Will a startup stick?🎯

[Republic Weekly] Republic Insider June 19, 2019 Finding a sticky startup Will this idea succeed? This is one of the major questions all investors consider. Yet how can we predict if an idea will thrive or fail? According to Chip and Dan Heath (Chip is a professor of organizational behavior at Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and Dan is a former researcher at Harvard), it's all about stickiness. In their book, [Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die]( Chip and Dan define a "sticky" idea as simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and a good story. While the sticky method is typically applied to marketing campaigns, it can also be helpful in determining a startup's stickiness, especially in their early stages. Here's how the Made to Stick principles apply to startups on Republic: Simple It should be easy to understand. For startups, you should be able to immediately grasp the idea and how a startup's solution is solving a clear problem. This can be found at the top of the pitch section on a Republic page. Unexpected An idea should grab people's attention by surprising them. One example of an unexpected idea from the marketing world is Dairy Queen's upside-down Blizzard. This imaginative twist on their ice cream product captured the world's attention and has since stuck as DQ's signature service. In the startup world, unexpected companies will use technology in a new or exciting way. As [Josh Kopelman]( partner at First Round Capital and early investor in [Mint.com]( Warby Parker, and LinkedIn (among others), explains: “What we really look for is that contrarian idea, the idea where the founder thinks they have a view of the world that other people laugh at.” For example, Airbnb surprised consumers by showing they could stay at a stranger's house instead of a hotel. Concrete An idea should be easy to grasp and remember later. This is especially important when investing in early-stage startups. At this stage, a company may be just coming on to the market or may be testing a beta version of a product. As an angel investor, you'll want to back ideas and products that are memorable to consumers. A good way to test this is to see if the idea can be easily understood by a 5 year old; if it is concrete, anyone will be able to get the idea. Credible As an angel investor, you are putting a lot of faith and dollars into a founder's ability to deliver and scale their product. You'll want to ensure there's credibility in the idea and that you are backing a team who can realistically achieve the goals and objectives in their pitch. You can test a company's credibility by checking who else is backing that company. While many companies on Republic are just launching, some may already have support from prominent investors, advisors, partners, and customers, or may have participated in trusted incubators and accelerators. Emotional Investing can often be personal and it's important to understand the motivations to invest. If you are on the fence about an opportunity, the reviews and discussion sections of a campaign page is a great way to read what others think about an idea, and to see if the practical side of the investment (the traction, market opportunity, etc) aligns with your emotional and personal interest in a product. Stories There's a story behind every company and it usually starts with the founder. That's why we've launched our [Startup Superheroes blog series]( (you can read this week's post below). Each post provides investors with insights into the reasons and background for each company, and is a great way for you to determine how your investment can contribute to the next chapter of their story. Use this method when browsing [today's deal pages]( to make sure your next investment sticks. [Invest today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [CHRGR launches on Republic]( It's never fun running out of batteries at a concert or event. Slow phones and dead batteries means fewer uploads to Instagram, selfies shared, and moments captured with friends. But charging your phone usually requires tethering to an outlet or waiting at a charging station. CHRGR creates branded portable battery chargers that allow advertisers to reach consumers as they charge on the go at major events and festivals. The portable, tether-free chargers are convenient to use and are a direct way for advertisers to get their brands into the hands of consumers. The highlights: - 3x year-over-year growth since 2016 - $700K in revenue in 2018 - 70% customer retention rate, with returning customers increasing their order size by an average of 40% - Repeat success with major clients, including Lyft, Heineken, Fanatics, CLIF, Red Bull, Instagram, American Express, Nike, Audi, First Republic Bank, and Mack Weldon and many more. - Diverse distribution partners, including Uber, Lyft, Cargo, Blade, Jetsmarter, Aspen, Live Nation, and a roster of hotels, gyms and nightlife venues [View CHRGR on Republic]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Rick Bentley, Cloudastructure]( Rick is not your traditional founder. Having been repeatedly early with many ideas and ventures (something he admits is both a strength and a weakness), Rick shares what he's learned from driving the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine to investor meetings, having a company acquired by Uber, and what it feels like to pursue his ideas, even when it's too early. [Read Rick's story]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Recommended Read: "What’s So Great About Equity Anyway?"]( Behind all the hype, crypto has been extremely successful has been at creating new financial tools. Some of these tools now allow retail investors to profit from the success or failures of certain startups. It's not pretty and it's regulatory complex, but these tools allow for the creations of derivatives that could allow a regular investor to profit if a startup succeeds. Republic's [Jed HalfonÂ]( more about the markets, bets, and opportunities in this [Medium post](. 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