A brief moment of optimism from an otherwise glass ½ empty kind of CFO… Why Your Startup Will Succeed! www.startupcfo.ca

YOU SERVE A REAL NEED Copyright © 2009- Mark MacLeod This… Not this… You provide real value to your users. If you don't do this, stop reading, because you WILL fail

YOU KNOW WHAT MATTERS Copyright © 2009 - Mark MacLeod You spend all your time improving the experience and engaging users : There's no magic secret. You just need to hustle. Constantly improve (i.e. simplify) the user experience. Constantly reach out to users. Listen to them. Talk to them. Turn them into ambassadors.

WE’RE AL THE SAME! Copyright © 2009 - Mark MacLeod These guys were all nobodies before they became somebodies .

SMART MONEY IS INVESTING Copyright © 2009 - Mark MacLeod Who's the smartest investor around? Warren Buffet. What's he doing? Putting billions of $ to work. Smart investors are active - NOW!

YOU DON’T NEED VC$ The cost of starting and getting to market is going down all the time. If you're a web startup, you probably don't want VC$ anyway. Sell services, sell your body. Raise angel $ - get going! Don't believe me -ask SocialMedian. Copyright © 2009 - Mark MacLeod

The cost of starting and getting to market is going down all the time. If you're a web startup, you probably don't want VC$ anyway. Sell services, sell your body. Raise angel $ - get going! Don't believe me -ask SocialMedian.

NOBODY KNOWS ANYWAY! Copyright © 2008 - Mark MacLeod Nobody knows which startup will succeed or fail. Remember, Skype was turned down by over 40 VCs before it went on to exit for more than $2B.

YOU’RE AN ENTREPENEUR ! You’re not some guy in a cubicle forgetting to put covers on TPS reports You’re an entrepreneur. No matter what people tell you, you’re on a mission Copyright © 2009 - Mark MacLeod

You’re not some guy in a cubicle forgetting to put covers on TPS reports

You’re an entrepreneur. No matter what people tell you, you’re on a mission

YOU’RE PASSIONATE! This is a bit redundant, since ALL successful entrepreneurs are passionate Passion is key. You won’t win without it – but you know that Copyright © 2009 - Mark MacLeod

This is a bit redundant, since ALL successful entrepreneurs are passionate

Passion is key. You won’t win without it – but you know that

THANK YOU! Copyright © 2009 - Mark MacLeod