Interview with Kevin Holmes, Founder and CEO of Founders Network
What is your startup
Founders Network (FN) offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 500 tech startup founders.
What does it do?
FN provides a range of services and benefits to its group of members — including online mentorship programs, direct connections with other founders through a vibrant and confidential peer mentorship community, and links to prominent Angel investors and Tier-1 Venture Capital firms.
Members solve tactical problems through an Online Mentorship Platform and address strategic issues through confidential Peer Advisory Boards. A professional staff facilitates member success through warm introductions to fellow members, affiliated angel investors and Venture Capitalists, and partners offering over $200k in discounts. Founders Network members are located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and other tech hubs.
Who is your startup aimed at?
We are focused on serving tech startup founders.
How does your startup stand out against its competitors?
It takes a lot of work to get the startup off the ground. The biggest challenge has been transitioning from working part-time to full-time on Founders Network. It took a leap of faith, but it has really paid off.
In the coming year, what would you like to achieve with your business?
Every business has an imperative to grow. For us, that means full-time tech founders and partners, which include service providers, investors and really anyone who is looking to support startup founders. We also have some open positions on the team that can be found here.
What has been your most valuable lesson so far since starting your business?
“Don’t go it alone. Find others who are walking the same path as you.” Richard White, the founder of UserVoice.com gave me this advice, and even though I’m the founder of Founders Network, it is very easy as an entrepreneur to be heads down and not derisk and accelerate your decisions with advice and encouragement from your network. The best entrepreneurs leverage their network.
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?
Launching a startup venture is a long, hard road, with lots of peaks and valleys. Investors will tell you it takes three to five years to launch a startup, but in reality it’s more like seven to 10 years. Take a long-term view to starting a venture and invest in building long-term relationships because those are the only things that last. Relationships are the foundation of success.