TechCrunch+ Roundup: Build a Better Board Floor, Multi-Way Onboarding Tips, Selling to CISOs

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Writing a clear summary for a board meeting requires input from multiple stakeholders and more than a little research.

People often see it as a chore, but if done right, these sessions are an opportunity for founders to hone their storytelling skills, engage their team, and get even more value out of investor relations.

Amy Cheatham, a partner at Costanoa Ventures, shared 11 whiteboard slides with TC+ that show effective ways to communicate accomplishments, pipeline details, hiring and team development, and other key topics.


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“The slides in this article are not intended to be a complete board deck,” she wrote. “They are examples of real, first-rate board slides from seed and Series A companies that have done a great job of informing their boards and leading constructive discussions.”

Tapping your team to prepare for a board meeting is a great way to combat what I call “CEO syndrome,” a nagging affliction that encourages many founders to believe they’re the hardest-working guy in the room.

Playing a hero is hard work! Let your team leaders speak for themselves instead of showing off.

Thank you very much for reading

Walter Thompson
Editorial Manager, TechCrunch+
@your main actor

3 questions CISOs expect you to answer during a security situation.

Three doors, one, two and three.

Image Credits: DNA59 (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images

No one in the room sells security solutions: CISOs are more likely to make decisions after getting buy-in from other decision makers.

“The time, budget, and staff involved in deciding whether or not to onboard your product for a CISO is less than in years past, and your voice needs to be much better to make the cut,” wrote Nancy Wang (GM and Director of Engineering, AWS Data). Protection, Venture Partner, Felicity Ventures) and Steve Zalewski (Former CISO Levi Strauss, Founder S3 Consulting.)

In this article, the two CISOs ask and answer three questions they should consider before signing a contract. First and foremost?

“How will your solution help me sell more X?”

A pot of gold at the intersection of DevOps and generative AI?

Artificial intelligence human brain made of golden wires

Image Credits: Andriy Onufriyenko (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images

Is generative AI ready to help people manage increasingly complex technology stacks?

Anna Haim interviews Rona Segev, co-founder and managing partner of VC firm TLV Partners, to learn more about AI-related startups helping to improve DevOps.

“I think the next really exciting phase will be those very, very strong AI engines that will help us really manage the infrastructure and manage the structure,” she said.

“It will take some time, but I think this will be a real breakthrough in the future.”

How this investor widens the net by resisting warm introductions

Red ball breaking the path in the maze

Image Credits: Sefa Ozel (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images

I’ll avoid stating the obvious, but in case you haven’t realized – Venture capital is a communication game.. If you already have a second degree relationship with someone who is an investor, but getting a meeting is not that difficult.

A warm welcome is a form of currency in tech circles, but GoAhead Ventures reports that “no matter where you are in the world or whether you’re a pre-seed or seed company you’re building, anyone’s voice can be heard.” Haje Jan Kamps.

There is only one condition: “They insist on video pitch.

It’s not too late to align product-market fit metrics with your company’s values

David Tucker, GP at Greylock spoke "How to achieve product-market fit" at TechCrunch Early Stage in Boston on April 20, 2023.  Image credit: Haje Camps / TechCrunch

Image Credits: Haje Kamps / TechCrunch

At TechCrunch Early Stage, Dominic Madori-Davies talks with David Tucker, General Partner at Greylock, about how to define product market fit and why social proof is one of the things investors are looking for.

“It doesn’t mean you bring a product and grow it to millions of customers and users,” Tucker said.

“What I’m looking for is that what you build seems to resonate with a set of customers.”

Your site requires more than one user onboarding experience

Airport entrance gate extension on the tarmac

Image Credits: John Lund (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images

In the early days, most founding teams focus on building strong sales channels, but segmenting customers can be done throughout the buying process—if you know what questions to ask.

Getting new users to share information about their past product experiences or future goals is the first step in creating customer personas, says growth expert Jonathan Martinez, who identifies several variables that help increase retention and conversion.

While you can add some extra friction with questions to your lead form or onboarding flow, this will pay off big for your users’ overall experience.



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