For the past several months, ecovent has had the privilege of being a part of one of the U.S.’s best startup accelerators, Techstars. A lot of people have asked us what the experience was like, what we learned, and what we got out of the accelerator process.
I could go on all day about the benefits of the Techstars experience, how much we learned from our mentors, our advisors, and our fellow startup classmates. But in keeping with Techstars’ unofficial mantra “Do more faster,” I’ll keep it to a few key points.
Get Uncomfortable
Entrepreneurship is hard work, but being in an accelerator is even harder. If you want to get the most out of it, you have push yourself to the limit. In a mentor meeting with Techstars’ outgoing director Katie Rae, she told us, ““If you’re not finding the pace unsustainable, you’re not moving fast enough.”” That advice stuck with me throughout Techstars, and I still think about it every day. I haven’t hit the wall yet, mostly because I love what I do, and I love this company, but also because Techstars’ mentors showed me how to reach the next level of perseverance.
Get Perspective
Every entrepreneur thinks they know everything there is to know about their business. And then they come to Techstars. Mentors and investors—they don’t go easy on you. They ask tough questions. They attack every assumption. Challenge every decision. But for all the advice they provide, our mentors also reminded us constantly that it’s our company and every decision is our decision. Their views are just one data point.
The insights you take away from this process are going to be different for every company, but get ready to think and re-think your business until you’ve finally nailed it. Then talk to someone else and do it all over again. If that doesn’t sound valuable to you, I can tell you right now—don’t apply to Techstars. You may get perspective later on—but trust me, you want to challenge your thinking early. It can only leave you better prepared to handle challenges when they inevitably crop up.
Get Allies—And Employees
There’s no question that Techstars has a phenomenal network. We met mentors, investors, potential partners, and current (and future!) employees that we may never have met otherwise. Being based in Boston is a huge asset. The community is incredible, and it’s full of people who will look out for you and your company’s best interests.
Good allies are important, but the real value comes from the people you’ll add to your team for the long term. As any entrepreneur knows, hiring is tough. What better way to staff up than to surround yourself with talented, dedicated people? Techstars gave us that opportunity every single day.
We took nothing for granted. Every meeting, every phone call, every mentor session. And it made all the difference. Thank you Techstars, mentors, friends and family!
