Dogpatch Labs

Yesterday, we welcomed Stripe Co-Founder John Collison to Dogpatch Labs, he shared openly about his founder journey, home truths behind startup success, sage advice on company building, and thoughts on navigating through a changing tech landscape. When asked about his evolution from a hands-on founder to the leader of a large organisation, he emphasised the importance of customer centricity and a ‘boots-on-the-ground’ mindset, especially in the early days of a startup. “Listen to your users. Be hands-on as much as possible. Invite honest feedback, and avoid denial. Then you’ll build something people actually want.” Collison noted that the commonality of super-successful tech giants is an obsession with customers.  "Let the market teach you things. Build, pivot, scale.” John talked about how distraction with the next product and internationalisation is the enemy of early-stage startup founders, saying, “Nail the core product. Don’t obsess over the “Act II” product. Keep the main thing the main thing.” What was your key takeaway as an entrepreneur? Tell us in the comments below 👇 #Leadership #Innovation #TechFounders #Stripe #DogpatchLabs #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #FiresideChat #ScalingUp #TechCommunity

The recent U.S. election results, with Donald Trump's "America First" approach, and the new U.S. Commerce Secretary singling Ireland out as part of the problem, have intensified conversations about Ireland's economic strategy and heightened the urgency to build a strong indigenous economy that matches the strength of our foreign direct investment (FDI) sector. The closure of NDRC has been deeply disheartening to many in the entrepreneurial community. It is significant not just because of the loss of our flagship startup programmes but because it raises a larger set of questions - Do we have the correct strategy for our innovation economy? Why are we making decisions that appear misaligned with international expert advice and, more importantly, the voices of our own entrepreneurs? If nothing else, I hope this is a catalyst for a wider discussion amongst all stakeholders about the future of our innovation economy. Accelerators alone are not the solution, just part of one. I delve deeper into this issue in my commentary for the Business Post today https://bit.ly/3V76qzX

NDRC is shutting down at the end of next year. I think it is a big loss for the Irish startup ecosystem. A huge part of the magic was the fact that so many of our most successful entrepreneurs, 100+ mentors, from unicorns to successfully exited companies showed up every year and gave their time to mentor the next generation of founders. We also focused on making it more deeply embedded across Ireland, meaning you didn’t always need to travel to Dublin to access this network. Since 2020, we’ve been proud to collaborate with Republic of Work in Cork, PorterShed in Galway, RDI Hub in Kerry, delivering outstanding impact: €200+ million raised just in the last four years. That’s proof of the momentum we’ve built together. Thank you to everyone who has made NDRC what it is today. To all the founders, and mentors and investors. This stuff doesn’t happen alone. At Dogpatch Labs, our mission hasn’t changed. We remain committed to creating the best possible ecosystem for founders to succeed. As we lead the NDRC through its final year, we’ll find new ways to support founders. But, we might need your help with that. Patrick https://lnkd.in/eDHkNbRn

Missed the news from Helsinki? Yesterday, Irish startup DevAlly was named one of the Top 3 startups at Slush after pitching live on the coveted international summit’s Startup Stage. Onnittelut! — or, “Congratulations!” (for non-Finnish speakers). Selected from over 1,000 applicants to join the #Slush100, co-founders Cormac, Patrick, and Darren have demonstrated the impact of their technology and its ability to empower developers to build more inclusive and accessible experiences across the digital landscape. This year, Dev Ally — along with two other breakthrough startups, Lip Video and Gclinics — was selected to take part in the first-ever FCAT Fellowship, run in partnership with Dogpatch Labs. This early-stage startup support programme is powered by the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®(FCAT) with the goal of advancing and strengthening the innovation ecosystem. The FCAT Fellowship gives motivated startup founders access to thriving tech ecosystems like the Slush network, along with tangible support that can help accelerate their organisation. DevAlly has received hands-on mentorship from the FCAT and the wider network over the last 6 months, and TODAY, Cormac Chisholm will take to Slush Main Stage to share the company’s vision for digital accessibility. Up for grabs is a €1,000,000 investment from leading funds Cherry Ventures and General Catalyst. Congratulations to DevAlly. For more on our collaboration with FCAT, visit: https://lnkd.in/eu3K8QnQ

This week #Fierce at Dogpatch Labs, an action-driven network connecting women founders in tech, features in the Financial Times article on how Ireland is shifting the diversity dial to stay with the pace of tech innovation. Jude Webber speaks to Lorraine E. Curham who leads up Fierce at Dogpatch on the investment landscape both at home and abroad for women founders, and how Fierce equips these entrepreneurs to overcome obstacles and scale their startups. Voices from the Irish tech ecosystem echo Curham's sentiment, including Dogpatch Labs startup member Sandra Healy of inclusio, as well as leaders in wider financial services sector. Led by successful entrepreneurs (including fintech senior leadership), and built for founders to get things done, Fierce now connects over 600 women founders in tech with international networks, right from Dogpatch Labs. Jude Webber writes on... Find the link in the first comment below. Learn more about Fierce: https://lnkd.in/eH3j2bxa #Fierce #WomeninSTEM #WomenFounders #WomenInTech

I’m excited to be doing Office Hours again, this time alongside Will Prendergast and Dylan Scully from Frontline Ventures, and Malaika Judd, MD of the NDRC Accelerator. When: Wednesday, 27th November Where: In-person at Dogpatch Labs If you're an early-stage founder looking for advice on Fundraising, Go-To-Market strategies, or maybe a specific challenge, happy to chat about it. Spots are limited, and sign-ups close this Friday, 22nd November. Apply via the link in the comments below.

Why join the 2050 Accelerator, powered by Dogpatch Labs in Dublin? It brings leading companies and startups together to solve pressing sustainability challenges. Over six months, leverage our platform for impact, collaborating with industry giants like Kerry, ESB, and Coillte to test and scale your solutions. Is your tech startup solving a pressing sustainability challenge? Are you ready to scale globally? It’s time to join the 2050 Accelerator - applications are now open for a global sustainability accelerator. Unlock Ireland's potential for your startup. Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/ezNP5Ykr

At #Fierce, we're connecting women tech founders with the people that can help them on their startup journey. Be that international investors, mentors, successful women entrepreneurs, potential partner and customer pools, and of course, fellow founders. Today's Fierce Summit illustrates the power of this network. Overheard at lunch as "the best summit in Europe this week" for its high-impact, entrepreneur-led sessions, with everything from raising in the states, and legal 101, to workshops on why VCs aren’t backing you, GTM strategies, and juggling a startup and parenthood. Full download is coming soon. Ending on a feel-good high, we wrapped up the day with Founder F**k-Ups: unfiltered stories, laughs, and hard lessons learned. At Dogpatch Labs, we don’t just talk the talk when it comes to supporting women-founded companies. We walk the walk. Shoutout to all the #Fierce Summit women-founded vendors for partnering with us: shareclub, SQUID, Bakehouse Dublin, Soilse Candles If you're a women tech founder in Ireland hungry for scaling globally, join Fierce network: https://lnkd.in/e_uxd9tS

🚀 Big Wins for Women-Led Startups in Q3! 🚀 Q3 2024 was a standout for Irish tech companies with women founders, capturing over 30% of total funding (excluding one large outlier)! This success was powered by major rounds from CroiValve (€14.6M) and Luminate Medical (€13.6M). 💼 Thanks to Women Mean Business (WMB) for sharing our latest report: https://lnkd.in/e37DhMJB 📥 View and Download the full TechIreland report here: https://lnkd.in/eYXWbkZF #FundingVibes2024 #TechIreland #StartupFunding #Q3Report #IrishTech #InvestmentTrends #Growth #WomenInTech

At #Fierce, we connect women tech founders with successful women entrepreneurs who are ready to give back to the next generation of startups. From selling their companies to globally recognised tech giants, to raising millions in investment, we've got over 40 top mentors and speakers at #Fierce Summit this Friday. Trust us, you don't want to miss out on this. Apply to get your hands on the last remaining Fierce Summit tickets: https://lu.ma/iw10k6q8 Ann Hunt | Áine Denn | Marina Gorey | Andreea Wade | Michelle Dervan | Katie Farrell