Jun 6, 2021
Telescope Ventures June Newsletter
Hello Telescopers!
Thank you for coming onto this journey 🚀
We’re on a mission to champion the next generation of disrupters. Through educating and providing real exposure to the world of venture capital & startups, we hope to inspire YOU (yes you reading this) to be the next Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Melanie Perkins, Whitney Wolfe, [insert your name here].
Every month, we’ll be collating tools and resources for aspiring founders and VC’s, giving you all the ins and outs of the startup world.
💡 You’re a student entrepreneur with a big idea. What now?
A stroke of genius hits you — you have just thought of an amazing idea for a new business. How exciting! Sitting at the edge of your seat, your eyes sparkle, mind races, fingers tingle as you gear up to work on the next big thing. But how do you actually get started? Scratching your head, you know it’s going to take more than a mere thought to build your envisioned business. The next time you find yourself asking ‘what now?’, use this checklist to guide your first steps into entrepreneurship.
1. Evaluate your big idea
You have an innovative solution that will solve a problem. How do you know your idea is actually “good”? Is this a product that people really need? Why is your idea better than the solutions that are already out there?
Being your own devil’s advocate can help you lay a solid foundation for your startup idea. Critically analysing it in this way allows you to make important “go or no go” decisions, understand the risk and opportunities involved and help you differentiate yourself in the market.
2. Validate your product
On top of evaluating your big idea, make sure you have actually validated it. Many people jump in head-first, building and launching a product without actually having a proof-of-concept. It’s important to remember that you are not your user. Determining the feasibility and validity of your idea will ensure you are putting valuable time and resources into building something people will actually use.
There are many ways to go about this. A common and easy way is to get opinions from as many people as possible. Survey strangers, look through forums or do an internet deep dive into the industry. Other ideas include digging into market research, looking at potential competitors, and soft launches.
3. Network = Net Worth
Get involved in the startup ecosystem! Building your network and finding the right support can drive your startup in ways you’ve never thought of. Having a core group of mentors and advisors to guide you through your startup journey is invaluable, and can propel your business from point A to point B.
4. Have a funding strategy
You need money to make money. Think about the ways you will be funding your startup. Will it be through pitching to angel investors? Bootstrapping? Or getting buy-in from venture capitalists? Have a think about the type of funding you want, how much you’ll need and how you’ll get it.
5. Iterate, iterate, iterate.
Fail forward and don’t let setbacks dishearten you. Learn what does and doesn’t work. Improve, iterate, and pivot as needed. Know that your experience is leading you one step closer to the product and business you want.
📣 Pitch to Us! 📣
Are you a student founder looking to build your startup? Are you looking for access to mentorship, capital, and the university network? If you want to collaborate, send over your details and we’ll get back to you in 24 hours.
🗣 Office Hours
Every newsletter, we interview a startup founder or investor to give you a tell-all into the world of startups 👀 Subscribe to our Medium to get all the latest updates.
🎤 Founder of the Month: Samira Tollo, CTO and Co-Founder at Elbaite
For our first founder-feature, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Samira Tollo, CTO and Co-Founder at Elbaite. We discuss crypto, capital raising, and building your team.
🎤 Investor of the Month: Angel Investor and Chief of she1K, Christina Teo
Christina Teo is the founder and mastermind behind she1K, an angel syndicate based in Singapore helping corporate women invest in early-stage startups. We chat about her journey into the startup world, how she spots great founders and her advice to early-stage founders seeking funding.
🤓 Telescope’s Monthly Recommendations
📚 Weekend-Long Course
Learn Product Design, applied Machine Learning, Growth Hacking and more (starting THIS Friday!) LearnTogether provides live, cohort-based, weekend-long courses in topics like Applied ML (kicks of June 4th!), UI/UX Design, Growth Hacking Your Personal Brand, User-Centric Product Development. Check out LearnTogether’s course lineup at https://learntogether.world to find one that fits your interests.
📚 Community
“The home for young people in Australia to find and discuss careers in tech & startups!” A great resource to check out, earlywork’s newsletters provide tech and startup career resources, bite-sized interviews with startup founders, and a small library of the latest industry news. Subscribe here.
📚 Podcast
StartUp Podcast. Gimlet 1: How Not to Pitch a Billionaire
“This is a series about what happens when someone who knows nothing about business starts one”. An award-winning reporter/producer decides to start his own podcast business and takes you through his journey pitching to a Silicon Valley VC.
📚 Book
“The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.” Written by Eric Ries, this book brings about a scientific approach to innovation, a method to launch a new enterprise.
💻Opportunity Alert
So many members in our community have expressed interest in getting into the world of venture capital ⏬
Our friends at UniSeed have an awesome opening for an investment intern. An exciting opportunity for those wanting an insider peek into the operations of a VC fund.
Until next time!
🚀 Telescope Team
Ashlee, Elton, Vivian (our inbox is always open!)
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