Kate Hopkins | How I Tested a Portfolio Ops Platform
May 29, 2024
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Entrepreneur Kate Hopkins discusses building OneGuide for PE and VC firms, pivoting from startups to firms, challenges of selling to firms, importance of testing and adapting, and patience in business evolution.
Pivoting to selling to PE and VC firms improved monetization strategy and value proposition.
Manual connection process revealed scalability challenges, prompting need for future automation.
Deep dives
Challenges of Bootstrapping a Marketplace and Pivoting Business Model
Kate Hopkins discusses the challenges faced when bootstrapping a marketplace, focusing on the disconnect between startup desire for resources and their willingness to pay. She elaborates on the initial idea of creating an expert network for startups, the struggle with monetization, and the pivot towards serving investors to better access the market. Through testing and feedback, Kate shifted to a B2B2B model where the client is the investor, leading to a more viable business approach.
Navigating Manual Connections and Feedback Loop
Kate shares her experience with manually connecting individuals within the expert network and startups, underscoring the challenges of scaling such an operation. She details the manual connection process, involving email introductions, feedback collection, and monitoring participant engagement during connections. Despite the limitations of the manual approach, valuable insights were gained that informed the need for future automation and scalability.
Evolution into Personalized Firm Portals and Digital Resources
The evolution of One Guide saw the transition from a generalized software platform to personalized resource hubs for PE and VC firms. Kate explains the necessity of catering to individual firms' curated resources alongside One Guide's network. Developing branded firm portals and content management systems allowed for a combination of centralized resources to enhance user engagement and value proposition.
Fine-Tuned Testing and Addressing Test Debt
Kate delves into the stage of fine-tuned testing, balancing operational needs with agile iterations to refine features and modules. She addresses the concept of test debt, highlighting the need to optimize previously tested solutions for smoother operations. Despite encountering challenges like low engagement in office hours events, the focus remains on continual testing, data-informed decision-making, and ongoing refinement for business growth.
Kate shares her journey of building OneGuide, a platform that provides leverage to PE and VC firms.
She initially started with a marketplace model, but realized that startups were not willing to pay for access to experts.
She then pivoted to selling to PE and VC firms, offering them a centralized platform for resources and an extended network of experts. Kate discusses the challenges of selling to firms, the importance of testing, and the evolution of OneGuide's features.
She emphasizes the need for patience and the willingness to iterate and adapt along the way.
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