This one email helped me attract 36 mentors and investors 🤩

Hi FTF Friends 👋🏼,

I hope you are keeping well.

Five Things Friday' (aka FTF). FTF is a short weekly dose of inspiration; this email captures five things I encounter in my startup journey. This includes, the books I read, blogs, podcasts, favourite productivity hack, startup strategy, quote I'm pondering, smart tools and stories.

What's packed in this week's post

 💯 The ultimate 1 min email

🚀  Get ready for an exclusive new Podcast

✅  12 Rules of life

🎙 Don't miss this episode

The ultimate 1 min email

In the startup journey, I come across numerous industry experts, mentors, thought leaders and successful startup founders, investors, potential channel partners and government representatives.  It is vital to nurture this network and build good relationships.

One of the most important elements of networking and relationship building is the ability to constantly connect with your network and keep them updated with your progress.

Every time I connect with someone about MyGigsters. For example, an investor would quickly request to add them to my fortnightly email update. This email allows me to keep them updated on the progress of MyGigsters and allows me to ask for support as required.

But the question is what should this email contain, and how can it attract more interest from the readers.

Here is my one-minute email template 👇

I was introduced to this email template from Oscar McLennon (my startup advisor), and this email is a massive hit 🥳

Structure of my email

The email is designed to be mobile friendly and can be read in less than one minute

• Top highlights - A small note about the best highlight of the update  
• Gif or image or screenshot (something this is candid)
• Status against key metrics - bullet points
• Thank you note - An opportunity to thank my network for the support.

This is super subtle yet powerful. Individuals I have thanked felt appreciated and recognised and continued to support me more.  

• Highlight - one or two highlight
• Lowlight - A sentence about something that is not going as planned
• Learning - A sentence about the learning or new insights gained  
• Next steps - What is the focus for the next two weeks
• Ask - Opportunity to request any support from the network (this is important as you will receive support only when you ask for it)

Some wonders that this email brought

• My network grew to over 40+ contacts that were deeply interested in what I was doing and building.  
• I received constant support, mentorship and introduction to connecting with a broader network.
• Some of these contacts turned into advisors and investors
• A few referred to new channel partners and immensely helped in validationn\

Founders Lane is here.

Out of months of procrastination, I have finally decided to launch a new channel, 'Founders Lane'

Why?

As an early-stage founder, I am constantly seeking information, advice on various aspects of building a startup. Right from Go to market, capital raising, customer validation, product development, team building and more.

I believe there are more stories and lessons to share. Popular podcasts capture popular stories, but there is more. I want to hear the stories behind new-gen entrepreneurs who are building notable companies now.

What will it include?

Founders Lane is all about sharing startup lessons and mindset with first-time founders and aspiring entrepreneurs. The channel (both youtube and podcast) will include

• a small game based - interactive interview with guests and
• a weekly 5 min bio of a famous entrepreneur

Do you know someone who would be a fantastic guest?

Please share this link.

12 Rules of life

I read this book recently, and a close friend recommended it. I should say this book started a bit dry but slowly unpacked 12 excellent rules of a happier life. The book takes a practical and sensible approach to lay the principle of handling different aspects of life.

This is going on as a poster on my wall

Rule 1 - Stand up straight with your shoulders back

Rule 2 - Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping

Rule 3 - Make friends with people who want the best for you

Rule 4 - Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today

Rule 5 - Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them

Rule 6 - Set your house in perfect order before you criticised the world

Rule 7 - Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)

Rule 8 - Tell the truth - or, at least don't lie

Rule 9 - Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don't

Rule 10 - Be precise in your speech

Rule 11 - Do not bother children when they are skateboarding

Rule 12 - Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street

Don't miss this episode

I recently to this episode from HBR and it loved the insights on of the most powerful entrepreneur of all-time. This episode unpacks the insights and strategies behind the giant 'Amazon' - Highly recommended.

How Jeff Bezos built one of the world's most valuable companies  

Quote for the week

This is my core cultural principal of all my companies

You don't build a business - you build people — and then people build the business - Zig Zagler (American author, salesman, and motivational speaker)

Well, that's all for this week. 😁

I hope you like my FTF posts. Please share your feedback, suggestions in the comments below, and I will write things that are most interesting and valuable to you. Also, if you think anyone in your network will benefit from these posts, please share.

Take care and be safe. 👋🏼