Ash RustVerified account

@AshRust

Pre-seed Investor. Email: ash@sterlingroad.com. B2B, US only. I work w/ founders for min 3 months before investing $150k. More info:

San Francisco, CA
Joined March 2007
Born November 10

Tweets

You blocked @AshRust

Are you sure you want to view these Tweets? Viewing Tweets won't unblock @AshRust

  1. Pinned Tweet
    Jan 30

    Setting performance goals is a key part of startup success. Here’s a simple framework to set company goals from idea stage through to ~$150k/year annual run rate: A Simple Framework for Goal Setting

    Undo
  2. Jan 31

    This is both racist and dumb. Nigerian Americans are one of America’s most successful groups with ~30% over 25 holding advanced degrees. These blanket polices starve America of the World’s most talented people.

    Undo
  3. Jan 29

    It’s almost always better for a startup to ship small releases daily vs larger ones weekly/monthly. 1. You can get more customer feedback. 2. Easier to find & fix bugs. 3. Easier to rollback if the release is bad.

    Undo
  4. Retweeted
    Jan 29

    My latest article talks about the steps your business can follow when fundraising for a priced round:

    Undo
  5. Jan 28

    Don’t try to force a meeting with an investor. Meetings are milestones but only if they’re real. E.g. If you’re a consumer app, don’t fake being B2B to get an investor meeting. The investor will figure it out quickly, pass almost immediately & you’ll have wasted everyone’s time

    Undo
  6. Retweeted
    Jan 24

    Something that I think all founders need to know: How hard it is to build something has nothing to do with what it's worth. Value is based on utility, not effort. Don't work hard on something unless you know what it's value will be when it's done.

    Undo
  7. Jan 23

    Never have a banker or advisory service reach out to a VC for you. Investors want to hear from the founders directly. You don’t have to buy access to someone’s network. There are lists online of all types of investors. A lot of investors respond to thoughtful cold emails.

    Undo
  8. Retweeted

    Alexander Hamilton speaks with force and clarity, across the centuries, for our times.

    Undo
  9. Jan 22

    Acquisitions are not an easy option if you can’t fundraise. The success rate is incredibly low unless the buyer is desperate for your company. If you have to sell. Expect to speak w/ 50+ potential buyers & for it to be the toughest time of your professional career.

    Undo
  10. Jan 21

    Even if you’re not fundraising communicate w/ investors often. 1. Monthly update for existing investors covering metrics, highlights & challenges 2. Monthly/Quarterly update for all potential investors. Same stuff as 1 but removes confidential info & take a more positive tone

    Undo
  11. Retweeted

    Each side must be able to call any witness relevant to the case. Each side must be able to present any evidence relevant to the case. The focus must be on a fair trial, not the political fortunes of the president, Republicans, or Democrats.

    Undo
  12. Jan 18

    Big plans for today.

    Undo
  13. Jan 16

    Positive unit economics are critical to all businesses but they are 2nd to demand. As a founder, don’t let your desire to be efficient stand in the way of getting live with customers. Proving customer demand informs your strategy & helps you raise $$.

    Undo
  14. Jan 15

    Set reasonable goals. Aiming for 10x growth in a month might feel awesome at the beginning but reality will soon hit your motivation. Instead, set goals ~10%/month improvement. This is a goal you can beat, but also still hit if the month starts badly.

    Undo
  15. Jan 14

    When your company fails it’s often hard to let go & waiting can put you in a tough financial position, personally. You need at least 90 days to find your next role. You have skills that lots of companies want but desperately needing a job is not a good look for anyone.

    Undo
  16. Jan 9

    Current, rough valuation expectations across Seed Fundraising in the Bay Area: $1-3M cap - Friends and Family - $10-250k $3-6M cap - Pre-Seed - $250k-1M $8M-$12M pre-money/cap - Seed - $1-3M $12-$20M pre-money - Mango Seed - $3-5M

    Undo
  17. Jan 8

    During seed fundraising investors may ask for financial projections, here’s what I recommend: A) Projections over 2-3 years, broken down by quarter. B) 4-8 rows, maybe breaking down one unusual cost center. C) Be ambitious but don’t predict you’ll be Google within 3 years.

    Undo
  18. Jan 7

    Silicon Valley is filled with professional investors, but Angel investors are a better place to start for most. Don’t worry if you don’t have wealthy friends or family. Look for people in your past who have: networks, power or money. They will be glad to hear from you.

    Undo
  19. Jan 6

    Google’s monopoly on Search has existed for too long. There’s a credible team with very significant funding addressing this problem. They’re hiring engineers with search experience for both senior and junior positions. If you’re interested to learn more, DM me.

    Undo
  20. I recommend 3 plans for seed fundraising: Plan A. $250-750k for 9-12 months to hit next milestone & raise again. Use this w /angels, build momentum. Plan B. $1-3M for 18-24 months to reach series A. This is for seed funds. Plan Big VC. $4-6M for 18-24 months to reach series B.

    Undo

Loading seems to be taking a while.

Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.

    You may also like

    ·