Working with Lindsay T.
All of the strategic benefits of a co-founder…without giving up your equity.
Let Her Tell You
“ It was going to be my first proper pitch! Enter Lindsay Tabas – my indispensable business coach of a few months. We tweaked and polished the pitch, ran it past other advisors, then reconvened again until..the big day came!! And drumroll….I walked home with the 2nd prize: $65k of equity-free cash, mentorship calls with all judges and plenty of publicity.”
Bilyana Freye, GoHoppin.com
Won $65K as part of the Uber x GirlBoss Pitch Competition
There’s no reason to go at this tech startup thing alone…
Yet, you don’t want (nor need) to stop everything just to focus on finding a “co-founder” who may not share your passion and commitment.
Whether you’re the technical or nontechnical founder of your business, there are so many different things you could be doing at any given time. It’s difficult to figure out where to start, to connect with customers and to find the resources you need to get to the next milestone.
You’re going to bootstrap, DIY and hire many different people. Even then, it’s difficult to know what you need, how to identify talent and ways to direct them wisely.
And, all of these people you hire – contractors, consultants, employees, interns, and development shops – they’re not all going to work out.
I’ve heard this too many times, “I see mistakes now that we made. Wish I had an advisor, but no support network available. Find inconsistent results from freelancers on dev side.”
I know you need someone to consistently be by your side. I also know that for the long term, you need to upskill across Marketing, Product & Fundraising to:
(1) Do the work affordably yourself, and/or
(2) Master the basics so you can invest wisely in the right consultants, contractors & interns
I’m your brave, funny, creative, yet strategic, and curious friend that you can trust to support you.
What we can accomplish together:
Growing a startup requires more than just building a product & getting investment
From product roadmaps to designing user acquisition that works, there are decisions that can make or break your success at every turn. I tried the Silicon Valley blueprint when I first started and it doesn’t work. So, I developed my own that can be used for virtually any industry.**
** Industries I’ve worked with:
FinTech, EdTech, Electric Cars, Health IT, Entertainment, Social & Photo Sharing, Food Tech, Accessibility, B2B SaaS, Institutional Investing, E-Commerce, Energy, Insurance (Medical, Life & Small Business), Marketplaces, Consumer Products, and more.
Customer Discovery & Validation
- Take what you have (wireframes, video demo, etc) and prove that what you want to do with your business will work with customers
- Get the initial system of customer onboarding running
- Identify the right target audiences and refine your idea so it’s something they’re excited to use
Strategic Partners, Pricing & Business Development
- Figure out your business model and how you’re going to make money
- Create a step-by-step game plan for marketing your startup
- Plan your sales & distribution channels
Develop & Iterate on the Product
- Design your minimal viable product
- Review your designs for both cost and user experience
- Pilot and test your prototype/product with beta users and focus groups
- Get and vet quotes from software development firms
- Implement product management practices to keep things on time and moving smoothly
Fundraising & Investment
- Craft your pitch & fundraising strategy so you get investors to lean-in and pay attention
- Finesse your applications for accelerator programs and pitch competitions
- Build out your financial model and cash flow projections
My niche
I help founders design & sell the right product before spending too much (more) money building the wrong one.
The most difficult challenge, even for product management professionals, is going from what customers say to what developers and manufacturers build. That’s my sweet spot.
For those of you who want to fundraise…
While entrepreneurs are my focus, I spend 20% of my time performing due diligence for angel investors. I know what it takes to get them to open their wallets. In our work together, I’ll spot potential problems and blind spots, helping you avoid expensive mistakes. I’ll also make sure we’re proving your business is an excellent prospective investment.
How we work together:
Our Partnership
A Mix of DIY Tools, Strategic Consulting, Collaboration & Coaching
Individualized Support
1-hour video collaboration calls
Shared recordings of our sessions
Email & text message contact
Document reviews & support tickets
Lady Engineer® Playbooks & Tool Library
Customer Acquisition Strategy
New User Onboarding Design
Prototyping Bootcamp
Startup Storytelling Matrix
Chart of Your Early Go-to-Market Strategy
*More resources listed below.
Community & Bi-Weekly Mastermind
Practice your pitch with others
Share your experiences & challenges
Get connected and collaborate
She can also share:
“…working on the last homework you gave me 🙂 The work we did was/is a Godsend. I have just been sending the Product Road Map chart, sketch notes, user interviews/survey information etc. and people are loving it.”
Sheena Franklin, WellKeptBeauty.com
Received $25K as part of AccelerateBaltimore™
The Startup Curve is a Rocky One
Why go through all that struggle when you have me on speed dial?
About that
“I would have been in analysis paralysis for at least another week. Wish we had started working together 6 months ago! Time is money and you would have saved me so much…..”
Sonali N, PetMinded.co
When we work together, you get access to my rolodex and all the resources I’ve cultivated throughout my 15-years in this industry.
What they've done:
My Clients Go on to do Amazing Things
- Accepted into AccelerateBaltimore with $25K in funding and placed 2nd overall
- Planned & executed pilot testing while bringing in revenue
- Mentioned in CB Insights CPG & Retail Weekly Newsletter
- Raised $200K in funding while working together
- Won $65K in nonequity funding from Uber x GirlBoss Pitch Competition
- Designed and built the website on time and under budget
- Signed B2B contracts with Fortune 100 firms
- Negotiated equity terms with co-founders
- Built email waiting lists of over 1000+ before launching
- Partnered with the leading military veterans charity
One-hundred percent, we will make things happen.
That’s what he said
“We have seen surprising levels of growth within the three months since launch. I don’t think we would have sold over 1100 units within three months had it not been for the work with Lindsay.”
Greg Yeutter, BedtimeBulb.com
You will do amazing things, too:
And I will love writing about you in my newsletters and bragging about you on Facebook
Your options:
Let’s Work Together
Lindsay is fully booked for private clients!
If you’d like to reserve one hour for a paid working session with Lindsay, book here!
Strategic PartnerStrategic & Involved
$ 1125
Per Month- 2 x 1:1 Video Calls
- 2 Just-in-Time Assists
- Access to the Lady Engineer® Playbook & Tools Library
- Warm introductions to my network
- Recommendations for reliable vendors
- Membership to private community
- Bi-weekly mastermind
- Email, Phone & Text support
Additional Details
- Just-in-Time Assists
- Discounted Hourly Rates
- Email, Text & Quick Phone Calls
- Warm Introductions
- Lady Engineer® Library
I designed Just-in-time-Assists as a way for you to get additional help from me on an as-needed basis. Your needs obviously change so quickly so I don’t want to pretend there’s a one-size-fits all solution. You can use your assists across many areas.
Generally, there are three types of assists:
- Document Review (Pitch Deck, Financial Model, Proposal/Estimate from Consultant/Contractor, Term Sheet, Accelerator Application)
- Technical Help (Setting up Zapier, Fix something in MailChimp, Update DNS Settings, Install WordPress plugin)
- Developer or Team Conversation (Clarify requirements and scope, Facilitate an internal feedback session)
Turnaround time for Assists is generally 24-48 hours.
PS: Any #ask you may have that takes less than 10 minutes is gratis
Both Advisor & Strategic Partner clients get access to discounted 1:1 meeting rates. Some months you may want me to activate and accelerate a new initiative. Other months you may be too busy to schedule more than our 1 or 2 calls. Either way, I can give you that individualized support you and your business require.
- 1 hour
$310$248/hr 20% Discount - Prepaid package of 5-hours $1,165 25% Discount
- Prepaid package of 10-hours $2,170 30% Discount
- Prepaid package of 15-hours $3,025 35% Discount
All calls are video, recorded, and shared for you to reference later.
Things come up day-to-day that have quick answers, need to be addressed immediately, and don’t require a full 1-hour video call. Here are some reasons my clients have texted me:
- She was accepted into an accelerator and was excited to give the news!
- She needed to offload that she was overwhelmed and could use some consolation.
- A co-founder meeting did not go well so she wanted to vent.
Here are some things you can email me with:
- A potential co-founder didn’t like the equity terms we proposed
- An investor is asking for a pitch deck and you want validation it’s ready
- An accelerator proposed terms that were slightly disagreeable and you need to respond ASAP
- You’re feeling nervous about your pending launch and terrified no one will like your product
Whether you pick email, phone or text, at the end of the day, I’m here for you.
Did you know that in a natural disaster your survival is based on how many strong connections you have with people near you?
Our biggest resource is the network of people we know. From those relationships, we find more opportunities than we realize.
While you may know a ton of people in your chosen industry, your Users, Customers, Potential Investors, Partners, Advisors, and future staff are likely elsewhere.
Here are some places where I’ve recently helped my clients with warm introductions:
- Strategically recruiting survey participants
- Identifying potential nonprofits for a pilot test
- Connecting two founders who are both negotiating equity with co-founders
- Asking on CPG founder to advise another
- Coupling a subject-matter expert with a founder doing market research
- Forwarding on pitch decks to investors
- Introducing a founder to multiple development shops to interview
- Convincing a CTO-level friend to offer free office hours to my clients
Below, I’ve highlighted some of the resources I make available to you:
Growth & Awareness
- New User Onboarding Design
- Customer Acquisition Strategy
Prototyping & Product
- Prototyping Bootcamp
- Design Basics Tutorials
- Product Roadmap Guide
Fundraising
- Startup Storytelling Matrix
- Use of Funds Template
- Networking Game to Connect with Investors
Go-to-Market Strategy
- Chart of Your Early Go-to-Market Strategy
- Nail Your Best Marketing Channel
- Basic Branding Development
Market & Customer Research
- Identifying the Best Target Market
- Market Survey Templates
Want to get on the phone for 1-hour to spot treat something urgent?
If you are feeling a little stuck and think you just need a small push to get you over the hump, spending an hour with me is your best choice.
What we can do in an hour:
- Discuss the ins-and-outs of fundraising, terminology, and fundamentals to your strategy
- Go over your pitch deck and executive summary to identify opportunities to strengthen your defensibility
- Review a term sheet, decide on your response & which questions to ask
- Come up with a short term, 3-4 week plan to figure out your next steps and find strategic focus
Totally pumped about an idea you have?
When we first come up with an idea we LOVE, the creative juices are flowing. So many ideas! Of course, you check in with friends and family to see what they think. Hopefully, you got their support.
What’s next? I’m sure you’ve heard (1) Write a business plan or (2) Find a tech co-founder. But what about setting up a legal entity, building a website and finding investors? You really need to FIGURE OUT WHERE TO START.
Book a working session with me and from there I can make the best recommendation of what you can do and how we might work together.
View ScheduleView ScheduleAdditional Customer Testimonials
– Kristin Fahy, WitSees.com
“Our AZ sales are growing pretty well. Thanks for your work helping me get clear. It was not easy for me, but your in-depth approach was what I needed.”
Andrea Shuman, ILoveGhee.com
“The biggest concrete thing that I have learned and seen happen in the real world is learning to talk about wireframes and how I want my site to actually function. I actually had to talk to my developer about a recipe/grocery list for what happens when you press this button, how you want this to look, or which things were grouped together. The conversation with my developer was so easy and seamless, it only took two rounds of edits, (for something [neither of us] had never done before!) Lindsay’s program walked me through exactly how to do this.”
Alison Mountford, EndsAndStems.com
“The video meetings are not usually enough to discuss everything I’d like to discuss. However, there is a lot more communication happening through WhatsApp and emails. Lindsay’s availability to questions and advice is really high and she offers a lot of support with content as well”
Rotem Carmely, FindYourCluster.com
Thank you! This concludes the end of the tour. The gift shop is… I hope to hear from you!