"Inspiring talks with founders sharing their real startup stories and entrepreneurial insights!"
In this episode we talk to DC Cahalane, (Head of growth at Teamwork - a powerful and yet simple project management tool - and prior to that Chief Marketing Officer with Trustev). We learn about his obsession for startups, as he loves to see people grow things they are passionate about. DC is also co-organiser of the Dublin Startup Weekend and Founder of Built in Cork.
Learn about DC's startup story and get a taste of what it is really like to be an entrepreneur!:
"If you want to be an entrepreneur then you have to take the pain and eat the Super Noodles to get the MVP done. Once that’s done you you can look into the incubator which will help you through getting that one first customer. Because if you come out of the incubator with MVP that works that somebody has said to you hey I would happily have that in my company and happily pay for that service, then at that point it becomes an interesting proposition to VC companies."
DC Cahalane, Head of Growth, Teamwork
DC's Startup Story (Interview Highlights):
1) DC's
computer science background and flair for
event management extends to
Teamwork.
2) DC sites the Web Summit as one of the best ways to connect with early adopters.
3) His mixed love/hate relationship with the term growth hacking.
4) DC makes the point of seeking out passionate advocates for your startup brand.
5) Tips on how startups should market themselves to investors: MVP and that first customer.
6) Why Kickstarter gives startups no excuse to advance their product without funding.
7) Some pointers in marketing a hardware product vs a software product.
8) What makes a good hustler and why it is important to a startup.
9) DC's Cork Startup Weekend and Built in Cork initiatives.
ARE YOU INTO STARTUPS? DID YOU GET INSPIRED?
Why don't you share your startup experience with other entrepreneurs in the comments below!
DC gives some good tips on how your startup can stand out from the crowd at conferences, like wearing a T-shirt with your startup logo on it. I think DC is wearing a Teamwork T-shirt now! What tips would you give to startups exhibiting at conferences?
Successful marketing campaigns! DC has plenty of fun and horror campaign tales. What has been your marketing campaign of fun? Campaign of horror?
DC proves he is a Kickstarter Addict with an impressive list of backing successful projects. What projects have you backed on Kickstarter? Would you like to share your own personal Kickstarter campaign with us?
One of the pains of being an entrepreneur is in acquiring funding. DC shares Ireland's huge eco-system of incubators and accelerators, and yes there is a difference! Is your startup currently on such a programme? What has been your experience?