2016 MiddleEastStartups.com Winter Digital Accelerator

www.MiddleEastStartups.com
1First Digital Accelerator
Winter 2016
Cohort

Today’s Program is Brought to You
By:
Community Partners Program Partners

Intro- Christine S. Ntim
Forbes 30Under30 + AdAge 40Under40
 Founder @Vendedy
 Managing Director of Startup Grind Dubai
 Managing Partner @BrandEntrepreneurs.com +
@GlobalStartupEcosystem.com
 Graduate of Dartmouth, Hult, Draper U, Singularity U @NASA
 Global Speaker @ United Nations, TEDx and European Union Forum
Featured in:
www.Csouffrantntim.com

Get the E-Book Summary
https://csouffrantntim-
com.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/p
roducts/how-to-launch-scale-your-startup-
in-6-months
www.CsouffrantNtim.com
What's Inside?
-24 HR Start List
-24 HR Audit List
Learn how to:
-Code a MVP app & website
-Raise $250k in free money
-Get featured in global press for free

Agenda
10am-11:15 am
 Starting 101
 How to Pitch in 7 days
 Product Dev 101
 Customer Acq 101
 Press & Marketing 101
 Funding 101
11:15am -12:15pm Pitch Off
12:15-1:15 Lunch Break
1:15-5:00 Afternoon Panels
 Keynotes
 Demo Night (Top 10)
w/ Judges from IBM,
SeedStars, Inc
Arabia
 Q/A Wrap Up
Day 1: Business Boot Camp Day 2: Digital Accelerator

WHERE TO START 101-
HOW TO LAUNCH
COMPANY IN 24 HOURS

Agenda
 Startup Inspiration
Platforms
 Startup Start
Platforms
 Startup 24 Hour
Checklist
Pre Homework

Startup Inspiration Platforms
Take a full weekend to go over this 10 week
course material- Binge it!
www.StartupClass.co
Take a day to read through the beginner
articles
http://launchthisyear.com/
A curated email digest of
startup activity in every part of
the world:
https://www.startupdigest.com/
A curated hub of startup communities,
resources and programs around the world
https://www.googleforentrepreneurs.com/

Startup Start Platforms
54 Hours
http://startupweekend.org
/
72Hours
https://www.leanstart
upmachine.com/
http://www.startupmonthly.org/#what-we-do

24 Hour Startup Check List
Part 1 Website Set Up
1. Domain ($20 or less)
2. Hosting ($Varies)
3. Theme + Editor (Choose Wordpress.org)
4. Google analytics (track traffic behavior and sources)
5. Sumo Me (Email capture + social media share)
6. DropBox Account (Free- Sync as backup)
7. PlugIns: Cashe, Updraft, GoogleSiteMap
Part 2 Profile & Social Media Set Up
• Facebook (Necerssary)
• Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Google Plus (Optional)
• Register on Gust.com, Angelist.com, F6s.com Crunchbase.com
Part 3 Admin
1. Gmail account (infoCOMPANYNAME@gmail.com)
2. Eventrbite Account (Digital Demo Day) or Thestorefront.com (Pop
Up Tour)
3. Meetup Account
4. Zoom Account
5. Maillchimp Account (Free 2k or less)
6. HootSuite Account (Free for 3 profiles)
7. UPS or USPS Po Box Set Up- Shipping Address
Part 5 Post Traction Setup
• Legal Zoom/ Clerky
• Bank Account
• Paypal Account
Part 4 Startup Branding
• Get logo done for $5 by
fiverr
• Get Business Cards
done by Vista Print for
$10
• Get stand up banner
done for $40 by
Vistaprint

Resources
http://www.quickfever.com/2016/01/free-
resources-for-entrepreneurs.html
http://venturebeat.com/2012/11/27/free
-resources-for-startups/

THE BASICS 101
HOW TO IDEATE, TEST, &
PITCH IN 7 DAYS

Ideation (The Basics)
A. The Basics-How to
Ideate
1. List out all of the
things that annoy
you; all the things
you love and what
could make it better;
all the devices that
you use in a day and
ask why do you use
them
2. Search top searched
items on
ebay/amazon-
create the product
3. Search successful
and failed
campaigns on
kickstarter
B. The Basics-How to Test
1. Use tools like Balsamiq to
create a mock app; Use
wordpress + plugins to test
user needs w/potential
customers.
2. Use landing page creators
like unbounce/kickoffpages
to post on
facebook+linkedin groups
or Craiglist and get
feedback within a week
3. Send app link or mockup
to beta users and get
feedback via online
surveys or in person
Interviews
4. Do the “Why activity”
5. Summarize in a exec doc
C. The Basics-How to
Report
• Website: Wix or
WordPress
• Blogs: Post Problem,
Solution, Value
Proposition
• Media: Post photos,
videos, testimonials
• Social Media: Create
a FB Page, Twitter
Account
• Get Noticed: HARO-
Help A Reporter Out;
Submit to
HackerNews, Reddit
• Google Alerts on
your competitors

Pitch (The Structure)
30 Seconds- 1 Minute Pitches (Teaser)
• What & Why in 30 seconds
• Value in 10 seconds (tailor to audience)
• Traction & Call to Action (20 seconds)
2-10 Minute Pitches (Details)
• 1 Minute Teaser Intro
Additional Info
• Pre recorded demo
• Competition Matrix details
• Customer experiences
• Financial metrics
• Team profiles
• Call to Action
Elite Pitch Competitions
• Application materials are longer
• Review previous winners
• Exploit application weaknesses-
don’t avoid them
• Highlight the publicity effect you will
have: your story, your traction,
unique product, etc.
• Keep emails of organizers for future
use
• Request blasts on social media
• Leverage names for other
competitions & opportunities
• Keep photos w/ logos for marketing
material

PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT 101- NON
TECH FOUNDERS-HOW
TO LAUNCH A MVP IN 30
DAYS

Agenda
 A Message to Non Tech
Founders
 Product-Ideation & Beta Plan
 Product-Ideation & Beta
Costs
 Product- If You Choose
Option 2
1. Understand the Basics
2. Learn to code
3. Transition to Development
4. Build An App
Non Tech Founder Check List

Non-Tech Founders- Stop it!
18
Learn to
Code &
Launch an
MVP
Learn the
basics of
tech to hire
the right
coder
OR

Product-Ideation & Beta Plan
19
Ideation Phase:
1 Write out idea. Market Research
2 Test demand for your solution with
google keyword, google trends,
etc
3 Google alert your competitors and
copy or enhance their strategies
4 Landing pages- share in at least
20 FB groups w/ target consumer
5 Use tools like (Balsamiq)/
Fiverr.com to create a test app or
mock app to potential customers.
Beta Phase:
Plan out the App versions of the product
and the potential release date for each
1. Alpha Q1: Stripped down version of
your application
2. Beta Q2: System might have complete
set of features, but there might be some
undiscovered bugs in the system.
3. Beta Q3: Reality check version- based
on feedback
4. Release Candidate Q4: System is very
stable at this point
5. Release (v1.0, v1.2): At this stage
system is usually released to the
customers.

Product-Ideation & Beta Costs
20
Option 1- Not You
• External Freelancer work (might
come with a lot of bags and has to
be managed)
• External outsource agency/team
• Internal team member with high
coding skills for MVP/inspire the
onboarding of a extended tech
team
Option 2- You
• Understand the basics
• Learn to code
• Design and release w/ no code
https://www.appmakr.com/blog/mak
e-apps-without-experience/

Product- If You Choose Option
2
1. Understand the Basics
2. Learn to code
3. Transition to Development
4. Build An App
5. Low Cost App Maker
Platforms

Understand the Basics
Learn the Web
• Front End Development: HTML, CSS,
Javascript
• Back End Development: Ruby, Python,
PHP (and a dozen other languages)
Learn Stages of web development
• Design (Mockups, Wireframes, Information
Architecture)
• Develop (Hard coding w/ functionality)
• Test (bug issues, user experience)
Get inspired by other experiences
• Self taught in 12 weeks
http://www.jamesfend.com/learned-ruby-rails-
12-weeks-launch-freelancify
• Self taught in 8 weeks
http://lifehacker.com/how-i-taught-myself-to-
code-in-eight-weeks-511615189

Learn to code
Online Coding Env. Free
• Codeacademy,
Freecodecamp,
• SkillShare, Youtube
• One hour of Code Event
• 45 placed to learn code
for free
• Learn Command Line
• Join Local
MeetupGroups- There
are weekly Hackerhours
for free in every city
• Forums for support
http://stackoverflow.com/
• Go to paid programs
and copy and paste the
curriculum order. Than
Google all of the free
online resources to do
each stage of coding
Online Coding
Environments (Cheap)
• Onemonth.com $50
• Codeschool,
• Treehouse,
• Udemy,
• Coursera,
• Udacity, etc.
Offline Boot Camp Environments
• A full-time program will typically cost
$5,000-$15,000.
• General Assembly- Programming
for Non-Programmers BootCamp
• Help you decide on bootcamp
https://www.themuse.com/advice/lea
rn-to-code-now-how-to-pick-the-
right-dev-boot-camp-for-you
• Ultimate Guide to Coding
bootcamps
http://www.skilledup.com/articles/
the-ultimate-guide-to-coding-
bootcamps-the-exhaustive-list
• The Top 33 Coding Bootcamps
http://tech.co/top-33-coding-
bootcamps-2015-02
• Weekend & nights bootcamps
http://anyonecanlearntocode.com
/

Transition to Development
Setup Development Environment
• Life After Codeacademy
http://www.shubhro.com/2014/05/2
9/development-environment/
• Setup Development Environment
http://churchm.ag/the-beginners-
guide-to-setting-up-a-development-
environment/
A development environment is a set of
software that enables you to write
programs for a particular language or
platform.
This software oftentimes includes a text
editor and shell.
1. Text editor is simply a program in
which you’ll type your code. Examples
include Sublime Text, Notepad++,
and Eclipse.
2. Terminal: The shell is the second
component of a development
environment. Simply put, the shell is a
program in which you give commands
to the computer, and the computer
returns its response. Though
bewildering at first, the shell will very
quickly become an indispensable part
of your software development toolkit.

Low Cost App Maker Platforms
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4901-best-app-makers-
creators.html
http://blog.edx.org/how-to-build-a-mobile-app-5-free-courses
http://www.techworld.com/picture-gallery/apps/18-best-mobile-
application-development-platforms-tools-3375307/

CUSTOMER
ACQUISITION 101- HOW
TO GET YOUR FIRST 10K
USERS IN 30 DAYS

Agenda
 Prep-Before We Begin
Part 1 Bucket 1 & 2
 For Startups w/ a great product that
is ready to go!!!
 40+ Ideas based on Growth
Marketing Hacks
Part 2 Bucket 3 & 4
 For Startups that need to focus on
product enhancement and user
engagement. 40+ Ideas based
product improvement Hacks
Bucket 5:
 Random Gorilla Marketing
5 Bucket Strategy

Before We Begin
 Are you prepared for the traffic?
 Website
 Has all information needed to download, signup and engage
with new users. Has a FAQ ? Contact us page?
 Social Media
 Make sure all social media pages have your app launch
information in the banner or pinned to the top.
 Google Analytics
 Make sure your website is tracking all activity.

Bucket 1- Site
Submissions/Posting
1. Post on the legendary 3: Reddit, Digg, HackerNews, (Ninja Tip: Before posting a link of your screenshot to
Reddit, first share it on Twitter and then post the Twitter status link to Reddit. It’s an easy way to pick up a few
Twitter followers) ; Go to the /subreddit (Page on Reddit) related to your business and leave comments
2. Post a screenshot of the app with the link on Product Hunt, Dribbble, DesignerNews and other niche
forums. Don’t limit your self to the legendary 3.
3. Post on Craiglist, Eventbrite.com, Meetup.com: Launch a Competition, Campaign or Event to test your
app on advertise it on these platforms. Offer money, discount or pizza. Get creative!
4. Post Question on Quora (and other question forums) Try answering questions (with links to your startup) for
1 hour, 3 days a week. Get creative with other forum postings-google search etc
5. Post an answer on Google Search: Leave comments on the top 5-10 search results - On a related note,
you can search your keyword on Google and find the top 5-10 articles then leave a similar comment. Insider
tip: you can search that keyword on Google Keyword Planner to see how much search volume it gets. Search
5-10 keywords related to you on Google and leave comments on those related pages.
6. Post on the TNW Market- While primarily a place for specific special offers or promos, you can also create a
listing of your startup for free. If you do also have a special offer you can create (e.g. first 3 months free) then
it costs nothing to post and you can monitor the affect it had using stats.
Website: http://market.thenextweb.com & Add New Company Twitter: @TNWMarket
7. Post on Dubbler. Promote your blog posts or content having to do with your app's niche on Dubbler -- a 60-
second audio social network.
8. Post a deck demo on slide share with a perk: http://www.slideshare.net/ and Add comments on other
slideshare power point presentations

Bucket 2: Social Media
Influencers
1. Reach out to organizers of meetup, eventbrite, facebook
to post on their page, or email out to followers
2. Reach out to the newsletters organizers that you
subscribe to already.
3. Reach out to Bloggers & local tech newsletters: Provide
500 word document: app’s features, startup story and value
proposition
4. Reach out to twitter influencers with 20k+ followers:
Provide tweet and link about app. Request that they tweet at
midday.
5. Contact admins of related Facebook pages. “Look for
pages with 100k+ likes and reach out to their admins. Make
sure these pages have something to do with the focus of
your app. Then give them a compelling reason to mention it”.
6. Select 100 twitter influencers with at least 10k followers or
more and have them tweet your app campaign on the same
day/ stagger for 20 each day if necessary
7. Download email contacts on linkedin and Email blast
ONLY once w/ mail chimp
8. Google form campaign- get people to signup to be network
ambassadors for a day/week
9. Google alert competitors and reach out to reporter to write
a follow up story or rebuttal
10. Follow your Audience: Target your customers/users on
intagram + pinterest and comment the link to the app on a
relevant post.
1. Look at new channels that have less competition
(rules) like snapchat, pinterest, instagram to drive
traffic
2. Search Twitter for related hashtags - then tweet at
the people to offer feedback
3. Leave video responses on popular-related YouTube
Videos
4. Create a six-second how-to series. Make the most
of Vine with videos potential customers will find
useful. The hashtag #howto is one of the top trending
tags on Vine.
5. Thunderclap campaign your network for the launch
date
6. Do Content marketing: Blog away not about your
product, just anything that your target market would
want and that would make them want to explore the
product.
7. Ride a wave- If an image is going viral put your name
on it and share it too
8. Use snip.ly to share viral blogs with your own advert
9. Find Trending Content http://buzzsumo.com/ find
titles that gets the most shares
10. Google Keyword Research Tool To Know Search
Volume and Demands
11. Click To Tweet Tweet From any Blogs or Pages
12. Bounce Exchange To Track User’s Mouse
Movements on your page

Bucket 3 Fake the Hype

Bucket 4: User Targeting &
Empowerment
Find and Engage the Right Users
1. Use 3 prong strategy - Hubs, Connections,
Communication. Hubs - Find places where target
users aggregate. Connection - Find ways to
establish connections with the
users. Communication - Find most effective
messaging
2. Find your target users on instagram, pinterest,
and twitter- send personalized blurb and link to fit
their needs. Target only ones who will truly use
your app. Target a micro-market.
3. Manually reach out to your competitors’ users
on Twitter / Facebook etc
4. Email the existing users you have asking for
them to refer other people.
5. Use Email Insights To Track Competitors’
Emails and Newsletters
6. Landing Page- “Build and they will come”- place
value proposition on one pager and have users
sign up

Bucket 5- Random Gorilla
Marketing
1. Take a weekend, afternoon, major
event parade etc to go our to the
streets and attract users to sign up.
Have a big sign with the value
proposition and make it fun.
Timesquare madness- you never
know- you might get caught on
youtube or news.
2. Sit in Barnes and Nobles with $5
Starbucks cards and get people to
talk with you about your service.
3. Go to events and try to get users
as they leave or enter an event- make
sure you coordinate with organizers
so you don’t harass them. Go to
parties, festivals etc to get users
4. Email 10 entrepreneurs you know
and ask them how they got users
(target ones in your field and ones
that aren’t) you will be surprised what
you learn.

Conclusion
We covered over 100 different
tactics today and hopefully
you feel ready to go our there
and get your first viral group
of users.
Please note- that you should
not attempt these strategies
prior to experimenting with a
small set of users- 100 or less
to make sure that you are
targeting the right people for
scale/growth

Free Resources
http://customerdevlabs.com/
http://www.guidearama.com/gu
ides/fwb.html
https://www.searchenginejourn
al.com/epic-list-100-growth-
hacks-startups/118690/

MARKETING 101-HOW TO
LAUNCH W/ PRESS &
MARKETING IN 30 DAYS

Agenda
 Before we begin
 Week 1: Blueprint &
Strategy Plan
 Week 2: The Email Blast
Plan
 Week 3: Campaigns & Ad
Spend
 Week 4: Replicate other
Hack Stories
 Case Study Examples:
Vendedy
30 Day Plan

Week 1 Blueprint & Strategy
Plan
Day 1: Timeline + Content
Blue Print Your Announcement Dates & Frequency for 1 year:
• Beta signup, launch, updates
• Q1 Blast (Jan-April)
• Q2 Blast (May-June)
• Q3 Blast (July-Sept)
• Q4 Blast (Oct-Dec)
Blue Print Media Channels & Content
• Email: Construct a 3 paragraph email (press release format + personal outreach format)
• Social Media: Construct the 140 tweet, facebook, linkedin, instagram etc
• Events: Compile press links, photos, videos
Day 2: Budget & Prep
Plan the monthly/quarterly Budget
• Social media Marketing
• Google Adwords
Day 3: Do Trial Day Run
• Assign roles & engagement management workflow
Free tools for the day: MailChimp (2000); Hootsuite (3 accounts);

Week 2-Email Blast Plan
Day 1
• List: Coordinator, supervisor, and/or representative for the following
networks-Alumni of High school, College, Programs, Clubs, sports,
church etc.; Part time jobs, full time jobs, internships, contract roles
• Input confirmations into launch excel file (to follow up 3 days prior + on
the target date)
Day 2
• Post google doc form for volunteers to blast their networks (goal 50)
• Message- Event+ Competition networks + previous press coverage
(send update email)
• Eventbrite attendee lists +Meetup.com: message coordinators to share
Day 3
• Email Blast: Excel Spread sheet of all linkedin contacts- blast (mailchimp)
Day4/ 5
• Google alert & compile reporters & reference story
• Submit to: HARO, Reddit, HackerNews, BuzzFeed
Day 6/7 Social Media Groups (Personal Email)
• Facebook/Linked in groups
• Social Media Ambassadors (Personal Email)
• Create a list of 20+ Twitter/FB w/ 10k followers+ to share your post on
the target date (send personal email)
Free tools for the day: Boomerang, Google Analytics

Week 3- Campaigns & Ad
Spend
Tools of the Day
• ThunderClap
• Wistia, Unbounce
• KickoffLabs
• Online: Competition/ prize campaign
• Online Call to action social media share
• Online Webinar introduction + Google
hangout- live demo
• Offline: launch free events/workshops at
restaurants, cafes and local spaces
• Boost all campaigns with $1-$10 facebook
boosts and $10-$20 Google Adwords.

Week 4 Replicate Other Launch
Stories
http://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-
Epic-Launch-Strategy/
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/how-mint-grew/
https://medium.com/unboxd/how-i-built-an-app-with-500-000-users-in-5-
days-on-a-100-server-77deeb238e83#.g6m82kar5
Know the difference btw
a step by step guide vs
a story

Go To Market – Press & Media Examples
Vendedy Case Study

Ex. Idea to
Market
Online Beta
Launch

Go To Market
Target Student
Travelers
Pilots in
Haiti & Brazil

Online & Offline: Event Launches

Free Resources
http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2009/03/don
t-launch.html
https://kickofflabs.com/blog/30-days-epic-launch-
daily-plan-start-business-online/
http://www.epiclaunch.com/30-must-read-blogs-for-
the-growing-entrepreneur/

FUNDING101-HOW TO
RAISE $1 MILLION WITH
YOUR BILLS IN 6
MONTHS

Agenda
 Rethink Startup Funding
 Preparation & Perception
 Turn Your Bills Into Funding
 Resources
 Conclusion
The 5 Bucket Strategy
 Bucket 1: Competitions- Prizes,
Contests, Grants
 Bucket 2 : Family, Friends, and
Supporters (Crowd funding
Campaign) w/ Email Blast Strategy
 Bucket 3: Smart Capital Investments
 Bucket 4: Incubators, Accelerators,
Boot Camps, Corporate Programs
 Bucket 5: Get Creative & Monetize
Part 1 Part 2

Rethink Startup Funding
Always Target:
1. Cash investments
2. In kind services for free-
marketing, legal etc.
3. Partnerships- validation
• Your goal is not just to raise cash but value that
can propel your startup forward.
• Remember- you are raising money to spend and
advance your startup. If you already get what you
need for free, then you’re on the right track.
Make strategic requests. Example-
instead of can you sponsor our event?
Say, “can you host us at your venue and
we will gladly share your brand with our
network”
Our startup received closed to $50k
in cash, $50k in legal support and
$100k in marketing, partnerships,
services. That’s $250k in 6 months!

Preparation & Perception
1. Prepare
Material
• Bplan
• Financials
• Youtube 1
minute pitch
• Pitch deck
• Media
materials
• Web
presence-
website,
social
media,
press,
partners
2. Be Clear on Funding Need &
Milestones
• $25k-$100k Expected that you
already have an MVP and tested
market need (need-expand
userbase)
• $100k-$500k-MVP + userbase
(need-expand userbase and product
market fit)
• $500k-$1M- Already had several
product iterations, have a user base
and need to solidify market + hire
• > $1M- you now have a playbook
and want to repeat the same cycle
and scale quickly to either
penetrate current markets or stretch
to new geographic markets,
customer target brackets etc
3. Plan Funding Rounds
(calendar and target list)
• Pre Seed- Bootstrap funds
(your savings, credit card,
loans) + competitions
• Seed- competitions, crowd
funding campaign or
monetization of your product
from first users/customers or
small angel investors (this
requires having a heavy
marketing strategy loop to get
stakeholder support)
• Series A, B, C- Smart Capital
investment from Angels, VC
funds, corporate investments

Turn Your Bills Into Funding
$5k Walmart Community Grant
$5k UPS Store Small Bix Salute Pitch Contest
$15k MasterCard Elevator Pitch Competition
$10k Capital One Hackathon Competition
$25k FedEx Competition
$25k Microsoft Competition
$25k IBM Smart Camp Launch Prize
$40k Staples small Business Break Room
Makeover
$50k AT&T Agility Competition
$1 Million Forbes Prize Competition
Turn Credit Cards, Shipping, Magazine
Subscriptions into funding opportunities. Here
are my top 10 Favorites:

5 Bucket Strategy
Bucket 1
Competitions- Prizes, Contests, Grants
Bucket 2
Family, Friends, and Supporters
(Crowd funding Campaign)
w/ Email Blast Strategy
Bucket 3
Smart Capital Investments
Bucket 4
Incubators, Accelerators, &
Corporate Programs
Bucket 5
Get Creative & Monetize

Bucket 1-
Competitions- Prizes, Contests,
Grants
www.Csouffrant.com
Find Pitch
Opportunitie
s via the top
4 databases

Bucket 1-
Competitions- Prizes, Contests,
Grants
Create the ultimate
pitch/funding calendar
1. Calendar: Use main databases
to list out all applications for at
least 6 months ahead- Gust,
Angelist, Younoodle, F6s
2. Apply: In bulk for all due in
one month over a weekend. Ex.
Do all February applications
during the first weekend of
February.
3. Document: all application
answers in word.
4. Track: your progress w/
highlights.
5. Note: Keep track of missed
opportunities for next year
www.Csouffrant.com

Bucket 1 Cont….
Competitions- Prizes, Contests, Grants
Do Corporate Contests for Small Business: Fedex,
UPS, Mastercard, American Express etc. All corporates
have a contest arm for small business. Apply to them.
Pitch Local: Go through eventbrite.com and
meetup.com and search not based on groups but
based on your city calendar. Select all of the pitch
competitions that offer cash prizes, in kind services or
access to resource partners. Prizes usally range from
$500-$5000
Bucket 1 Note: Make sure you complete at least 20
apps due in 1 quarter with results showcased in the
next quarter. You need fast turn around results so be
strategic with w/ not just deadlines but multiple round
apps that take several months to determine winner.

Bucket 2
Top methods/platforms
• Kickstarter.com- product perk
• Indiegogo.com – thank you perk
• Gofundme.com – need
• Prosper.com- Peer Lending group
• Kiva.org- Microloans by a group
• Crowdrise- equity based funding
• Teespring- T shirt crowdfunding site
Before you begin
• Prepare the media plan, list out potential campaign partners…
• Reach out to the top 50 campaign raisers across different crowd funding
groups. Ask for 15 minutes of their time to tell you how they did it and if they
are similar or complimentary, if they can partner with you; recommend you
to reporters and investors! Also reach out to the top worst campaigns
and ask them what they regret.

Bucket 2
Email List can make or break a campaign. Target paid mailing lists*:
http://betalist.com/, http://startuplister.com, http://www.startuptabs.com/,
http://startupli.st/, http://erlibird.com/, http://ideasquares.com/,
http://killerstartups.com/, http://launchingnext.com/
Campaign Must Haves:
1. Add thunderclap to crowd fund campaign
2. Have landing pages set up to debut product all over
3. do small increments- its better if you go over your funding goal
4. Must prepare network at least a month in advance: organic list + paid lists
5. Do affiliate marketing to drive traffic to complimentary companies that can redirect
traffic right back to your campaign
6. Always have a competition campaign- a sharing competition with an entry form
and a leaderboard and offered prizes
7. Always have a Matching campaign board $500 for $500, $1000 for $1000 etc
8. Always have a $1 option.
9. Partner w/ at least 5 media networks with 100k viewers and up to blast your link
to followers

Bucket 2 Cont….
Email & Social Media Blast Strategy
Prepare
• Email: Construct a 3 paragraph email (press release format + personal outreach
format)
• Share: Construct the 140 tweet, facebook, linkedin, instagram etc
Target amplifiers
• Coordinator, supervisor, and/or representative: Alumni networks
• Pitch on HARO
• Social Media Groups- Facebook/Linked organizers
• Eventbrite attendee lists +Meetup.com: message coordinators to share &
message group members
• Create a list of 20+ Twitter/FB w/ 10k followers+ to share your post on the target
date (send personal email)
• Post google doc form for volunteers to blast their networks (goal 50)
• Email list: Excel Spread sheet of all linkedin contacts- blast (mailchimp)
• Facebook Ads: $5 increments. Do 20 different versions and target different
subgroups
• Rally online communities*: by posting or guest blogging on networks of
coworking spaces, Reddit, job boards, ProductHunt and entrepreneurial online
hangouts.

Bucket 3
• Target Angels First: on Angelist.com +
Gust.com + Angel Capital Association. Angel
investors (individuals) or (syndicates) can
invest from $10k to $500k to $1M
• Ask for feedback: 50-100 angel investors
and send them this message: "Hi <>, I'm a
student at <> University looking to solve a
huge problem in the <> space. We're still
pre launch and not ready to raise yet, but I
was hoping to get 5-10 minutes of your time
to ask some questions. Since you invested
in <> and <>, I figured you would be perfect!
Thanks!”
Golden Rule:
Ask for advice, get
money…ask for money, get
advice...
DO NOT DO THIS BUCKET BEFORE YOU HAVE TRACTION!!!
“If you can’t be bothered to spend $5k-$10k to build a prototype, of what you
want to do, then why should I take you seriously?” — Jason Calacanis

Bucket 3
Reach out to 50 VC firms- not for advice but mainly to
showcase the traction that will reel them in!
• List out 100 VC firms that fit your startup- your hit
list draft- make an excel spreadsheet.
• List all of the people in your linked in network who
knows them and can make a warm introduction-
do this by adding all of them on linked in and
following them on twitter.
• Close the gaps: lets say only 20/100 are within
your network reach but the other 80 aren’t…devise
a plan to see how you can reach them warmly- are
they going to be at an event, they do have an open
pitch round, etc. Cold pitch deck submissions
seldom get noticed!
• *Tip: Don’t say you need money for development. This is a big (and common)
mistake from newbies… no one wants to invest in a first-time founder and
have their money go towards building the first product!

Bucket 4
Incubators, Accelerators, & Corporate
Programs
Get $20k-$100k from Accelerators
• According to the National Association of Business Incubators, there are about
800 incubators in the US.
• Apply to at least 12 that fit your niche. Even if you don’t get in, the interview
process reveals a lot of wholes that you night of missed.
Target Corporates for Startups
• IBM Global Entrepreneur, Microsoft Bizspark, Amazon,
Target, Nike, Disney Hubspot, Citi Fintech,
Barclays,Coca Cola, GE, Google Ventures, Qualcomm,
Sales force, Digital Ocean, Rackspace etc
• Some have their own accelerators!
• Google name of company and startup company or
innovation hub.
• Go on linked in to find innovation coordinator. Go to
events targeted for corporate companies

1. Start w/ Free Online Accelerator

2. Then Do a Pre-Accelerator
Leverage Startup Weekend and Conference bootcamp events too!

3. Find the Right Accelerator
• Seasonal batches accept applications 3-6 months in advance. So apply early
and do at least 5-7 applications that fit your profile
• Similar to college admissions process; 2 are safety, 2 are reach, 2 are crapshoot
but would be amazng to get in )

4. Leverage the profile of Unicorns for Your
Application
• Find 3 Startup that is similar to you and study their business model, scale
strategy etc/tweak for your own startup.
• Then apply to an accelerator (It will make your application stronger)

Bucket 5
Get Creative & Monetize
Get Creative
• Host events, workshops where you offer your
solutions to customers…charge $5, $10 etc
• Google consulting projects at major
entrepreneurship centers- colleges and graduate
schools are consistently looking for live cases to
do work for
• Donations via social media . For example,
the Tweetsgiving drive via Twitter pulled in over
US$10K in just 48 hours, simply from donations
of $5 or $10 dollars.
• Online ad revenue and Affiliate advertising
Monetize
• Subscription
• Beta sales etc
Air BNB
raised $25k selling
cheerios- We made 500 of
each (Obama O's and
Cap'n McCains). They were
a numbered edition on the
top of each box, and sold
for $40 each.

Conclusion

Free Resources
Top Resource Archives
• http://venturehacks.com/archives
• http://10years.firstround.com/
• http://fundersandfounders.com/about/
• http://alexanderjarvis.com/blog/2015/
05/19/pitch-deck-collection-from-vc-
funded-startups/
• Series A to IPO
https://docsend.com/view/p8jxsqr

Winter 2016
Cohort

Top 10 Pitch Off
• Each Founder has
1 minute to Pitch.
• No Slides.
• Audience Q/A for 1
minute
• All pitchers will be
featured in
newsletter, social
media etc.

Panel 1: Startup Ecosystem
Panel
Startup Ecosystem Panel-
Moderated by Tamara
• Aman Merchant (Impact Hub)
• Walid Singer (Presella)
• Tena Pick (Sustainability
Platform)
• Claudia (1776)
• Tamer (Bold Talks)
View this live via
https://www.facebook.com/Middle
EastStartups/

Panel 2: Women Disrupting the
Norm
Entrepreneur Panel- Women
Disrupting the Norm -
Moderated by Amelia
• Irina Heaver (Ellevate
Dubai+ AdRem Legal)
• Mona (Mompreneurs Middle
East)
• Sahar (Dumye)
View this live via:
https://www.facebook.com/Mid
dleEastStartups/

Panel 3: VC, Acquisition &
Fundraising
VC Capital, Acquisition &
Fundraising- Moderated by
Tamara
• Kivanc
(FoodOnCLick/MoneyWat
ches.com.)
• Joshua Rajkumar
(VentureFinn)
View this live via:
https://www.facebook.com/Mi
ddleEastStartups/

What’s Next?
Agenda:
• 3:50: Sponsor Talk Tips
• 4:00 Startup Grind Dubai
Fireside Chat w/ Mrusta
• 5-8pm: Startup Grind Dubai
Annual Party (drinks)

Reminder
For access to slides- submit the form at:
http://middleeaststartups.com/our-
programs/

Winter 2016
Cohort

Day 1 Recap + Day 2 Agenda
December 18, 2016, Sunday
• 6:15-6:45: Press, Media & Funding
• 6:45-7:00pm: Keynote Speakers
• Keynote: Mohamed Amine Belarbi
• Keynote: M. Veronica Murguia
• 7:00-8:00pm Online Pitch Demo
Day w/ Startup Judges
• 8:00-8:30pm Q/A with the judges;
Final closings, offers, and
announcements
Day 2 Feedback
http://vote.pollcode.com/44758132
Day 1 Feedback
http://vote.pollcode.com/72487937

Day 2 Keynotes
• Christine Souffrant Ntim: Forbes30
Under30, AdAge 40Under40, Founder
of Vendedy, Director at Startup Grind
Dubai, Partner at Global Startup
Ecosystem
• M. Veronica Murguia: Venture
Development Consultant for
Envestors MENA: Envestors MENA
advises startup, SMES and
businesses and operates an
international angel network of
sophisticated investors.
• Mohamed Amine Belarbi: is a serial
entrepreneur who started his own
publication with over 40,000 monthly
readers. Mohamed has been
recognised “Young Entrepreneur of
the Year” by Arabian Business, “10
top African change leaders” by African

Day 2 Judges
Guest Judges:
• Alia Badr El-Din (Strategy Lead, IBM Digital Business Group – Middle East
& Africa)
• Kristi DePaul (Contributor, Inc. Arabia)
• Tiffany Obser (Seed Stars Middle East)

Demo Night- Top 10 Finalists
Congratulations to the finalists!
1. www.theajalaproject.com
2. www.thepartyup.com
3. www.UniversalLinguistics.com
4. www.yallaparking.com
5. www.shoppingo.ae
6. www.sharethisspace.ae
7. www.pricejugaad.ae
8. www.akla-baity.com
9. www.newshifts.com
10.www.helpieapp.com
Rules
• 1 Minute Pitch/ 2 Minute Q/A
Judges
• Popular Voting:
http://poll.pollcode.com/27918
473_result?v

Demo Night Winners

Winter 2016
Cohort
APPLY TO THE 2017 DIGITAL ACCELERATOR
https://goo.gl/forms/SyXydneE22hZmcYt2

2016 MiddleEastStartups.com Winter Digital Accelerator

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