Day 57 - Expanding the Team
Diving into Investment Terms
Today started with a session about the investment terms and conditions of investments from Antler, something we are working so hard towards to. The session reiterated what I had read with prior to joining the program, nonetheless, it made sense to to spend an hour ensuring everyone was aligned on the agreed terms and offering a platform for any queries or clarifications. One detail that caught my interest was learning that an investment from Antler doesn't disqualify a company from also receiving funding through the innofounder program. Overall, while I find most of the terms acceptable, I do dislike some aspects. Specifically, I'm not keen on the four-year vesting period for founders to fully acquire their shares, and also Antlers preference to give 10% of the shares to early employees is questionable. I believe these decisions should ideally remain within the founders' purview.
Preparing for the Google Hackathon
We had an introductory session with Google today, gearing up for tomorrow's hackathon. Alongside logistical details, we were shown a demo showcasing the capabilities of their platform. Additionally, they outlined the judging criteria for tomorrow's event. I'm excited about this developer-focused opportunity, where the emphasis lies on the work produced during the hackathon and its presentation. I also like that we are free to choose our tools; while Google's resources are available, our code will be evaluated based on the implementation itself, irrespective of the platform used. It is going to be great!
The new Guy
The highlight of the day was the arrival of our new intern, Riccardo, who stared today. Riccardo will be responsible for our UX and marketing efforts. Initially, his focus will be on building a prototype of our product vision, providing us with a tangible reference point for ourselves and presentations to potential investors. Subsequently, he'll assess our existing landing page to optimize it for driving waitlist sign-ups. Having an additional pair of hands is a significant boost for the team, and I'm eager to see the impact Riccardo's expertise will bring.
CPHUX
In the evening, Riccardo and I attended a meetup organized by CPHUX focusing on DesignOps. It offered a refreshing change of perspective, with speakers representing large corporations. Their inner workings a very different from ours, with a heavy emphasis on establishing alignment and robust processes. One presenter had to manage 10 design teams catering to 50 product teams - an impressive scale! The talks underscored the agility inherent in startups compared to larger organizations. It was fortuitous that this event coincided with Riccardo's first day with us. We used the presentations as a starting point for reflections on our own processes and how Riccardo's expertise could integrate. As the expert in UX/UI, Riccardo will have considerable autonomy with the power to create real value in short time. I am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.
