13 ways to start your tech company off on the right foot
If you want your technology startup to succeed, then getting tips from other female entrepreneurs can help.
We asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) for the best piece of advice they’d give to a younger woman just starting her first tech company and why.
1. Find Mentors
Finding mentors is the key to success both as an entrepreneur and as an employee. Finding women who have walked the walk before you can be instrumental in helping you avoid pitfalls, supercharge your growth and provide connections to valuable resources. Mentors can also be a great sounding board to solo founders and those in need of an additional ear to listen. — Kim Kaupe, The Superfan Company
2. Bring in People You Trust
I’ve cycled through the operations team at my company almost three times in three years. It’s hard to bring in people that treat your company like you would. It will take time to find the right people — don’t be afraid to fire someone if they aren’t the caliber that you want. Your people need to support you as you grow. Trust your gut. — Amber Lowry, Syssero
3. Surround Yourself With a Solid Team
Build a supportive, talented team that serves as a strength and a buffer. Look to add connectors, influencers, innovators, strategists and more who will provide what you need to propel the tech startup forward. Don’t be afraid to look to these people for help. — Serenity Gibbons, NAACP
4. Learn the Basics, and Question Everything
When we first started as non-tech co-founders, we trusted the judgment of the first developers we found, which led to many unnecessary mistakes. Cramming in a few tech management and best practices books plus a product management class on Udemy made all the difference in the world. You don’t need to know everything, just the basics. — Adelaida Sofia Diaz-Roa, Nomo FOMO
5. Test the Market
Test the market before you start. Make sure there’s a viable audience for your product or service before you invest anything or everything into your idea. It’s much easier to build for an existing market than to create a market that doesn’t exist. Also, spend time learning the right language to describe why your idea is an actual business. Talk about it like it’s a business, not a charity idea. — Arry Yu, Tenta Browser
6. Build a Solid Foundation
As a young woman starting a new venture, it’s important to have grit and believe in yourself. Rise above stereotypes, and speak loudly about your new venture. But be aware that even as you raise your voice and make waves, you must still have the basics in place: a rock-solid product that functions, paying customers and a solid team that investors can believe in. — Cooper Harris, Klickly
7. Learn as Many Tech Tools as You Can
Learn all of the tools of your trade to the best of your ability. This will help you as you develop your career. The better you know the tools, the more feasible it will be for you to build a case for any idea you’re trying to push to the team. The tools are your best friend. — Sweta Patel, Silicon Valley Startup Marketing
8. Spend One-On-One Time With Every Person on Your Team
Building relationships from the start is key to your success. Most people are open to going to lunch. During lunch, ask questions such as: Can you tell me about your time working here? Is this your dream job, and if not, what is? What is one of your frustrations at work right now? What should I know/do that will help you be successful? — Ania Rodriguez, Key Lime Interactive
9. Focus on What Makes You Different
Women are usually underestimated and looked over when it comes to finance and tech industries. Be the sleeper company and innovator that becomes the industry leader. The mistake most female entrepreneurs make is being too focused on how to get a seat at the men’s table. Instead, focus on what makes you different, and capitalize on it. — Heather Francis, Elevate Funding
10. Be Bold, and Use Your Voice
Women have more of a voice now than ever before, and while we still have a long way to go, doors are opening, and opportunities are presenting themselves. That said, women are still very underrepresented in the tech world. Be bold. Don’t hold back. Let them hear you. Show them that they need you. The world is listening, and in a field that’s growing exponentially, this is your time. — Dalia MacPhee, DALIA MACPHEE
11. Don’t Doubt Yourself
We live in self-doubt. Keep telling yourself that you’ve got this and that you can do this no matter how many barriers appear. In the end, you’ll get there without yourself becoming another barrier. — Angela Ruth, Calendar
12. Stay True to Who You Are
Don’t mold yourself into who you believe you should be to please others. There’s a reason you decided to start your own company. You had the courage, the skill and the drive to do it. Stay true to what you believe in and your vision, and find others who believe in you. Credibility is so important, and what’s a better way to be credible than being yourself? — Jessica Gibson, Ariel Precision Medicine
13. Just Start
Don’t wait to have everything figured out. Just start. Start by doing a lot by hand. Take the orders, whether by phone or website form. Being in the trenches is the quickest way to get going and see what’s working and what’s not. Then, as you find out what works, automate. — Kerry Guard, MKG Marketing
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs.
