YC
Elizabeth Iorns at Female Founders Conference 2014
@ Y Combinator
03/13/14
Takeaways
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
I'm the founder and CEO of Science Exchange, a marketplace for scientific collaboration where researchers can order experiments from the world's best labs.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
I started Science Exchange to solve my own problem as a breast cancer researcher who was frustrated with the process of farming out experiments.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
The best problems to solve are the ones that affect you personally, as you have a deep understanding and passion for finding a solution.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
It's crucial to solve a real problem; you should talk to potential users early to ensure that the problem you're addressing is significant for them as well.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
Building the right team is essential; they must share your vision and care about the problem you're trying to solve.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
Company culture is incredibly important; it determines whether you can build and retain a great team and whether people want to work at your company.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
Investors should not just be a source of money; they can be incredible assets for your company's growth if they believe in your vision and share your values.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
You need to be action-oriented and move quickly to show traction and progress; using frameworks like agile can help maintain momentum.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
Focus on building deep relationships with your first 1,000 users; this will help ensure your product truly meets their needs and can scale effectively.
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Dr. Elizabeth Iorns
03/13/14
@ Y Combinator
Don't give up; persistence is key in overcoming challenges and building relationships that set your company apart.