Hardi Meybaum speech at Stanford University

1. story by Hardi Meybaum
Stanford - 1/23/2012
@hardi_meybaum
@grabcad

3. 12/2009 - The first order
Lesson learned #1: don’t give up after first failure

4. 01/2010 - The first $ order

5. 01/2010 - The first $ order
Lesson learned #2: celebrate victories - earned $25,
celebration dinner $60

6. 02/2010
How to get more engineers
to work on orders?

7. 02/2010
Quit a day-job,
week before 1st child was born
Lesson learned #3: have a very very understanding wife

8. 06/2010
Raised a first seed money
to build a CAD Library
Lesson learned #4: raising the money from Europe is difficult

9. 08/2010 - launched Library
grabcad.com/library/bobber-bike-1
Lesson learned #5: build a minimum product

10. 09/2010 - Meet Terry
grabcad.com/terry.stonehocker
Lesson learned #6: talk to customers

11. 10/2010 - from static Library to
community
Lesson learned #7: learn how others innovate

12. 10/2010 - moved to Boston
booked this room for 3 months but got that one
Lesson learned #8: everything is not like it appears
Lesson learned #9: you are in or out, no middle choice

13. 12/2011- raising money in US
‣ 200 investors, advisors, customers .. in 3 months
‣ 1 investor partner meeting and a no
Lesson learned #10: talking to people gives you a lot of great feedback
Lesson learned #11: raising money in US is difficult

14. 02/2011 - what is this?

15. 02/2011 - lets through it out there
Lesson learned #12: you are not the smartest person out there

16. 03/2011 - joined Techstars
Lesson learned #13: learn from other entrepreneurs

17. 05/2011 Challenges
grabcad.com/challenges

18. 05/2011 - Challenges
Lesson learned #14: experiment

19. 05/2011
started A/B testing
80000"
70000"
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30000"
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Lesson learned #15: A/B test

20. 06/2011 closed Seed Round
7 angels
Lesson learned #1: don’t give up after first failure
(remember the no from Partner Meeting?)

21. 12/2011 - Remember Terry?
grabcad.com/terry.stonehocker
today works for top customers in mfg industry
Lesson learned #6: talk to customers

22. 1/2012 - Series A
$4M from inside investors
Lesson learned #16: read this blog - www.forenterpreneurs.com

23. and most important
grabcad.com/about
Lesson learned #17: the TEAM matters the most
Lesson learned #18: find people you enjoy working with
Lesson learned #19: find people who want to learn and develop

25. story by Hardi Meybaum
Stanford - 1/23/2012
@hardi_meybaum
@grabcad