As an early-stage founder, how do you draw up your first contracts? Or structure your cap table? How do you hire your first few engineers, or pitch top-tier talent? What about if that talent is abroad? How do you navigate the complicated regulatory environment? How do you make decisions around security and building a tech stack that can go the distance?
You’ve got questions. TechCrunch Early Stage has answers.
At the virtual two-day conference, we’re bringing together some of the most seasoned operators in the fields of legal, recruiting, company structure, security and tech infrastructure to help you find your way through a tactical quagmire to the bright light of success at the end of the tunnel.
Of course, the show will cover more than operational challenges. We also have many, many sessions on growth marketing, PR, brand building and a wide range of fundraising sessions.
If you’re in the midst of building a company, this show is worth making time for. Plus, audience members will be able to ask their own questions to our expert speakers in each and every breakout session.
Here’s a look at all the Operations sessions at TC Early Stage:
Hiring your early engineers with Ali Partovi
The first few employees determine a startup’s trajectory. Learn the dos and don’ts of hiring your early engineers from entrepreneur and investor Ali Partovi. And hear how these hiring decisions can determine not only the the type of culture you build for your employees, but also the overall success of your company.
How to hire globally (and how to make immigration work for you) with Sophie Alcorn
Dealing with a tricky visa situation? Troubleshoot the many snags that can affect early-stage startups that are trying to bring talent into the country, with top Silicon Valley immigration expert Sophie Alcorn.
How to build a great board with Laurie Yoler
A high-performing board of directors can help your company fulfill its potential, but without a plan to run a board that stays focused on strategy, you can get sidetracked. Laurie Yoler, board member and general partner at Playground Global, founding board member at Tesla and current board member at Bose, Church & Dwight, Zoox, Leaf Logistics and Lacuna, will share her perspectives on building a strong board, managing your board relationships and maximizing the value you get from the board both in times of success and the inevitable periods of struggle that come with growing a company.
How to build a tech stack that can go the distance with Jon Evans and Ben Schippers
The beautiful flower of your tech stack starts with a seed, and a series of decisions. What fertilizer will you use? How often should you water it? Where can you give it the right amount of sunlight? Every decision you make about your tech stack affects how it will hold up, and evolve, over time. Hear from HappyFunCorp’s co-founder and CEO Ben Schippers and CTO Jon Evans about how you can avoid regretting those decisions.
True product market fit is a minimum viable company with Ann Miura-Ko
Product market fit is not the sign of a scalable business model. Without a validated value proposition, business model and ecosystem working in concert, moving into “growth mode” is building your company on an unsound foundation. Learn whether you’ve built a minimum viable company from Floodgate co-founder and seed-stage investor Ann Miura-Ko, who was one of the first investors in Lyft, Refinery29 and Xamarin. She’ll dive deeper into the three elements that are required to nail it before you scale it: Value Proposition, Ecosystem and Business Model.
What VCs want in a term sheet (and how you can get what you want) with Lior Zorea
Everything comes at a cost, including that whopping round of investment you’re raising. Hear from Nixon Peabody LLP partner Lior Zorea, who has facilitated countless fundraises, about how to negotiate the all-important cap table and make sure that everybody wins.
Exploring the infrastructure of SaaS startups with Sam Pullara
A new generation of SaaS companies like Wavefront, Snowflake and Clumio has emerged to help reduce the complexity involved in managing data in the cloud. We’ll hear from Sam Pullara of Sutter Ventures, who has two decades of technology and investing experience, about how cloud infrastructure companies can compete in a cloud provider-dominated world.
How to draw up your first contracts (and other legal tips) with James Alonso and Adam Zagaris
Hear from James Alonso, partner at Magnolia Law, on the ins and outs of company formation and financing. Companies that are off to the races can learn from Adam Zagaris, partner at MoonShot Legal, as he breaks down the process of creating commercial contracts and managing transactions. This is a great 360-overview of the legal side of running a startup.
Pitch your talent like you’re pitching your investors with Kristin Tucker and Marissa Peretz
Hear from Silicon Beach Talent founder Marissa Peretz and partner at Koller Search Kristin Tucker on how to entice the right type of talent. Defining a culture with stand-out values is only the first step. These two recruiting powerhouses will share how to close the right candidate.
Launching in regulated industries and growing fast nonetheless with Katherine Boyle
Regulated industries are often the most ripe for disruption, but can also be some of the most challenging markets to enter for a startup. Not only does a company have to handle all the same hurdles as any other startup, but it must navigate a tangly web of regulation and governance. Hear from General Catalyst partner Katherine Boyle about how to tackle those challenges without losing momentum.
Securing your startup with Casey Ellis
Security is one of the most important things for a startup to focus on, but many struggle to dedicate time, resources or budget to protect against something you never want to happen. How should startups prioritize security, and what do emerging companies need to know?
But you’ll need to grab your ticket to TC Early Stage to participate in these and 40 other sessions on July 21 & 22. Sessions are filling up quickly, but as a ticket holder if you miss a session you’ll still have exclusive access to the video on demand. Get your ticket and join the discussion today!
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