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Startup
Insights

Never Go it Alone: Startup Insights

At Silicon Valley Bank, we are committed to helping next-gen entrepreneurs get though the ups and downs of building a startup. We understand the balancing act of juggling urgency and long-term vision. To help you, we’ve compiled advice from startup founders, tips for hiring and managing successful teams and roadmaps for planning for growth.

BUILDING YOUR TEAM

Twist Bioscience CEO Emily Leproust says she doesn’t hire people who avoid problems, but people who can solve problems. Among the hardest jobs of a startup founder is to find the right talent, meld personalities and skills and then create a company culture that drives business goals. Here’s advice from startup founders on how to build a dynamic team.

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How to make growth part of your DNA
Mikkel Svane, co-founder and CEO of Zendesk, describes the challenges of scaling a company, and why startups should determine a path for growth -- every year.

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Create a culture of confidence
Larry Cutler, co-founder and CTO of Baobab Studios, describes how he supports employees to gain confidence to do what appears impossible.

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Build a trusted team
Jessica Green, co-founder and CTO of Phylagen, explains how she built a team of trusted co-workers and advisors who openly communicate.

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Twist: Finding the right partners
Emily Leproust, CEO of Twist Bioscience, discusses why it’s critical to build a strong team that can troubleshoot problems quickly.

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Foster collaboration
Frida Polli, founder and CEO of Pymetrics, discusses how she looks for employees and partners who want to collaborate to make a difference.

PLANNING FOR GROWTH

Taking a startup from idea to market takes vision and staying power. Be prepared for bumps on the road. “I think a real entrepreneur is defined not by the successes they have; it’s by how they face obstacles and challenges,” on the path to growth, advises ViewFind Founder and CEO Zheng Yu Huang. Here’s advice from startup founders and venture banking experts on financing startup growth and maximising growth.

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Extend your startup runway
Venture debt is widely discussed in startup circles, but often misunderstood. Here are commonly asked questions about venture debt to help explain the fundamentals.

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Transact across borders
Expanding across borders can deliver a competitive advantage and catalyze growth. But currency fluctuations can affect profits, budgets and planning.

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Jump-start e-commerce
To maximise revenue, learn how handling payments correctly can help you overcome e-commerce challenges.

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Be a role model
Larry Cutler, co-founder and CTO of Baobab Studios, talks about managing a team through the emotional ups and downs of startup life.

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Seize opportunity before it’s lost
ViewFind CEO Zheng Yu Huang describes how demanding yet rewarding building a startup can be: "Don’t miss the ride of your life!," he says.
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Silicon Valley Bank is registered in England and Wales at Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1BR, UK under No. FC029579. Silicon Valley Bank is authorised and regulated by the California Department of Business Oversight and the United States Federal Reserve Bank; authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority with number 577295; and subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. Silicon Valley Bank is a subsidiary of SVB Financial Group, a Delaware corporation and is an affiliate of SVB Financial Group UK Limited. SVB Financial Group UK Ltd is registered in England and Wales at Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1BR, UK under No. 5572575 and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with reference number 446159. SVB Financial Group and its subsidiary Silicon Valley Bank are members of the Federal Reserve System and Silicon Valley Bank is a member of the FDIC.

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