Strategies for Pitching Customers and Investors
Why you need to understand Investor herd dynamics?

Why you need to understand Investor herd dynamics?

Most founders don't succeed in fundraising because they don't understand the investor herd dynamics. Investors are social animals; they feel more comfortable being part of a group than being the lone wolf.

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5 surprising things I've learned from 5 billionaires

5 surprising things I've learned from 5 billionaires

There are 2000 billionaires in the world. I've had the great opportunity of working with 5, whom I met when each of them invested in my last startup.

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The best-misguided advice I ever got from Jack Dorsey

The best-misguided advice I ever got from Jack Dorsey

In the fall of 2013, I was a freshly minted YC alum. Having been the first Hispanic to ever complete Silicon Valley’s top accelerator, I felt equal parts pride and impostor syndrome. I talked about this to one of my investors, he kindly suggested chatting with a ‘friend CEO’, who also felt like an imposter at the beginning of his career. Who was that CEO? None other than Jack Doresy.

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The best people to solve the diversity crisis in tech

The best people to solve the diversity crisis in tech

In the fall of 2013, I was a freshly minted YC alum. Having been the first Hispanic to ever complete Silicon Valley’s top accelerator, I felt equal parts pride and impostor syndrome.

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What I learned about ‘doing things that don't scale’ in Washington Heights

What I learned about ‘doing things that don't scale’ in Washington Heights

In July 2013, we were in the middle of the YC batch, trying to figure out how to get our product off the ground. Then we had office hours with Paul Graham, and he gave us this advice:

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Lead to win by Carla Harris

Lead to win by Carla Harris

What I learned as a founder from Carla Harris...

In 2005, I had the pleasure of seeing Carla Harris at an SEO event. She's the vice chairman at Morgan Stanley and has, for many years, been the torchbearer for diversity on Wall Street.

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Brown Enough by Christopher Rivas

Brown Enough by Christopher Rivas

I recently had a chance to read Brown Enough by fellow dominicano Christopher Rivas. This memoir explores the complexities of identity and race in America through the lens of a first-generation Latino growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood.

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What I learned about entrepreneurship from the Air Force

What I learned about entrepreneurship from the Air Force

What I learned about entrepreneurship from the Air Force.

In 1999, I joined the U.S. Air Force ROTC, a college program that prepares young adults to become officers in the U.S. military. My dream was to become a fighter pilot. ✈️ 🧑‍✈

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What I did not know about making a first impression

What I did not know about making a first impression

In June 2005, I started my internship at UBS, while I was part of the SEO program. As part of our SEO training, we were each paired with a mentor. Mine was Juan, from Puerto Rico, who was a senior banker at UBS Investment Bank.

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How I pivoted from Aircraft Mechanic to Investment Banker

How I pivoted from Aircraft Mechanic to Investment Banker

In May 2005, I made the career pivot of going from aircraft mechanic to investment banker, thanks to SEO. A few days after I hung up the coveralls, I walked into an auditorium at Columbia University wearing a new suit and tie. I had officially begun my journey as a paid intern on Wall Street.

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