Do More Faster India, 2nd Edition

Introduction

When startup founders first get to Techstars accelerators, they receive the red‐carpet treatment from us. They are introduced to the Techstars team—many of whom have gone through the program, sold their company, and come back to work with us. They get to meet the mentors, many of whom are well‐known within the startup community, and have earned national and international reputations. They get to talk about themselves, their idea, their vision and aspirations, and to have interested people ask them thoughtful questions. They immediately start developing relationships with the other founders in the program.

Then, reality sets in.

If we could sum up that reality in one word, it’s intensity. The amount of work that needs to be done—data to collect and validate, meetings with mentors, follow‐up contact with people, processing of feedback, and exploration of options—all happens so quickly and in such a short, compressed time, that many founders are shocked by the daunting task ahead.

We have found that the right mindset and approach to being a startup entrepreneur is the key to reducing that shock to hours, if not minutes. The following introductory chapters provide a perspective into what successful startup entrepreneurs are doing and thinking, and how they approach the startup challenge.