#20: Startup Accelerator Secrets Every Entrepreneur Should Know with NYC Angel Investor

Erica Duignan Minnihan knows what investors like to see in startups, and she knows the difficulties founders face meeting those expectations. She has more than 10 years of experience in early-stage startup investing, and now she’s out to help both investors and entrepreneurs be better at their jobs. Minnihan is currently the Managing Partner at 1000 Angels, a digital venture investment platform launched by OneVest that helps independent investors around the world assess potential deals and build their personal portfolios. She also runs the CoFoundersLab Virtual Accelerator, a six-week online program that teaches founders all the basics of starting up with fewer constraints than brick-and-mortar accelerators. Minnihan was kind enough to invite me into her New York City apartment and let me pick her brain on all things investing and starting up. In our interview, she lays out the basics of the CoFoundersLab accelerator program, explains how to draw up a roadmap for building your business or product, and shares some of the most important things that investors look for in founders and their startups. My thanks go out to Minnihan for taking some time to educate the community on the important topics of business planning and investing. Connect with her on Twitter @ericaminnihan, or check out the virtual accelerator if you’re interested in jump-starting your business, and enjoy this episode of Powderkeg: Igniting Startups. In this episode with Erica Duignan Minnihan, you’ll learn: — How 1000 Angels is unique from other angel groups — Why you need to have a marketing plan for your product — Why investors like founders with empathy — How to draw a roadmap for building a new business or product — The easiest way to determine if you have product-market fit — Why you need to have a sound financial model for your business — What you should and shouldn’t include in your investor pitch Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes