Startups.com Reviews 156

Startups are dreams that people try to make real. Startups.com and Founders Group has changed my company and my outlook on what it means to be a Founder for the better. Leveraging the groups, communities, expert advisors, we've connected with through startups.com, we have grown our company faster than otherwise would've been possible. Probably best suited for people that are ready to put in the work. It's all what you put into it, and need. We've put a lot in, and needed a lot back. It's worked out perfectly for us, and if you're a Founder looking for guidance, I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Last year, I became a member of Startups.com, and it has been one of the most rewarding choices I've made as an entrepreneur. Previously, I felt isolated, grappling with the challenges that come with founding a business and relying on Google for uncertain answers. I longed for someone to discuss ideas and share my struggles with, as being a founder can be quite lonesome. Once I joined Startups.com, I discovered a space where I could freely share my experiences, seek solutions to problems, and connect with more experienced founders for guidance. Wil, Ryan, and Elliot, along with all the fantastic founders on the platform, welcomed me with open arms. I now actively participate in tight-knit community groups that I always attend, as well as a local in-person group every few weeks. If I hadn't joined Startups.com, I'd still be alone, trying to figure everything out.

What Startups.com is:

- An excellent resource for connecting with fellow founders who face similar challenges.
- A platform filled with valuable tools to assist in creating crucial business assets, such as pitch decks.
- A community centered on vulnerability, honesty, and tackling obstacles together.
- An opportunity to have one-on-one time with successful, experienced founders who have had both triumphs and failures.
- A space where you are appreciated and motivated.

What Startups.com is NOT:

- A platform where others will do the hard work for you.
- A place exclusively for showcasing your achievements.
- A venue for solely promoting your services to other founders.
- A substitute for working on your business.

With Startups.com, you reap the benefits of your engagement level. If you participate in workshops, actively engage in community channels, and contribute your insights when fitting, you will find it immensely valuable. However, if you expect it to resolve all your founder challenges by merely being a passive member, you'll be left disappointed. It's crucial to engage with other members to gain their support and assistance with your challenges.

I cherish my membership, as it has connected me with other founders facing similar obstacles and allowed me to celebrate their victories. Nobody in the platform wants to see fellow founders fail; we lift each other up, dust each other off, and help each other get back on track. That is the true strength of the Startups.com community.

Joining Startups.com Founder Groups has been one of the best decisions I've made for my business. In just 1 and a half years, I've made incredible connections and gained valuable insights that have helped me grow my company. The community is supportive and welcoming, and the resources available are top-notch. I highly recommend Startups.com to any entrepreneur looking to take their business to the next level.

I've been a member with Startups.com's Founder Group (a monthly membership that gives access to webinars, community, & training courses) for a year now. My business has been remote since 2013. I used to meet colleagues networking or at events but those got scarce during the pandemic. I also had trouble staying in touch with everyone. After joining Startups.com's community - I found a great community with really inspiring, brilliant, innovative people. I can easily stay in touch, reach out for advice or give advice, and bounce ideas off others. I especially like that there's groups for different industries and sizes of businesses so you can converse on problems specific to your business.

I wasn't sure what to expect with Startups.com, as I have seen quite a few accelerator / founder group programs that promise more than they would likely deliver. But I felt it was worth the gamble for our startup.

I wouldn't say the system is perfect; there are some pieces that seem a little rough, like the dashboard itself (which definitely needs some refinement). But there is guidance and advice and fellowship there that I don't think you can usually find outside of programs that expect equity (like Y Combinator).

The program is not as guided as I was expecting, and I think some founders may be missing out on the value because they aren't being aggressive enough in coming to the sessions and opening up to other founders.

But despite the shortcomings, it's clear that there are advisors here that have solid experience and provide good feedback, and I do feel that I'm getting more than enough value to continue for at least the next few months. I think our startup is in the right place to take advantage of the advisors' experience, as we look to grow our customer base and smooth out our value proposition.

If I were to give some advice to Startups.com, it would be to invest into improving the events system and provide more thorough onboarding to ensure founders are missing out. For one thing, there are some mixed signals about whether I'm in a 90-day acceleration program or a perpetual founder group; maybe it's both, but it's not very clear to me.

I joined startups during the pandemic after listening to the founder's podcast. I have gotten to know the founders and they have a wealth of knowledge that they are sharing with the community. The educational library is full of truths and the community is very engaged. Running a startup is not easy and they have a great support system to lean on.

I'm a first time female founder. I joined a few years ago, early into field piloting for my CPG product. I felt like I was failing because I didn't have everything perfectly in order. 3 years later, and being in this community, surrounded by other founders, I am stronger, more resilient, and on my path. I am a lifetime member.

Startups.com is a really great company (I've been subscribed to them for the past 8 months). My start-up is based in Ireland and so I use startups.com to supplement the workshops and advice that I get from my accelerator programme here. Its a really great opportunity for me as I get access to top quality business advice at such an affordable price (I think its helped me get a competitive edge from my peers as well). With start-ups you obviously have to be patient and put in a lot of the leg-work yourself, no business can do that for you. But if you're in need of high-quality advice and guidance then the articles, playbooks (esp. the finance playbook) and founders community groups are second-best to none at startups.com. Highly recommend!

Not going to lie, at first, my experience was not that great. The product did not live up to the expectations. I voiced my opinion, and to their credit, the team made changes, and I've seen the product change and mature over the years for the better. I am part of a thriving ecosystem today where I've made many invaluable contacts and developed personal relationships.

The biggest complaints I see are from customers with outlandish expectations. I've had many conversations with them, and that's the most significant piece of advice I have if you want to take advantage of this product: manage your expectations and check your own confirmation bias with reality. Being a founder is not easy at all, and if you expect a silver bullet or miracle, you will be sorely disappointed.

I would not stake my reputation and associate with a brand or community that didn't share the same values as I do. That's why I'm a part of the community and work with the product as a fellow founder to all our members daily.

When I first joined the community I was a hardware founder with a limited network. I was seeking help to achieve something that was impossible and unguaranteed. I focused on conversation and seeking feedback.

It worked. Over time I started to not only gain an appreciation for where I was as a founder, but started to learn from the mistakes and misery of other founders. You don't get this education in an MBA.

I came for the education and Startup Therapy Podcast, but I am still with them because of the community of founders I have built with them and the networking effects from being a founder in the community.

It’s a scam. As other reviewers say, they make some slight edits to your deck which they then use as proof that they provided the stated service and avoid legal issues. Obviously that falls far short of the hundreds of thousands of dollars they promise to raise for you. My profile got about 15 views total. Avoid.

TL;DR: Don't do anything with these folks. Like most good scammers, they appear professional, but once they have your money it goes downhill really fast.

I'm embarrassed to say we got suckered into their Funding Accelerator. The salesperson (Andy) will make a bunch of claims, etc. on the phone (so it's not documented) and even in emails write stuff like "Trust me, I've raised numerous times myself over the years." and "your background is impressive." and "I'd love to work with you". But once you pay, you'll never hear from him again.

Once you pay you'll be pushed over to someone else to create a "A professional investor pitch deck." But all they do is take your existing deck and rearrange some images/text.

Next, they claim to provide you with a targeted list of '80-120 prospective investors for you to contact'. Don't get fooled by the number. You'll be lucky to get through to 20% of people on the list, and all they do is pull a list from PitchBook and resell it to you as part of package.

Finally, a customized action plan is just a template with your company name placed on it. That's what they consider 'customized'.

All in all, don't waste your money/time/stress..

My experience with them was brief, but due to something that was entirely on my side, I had to cancel. They were professional and wanted to know how they could improve their experience, which is what you would expect from a company with strong customer support.