Announcing the TechCrunch Early Stage Marketing & Fundraising agenda

In April, we brought you over a dozen breakout sessions on fundraising and operations at the TC Early Stage event. Calendly's Tope Awotona explained how to bootstrap effectively, Marlon Nichols shared how to get an investor's attention, Zoom CRO Ryan Azus talked about how to build and lead a sales team, and Fuel Capital's Leah Solivan told us about the worst startup habits and how to kick them.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

On July 8 and 9, we're bringing even more of that goodness to the table with TC Early Stage Marketing & Fundraising. Our speakers will give brief presentations around a variety of startup core competencies, like product-market fit, paid marketing strategies, and of course, fundraising. Each session is specifically designed to allow for loads of audience Q&A so you can ask your own questions to these experts.

Check out the sessions below:

Product-Market Fit is All About Tempo with Mike Vernal (Sequoia)

Sequoia's Mike Vernal understands that the most successful companies are not necessarily the ones with a great idea, but the ability to learn from their customers and adapt quickly. Hear this seasoned venture partner explain how customer feedback loops, product iteration tempo and mindset not only affect fundraising, but the overall trajectory of the company.

How to Line Up Your Growth with Your Goals with Susan Su (Sound Ventures)

Unlike giant brands, startups need to use their marketing spend wisely and efficiently. Sound Ventures' Susan Su is a growth marketing expert and will share how to define growth based on your startup's goals, and how to take a framework-based approach to growth, rather than relying on old playbooks that aren't relevant.

How to Navigate the Ever-Changing World of Early-Stage VC with Avlok Kohli (AngelList Venture)

With over 25 personal investments, AngelList Venture CEO Avlok Kohli knows a thing or two about early-stage fundraising. At Early Stage, Kohli will explain the landscape of the early-stage fundraising market and how to take advantage of the changes in the VC world over the past year.

Design Matters with Scott Tong (Designer Fund)

Design has never been more important. Users have been spoiled and startups, along with big brands, are offering designers many more seats at the table. Hear from Designer Fund's Scott Tong on how to think about design from the early stage and how it can impact everything from UX to brand awareness to long-term vision.

How Founders Can Think Like a VC with Lisa Wu (Norwest Venture Partners)

Though there is more capital flowing through the market than ever before, the world of fundraising can still feel like a black box to many founders. Hear Norwest Venture Partners' Lisa Wu explain how founders can get in the mind of a VC, framing their company's narrative in terms that VCs love. Be the ball, as they say.

How to Capitalize on Being Coached with Ted Wang (Cowboy Ventures)

Ted Wang, partner at Cowboy Ventures, comes from the legal world where he was a partner at Fenwick. In short, he's seen his fair share of startup success and failure. At Early Stage, Wang will explain the value of coaching for startup founders, including the different types of coaches one might utilize, how to choose between them, and how to get the most out of a good coach.

Nail the Narrative with Caryn Marooney (Coatue Ventures)

Storytelling is a critical skill for startups. Coatue Management partner Caryn Marooney, formerly head of comms for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus, will share how to frame the narrative for a startup depending on the audience and ensure that when you're talking about your company, people are not only listening, but they want to learn more.

Growth Hacking, Product Fit and Pricing with Rahul Vohra (Superhuman)

Superhuman's Rahul Vohra shares strategies for early-stage founders on topics like hacking your way to product-market fit, driving user signups without breaking the bank on paid ads, and identifying your product's price point.

Growth Marketing 101 with Mike Duboe (Greylock)

Growth" is a concept that is inconsistently defined and operationalized across startups. Mike has built growth teams at early-stage and growth/IPO-stage companies, and will talk about how companies should think about organizational design for growth, best practices in scaling performance marketing practices, and how investors deconstruct healthy vs. unhealthy growth.

How to Get Ready to Fundraise with Sarah Kunst (Cleo Capital)

The process of fundraising doesn't start with your first meeting. Setting a timeline, preparing your deck, warming up investors and understanding your strengths are key to a successful fundraise, and need to happen well before you start filling up your calendar. Cleo Capital founding partner Sarah Kunst will outline how to get ready to fundraise and answer your most burning questions.

Is Corporate Investment Right for You with Arvind Purushotham (Citi Ventures)

There was a time when institutional VCs reigned supreme. Today, alt-fundraising, angel investors, strategic investors and corporations all have a hand in the pot. Hear from Citi Ventures Arvind Purushotham about whether corporate venture is right for your startup and how it can be advantageous in the long run.

How to Determine Your Earned Media Strategy with Rebecca Reeve Henderson (Enterprise SaaS Communications Expert)

Rebecca will be joining us to share insight on how to build an effective earned media strategy for your startup, building on her deep expertise developing effective communications programs for some of the top business software companies in the world. Earned media, aka the kind of exposure you get from a TechCrunch article, is a key element of any startup's marketing strategy, but it's also one of the trickiest things to get right. Rebecca has worked with companies ranging from Slack, to Shopify, to Zapier, to Canva and many more, helping craft effective earned media strategies in one of the most difficult areas of all: B2B SaaS.

How to Make People Want to Learn More with Doug Landis (Emergence)

No matter the genius of your idea, the strength of your metrics, or the level of your passion, no one will care if you can't nail the narrative. Emergence's Doug Landis will outline how to craft a strong business story, the nuances of making it check all the right boxes, and ensuring its memorable long after you leave the room. This skill, once mastered, benefits every touchpoint of your startup, from fundraising to customer conversations and beyond.

TC Early Stage 2021: Marketing & Fundraising takes place on July 8-9, and now you have until June 3 to save $100 on your ticket. We can't wait to see you there!