Hello again letter getters,
This week there's a sponsor to our letter, Steadfast Media Company. They are here to help founders and startups solve complex software problems. If you are looking for a reliable partner for your next business or product, consider checking out their website by clicking on the logo above.
Do you want to sponsor an issue of LaunchLetter? Your sponsorship is two-fold: It's a great way to advertise your business or product to an engaged community, and it keeps LaunchLetter up and running. Feel free to email me, kelley@southernalpha.com for pricing and information.
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Margaret Dolan,
President and CEO of Launch Tennessee
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Last week was the 10th issue of LaunchLetter, and what better way to kick off our next 10 issues than by starting where entrepreneurs start. When someone has a problem they'd like to solve, usually they may need support, resources, and funding while they are getting customers, building a business and asking for feedback. Launch Tennessee is a public-private partnership that supports entrepreneurs from ideation to exit and is guided by a vision of making Tennessee the most startup-friendly state in the nation. Margaret Dolan, President and CEO, has held several executive, financial and civic positions, and she knows that success for startups adds up to success for Tennessee. Meet your five minute mentor, Margaret Dolan.
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We really haven’t figured out how to “do” pre-K-12 public education well. There are clearly many individual success stories, and a few strong school systems, but when looking at the data for overall success, we struggle. Tennessee is making gains – in a recent year we were the fastest-improving state in the nation – but we still don’t compare well within the US. Added to that, the US doesn’t compare well with other developed nations. On a humanitarian level, this is irresponsible and represents a missed opportunity for our students. Economically, in order to sustain the tremendous growth and success we currently enjoy, we must do better at producing the talent that is needed.
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It’s important to be careful not to fall into confirmation bias – the inclination to interpret data and evidence as validating one’s ideas. It’s especially hard to do that “reality check” when one is surrounded with others who are similarly psyched up and convinced that “we’re on to something.” Taking a pause and poking at assumptions is really important – and rarely easy.
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For me, some kind of workout gives me physical, emotional, and intellectual energy. Even if all I have time for is half the normal workout, it’s important to just go ahead and do it.
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This is a tough one. But it’s probably that organizational structure, governance, process, policies, and record-keeping have to be attended to earlier than most people prefer. It can’t wait until later, and it has to be documented. Inattention to these sometimes tedious and/or boring details can lead to unfavorable consequences later on.
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There are several that serve me well: Focus on adding value rather than just on “what’s in it for me.” Integrity. Trustworthiness.
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Margaret Dolan brings a wealth of financial, executive and civic experience to her role as President and CEO of Launch Tennessee. Launch Tennessee is a public-private partnership that supports entrepreneurs from ideation to exit and is guided by a vision of making Tennessee the most startup-friendly state in the nation.
Recent Achievements:
Honored to have been selected as President & CEO of Launch Tennessee … an incredible organization with a GREAT team, fantastic board, and a meaningful mission.
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We partnered with Otterbase to bring you high demand/quality jobs in Nashville. All of the following jobs have a salary of over 100K.
Think you are great for one of these roles? Send Hunter from Otterbase an email at hmitchem@otterbase.com.
- C#/ .NET Framework Job in Nashville TN
- Well-funded startup backed by a Silicon Valley VC
- Nashville award winner for Startup of the Year
- Heading to becoming cash positive within the first year of being funded
- Full Posting: https://southernalpha.com/?p=730
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- Vanderbilt has a new 24 week coding 'boot camp' covering coding, data analytics and cyber-security. Anyone can enroll. The first class will graduate in July.
- Work, Wages and The Future of Nashville: There was an interesting article in the Tennessean this week that covered an event where community members and law-makers discussed Nashville's increased cost of living and the growing wage gap. It's worth a read as the attendees came up with ideas to address the issue.
- There is a lot going on over the next few days. The NFL Draft, the Marathon, Ben Folds is playing but I bet you didn't know that. Taylor Swift is here with a new single so while the city is going to 11, have fun this weekend and stay safe whether you are out there in the madness or in your home.
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Know someone who will bring perspective and insight to LaunchLetter?
Nominate a founder or CEO who inspires you and we will do our best to invite them to a LaunchLetter interview.
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Steadfast Media: Empowering Innovators to Achieve their Goals
Steadfast Media’s team has spent the past ten years as growth partners to both tech-enabled businesses and startups. We love helping all kinds of digital pioneers accelerate the pace at which they are reaching customers and audiences. Our unique experience has led us to offer supporting services for all types of businesses looking to grow their technology offerings, as well as leverage our unique experience as startup founders to accelerate your business in general.
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LaunchLetter is a weekday newsletter from Southern/alpha, a website that features collections of stories and resources for underestimated startup communities.
LaunchLetter is for founders getting started on an idea or business. Our goal is to share the perspective, habits and positive messages of more experienced founders and CEOs. We hope you find it relatable and delightful as you get focused for the day on your own goals. Enjoy the ride.
🚀✉️
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