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Anyone who has ever tried to run their own business has an idea of what it takes to get it off the ground. Startups are no different. And while the abundance of success stories on TechCrunch can make founding and running a startup look easy, sexy, and thrilling, the truth is almost always the opposite. And so while we’re excited for you to begin your startup adventure, dear gutsy founder, it would be wise to have a glimpse into the difficulties you’re most likely to face, along with some ideas on how to overcome them.
One of the top challenges that arise immediately is the question of money. Do you have enough of it to build version 1 of your product or service? When you’re literally starting from zero, hustling for investments/funding is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Raising capital continues to challenge most startups, whether they’re in the UK, US, or China - according to Silicon Valley Bank 2017 Startup Outlook Report.
Sure you can bootstrap your startup with your personal savings to kickstart the business. But a dwindling cash flow and no clear plan for funding can halt your operations pretty quickly.
Pro-Tip: Before you go after the money, it helps to ask yourself these questions: Can you grow without funding? Or is your growth stunted by lack of funds? If you find that funding is critical at the outset, explore financing sources that you can tap into. Note that there are different funding types that correspond to the different stages of a startup’s life.
Y Combinator founder and noted VC Paul Graham in his essay How to Fund a Startup gives an overview of a startup’s successive funding rounds. You can also check out Startup Explore’s piece on the different types of startup funding.
One smart way to make fund-hunting a little less difficult is to grow your business network. Build relationships with your potential investors early on before you actually need money. That way, when it’s time to ask, you won’t find yourself pitching to absolute strangers.
Successful founders know that building a great team is one of the most important things to do for a startup. They know as investors know, that a startup is only as good as the team behind them. Without a core of smart, reliable people willing to make your idea real, all you have at best is a plan.
To build a great product or service, you need people who are really good at what they do. But more than their knowledge, skills, and competence is their attitude and work ethic. Your core team must embody the values and beliefs you want your startup to stand for. To a large part, they’re the ones who are going to define your company culture. No wonder then that building the right team is one of the top challenges founders struggle with.
Pro-Tip: Hiring is the responsibility of the founder, and one of the most important tasks you would do for your startup. Joe Thornton, Head of Talent at Playfair Capital, advises that for venture-backed startups, “founders should spend at least 1/3rd of their time building the team.” Cloud Employee’s very own Sales Director Nina Bromley strongly believes in applying the Pareto Principle when it comes to hiring: “spend 80% of your time hiring, so you only spend 20% of your time managing.”
Since you’re hiring for a startup environment, you must be able to give your key potential hires a good reason to work for your company, a company they most likely never heard of before. You need to be able to make a good case of why they should forego the bigger offers from more established companies.
Finally, your core talent team must share your passion for the bigger goal your startup is trying to accomplish. More than a fat salary, this greater goal or purpose will be their main driving motivation for working with you. It will carry you and your team through the highs and lows of the startup journey.
In a poll created on Tally with the question, What is your biggest startup challenge?, getting traction (i.e., user acquisition and retention) emerges as the biggest issue startups struggle with. “How do I get customers to use our product or service?”, is one of the toughest perpetual challenges you’re sure to face as a founder.
While social media and other online platforms can bring lots of people to your project’s landing page, getting them to sign up is another matter. Customers are typically wary of using a new product or service that doesn’t have a proven track record or does not come recommended in their network.
Pro-Tip: At this point, you can’t simply throw links or run ads on all the online channels you can find in the hopes of getting your first users. “You can’t wait for your users to come to you. You have to go out and get them,” Paul Graham advised.
As the founder, you must be ready to do balls-to-the-wall initial hustling. Play it smart and aggressive in your user acquisition. Usually, this means manually recruiting users and giving them an overwhelmingly good experience in using your product or service. Your first customers should feel that signing up with you is one of the best decisions they ever made.
This may seem unbearably painful and laborious at first. The small numbers can make you lose heart. But take it from Airbnb’s Brian Chesky:
“Build your business, one person at a time. Just focus on 100 people. If they love you, they will market the product for you and tell everyone else. Go to your users. Do one scalable thing, one person at a time. It’s actually so simple, that’s the secret...that’s all you need to do.”
Startups aren’t for the faint of heart. With the challenges ahead, it pays to be more than smart, tough, and aggressive. You have to be in it for the right reasons. Knowing the challenges and having an idea on how to overcome them can give you a better chance of beating the odds to make your startup a success.
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One of our recruitment officers will get in touch with you today!
One of our recruitment officers will get in touch with you today!
We are seeking a motivated and dynamic Business Development Representative to join our team. This role is crucial for driving our business growth by identifying potential clients, conducting direct outreach, and setting appointments for our sales team. The ideal candidate will have a strong passion for sales, a successful track record of achievement, excellent communication skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
We are seeking a Fullstack Developer with a strong emphasis on front-end development and user experience to join our team. This role requires a balance of front-end and back-end skills, with a preference for candidates who excel in creating visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces.
We are seeking an experienced IT Project Manager to oversee the planning, implementation, and tracking of IT projects. The ideal candidate will have strong technical skills combined with excellent leadership abilities to ensure projects are completed on time, within scope, and within budget
We are looking for a talented Software Tester to join our expanding QA team. You will be working as part of a highly skilled team, helping build high-quality interactive web and mobile applications. You will work on implementing automation tests for our products to make sure they are kept robust.
Asan Android Developer, you will demonstrate an understanding of clean, object-oriented code, good architecture principles, and knowledge of common software design patterns. As a team, we’re committed to producing high-quality, maintainable code, so you’ll need to display a familiarity with the creation of well-tested code. Experience of interaction with XML and JSON data served via HTTP APIs is also essential. We make use of several additional technologies including many of the Android support libraries
As a Full-Stack Developer, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our core product, which is market-ready and positioned for continuous improvement and innovation. You will be integral to the entire development lifecycle, enhancing existing features and deploying new functionalities. You will stay abreast of industry trends to continuously innovate and improve our product, taking ownership of projects from conception through to implementation.
As an iOS Developer, you lead technical excellence and management within our team on a leading VOD platform. You ensure iOS projects are delivered on time and within budget while providing clear solutions to complex technical issues. Your role fosters innovation and excellence through the adoption of new technologies and best practices, supporting the team to produce top-tier work.
This role will be to collaborate on the Quality Assurance of the company’s application, whilst also taking responsibility for the back-end architecture. You will assume responsibility for a wide range of activities that will include candidate support, client and integration support activities, and project-based work to improve our overall effectiveness
As a QA Engineer, the ideal candidate will have a strong background in both manual and automated testing, with a focus on mobile and web applications. This role involves working closely with developers, product owners, and UX/UI designers to ensure the highest quality of our software products.
We seek a Video Editor with a strong creative eye. You'll create high-quality YouTube videos, repurpose content, and streamline workflows using Adobe Premiere, Frame.io, CapCut, and other AI tools to maximize your video editing efforts. You will create videos on a weekly basis for our company and our CEO's personal brand. The job is completely remote, but we have offices in Makati, where you might be asked to join us occasionally for team gatherings.
This is an exciting opportunity for a video editor who has a growth mindset, who takes pride in their work and enjoys working from the comfort of their home.
As a React Native Mobile Developer, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining mobile applications for both iOS and Android platforms. You will collaborate closely with our product, design, and backend teams to create seamless, intuitive, and high-performance mobile experiences for our users.
As a Senior Developer specializing in Zuora Subscription Billing, you will be responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of Zuora Subscription Billing solutions to support our subscription-based business model. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to understand business requirements and implement solutions that align with the company's objectives.
Cloud Employee is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineering teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement, and well-being. We provide security, career paths, individual training programs, and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is building a ‘Future of Work’ AI driven talent tech platform in the remote software engineer staffing space.
In this strategic and hands-on creative role, you'll have the opportunity to shape the narrative of remote work and impact the tech industry at a global scale.
With team members across the US, LATAM, Europe and Asia - we’re on a mission to bridge the talent gap with our matching platform and employee experience programs.
We need your storytelling strategy skills to ‘share the journey’ and the human stories behind our business
Cloud Employee, is a UK owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting edge workplace continuously investing in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is a fast-growing UK-managed offshore recruitment and staffing company in the Philippines. We tackle the growing global IT skills shortage by connecting tech companies based in Europe, the US, and Australia to our pool of expert software developers in the country.
We are now seeking a passionate Senior/Team Lead Full-Stack PHP Developer to join our team of skilled talents. This is an excellent opportunity to join a fun and dynamic work environment and to significantly advance your career.
Cloud Employee is a UK-owned business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent worldwide with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines and Brazil as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting edge workplace continuously investing in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineering teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement, and well-being. We provide security, career paths, individual training programs, and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting edge workplace continuously investing in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is a UK-owned business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent worldwide with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines and Brazil as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting edge workplace continuously investing in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting edge workplace continuously investing in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Our Client
A leading UK-company that specializes in providing foreign currencies solutions
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
A completely integrated innovation studio within the corporate framework, with a primary emphasis on making the future of the food industry accessible to all. Their core objective is to discover, create, and expand tailored automation remedies, utilizing a team of proficient individuals covering domains like engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Our central mission revolves around constructing automation technology solutions that empower individuals to achieve greater feats.
Position Summary
In your role as a Robotics Software Engineer, your expertise in Robotic Software Engineering will be the key to your success. Collaborating with our skilled team, you'll play a pivotal role in advancing our cutting-edge product development accelerator. Your responsibilities will involve crafting, programming, and evaluating top-notch software essential for ensuring the dependable and secure operations of commercial robots.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
A completely integrated innovation studio within the corporate framework, with a primary emphasis on making the future of the food industry accessible to all. Their core objective is to discover, create, and expand tailored automation remedies, utilizing a team of proficient individuals covering domains like engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Our central mission revolves around constructing automation technology solutions that empower individuals to achieve greater feats.
Position Summary
The position of Mechanical Engineer corresponds to a mid-level role. An ideal candidate for this position possesses robust practical expertise in various technical systems. The responsibilities encompass a combination of individual input within projects and actively leading teams towards achieving a remarkable standard of technical proficiency.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
A completely integrated innovation studio within the corporate framework, with a primary emphasis on making the future of the food industry accessible to all. Their core objective is to discover, create, and expand tailored automation remedies, utilizing a team of proficient individuals covering domains like engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Our central mission revolves around constructing automation technology solutions that empower individuals to achieve greater feats.
Position Summary
In the role of an Industrial Design Engineer with a focus on cobotics, you will assume a crucial position in envisioning, crafting, and honing both the tangible and operational facets of our collaborative robotic solutions. Your collaboration will extend to cross-functional groups, including mechanical engineers, software developers, and UX designers, in the pursuit of devising cobotic systems centered around users. These systems will redefine effectiveness and safety within industrial settings.
Cloud Employee, is a UK owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting edge workplace continuously investing in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
A top rated and state of the art cloud based video interviewing solutions company based in the UK catering to over 5000 prominent companies around the world such as Samsung, Uber, Boohoo, Coinbase, 7-Eleven and many more.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
A completely integrated innovation studio within the corporate framework, with a primary emphasis on making the future of the food industry accessible to all. Their core objective is to discover, create, and expand tailored automation remedies, utilizing a team of proficient individuals covering domains like engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Our central mission revolves around constructing automation technology solutions that empower individuals to achieve greater feats.
Position Overview
In the role of an Electrical Engineer, your expertise and proficiency in designing electrical-mechanical systems will be a key asset, enabling you to stand out. Collaborating with our skilled team, you will play a vital role in expediting product development processes.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is a fast-growing UK-managed offshore recruitment and staffing company in the Philippines. We tackle the growing global IT skills shortage by connecting tech companies based in Europe, the US, and Australia to our pool of expert software developers in the country.
We are now seeking a passionate Front End React Developer to join our team of skilled talents. This is an excellent opportunity to join a fun and dynamic work environment and to significantly advance your career.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is a fast-growing UK-managed offshore recruitment and staffing company in the Philippines. We tackle the growing global IT skills shortage by connecting tech companies based in Europe, the US, and Australia to our pool of expert software developers in the country.
We are now seeking a passionate Full-Stack Developer to join our team of skilled talents. This is an excellent opportunity to join a fun and dynamic work environment and to significantly advance your career.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineering teams and grow their CV and skill-set.We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting-edge workplace that continuously invests in staff development, engagement, and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring
Cloud Employee is a fast-growing UK-managed offshore recruitment and staffing company in the Philippines. We tackle the growing global IT skills shortage by connecting tech companies based in Europe, the US, and Australia to our pool of expert software developers in the country.
We are now seeking passionate mid to senior-level Fullstack PHP Developer to join our team of skilled talents. This is an excellent opportunity to join a fun and dynamic work environment and to significantly advance your career.
Cloud Employee is a fast-growing UK-managed offshore recruitment and staffing company in the Philippines. We tackle the growing global IT skills shortage by connecting tech companies based in Europe, the US, and Australia to our pool of expert software developers in the country.
We are now seeking passionate Lead Full-Stack PHP Developer to join our team of skilled talents. This is an excellent opportunity to join a fun and dynamic work environment and to significantly advance your career.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is a UK-owned business established eight years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent worldwide with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines and Brazil as part of international engineering teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting edge workplace that continuously invests in staff development, engagement, and well-being. We provide security, career paths, individual training programs, and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee, is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineer teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being supportive and cutting-edge work that continuously invests in staff development, engagement and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
Cloud Employee is a UK-owned Philippines business established 8 years ago. We connect high-performing software engineer talent in the Philippines with some of the world’s leading and most innovative tech companies. Developers join to work from the Philippines as part of international engineering teams and grow their CV and skill-set.
We pride ourselves on being a supportive and cutting-edge workplace that continuously invests in staff development, engagement, and well-being. We provide security, and career paths, along with individual training programs and mentoring.
February 16, 2024
Anyone who has ever tried to run their own business has an idea of what it takes to get it off the ground. Startups are no different. And while the abundance of success stories on TechCrunch can make founding and running a startup look easy, sexy, and thrilling, the truth is almost always the opposite. And so while we’re excited for you to begin your startup adventure, dear gutsy founder, it would be wise to have a glimpse into the difficulties you’re most likely to face, along with some ideas on how to overcome them.
One of the top challenges that arise immediately is the question of money. Do you have enough of it to build version 1 of your product or service? When you’re literally starting from zero, hustling for investments/funding is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Raising capital continues to challenge most startups, whether they’re in the UK, US, or China - according to Silicon Valley Bank 2017 Startup Outlook Report.
Sure you can bootstrap your startup with your personal savings to kickstart the business. But a dwindling cash flow and no clear plan for funding can halt your operations pretty quickly.
Pro-Tip: Before you go after the money, it helps to ask yourself these questions: Can you grow without funding? Or is your growth stunted by lack of funds? If you find that funding is critical at the outset, explore financing sources that you can tap into. Note that there are different funding types that correspond to the different stages of a startup’s life.
Y Combinator founder and noted VC Paul Graham in his essay How to Fund a Startup gives an overview of a startup’s successive funding rounds. You can also check out Startup Explore’s piece on the different types of startup funding.
One smart way to make fund-hunting a little less difficult is to grow your business network. Build relationships with your potential investors early on before you actually need money. That way, when it’s time to ask, you won’t find yourself pitching to absolute strangers.
Successful founders know that building a great team is one of the most important things to do for a startup. They know as investors know, that a startup is only as good as the team behind them. Without a core of smart, reliable people willing to make your idea real, all you have at best is a plan.
To build a great product or service, you need people who are really good at what they do. But more than their knowledge, skills, and competence is their attitude and work ethic. Your core team must embody the values and beliefs you want your startup to stand for. To a large part, they’re the ones who are going to define your company culture. No wonder then that building the right team is one of the top challenges founders struggle with.
Pro-Tip: Hiring is the responsibility of the founder, and one of the most important tasks you would do for your startup. Joe Thornton, Head of Talent at Playfair Capital, advises that for venture-backed startups, “founders should spend at least 1/3rd of their time building the team.” Cloud Employee’s very own Sales Director Nina Bromley strongly believes in applying the Pareto Principle when it comes to hiring: “spend 80% of your time hiring, so you only spend 20% of your time managing.”
Since you’re hiring for a startup environment, you must be able to give your key potential hires a good reason to work for your company, a company they most likely never heard of before. You need to be able to make a good case of why they should forego the bigger offers from more established companies.
Finally, your core talent team must share your passion for the bigger goal your startup is trying to accomplish. More than a fat salary, this greater goal or purpose will be their main driving motivation for working with you. It will carry you and your team through the highs and lows of the startup journey.
In a poll created on Tally with the question, What is your biggest startup challenge?, getting traction (i.e., user acquisition and retention) emerges as the biggest issue startups struggle with. “How do I get customers to use our product or service?”, is one of the toughest perpetual challenges you’re sure to face as a founder.
While social media and other online platforms can bring lots of people to your project’s landing page, getting them to sign up is another matter. Customers are typically wary of using a new product or service that doesn’t have a proven track record or does not come recommended in their network.
Pro-Tip: At this point, you can’t simply throw links or run ads on all the online channels you can find in the hopes of getting your first users. “You can’t wait for your users to come to you. You have to go out and get them,” Paul Graham advised.
As the founder, you must be ready to do balls-to-the-wall initial hustling. Play it smart and aggressive in your user acquisition. Usually, this means manually recruiting users and giving them an overwhelmingly good experience in using your product or service. Your first customers should feel that signing up with you is one of the best decisions they ever made.
This may seem unbearably painful and laborious at first. The small numbers can make you lose heart. But take it from Airbnb’s Brian Chesky:
“Build your business, one person at a time. Just focus on 100 people. If they love you, they will market the product for you and tell everyone else. Go to your users. Do one scalable thing, one person at a time. It’s actually so simple, that’s the secret...that’s all you need to do.”
Startups aren’t for the faint of heart. With the challenges ahead, it pays to be more than smart, tough, and aggressive. You have to be in it for the right reasons. Knowing the challenges and having an idea on how to overcome them can give you a better chance of beating the odds to make your startup a success.
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