learning constantly can be really energizing. But it can also be really hard.
All founders —regardless of stage and success level — are fighting imposter syndrome and hoping they grow fast enough to keep up with their company.
When everything feels hard, you desperately want to do something easy:
“Let me jump back in and code. I know I’m good at that. It’s way easier than selling enterprise deals and I like feeling that I’m good at something for a change.
It’s human nature to do things you like and are good at.
There’s also an aspect of fun.
Most founders like new, fun, innovative things. Doing big company things like annual planning or board meetings can feel booooorrrrring.
But hurts the company if the founder is distracted.
We’ve all seen it.
The founder that goes down a random rabbit hole of “cool new technology,” codes an unneeded feature over the weekend, or rides-along on a sales deal to show they “still got it.”
Listen, I’m all for productive procrastination.😉
But watch out for too many “fun” things that don’t help the company!
Founders genuinely love their team and want to create a great work environment.
If things are insanely busy or someone is struggling, a founder’s natural inclination is to jump in and help!
You set the example that no job is too small.
You roll up your sleeves to get things done no matter what.
I love this. To a point.
Here’s when it becomes problematic…
When you, as the founder and CEO, are not getting the most important things done — that only YOU can do.
It’s often referred to as “the best and highest use of your time.”
If you’re busy answering support tickets, you’re not talking to investors or doing strategy sessions with the largest customers.
And no one can do that but YOU!
You think you’re helping but often your team wondering:
Why are they jumping in on support tickets? I want them to be raising money! I can handle the tickets but I can’t fill the coffers.
The other downside — “helping” everyone can put you on the verge of burnout or make you annoyed, tired and sluggish. Everyone wants their CEO to be firing on all cylinders!
You know you’re the problem. What do you do next???
Knowing is half the battle! Sounds silly but often people don’t realize they are doing these things or the “why” behind them. Once they read this blog (hint hint) or someone points it out, they have an “ah-ha” moment.
Stress makes it worse. When I’m stressed, I hyper-focus on details. I often miss an obvious solution because I’m too deep in the weeds. Since I know I do this, I can combat it. I force myself to zoom out, or ask a trusted “big picture” friend to see what I’m missing.
Reframe it. Rewrite the narrative from “my company needs me” to “the best CEOs give their team freedom” and “the fastest way to exponential growth is to get out of the way.” Your measure of success evolves. When things run smoothly without you, it’s not a threat to your self-worth, it’s a huge win!
Enlist an ally. Is there someone at work who can be honest with you when you’re getting in your own way? Point out your seagull management or procrastination? Ask them to tell you if you’re falling into old habits. Clarify when and how you want them to communicate it.
Hire a coach. Or join a peer/founder accountability group. The structure, strategies, accountability, and coaching can be transformational. Just ask other CEOs.
Have you gotten in your own way or become the bottleneck? How did you fix it? Have you ever done the fun thing instead of the hard, productive thing? (I have! 🙋♀️)
Want to stay up to date? New blogs come out weekly.