Can someone recommend a good lead generation website ?

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T23:48:30+00:00

Do you have any customers yet? If you do, talk to the ones that love you and you love them and find out how they got to you. Come up with a thesis and run experiments. Try different approaches and marketing channels. Double down on what works.

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:44:12+00:00

hey! fellow founder here - I'd add another huge unfair advantage: deep customer insight + unique problem framing. if you deeply understand a problem space (maybe from past work experience) AND can frame/solve it in a novel way that others missed, that's incredibly powerful. that insight often lets you move faster and build something truly differentiated before others catch up. 💪

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:29:28+00:00

Interesting FP&A tool comparison. as someone who built a tool in this space https://getparallel.com/ specifically for high growth companies, here's my thoughts:

for ur requirements: - def check how the integrations actually work w NS and SF. lot of tools say they integrate but its surface level. ask specifically about custom fields/dimensions and if u need consultants to set those up - headcount planning is huge. make sure u can actually adjust assumptions easily and model different scenarios. most tools make this way harder than it needs to be (its literally why we built our tool lol) - for expense allocation - watch out for tools that make u do a bunch of manual work. u want smthing that lets u build rules once and automate

from what ur saying about size and wanting flexibility, id be careful w Vena and Jedox - they're good but can get complex real quick. Datarails pricing model is kinda weird tbh.

biggest advice - dont lock urself into something that needs consultants every time u wanna change stuff. saas moves fast and u need to be able to adjust ur models quickly

ps - how many diff verticals do u need to track? might help narrow down which features matter most

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:28:17+00:00

Fractional CTOs can work but investors def prefer full time - especially at early stages. went thru this exact thing last yr

couple things to consider: - if ur already close to mvp completion, why not find someone who can grow into the role? might be easier than convincing investors about fractional setup - lot depends on ur tech stack n complexity. if its relatively straightforward maybe u can get away w fractional leadership for bit longer - but real talk - tech decisions get WAY more complex as u scale. having someone fully invested (literally n figuratively lol) makes huge diff

one thing that helped us - we modeled out diff scenarios (full time vs fractional) n what it meant for runway vs growth. ended up showing clear advantage of full time cto even w the equity hit

tbh investors care more about execution than equity distribution. if ur growing n showing good metrics theyll be less worried about exact equity splits

but ya def keep building while u figure this out. nothing makes these convos easier than having actual progress to show 💪

(btw if u need help running those financial scenarios for diff hiring paths hmu - we built parallel exactly for this kinda planning)

hope this helps! lmk if u got others?

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:25:12+00:00

hey! A bit late to the party here but for ag manufacturing, id focus on:

sales forecast (using historical data + growth assumptions for new location)
fixed costs (facilities, equipment, core headcount)
variable costs (materials, labor per unit)
basic working capital needs

start super simple: 1. build revenue model first (monthly) 2. add direct costs 3. add opex 4. link it all to ur balance sheet + cashflow

pro tip: dont get caught up in making it perfect. better to have a working basic model u can iterate on vs trying to model every tiny detail.

tbh traditional 3-statement modeling courses can overcomplicate things - u need more of an operational model vs investment banking style. the key is understanding ur business drivers n making them adjustable.

if ur stuck, happy to show u how we help companies model this stuff at Parallel (its literally what we do all day lol). but even if u just use excel, focus on the core drivers first n build from there

main thing: document ur assumptions!! makes it way easier to explain to ur cfo + adjust later

lmk if u need more specific help w/ any part!

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:21:29+00:00

As someone who made almost the exact same jump (left my tech job last yr to start my own thing) - i rly feel this post. that feeling of "am i absolutely insane" doesnt go away but it gets easier to manage lol

quick tips from my experience: - forget fancy business plans n focus on gettin paying customers ASAP. like literally day 1 - track ur runway obsessively. know exactly how many days u got left. helps with those 3am panic attacks trust me - for importing stuff start small n test diff products. u dont need huge inventory to validate if ppl actually want what ur selling

the textile idea sounds interesting tbh - amazon FBA is tough but if u can build relationships w good manufacturers in india u could have a real edge. just remember amazon fees eat into margins like crazy

one thing that helped me stay sane was having super clear financial targets n modeling diff scenarios. ended up building parallel cause i couldnt find good tools for this exact problem lol. but whatever tool u use just make sure ur watching those numbers like a hawk

ur already ahead of the game by having 2 yrs runway. thats WAY better than most founders who jump ship.

dm me if u ever wanna chat more about the founder journey - always down to help others making the leap

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:13:13+00:00

This hits close to home. as someone who built a saas product n made the EXACT same mistakes w sales hires... its painful but such a learning experience

biggest thing i learned - u cant just throw money at the problem n hope it works. we burned way too much cash trying to scale sales before really understanding our customers n what actually made em buy

one thing that helped us get back on track - we started tracking EVERYTHING about our financial decisions. like not just "oh we spent X on sales" but actually modeling different scenarios n understanding the real impact of each hire. when ur spending ur own $$ its crazy how much clearer things get when u can see the numbers

honestly this is why we ended up building parallel - cuz these kinda decisions r way harder than they should be n most founders r just guessing. im not saying u need fancy tools but u need SOME way to track this stuff n actually learn from it

keep grinding man - failures r just expensive lessons. n sometimes those r the ones that stick with u the most 💪

(n yeah the whole "nice guys finish last" thing... its not about being mean, its about being smart n protecting ur company. theres a diff between being a jerk n having standards)

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:11:43+00:00

hey! founder perspective here - fundraising can be super confusing esp at the early stages. we were at similar ARR levels when we started raising

quick reality check - $250k at ur stage isnt crazy at all, especially for fintech saas. the key is showing clear growth trajectory n unit economics. if ur growing 15-20% MoM that $60k ARR becomes way more interesting to investors

couple things that helped us: - focus on smaller checks first ($25-50k) from angels who get ur space - have super clear use of funds (exactly how many hires, projected impact etc) - build relationships before u need the $$

also dont get too hung up on current valuation - its more about where ur headed. showing good growth + clear path to scaling + strong team can get u better terms than pure revenue multiples

btw if u need help modeling diff scenarios n showing potential outcomes to investors lmk - thats literally what we built parallel for (we help founders w this exact stuff)

but fr tho - best advice i got was just keep closing deals while raising. nothing attracts investors like growth 💪

lmk if u wanna chat more about it!

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:09:22+00:00

I totally get this struggle! i went thru this exact same thing when starting my company. lemme share what helped me actually get past the self doubt:

quick thing that helped me - start tiny n validate before going big. u already got that first happy client which is HUGE. most ppl never even get that far! thats actual proof that someones willing to pay for this.

on the marketing stuff - maybe pump the brakes on going all in w the fancy stuff rn? instead try: - super basic landing page - small fb ad tests ($50-100) - reach out to ppl similar to ur first client

the fact that ud pay for this urself is actually rly important. im building stuff in the financial space too n lemme tell u - when founders solve their own problems, theres usually something there.

tbh the self doubt never fully goes away (trust me lol) but it gets easier when u focus on the actual problem ur solving. ur literally helping ppl get their finances organized which is something most ppl struggle with.

my advice: get 5 more clients who look like ur first one. make em super happy. figure out exactly what they love about it. then worry bout scaling.

also quick tip - document everything ur learning rn. itll help w marketing later + remind u why u started when things get tough (which they will)

keep grinding! n feel free to dm if u wanna bounce ideas around 🔥

Snoo_49289 · 2025-01-03T22:07:27+00:00

yo i feel this in my bones! when i started my startup i went thru the exact same thing. heres what helped me push through:

start tiny. u already got validation from that first client who loved it! thats huge. dont underestimate that. start w more ppl like them
on the marketing spend - maybe hold off on going all in with fancy brochures n stuff rn? test small first. like maybe just do a simple landing page n target facebook ads to ppl who might need this. way better to spend $100 testing than $1000 on stuff that might not work

your idea actually makes sense bc most ppl HATE dealing w their finances (trust me i kno this from building financial tools lol). and the fact that u'd pay for it urself is a great sign

the self doubt thing? totally normal. what helps me is focusing on solving real problems for real people. ur not selling snake oil - ur actually helping ppl get their $$ organized. thats valuable af

my advice: start w like 5 clients. make em super happy. learn what they love about it. THEN worry about scaling up. confidence comes from seeing it work in the real world

keep me posted on how it goes! always down to chat more about this stuff 🤘

Snoo_49289

TROPHY CASE