I joined snapchat under the username “kelasan” a little over a year go after the ephemeral nature of the app’s posts got my attention. However, though active on snapchat, I am also still active on twitter, as it is still an important cog in the social media wheel. When I first joined Snapchat, I struggled with the decision on which accounts to follow. My friends were the obvious choices but I like to use social media to expand my network and get insights from those outside of my immediate network. I have gained valuable insights from the content shared by new members of my Snapchat network such as techniques to increase email reply rates and tips regarding accelerator applications. I have also been fortunate enough to get feedback on the startup I am building from successful founders. And without Snapchat, I would have not had direct access to these people.
Beginner’s Dilemma
If you are like most people starting out with a new form of social media, you have probably faced the obstacle of discovering new accounts to follow. Most Snapchat accounts I have discovered were originally recommendations from several of my peers, especially Justin Kan. This is why I am following in the tradition and making recommendations. I’m a tech entrepreneur, so I look out for accounts that I share similarities with. So for the sake of this post, I will focus on what I know and have experienced. Cool moments, tech events, great insights and advice are shared from the following accounts I follow: justinkan, mmazzeo, jasoncalacanis, threebabes, producthuntteam, jujubeeks, hackapreneur, garrytan & csacca.
Justin Kan (justinkan)
Justin is a YC Partner and co-founder of Twitch, among other startups. He is a pretty fast learner who knows how to create an audience. I have been impressed by how his Snapchat prowess has increased MOM (Faux Snap Metric). The best thing about this account is that he loves getting feedback on what content his Snapchat family wants to see. He interacts with them and does product reviews. His followers also get a look into the world of YC that most non-YC founders don’t get. His antics with Nick Cortes and Qasar “Quick Yes” Younis, another YC partner, are enjoyable as well.
What to expect;
Klaus the crocodile who is always grinding, be like Klaus. Product reviews, lots of startup advice, peeks into YC, Fitness advice, great events like the World Economic Forum at Davos.
Matt Mazzeo (mmazzeo)
Matt is the Managing Director at Lowercase capital. Though he is not the most frequent poster, his content seems to embody the old saying “quality over quantity.” He travels a lot so his followers get to see some behind-the-scenes footage of worthwhile events. One cool moment he has shared was the story of how and why his company invested in Dubsmash.
What to expect;
Mini videos of A+events, Inside scoop on new startups.
jason (jasoncalacanis)
Jason is the Founder of Inside.com and an angel investor in multiple startups, he is also well know for his podcast, TWIS. One strong characteristic of his Snapchat posts is the amount of time he spends with his daughter, amidst his busy daily endeavors. It’s a reminder that although changing the world and building a great company are both important, family is also important and you should always make time for that.
What to expect;
Lots of hiking videos and amazon echo interactions, startup advice, behind the scene look at lots of his events, his cute dogs and very lively kid.
Lenore Estrada (Threebabes)
Lenore is a Co-founder of Three Babes Bakeshop. What stands out the most about this account is that Lenore is one of those people who has the grit and resilience of a great entrepreneur. And she has to as she is an entrepreneur in one of the most brutal industries: food. Though I have only followed this account for a fairly short time, most of her Snapchat posts seem to be about setting up a food business, resiliency and getting sh#t done. Her account is a very motivational one to follow.
What to expect;
Motivation, lots of food snaps and her escapades with fellow Co-founder, Anna.
WomenInTech (Womenintech)
This account strives to have a daily impact in helping close the diversity gap in tech, specifically inspiring more women in tech. It’s also one of my favorite accounts to engage with because of the quality of females in tech who do takeovers. I believe women are more empathetic than men and this applies in tech as well. Most of the VCs I have engaged with via this account have been very welcoming and I have ended up getting phone call meetings with them. The content is always a great mix of substance and creativity. If you have a daughter, wife or friend in tech, this is a must for them, they would thank you for the referral.
What to expect;
Daily takeovers by brilliant boss ladies in tech, Q&A sessions, Startup advice.
Product Hunt (Producthuntteam)
Contrary to what many would think, this account does not offer many posts regarding product launches or reviews. However, followers do get to see a lot of the Product Hunt Team, like the account’s username implies, along with a very cute dog that hangs out in their HQ. This account is a must for dog lovers.
What to expect;
Lots of doggie snaps, some product reviews and their team atmosphere.
Amy Buechler (jujubeeks)
Amy is an associate at YC and also a psychotherapist. The life of a founder is very high pressure and her calming tone and advice on stress is why she is a must-follow on this list. Most of her Snapchat posts are about stress mitigation and causes of breakups of startups. She’s like a community startups therapist offering free sessions. Though each “session” lasts for only a couple of seconds, they hit the nail on the head.
What to expect;
Lots of calming advice, information on how to avoid stress and founder breakup.
Justin Wu (hackapreneur)
Justin is the founder of Vtymn. I came across this account via Twitter and was not disappointed with the quality of content it shares. A great thing about this account is that it gives a sneak peek into the grind of a startup during its early stages. He mostly talks about marketing and growth strategies along with a few posts of cool events happening in the silicon beach startup area.
What to expect;
Lots of advice on growth engineering and cool startup events.
Garry Tan (garrytan)
Garry is a partner at YC, His Snapchat posts are full of travel, adventure and family moments. One strong theme in his posts are the candid advice he gives to his adorable son. If you love kids, startups and travel, you should follow his account .
What to expect;
Lots of travel, family time and startup advice.
Chris Sacca (csacca)
Chris is the proprietor of Lowercase Capital and a Guest Shark on Shark Tank. I have followed him on Snapchat for quite a while and even though it seems like he shares most of his video content via Periscope, he still posts semi-frequently on Snapchat. If you love snowboards and skiing, he’s your man. He also gives startup advice and most of his stories are centered around his adorable kids who all snowboard as well. This account is not for the faint of heart, bruises from snowboarding are shared in posts as well.
What to expect;
Lots of adventure, family time, startup advice and some behind the scene footage of Shark Tank.
Who they recommend you should follow
Part of my reason for writing this blog was to conduct an experiment on the level of interaction on snapchat and so I engaged the accounts mentioned above and asked for recommendations. I got a reply from 80% of the accounts I reached out to, which is a great response rate.
Here are their recommendations;
Kimberly Foster (kimberlynfoster) Hunter Walk (hunterwalk), Alexis Ohanian (alexisohanian), Mark Suster (msuster), superfem & Gary Vaynerchuk (garyvee)
What accounts did I miss?
This list is not by any means comprehensive or graded, but rather my opinion and suggestions. If people contribute to the list by adding interesting tech/entrepreneur accounts to follow in the comment sections, I would say it has served its purpose: to be a quick introductory resource on accounts fellow entrepreneurs should follow. Gaining insight is always a great way to get into a network. Time to get back to my startup.
Thanks to Carly Garcia (carlyygarciaa), Dave Durand (thegr8rking)& Casey LaRue (caseylarue) for proofreading and giving feedback on this post, you can check out my stories on snapchat by adding (kelasan).
