DAY 32
FUNDING START-UPS By Greg Gilbert Co-founder of First Monday. @giezcubed
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’ve done wealth management since 1995. So for 18 years in the industry, I have known that I want to help deliver financial council as objectively as possible. I love something you can trust and that is unbiased. It’s what I’m looking for when I’m seeking out information, so that is what I’m trying to offer as well. I’m hoping I’m giving business, life, money, and personal council as objectively as possible. I work with high net worth clients who need good advice. I get to work with some really neat leaders who have businesses and are busy on the work and family front, so having someone for them to bounce ideas off of helps them maintain their calling and know how to make the greatest impact with their finances. I love the work I do because it’s who I am. I am by nature entrepreneurial and a creative thinker. I approach finance with a creative bent, and want to see my ideas through. It connects with me when I see good ideas. I love talking business and leadership. Part of business is funding, so I want to help others think through strategy and capitalize their ideas. A few of my clients invest in small business, so on the objectivity side, I get to help people invest money, pay down debt, and make good decisions. I want to help them do the right and wise thing. I’ve seen people gamble on financial decisions and fail, but I’ve also seen them be successful. I love
learning what makes people successful, so I can replicate council for others who are starting something themselves or investing in someone else’s idea. Through my years doing this work, I’ve learned what are the criteria to a successful venture and what makes it LESS risky. As someone who understands how hard a start up is, I can attest to how easy it is to feel lonely and on your own. At the end of the day, the majority of the work and responsibility falls on you, and that can be a lonely place. I have a heart for the leader going through that experience, so to be able to help them think through finances well. In working with start-ups, I have seen some mistakes that can be avoided. I was at a conference 2 weeks ago and there was a brilliant guy named Nassim Taleb speaking. He’s written a lot on risk. He teaches that if you can eliminate mistakes, you’ve come a long way in achieving your idea. Start-ups make a LOT of mistakes. It’s helpful to be around people who have been there before, to help work through the mistakes. If you can watch what they’ve done and do things differently, you might be able to achieve greater success. Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup, talks a lot about the minimal viable product. His point is that a lot of energy is wasted on trying to sell the WHOLE idea. Start with the minimal viable
Sustain Your Idea
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