Building a tech startup without a technical background? This session will give you the tools to make smart technology decisions, hire the right developers, and avoid costly mistakes - all without needing to code. You’ll walk away with insights into:
How to assess your startup’s tech needs and choose between custom or off-the-shelf solutions
When (and if) you need a technical co-founder
Managing tech projects effectively: budgets, milestones, and scope creep
Leveraging AI and automation tools that actually matter for startups
Building credibility with investors as a non-technical founder
The best no-code and low-code platforms for building and scaling an MVP
You’ll gain the confidence to make strategic tech decisions and lead your startup to success, even if you don’t know how to code.
This session is a part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for early-stage founders without a tech background, entrepreneurs navigating hiring decisions, and startup teams looking to avoid technical pitfalls.
Building a strong network of advisors and mentors can accelerate your startup’s growth and help you avoid costly mistakes.
This session will cover how early-stage founders can find the right advisors and mentors, structure these relationships effectively, and maximize their impact, including:
Why advisors and mentors are critical for early-stage success
How to identify the right advisors and mentors for your startup’s needs
Best practices for approaching and onboarding advisors
Structuring advisor relationships: equity, compensation, and expectations
Avoiding common pitfalls when building an advisory board
How to maintain a productive and lasting relationship with advisors
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is ideal for founders seeking strategic guidance, first-time entrepreneurs looking to grow their networks, and startups considering formal advisory boards.
Understanding how to structure and manage equity is essential for setting your startup up for long-term success.
This session will break down the fundamentals of equity management, from dividing shares to setting up vesting schedules and managing your cap table, including:
How to fairly split equity among co-founders and early hires
The relationship between equity ownership and decision-making power
Why vesting schedules matter and how to structure them
Managing equity for advisors, early hires, and investors
Tools for tracking and managing your cap table
How equity decisions impact fundraising and long-term growth
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is ideal for founders negotiating equity splits, early-stage entrepreneurs setting up cap tables, and first-time founders seeking clarity on equity basics.
Bridging the gap between product-market fit and sustainable revenue is one of the biggest challenges for early-stage startups.
This session will provide practical strategies for validating your product idea, identifying paying customers, and implementing effective monetization strategies, including:
Identifying key indicators of product-market fit and revenue potential
Choosing the right early-stage monetization strategy for your startup
Using customer feedback and data to iterate on your product and increase revenue
Knowing when (and how) to pivot based on revenue insights
Balancing user growth with early-stage revenue generation
You will gain insights into turning early traction into sustainable business growth, understanding how to measure success, and avoiding common early-stage monetization mistakes.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for early-stage founders with an MVP, technical founders with limited sales experience, and teams under pressure to show traction within the first 12–18 months of funding.
Securing pre-seed funding as a first-time founder requires more than just a great idea - it’s about selling the vision.
This session will provide a roadmap for early-stage fundraising, helping you communicate your startup’s potential with confidence, including:
Crafting a compelling pre-seed pitch deck
Understanding SAFE agreements and when to use them
Identifying and targeting the right early-stage investors
Presenting key metrics and milestones without significant traction
Managing equity strategies for early-stage growth
You will gain insights into approaching the right investors, handling early-stage risk, and creating a pitch that resonates even before you have significant traction.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for first-time founders preparing for their first funding round or looking to sell their vision to early-stage investors.
Markets change - successful startups adapt. In this fireside chat, a seasoned entrepreneur will share hard-earned lessons and real-world strategies for navigating market shifts and positioning your startup for future success.
You’ll learn:
How to build a culture of adaptability and innovation
Lessons from past market disruptions and how to apply them
Balancing short-term needs with long-term positioning
Strategies for anticipating and preparing for market shifts
Common pitfalls in responding to changes - and how to avoid them
You’ll leave with actionable insights to help your startup stay resilient and seize new opportunities, no matter how the market evolves.
This session is a part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is ideal for early-stage founders, entrepreneurs navigating dynamic markets, and startup leaders looking to build long-term adaptability.
Startup life isn’t all wins and unicorn valuations. This session pulls back the curtain on the real highs and lows of building a company, featuring true stories of successes, failures, and the hard-earned lessons in between, including:
How founders navigated some of the toughest moments in their startup journey
The most rewarding wins—and the hidden challenges behind them
Lessons learned about resilience, leadership, and decision-making
How to find support and resources during difficult times
What founders wish they knew before starting their journey
You’ll walk away with a better understanding of the emotional rollercoaster of startup life—and practical insights on how to weather the storms and celebrate the wins.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is ideal for founders, startup operators, and anyone considering launching a company.
As a growth-stage startup, your board can be a powerful asset - or a major source of friction. This session will explore how to effectively manage board relationships, align expectations, and leverage strategic input to drive business success, including:
Understanding the role of the board in governance, oversight, and strategic input
How board composition evolves as your company grows
Setting clear, proactive communication practices to align the board with company priorities
Preparing for board meetings without losing operational focus
Managing tough conversations and navigating challenging feedback
Turning your board into a strategic advantage rather than a time sink
You’ll gain insights into structuring a high-performing board, improving communication, and using strategic guidance to accelerate growth.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for founders, CEOs, and leadership teams of growth-stage startups looking to strengthen their board dynamics and strategic alignment.
Hiring the right people at the right time is critical for scaling your startup effectively. This session will explore how to build a talent strategy that aligns with your company’s growth, including:
How to balance immediate hiring needs with projected growth
Which roles to hire for internally vs. outsource to contractors or agencies
How team structures evolve through different growth phases
When is the right time to hire key leadership and operational roles
Strategies for attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive market
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how to create a hiring plan that supports your company’s long-term success without overextending resources.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is ideal for founders and startup teams scaling after a seed or Series A round.
At some point, every founder faces the challenge of stepping back from day-to-day sales and building a scalable sales engine.
This session will explore how to transition from founder-led sales to a structured, scalable sales process, including:
When to hire a VP or Head of Sales - and how to find the right fit
How to systematize sales motions and metrics to track progress without being in every meeting
Training someone else to sell your product or service effectively
Letting go - mentally and operationally - without losing control of the sales process
Communicating your sales transition strategy to your board and investors
You’ll walk away with actionable strategies for scaling your sales process while maintaining strategic oversight—so you can focus on driving long-term growth.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is ideal for founders and startup teams preparing to scale after a seed or Series A round.
Thinking big is essential - but knowing how to break down ambitious goals into achievable milestones is the key to startup success. This session will guide you through the art of strategic goal-setting, including:
Why setting clear goals is essential for long-term growth
Defining and using common goal-setting frameworks (KPIs, OKRs, SMART)
How to set effective goals that drive focus and accountability
The consequences of poor goal-setting—and how to fix it
Best practices for involving your team in goal-setting and tracking
Setting up a dashboard to measure progress and stay on course
You’ll leave with a clear framework for setting and tracking meaningful goals - so you can turn your big vision into actionable progress.
This session is part of Startup Boston Week 2025 and is perfect for founders, product leaders, and startup teams - especially those without a business background.
