When it comes to launching tech startups, Cincinnati is giving other cities a run for their money. And in this hotbed of recent tech development rests The Brandery, a three-month seed stage consumer marketing venture accelerator that has graduated the likes of such startups as Roadtrippers and StyleZen. Regarded by Tech Cocktail as one of the top 10 programs in the country, The Brandery recently welcomed its new incoming class of ambitious young entrepreneurs. How does the accelerator work, and why does it stand out in the already growing pool of hyper-competitive accelerator programs? Co-founders David Knox and Rob McDonald pulled together their experiences and personal stories to dish out what they think sets the Rockstars apart from the rest, and what you can do to put your tech startup’s best foot forward.
When it comes to entrepreneurial errors, chances are there is someone out there more seasoned thanyou who has already hit that bump in the road, fallen, and learned from it in the process. When it comes to starting your own company, McDonald stresses the importance of reaching out to like-minded mentors: “Each company is assigned a set of core mentors to work with throughout the program. While at The Brandery entrpreneurs are free to seek out advice from any of their 50+ mentors, he says,”We try to ensure the teams have mentors that can focus on their specific needs at the outset,” says McDonald.
When it comes to investing in tech startups, the outcomes are often surprising, the investment risky, and one must resort to some degree of faith. For example, up-and-coming roadtrip-planning app Roadtrippers may not have had investor backing without some initial confidence that it would take off. “They [Roadtrippers] have spent the last six months rebuilding their beta and launched a few weeks ago,” says Knox, “They don’t show up as much in our numbers yet, but everyone involved with our program believes Roadtrippers will be one of our biggest wins.”
Prior to starting TB, Knox was a veteran of Proctor & Gamble. When asked what he took away from his years at P&G, Know replied, “One of the mantras at P&G is the Consumer Is Boss. This is something that we take to heart at The Brandery, encouraging our startups to focus on the problem, not just the product. We aren’t looking for companies that are just building something interesting but instead those that are focusing on really meeting a consumer need.”
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