Aron Korenblit

I screwed up a customer’s phone number but they’re still with us 6 years later. Let me tell you a story that I’ve finally built up the courage to share. When we were doing YC, we had a customer, John, who runs an auto repair shop, transfer his phone number to OpenPhone from another service. At that time, it was just Mahyar Raissi and me. After porting John’s number over, I didn’t realize I had set it up incorrectly. When he reached out on Friday night saying his number wasn’t working, I was terrified. I immediately realized what happened. I called him back, admitted my mistake, and shared that he had missed calls because of it. I was so ready to be yelled at… Surprisingly, John was very nice. I offered to call his customers back (on his behalf) and book appointments for him. He took me up on it! So that’s what Mahyar and I did the next morning. Well, mostly Mahyar. He called back each person and set up appointments for John’s business. Talk about doing things that don’t scale. 🙂 Six years later, John is still an OpenPhone customer. He’s grown his team, and they’re all using OpenPhone. Even more surprisingly, he ended up porting more numbers over to us. Isn’t that crazy considering how badly I messed things up for him? As I think through this, several lessons emerge: 1 - Customer service is a major differentiator. It’s often why customers choose to stick with you even while you’re figuring stuff out. Embrace it and deliver an 11/10 experience. This is crucial for early-stage startups. 2 - Mistakes happen. Be transparent, own up to them, and offer quick resolutions. Sometimes the best customer experiences emerge out of embarrassing situations like this one. 3 - Early customers are the reason why startups exist. If you show them genuine care, they’ll become your best marketing. 💜 The journey of building a company is filled with doing things that don’t scale. These moments feel very normal when you’re going through them and only looking back do you realize that they also shape your company culture.

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YC gives one piece of advice I strongly disagree with: “Don’t meet investors unless you are actively raising” This is my take👇 Get into regular comms with investors from day one. Why? Raising a seed round is going to take many  conversations to close out a round. Of course, your chances are best when you condense those conversations into 3-6 weeks and begin your raise when you’re happy with your metrics. But let’s face it - who has that time as a founder to focus solely on investor meetings for weeks? Definitely not me. Every founder should spend 10-20% of their time meeting with angels, syndicates, VCs etc - WAY before raising. I’ve said many times before to not treat investors as cash machines - they’re humans. Get to know them as  individuals, the thesis of the firms they work for, etc. If they like you, you can offer to stay in touch or add them to your update list. Build it out like a sales pipeline. You add value back (if you can) but at a minimum remind them you exist and the progress your startup is making. Oh, and you might find some great customers / employees / partners / friends along the way. #Startups #YCombinator #SeedFunding #VCFunding #Founders 

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Now that I’m a pre-seed founder with no income, I’ve downgraded my commute from Uber to the MTA Bus. It’s humbling but also taught me a lot so I decided to share the biggest lessons I’ve learned from eating this humble pie. 🌟**What Taking the Bus in NYC Taught Me About Enterprise Sales**🌟 Ah, the New York City bus. A beacon of efficiency and comfort. No delays, always on time, and the perfect place to learn about enterprise sales! 🚌💼 1. **Patience is a Virtue:** Just like waiting for that elusive client decision, waiting for the bus teaches you that time is just a construct. Why rush when you can enjoy the scenic view of the same block for 20 minutes? ⏳ 2. **Building Relationships:** Every bus ride is a networking opportunity. Whether it’s the person sharing their life story with you or the one falling asleep on your shoulder, these encounters are invaluable for honing your people skills. 🤝 3. **Handling Rejection:** When the bus doors close right in your face, it’s just like losing a deal you were certain you’d win. Brush it off, wait for the next one, and hope for a better outcome. 🚪❌ 4. **Strategic Planning:** Navigating the bus system requires a level of strategic thinking akin to planning a multi-million dollar sales pitch. One wrong move and you end up in Staten Island. 🗺️ 5. **Optimism:** The sheer optimism of believing the bus will come on time, despite all evidence to the contrary, mirrors the unwavering belief in closing that impossible deal. 🌈 So next time you're frustrated with your sales pipeline, just hop on a bus. It's basically a masterclass in enterprise sales. 🚍📈 #SalesLessons #EnterpriseSales #NYCBus #LinkedInInfluencer #TotallySeriousPost

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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫? I've been asked this a lot recently so let’s jump right in According to Carta, 41% of two-founder companies split equity evenly and in my experience, most others would be between a 30-45% split. Before we go further it’s worth noting that Carta also states that over 25% of startups have solo founders so it is important to first be very clear about why you’d want a co-founder. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐂𝐨-𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫? If you know where you want the business to go, how to get there, and have some cash in the bank then you may simply want to hire (or contract) for key tasks and part-pay with employee-level equity to increase commitment and reduce cash burn. If the above is true and you just need some expert guidance to cover your blind spots then look at creating an Advisory Board. If however, you need someone to substantively share in the long-term burden of building the dream, to not only give you extra bandwidth but to fight and sacrifice shoulder to shoulder through the inevitable valleys of entrepreneurship, then you are squarely in co-founder territory. 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 Ask yourself these questions: 1) How much would motivate me to stay focussed? Be honest with your answer and don’t expect a good quality co-founder to be happy with much less than you’d be in their shoes. 2) How highly do I rate the candidate?  A good way to answer this is by using a simple scorecard to rank the candidate in relation to criteria that are important to you e.g. Integrity/values, domain expertise, track record, cultural fit etc… Their overall score can help guide where you see them within the typical 2nd founder range of 30-50% 3) Am I compelled to give this person a big chunk of my business?  You want a co-founder who’s potential excites you to the extent that you are grateful while handing over the shares…..a bit like cleaning out your savings to buy a house at 50% of its market value. If you don’t feel like this, it may be the wrong person. 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 • Set expectations. Ensure that everyone (Including you) is clear about their responsibilities and KPIs. • Manage the potential downside. Get a good startup lawyer to prepare agreements so there is clarity in relation to things like vesting, disposal of shares, non-competing, non-solicitation, confidentiality, voting rights etc… If all goes south, you’ll be really happy you have this. • Avoid founder syndrome. Your idea is valueless without execution, share equity adequately with the right person. • Never stop selling to your co-founder (especially if they are technical), it is important to keep them excited about the potential. • 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞! You’ll waste far more time unwinding the wrong co-founder than you’ll spend finding the right one.

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‘When you’re raising a round, try to raise your next 2 rounds at the same time.’ ^Smart advice I heard last week 💡 VCs often say ‘no’ in the early stages because there’s not enough traction. (Also, many funds say they do preseed/seed, seed/A, etc, but lean toward the later stage of the two). When it’s a ‘you’re too early,’ try to understand what traction and metrics you need to hit that would get an investor to a YES the next time you raise $. Add them to your investor updates and keep charging til you hit those metrics. Ideally, if you build the relationships now, it’ll make it easier to raise the next round instead of starting from a cold stop. Also, it can make sure you right-size the amount you’re raising now, so you have enough cash to reach the metrics.

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Startup founders, let's talk about resilience. 🚀 Watching Celine Dion's triumphant return to the stage at the Paris Olympics, I found myself getting quite emotional. Celine's voice, once silenced by health issues, now soars again. Her journey reminds me of the countless founders whose dreams were on the brink of collapse, yet who found the strength to push forward. Her comeback reminds us: 🪨 Setbacks aren't failures; they're stepping stones. 📢 Your voice and vision matters. Don't let it be silenced. 🐦‍🔥 The world is waiting for your comeback story. One of Celine's songs is "The show must go on." In startup land, that means pivoting, persevering, and sometimes, completely reinventing yourself. What stage are you preparing to take? Share below, and let's celebrate the resilience that defines true entrepreneurs. Your stories inspire me every day. 💪 #Resilience #Entrepreneurship #NeverGiveUp

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If I knew these 3 pieces of advice before my first YC interview, I think I would’ve gotten in sooner—and Zoko (YC W21) could've been on it's merry way to being a Unicorn by now 🤔 → Don't over-prepare for the interview. That's the reason we blew our first YC interview. We were so focused on our script that we didn't actually listen. YC isn't looking for a rehearsed pitch. They want to see how your brain works in real-time. → There are no pleasantries. When that camera turns on, it's go time. There's no "Hi, how are you?" Just straight to "What are you working on?" You're jumping onto a moving train, not waiting at a station. You have 10 minutes. That's it. Match their pace from the start. → Know your numbers. Cold. - How many users do you have? - What's your growth rate? - Customer acquisition cost? - Lifetime value? YC partners are looking for founders who live and breathe their business. If you don't know these numbers by heart, how can you expect them to believe in your vision? MY ADVICE IF YOU'RE APPLYING FOR YC: Save this post. Come back to it before the interview.

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Let's get real with AI tool adoption in Marketing... As VP of Marketing at Wunderkind, Amandine Servain knows firsthand the challenges and opportunities that come with integrating AI tools into marketing workflows. In a recent AMA webinar, Amandine shared her approach to evaluating and adopting these tools. The key, according to Amandine, is to start not with the tools but by identifying specific pain points within your team's workflows. From there, look for AI solutions that can both solve those problems and also seamlessly integrate with your existing technology stack. "First, we look at the challenges that we have... then we move to trying to find a tool that can solve that pain point, could be AI, could not be AI," Amandine explained. "When we find AI tools, such as Tofu, that was solving a pain point, most of the time we do a POC first to make sure it actually solving the pain point that we think it's solving." But adoption is only half the battle. Measuring the impact of these tools is equally important. Amandine's team tracks engagement metrics and runs A/B tests to quantify the effectiveness of their AI-powered campaigns. However, Amandine cautions against data overload: "We track a lot of data, probably too much data, more than we actually use, but I think that's kind of the marketer's disease, tracking too many data points and not fully knowing what am I going to do with that data?" The key takeaway? Be strategic in your approach to AI adoption. Identify clear pain points, ensure seamless integration, and measure impact using meaningful metrics. With the right strategy, AI tools can be a powerful addition to your marketing workflows. What has been your experience with adopting AI tools in your marketing efforts? https://lnkd.in/gMTVPbtU

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It’s NY Tech week and my new favorite thing is teaching underrepresented founders how to talk back to investors. So many of them ask me for help fundraising, and I get it. I may not always think of myself as an expert, since I’m lucky enough to surround myself with people who are much more experienced at it than I am. But we did do it successfully once, raising more than $3M along the way with little more than a deck, a dream, and an incredible founding team. Of course, we’re all aware that this success puts us in the teeny tiny cohort of startups who raise without a traditional-looking founding team. So what’s the common theme in my advice to non-traditional founders at the early stage? Push back. It’s easy to get intimidated by investors. They’re smart, aggressive, and ask really hard questions. It can be hard to remember that YOU are the expert on your market. They are generalists. Even if they have strong opinions on your market, it’s OK to tell them when you think they’re wrong. In fact, if you have the conviction and confidence (plus evidence to back it up), disagreeing with your prospective investors can even be seen as an advantage. When a VC asks you a question at the pre-seed stage about your path to $100M in ARR, it’s OK to say “dude, we’re a pre-seed company. I know what our path is to get to a million, and we will have a lot to figure out after that.” Now, this only works if you have a track record that can support your confidence. Or if you don’t know the answer, but you DO know HOW you’re going to figure it out, talk about the path from experimentation to scalability. It’s better than making up a bunch of stuff that you’ll probably throw out eventually, and VCs will respect your focus and defense of your precious little time. Plus, they can usually tell if your confidence is lacking in your answer, anyway. This investor market is a tricky one, but never forget that they (investors) need you (founders) just as much as you need them. And hey, if you’re an up and coming female or underrepresented founder, and you need some help (or just a pep talk) I’d love to help. Happy Tech Week everyone!!

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My co-Founder Charbel Seif 🐻‍❄️ and I are building an Ecom SaaS solely for Americans, from Paris. And it actually makes more sense for us than you think. Why Paris: Myself and Charbel are both French. This is home for us. But the reason we're building here isn't because we're homebodies. Truth is, we have a complex product that needs to be robust. We have a ton of companies counting on us—so the product can't have flaws. And that means we need the best engineers. Our network here gives us access to the best engineering talent in France, as opposed to starting from 0 in America. Staying here gives us that advantage. Why America: So many European founders fail because they try to replicate already-successful American companies on our side of the pond. We don't want to replicate. We want to own the category, and that starts with being in the USA (~2/3 of Shopify brands are American). That means everything being written in English. That means charging in USD. To a customer who doesn't know Charbel and I, we should appear American (unless you see my videos in which case the accent is hard to miss).

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Unsolicited feedback is the biggest gift you can get as a founder. But here’s the trap many early-stage founders fall into: The moment someone shares feedback, they immediately jump into defense mode—justifying their thought process, decisions, or product vision. Here’s the truth: feedback, resistance, and even challenges are invaluable because they expose you to perspectives you may not have considered. The key isn’t to justify—it’s to listen, observe, and dig deeper. 👉 Here’s a perspective to think about: A friend recently shared how they felt humiliated after being insulted by a colleague in public. It’s a tough situation, no doubt. But it was also their first experience handling such a moment. If approached with the right mindset, this moment becomes a gift — a chance to learn and be better prepared next time. 👉 The same applies to feedback: Someone giving you feedback means they see potential—they care enough to want you to improve. But not everyone is articulate in their feedback delivery. Sometimes, frustration or disappointment is just a poorly communicated desire for something better. The best thing you can do? • Listen verbatim. Resist the urge to customize your response. • Stay curious. Ask questions. Understand the underlying decision-making process behind their feedback. • And most importantly, use their input as a tool for root cause analysis (RCA) rather than rushing to defend. I’m sharing this because I’ve made this mistake myself. As a founder, our natural instinct is to defend our work—it’s personal. But the sooner we let go of this mindset, the faster our offering can improve. So, here’s my advice: Feedback isn’t an attack; it’s an opportunity. Wishing all of us a lot of feedback this week ❤️ 😅 #Feedback #FoundersMindset #StartupLife #Growth #Curiosity

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How do you choose a co-founder? My first time around, I didn’t meet my co-founders in-person until AFTER our raise. This time around, I’m working with a close friend and roommate. People often ask me which approach they should choose: working with a stranger after a long period of co-founder dating, or choosing a friend / ex-colleague that they’ve known for years. But that’s the entirely wrong question. What really matters is: Can you have open, honest conversations when you’re frustrated? Are you able to consciously create boundaries to separate “friend mode” and “work mode”? Do you trust this person and can you rely on them? It doesn’t actually matter that much if you’re starting off as strangers or friends. You’ll inevitably end up building close, personal ties as you work together. And you’ll face the same challenges of open communication, boundaries, and trust. Looking for a potential co-founder or have a story of how you met one? Drop a line below 👇

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Startups need to understand their customer, and where they reside. For example, NYC is the perfect launchpad for Hirebird due to... High demand for hourly workers: NYC's diverse economy relies heavily on flexible labor. Diverse talent pool: NYC attracts a wide range of skilled individuals seeking hourly employment. Early adopter culture: New Yorkers are known for embracing new technologies. Innovation hub: NYC fosters collaboration and provides access to resources. Thriving gig economy: Hirebird aligns with the growing trend of flexible work arrangements. To succeed as a start-up, you need to get your hands dirty. Immerse yourself in your city's culture, understand the specific needs of your ICP, and tailor your product/tool accordingly. Use this example as an exercise to understand your company's ICP and where to find them! #Startup #Startups #ICP #Marketing #TargetMarket #TAM

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Feeling super encouraged by our VC meetings this week. So much constructive feedback that we can action immediately. Most common points: - Would like to see more traction (we're about to launch at our next college) - Missing someone on team with expertise scaling something social (anyone know someone, pls DM - fractional is ideal!) - Won't touch an uncapped SAFE (it's all a negotiation) The best feedback I'm hearing is our potential for scale is big enough. One VC is mulling over whether to take the risk and invest in as us a 'big bet' as they described. Another has even gone as far as spending time getting feedback from friends at Sequoia and Greylock on our deck. We're probably too early for them, but it all helps for the next round. Do you know any early-stage consumer tech VCs? We're 60% committed and have just $2m left to close in the coming weeks. DMs are open. Happy Friday! #startups #fundraising

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59 out of our first 100 customers were fellow Y Combinator companies. 🧡 Post-pivot, the YC network/community, and bookface (YC's internal forum) were mission-critical for us. Critical for so many reasons: 1) These companies bought our product before they should have. Shout out to Gabriel Spencer-Harper for literally buying our product 1-week before it shipped. 2) Allowed us to get initial feedback from people who really cared. 3) Gave us so many customer referrals. 4) Enabled us to show initial traction ahead of a seed-extension round. 5) Basically free CAC. YC has a lot of benefits, but for us, being able to sell into the community has been arguably the biggest.

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🌇 💡NY Tech Week Musings: 3 Days, 3 Thoughts:🗽🚀 Hey everyone, we're halfway through the adrenaline-fueled ride that is New York Tech Week, and boy, do I have 3 thoughts to share! 1) 🌍🤝 Connection Cravings Are Off the Charts With over 200 official events today alone (June 5, 2024), it's clear that people are hungry for networking. I mean, most events are so packed, you can barely squeeze in! It's amazing to see founders and investors from all over the world coming together. The global tech community is truly something special. 2) 🎉🗣️ The Great Networking Paradox Is it just me, or do some of these "networking" events make it nearly impossible to actually network? I feel like I'm shouting over the music half the time! 🎧😅 I love a good party, but maybe we could tone it down a notch and actually hear each other speak? 😆 3) 🌇🔍 NYC Tech Scene: Untapped Potential Alert Chatting with NYC folks, I keep hearing the same thing: we need a better way to stay connected beyond Tech Week.💡 There's so much potential here, and it's up to us to build the community we want to see. 🛠️🌍 So, fellow tech enthusiasts, let's not just network – let's build something awesome together! 🚀 If you're down to create a community that goes beyond a single week, hit me up. I'm all ears (and excited to see what we can create)! 😄✨ #NYTechWeek #newyork #techweek #networking #community I think the video here from one of the events yesterday is a great illustration of the overall spirit of the NYC Tech Week 👇

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Despite Google’s stepped-up effort to crack down on fake reviews, it remains a significant problem with real economic impact on consumers.

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This report was a ton of work for everyone involved by especially 🤖 Curtis Boyd and his servers. 😀 It's based on estimates using fake review impression data among other things. What it shows is that review fraud does have real consumer costs ($billions) and victims.

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The First Week of 2025 Hit Me Hard Here’s what they don’t tell you about starting a year with big goals: it’s messy. My week was a cocktail of wins, doubts, and hard truths. Launching allwyse and working on it +12hs/day, also building a new startup, and trying to stay sane. it’s not as glamorous as it sounds. But here’s the thing: the chaos teaches you. I learned that leadership isn’t about having time for everything. It’s about making time for what matters. It’s saying no when everything screams for a yes. I learned that clarity doesn’t come from planning. It comes from doing the hard, unpolished work. The uncomfortable kind. The kind no one claps for. And most importantly, I learned this: You don’t need everything to be perfect to make progress. You just need to show up and do the work, even when it feels like you’re moving blind. 2025 doesn’t care about your resolutions. It cares about your actions. How did your first week test you? Let’s talk about it. Let’s own it. Let’s move forward! Warm regards. Mel

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