Female Startup Club Norby Presents: The transition from a museum curator to a $8.3M VC-backed tech founder, with Norby’s co-founder Sam Safer Valentine (part 1)
Today on the show we’re learning from Sam Safer Valentine, one of the co-founders of tech startup Norby.
You might have heard us talking about Norby recently in one of our ads or across social media, and that’s because they’re one of our sponsors this month which is just so damn exciting.
In this episode, you’ll hear about Sam’s non-traditional pathway to the world of tech, what she learned from her first time raising capital, and her advice to you!
I particularly loved diving into the financial side of things, with Norby having raised an impressive $8.5M to date. Fundraising, as expected, was a complete rollercoaster. It's a number of things coming together in a beautiful recipe of numbers and traction, the wider environment, buzz, timing, where your competitors are, and finding the right partners and investors. With all that, it's important to keep a clear mind on who you want to raise money from and how you want to run your business. Just because someone wants to write you a cheque doesn't mean that it's the right fit for you, there needs to be a mutual benefit and partnership there.
Sam's key take-away when it comes to raising? Don't give up. You just need to get to one yes. That journey and that road are going to look entirely different for everyone. Sometimes your hit with a hundred no's, but it just takes that one 'yes' to turn everything around. So, if you believe in it, and you're going to bet on yourself, keep going. It just takes a little practice.
And while we’re on the topic of Norby, today we launched our 1800 - hype girl hotline powered by Norby and it’s soooo fun. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about starting since the beginning of Female Startup Club to bring a little more sparkle to the week. Basically you sign up to receive texts from us and then every Monday you receive a dose of motivation and good vibes directly to your inbox. Whether you’re a student, working 9-5, or an entrepreneur it’s literally for anyone. And it’s free - so sign up by clicking the link in the show notes or our IG bio and pop your number in to get going. I’m so hyped for this!!
Let’s get into this episode, this is Sam for Female Startup Club
LINKS WE MENTION:
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