Baptism by Fire
5 Essential Tips from a Startup Veteran
Jeanne Geier Lewis has done it again. She’s just launched a new company with all the passion and motivation of a new founder. But she’s no rookie. She’s a serial startup founder. She’s smarter and stronger than ever, now that she knows how to avoid the pitfalls of the novice. “This time around, it’s just as stressful,” she says, “but I don’t feel it as much.”
Achieving that rare balance is no easy task. Jeanne recently sat down with me and shared her “baptism by fire” approach: five tips to starting a company, navigating gender bias, networking secrets for women entrepreneurs, and how to preserve balance and sanity during the frenetic grind.
Get a “Startup MBA”
“You can go get an MBA, or you can start a company.”
Jeanne chose a life of doing rather than studying. After starting and selling DIY creative video company Creativebug (“Lynda.com meets Etsy”) she’s back at it again with mobile media-sharing app Capsure, co-founded with Mark Wayman.
Jeanne’s leading the business aspects of the launch, such as marketing, PR, partnerships, and payroll. “It’s like getting a business degree on the job,” says Jeanne, who was so wrapped up in the tech at her first company, she missed out on doing the business stuff. “Now, I get to have a new experience, and my co-founder is doing what he should be doing.”
Surround yourself with a passionate team
The two co-founders balance one another. Capsure’s team has recently doubled, from two to four. Says Jeanne on building culture and team:
“Find people who are as passionate as you are. They need to be able to jump off a cliff with you, because that’s essentially what you’re doing. In the early days, there’s no job security or perks, you’re doing five different jobs, and it can feel like just a grind.”
Make sure you’ve chosen the right people, she says, because you’re going to spend more time with them than you can ever imagine.
Meditate for balance and success
There was a slight delay before Capsure’s launch that Jeanne had to juggle. “I have to deal with the investors — and that’s not fun,” Jeanne says, “but I’ve learned how to detach.” Building her previous company was “such a manic experience” with soaring highs and crushing lows. “I felt like I couldn’t achieve balance.” Unhealthy eating and working patterns didn’t help. That’s when Jeanne found meditation. Now, she takes time out for twice-daily sessions and commits to exercising an hour every day. She also eats well. Healthy habits make her fully committed, and more productive and efficient, at work.
“Meditation helps me to get centered before phone calls and meetings or presentations. I do a 10-minute exercise and visualize how I want the conversation to go. Then I proceed as if the conversation is going to go exactly that way. And nine times out of ten it will.”
Learn to pitch like a man
She also learned through personal experience and constant reminders that women and men pitch — and are heard — differently. She was part of a core group of women founders who met regularly with a group of VCs. While pitching Creativebug, she felt women investors were a little harder on her than men, and did her best to avoid unconscious bias. Jeanne says, in her experience, most women take the conservative path. But a lot of male investors want it straight up: “why you were born to start this company, and why you’re going to conquer the world and save it at the same time.” They want the dream and the passion, not the safe story. Doubles or triples don’t excite them.
“Show them you’re prepared to hit the home run, and tell them how you’re going to hit it. Sure, you can still tell them why you’re qualified, do your research and include data points, but keep going at the big vision. Not the next two to three years. The big goal.”
Talk to everyone!
Women’s groups such as the GUILD are taking the lead in building community and changing the conversation. In 2012, Jeanne says, she used to be careful who she talked to because it was so competitive. “Now, if I get introduced to a young female founder who wants to have coffee I’ll go,” she says, out of a wish to help people avoid mistakes, and to be in contact with new ideas and trends. When you’re trying to launch a product, advises Jeanne, talk to anyone and everyone who will listen.
“If someone wants to introduce you to someone, especially if it’s coming from a trusted colleague, you need to go and meet that person, because you have no idea how they will fit into the bigger vision of what you’re trying to achieve.”
Ignore these generous opportunities, she notes, and you have no one to blame but yourself.
“The more female founders enter the industry, the better it is for me. All ships rise together. It should become the norm.”
Don’t miss Jeanne at SERENDIPITY’s “Go to Market” House, where she’ll be speaking at the session “I Made an App –Now What?” From pitching strategies, to team-building, to mind-body balance, to nuts-and-bolts business advice, Jeanne can steer you toward the answers.
You can follow Jeanne‘s next steps @foundermom and @capsureit.
