#early-stage-startups

#early-stage-startups

My entrepreneurial ambitions led me to major in computer science, which opened the door to internships at companies like Meta, Slack, and Robinhood. My desire for more agency and autonomy over my work drove me to intern at progressively smaller companies. My first internship was with Facebook, which at that time had about 12,000 employees. When I joined Slack, it was a 1,200-person company. And finally, when I got to Robinhood, it was a 300-person company.

If you've ever worked in or around startups, you've definitely seen it: a small team, new funding, great enthusiasm, and a whiteboard full of objectives and key results (OKRs). Everything appears polished, strategic, and "grown-up." However, for early-stage products, the polish might be a trap. In the early, messy, uncertain stages of product development, narrative always outperforms strategy. A compelling story not only guides your team, but it also persuades investors, early adopters, and potential hires to believe in something that doesn't exist yet.

TechCrunch is set to announce the 2025 Startup Battlefield 200 on August 27, showcasing the most promising early-stage startups at TechCrunch Disrupt from October 27-29.

Meta recently launched the Llama Startup Program, selecting a diverse cohort of early-stage startups from over 1,000 applications, all focused on utilizing advanced AI technologies.