Deep Tech Founder Forum
Deep Tech Dirt’s forum is where verified deep tech founders trade honest, unfiltered takes on fundraising, grants, accelerators, and spinning companies out of the lab. Ask a question, provide an answer, and help other founders when they need it most.
17 discussions · 7 topics
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Recent discussions
Welcome to Deep Tech Dirt - How-To
If you just joined Deep Tech Dirt, welcome! This is a great post to start your journey. As you probably figured out by now, Deep Tech Dirt is all about deep tech founders helping each other to find th...
What accelerators generated the most value for you as a founder?
I've been thinking about all the accelerators I was part of as a founder (10 in all). Some were great; others were just OK. I really liked Third Derivative for the networking, and Creative Destruction...
What mistakes have you made along your founder journey
I just wrote a new Substack post about habits PhDs bring from the lab that can lead to mistakes that derail their startups (https://buildingfor2075.substack.com/). It got me thinking about the mistake...
Thoughts on the latest energy acquisitions by Google
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Government contracts - suggestions of good legal review?
With the federal government changing how it gets deals done, I'm worried our contract has some shifty exit clauses that will pull the rug out of from under us with terminated funding, or sneaking IP t...
How do I know my TRL evaluation is accurate?
The Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) are pretty standard fare for most deeptech investors to ask about. We've self evaluated our TRL, but how do I know I'm being fair and accurate in my assessment? I...
Staying up to date on the latest policy or industry specific news
The world is moving fast, and it's hard to stay on top of it. How do you get your industry specific news? Any favorite newsletters, substacks, podcasts or people to follow? I want to stay current, but...
Finding a co-founder?
How have people found their co-founders? Lots of deep tech founders come from technical backgrounds and are often encouraged to find business co-founders. But it can be hard to find someone who is a g...
Securing customer contracts for joint development or non-recurring engineering?
I was advised by several mentors to secure joint development agreements or R&D contracts for non-recurring engineering (NRE) to demonstrate customer traction. Unfortunately, I found that negotiating t...
Finding good interns?
One of the best ways to find good people is through internships. But how do you find interns who are a good fit when they have limited experience? What have you found to give you the best signal? The ...
Investment terms to be aware of?
What are the most worrisome terms you have seen in early-stage fundraising? One that messed me up was the Most-Favored-Nations clause (which gives investors rights to better terms on subsequent SAFEs ...
Cold outreach to VCs - advice and best practices
The general advice is that cold outreach is really ineffective when raising money. Has that been your case as well? Do you have any stories where cold outreach led to eventual investment?
US companies raising money from European funds
US-based founders: What has your experience been raising money from European VCs? I have seen some companies secure money effectively, while others have been given a cold shoulder because of the curre...
Tools for startup R&D in the age of AI
I think one of the most important activities for deep tech founders is developing effective processes to monitor and track R&D. What tools are you using to plan, track, and analyze R&D activities in y...
What tools are you using to track investor outreach?
I've seen more and more founders using Visible for tracking their investment outreach activities. I was curious what other tools people are using? A CRM? A spreadsheet? Some other dedicated tool?
Time management?
Does anyone have good tools to help with time management? @JSSilvia I would be curious to hear what you think
Bookkeepers for government contracts
Does anyone have any recommendations for a bookkeeper for managing a DOE contract?
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