In partnership with
Selling to startups is like pitching a tent in a windstorm - if you’re slow, vague, or full of fluff, you’re getting blown away. These folks don’t care about your enterprise logos or that you “leverage AI to optimize synergy.” They want fast wins, real people, and no BS.
If your pitch can’t be explained in a group chat or Slack thread, it’s too complicated. Keep it crisp, helpful, and human - or get ghosted.
SPONSORED BY PROTON
Organizations that need security choose Proton Pass
Proton Pass Business is the secure, streamlined way to manage team credentials. Trusted by over 50,000 businesses worldwide, Pass was developed by the creators of Proton Mail and SimpleLogin and featured in TechCrunch and The Verge.
From startups to nonprofits, teams rely on Proton Pass to:
Share passwords safely with end-to-end encryption
Manage access with admin controls and activity logs
Enforce strong password policies with built-in 2FA
Revoke access instantly during employee turnover
Simplify onboarding and offboarding across departments
Whether you're running IT for a global team or just want Daryl in accounting to stop using “password123,” Proton Pass helps you stay compliant, efficient, and secure — no training required.
Join the 50,000+ businesses who already trust Proton.
SALES
What Early-Stage B2B Buyers Actually Care About
If you're selling to startups or small B2B teams, the usual sales playbook won’t get you far. These buyers think fast, move fast, and don’t have time for fluff.
Here’s what matters to them:
1. Speed to value
Early-stage buyers want results, not promises. They’re strapped for time and resources, so if your product or service delivers a clear, immediate benefit, they’ll listen. Be specific about how quickly they’ll see impact.
Instead of: “We help increase productivity,”
Try: “We save your team 6+ hours a week by automating your outbound lead gen—live in 24 hours.”
2. Proof you’ve done this before
They don’t need to see case studies from billion-dollar enterprises. They want to know you’ve helped someone like them: small team, limited resources, moving fast. Show relevant wins, even if they’re scrappy.
3. Founder or team access
Startups love knowing the real humans behind the product. They’re more likely to buy when they feel like they’re getting personal access to someone who actually cares about their success.
4. Simple pricing and low-risk entry
Complex pricing kills momentum. Don’t hide behind 12-month contracts or force demos before sharing cost. Keep pricing transparent and make it easy to say yes. If the value’s real, they’ll stick around.
5. Done-for-you support
Startups are overloaded. If you help them achieve the outcome without making them work for it, you win. Whether it’s onboarding, done-for-you templates, or white-glove service, the less friction the better.
HEADLINES
Hot picks from the web
→ In a feature-parity world, it’s all about your brand — here’s how your startup can nail it in the first 100 days
SOFTWARE
Tool of the day
✅ RedditMonitor: Extract hot leads, market signals, and customer insights from millions of Reddit conversations
COMMUNITY
A community access gets you:
✅ Digital community: Access to a our highly engaged Slack community of founders and sales leaders who provide helpful advice.
💎 Exclusive perks: We’ve secured exclusive discounts with the most popular software companies, tools, and apps. We also have a robust preferred vendor database.
🤝 Premium content: Tips & tricks that you won’t found on the Internet to help you turn $$ into more $$$
🏦 Vetted vendors: List of vetted vendors, service providers and software that you can trust that we use personally.
🔥 Early access: Early access to new content, products, or features.
✍️ Speaker series & education: We host unique workshops and bring in hard to reach experts across a variety of topics.