Danae Ringelmann at Startup School SV 2014

TL;DR

Danae Ringelmann, co-founder of Indiegogo, shares her personal journey from witnessing her parents struggle for capital to launching the world's largest online funding platform. She argues that entrepreneurs must first know their authentic "why" (purpose) to find co-founders, survive dark periods, and attract talent and customers.

Key insights

• The "why" must be authentic and irrational—arrived at by repeatedly asking "why" until you hit a core belief; this irrational belief is what makes you stick with the company through hardship.
• Your "why" gets you out of your own way: being obsessed with solving the problem rather than a specific solution allows you to pivot when a better approach appears.
• Culture is not optional; it is always being built, whether you intend it or not. The mistake is putting culture 11th on a top-10 list.