Akhil Reddy @akhilred_ Twitter profile

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Akhil Reddy

1 month

I'm excited to announce Thera's oversubscribed $4M seed round with participation from @ycombinator , @amino_capital , @zillionize , @10xFounders , and House Capital. Notable angels in the round include Oliver Jung, @ChrisJBakke , @andruyeung , @akashmagoon , @bomatson , and many more.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

One year ago, I quit my job with: • No team • No mentors • No safety net Today I'm the CEO of a rapidly growing Y-Combinator backed startup. Here's how I did it 🧵:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

10 months

Hiring globally is literally a cheat code! Talent is everywhere. Have Thera power your global payroll, and I guarantee you won't regret it! 😎

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Steve Jobs was one of the most successful founders of all time. Here is what made him the best 🧵:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Ever wonder how three recent college graduates turned couch surfing into a $70B company? This is the story of Airbnb 🚀:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

The YC S23 application deadline is this Friday. YC has been trajectory changing. Every aspiring or current founder should apply. DMs are open for anyone looking for an alumni to review their app or give them a mock interview. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Here are the best 5 threads about startups from this week: 5. 8 Must-Know Founder Skills 4. 13 Mistakes Startup Founders Make 3. How Cash Conversion Cycles Work 2. 12 Takeaways from Zero to One 1. Growing Revenue in Your Customer Base Check them out 👇

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

In 1997, Apple debuted its iconic "Think Different" commercial. Two versions were created: one narrated by Steve Jobs and one by Richard Dreyfuss (actor). Jobs decided to air the Dreyfuss version, stating that it was about Apple, not about himself. Here's the one by Jobs:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Here are the best 5 threads about startups from this week: 5. Difficulties of Series B Fundraising 4. 13 Hard Truths about Entrepreneurship 3. 6 Mistakes People Make With Customers 2. How to Start a Business with AI 1. How to Size a Market Opportunity Check them out 👇🏾

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Brian Chesky on the worst piece of advice he ever got and the best piece of advice he ever got from Paul Graham:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

First time investors find all the reasons a startup might fail. Seasoned investors find all the reasons a startup might succeed.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

11 months

Japan is the oldest country in the world: full of beauty and wisdom. Here are 8 Japanese concepts all startup founders should know:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

I applied to 9 accelerators. I was actually rejected by the first 8. People only see what's on the surface, never what it took to get there. When I got accepted, it was a BIG win.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

5 months

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is meeting disruptive founders. Here are a few that onboarded last quarter 🎉: 1. Chris Bakke ( @ChrisJBakke ) 2. Andrew Yeung ( @andruyeung ) 3. Oneleet (YC S22) ( @oneleet ) 6. Codingal (YC W21) ( @codingal ) 7. Linked Revenue 8. RevGen Labs

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 month

I'm throwing a launch party in NYC with my two friends @andruyeung and @ChrisJBakke to celebrate our $4M seed round. The crowd will be a mix of NYC’s best founders, investors, creators, and operators (and of course many of our customers). We also have a few surprises in store

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Here are the best 5 threads about startups from this week: 5. How to hire executives 4. Launching first software product 3. Legendary strategies for onboarding 2. 8 best marketing channels for startups 1. 17 action items to build a $2.7B company Check them out 👇🏾

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

I was taking a walk through Bryant Park with a good friend of mine worth $50M who I deeply respect (Series C Founder). He said, "Akhil, you have to quit your job. Until you put yourself in a corner, you won't fight your way out".

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Over the past few months we had over 1,000 people apply to jobs at Thera. I've personally interviewed and hired people across engineering, design, product, and growth. Every single hire has been a home run. Here are my tips for how to hire 🧵👇🏽

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

11 months

Code gets the platform running, but soft skills scale it. In Thera's early days, we were tech enthusiasts. We wrote code. Debugged. Obsessed over the user experience. We thought tech skills were everything. Then we grew. We talked to users. Met investors. Held team meetings.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

I'm not naive enough to think that I've made it. Far from it. I know this is only the beginning. I have no idea what will happen in the next few years. But I know one thing. I'll approach every day with the same tenacity that's brought me this far.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

10 months

"Hey you should check out Thera, we just started using them" "We already use them"

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

10 months

Find your ‘Why?’ but don’t forget about your ‘How?’ So often people wait for spurts of motivation to get started. Motivation is fleeting, discipline is habitual.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

7 months

A job makes you money. A career gives you direction. A calling gives you purpose. Find your calling.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

3 months

We just landed a big client! (pun intended... sorry I couldn't help myself) @talentlanded just joined the Thera family! 🎉 I've been following along @_hunterhammonds , @josie_a_b , and @SahilBloom 's journey for a while now as they build in public. Great to see them using Thera

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

10 months

We're excited to start showcasing the incredible businesses that rely on Thera for global payroll every month. Oceans cut down on many hours of payroll ops by switching to Thera for their multiple hundreds of global workers.

Thera

@getthera

10 months

To kickstart our customer spotlight series, we’d LOVE to introduce📣 🥁Drumroll please…🥁 @oceans_xyz 🌊 Oceans is a rapidly growing outsourcing company that matches highly-skilled and vetted talent in Sri Lanka to US and other global companies.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Happy to officially announce that Thera is backed by Y Combinator as part of the S22 batch!

Y Combinator

@ycombinator

2 years

Welcome to YC S22, @areddy1 , @dbuurke and team @getthera ! Thera is building an All-In-One HR platform for remote startups. With Thera, companies can hire, pay, and support their remote teams.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Jeff Bezos took the leap. Why? “Because in most cases, our biggest regrets turn out to be acts of omission - paths not taken”

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

4 months

Our goal at Thera is to become the financial operating system for global businesses. An ecosystem of apps to help you scale your business. Today, we're one step closer to realizing that vision. Drum roll, please... 🥁 Introducing Thera AP/AR. You can now manage your accounts

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

5 months

One year ago, I messaged the CEO of one of our competitors. @MattRedler eventually shut down Panther to focus on his new startup Aurora. I now consider Matt a great friend who has been incredibly valuable in guiding Thera's GTM strategy. They even use Thera to manage their

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Four months ago I was in the process of moving all of our funds to SVB to take advantage of the higher yields. I decided to deprioritize it because the onboarding process was taking too long. Dodged a bullet on this one...

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

10 months

here to see Taylor Swift

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

8 months

We recently asked a few workers relying on Thera for payroll if they could write us an honest review on G2. Here are a few of my favorites:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

27 days

Racism and sexism have no place in our society. Full stop. As leaders, we have the responsibility to create environments where respect, inclusion, and equality are non-negotiable. Freedom of speech is essential—it drives innovation, challenges norms, and helps build more open

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

I was a respected employee at Amazon. I was making more money than I knew what to do with. The problems were interesting. The impact was massive. Life had given me golden handcuffs. But I always felt like something was missing.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

2. Ability to Inspire Steve Jobs was a master at inspiring others, both within his company and outside of it. His ability to captivate an audience and make them believe in his vision was one of his greatest strengths.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Reviewed over thirty applications and met with many of you on Zoom! Good luck!

Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

The YC S23 application deadline is this Friday. YC has been trajectory changing. Every aspiring or current founder should apply. DMs are open for anyone looking for an alumni to review their app or give them a mock interview. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

I pushed back, "but I could work on the startup at night after work". I, of course, knew in my heart that he was right. Startups are hard enough by themselves let alone with a full-time job.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

3. Focus on Simplicity Jobs made technology that was simple and intuitive to use. He famously said, "It's not about the technology, it's about the experience." Simplicity is not simple. Constraint breeds innovation.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

I knew I was meant for much more. After all, the people who change the world are the ones crazy enough to think they can. Every day, my friend's words would echo louder and louder. Until eventually, I quit my job to start my company, Thera.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 month

I'm thrilled to officially welcome @yohansudheer as Thera's Head of Growth. Yohan is a former founder and lifelong marketer and has spent the last 8+ years helping SaaS companies go to market and scale revenue. One of our core philosophies at Thera is that "A players attract A

Yohan Sudheer

@yohansudheer

1 month

A personal update. I’ve joined @getthera as Head of Growth. I've been keeping a close eye on the global payroll and payments space, and I'm convinced that cross-border payments need to be simpler and more affordable. I met @akhilred_ earlier this year and was impressed

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

3 months

Vibes in Costa Rica are immaculate. @bigdeskenergy @denk_tweets

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 months

It’s been a crazy time at Thera. We’ve launched new product lines, doubled our team size, and are growing incredibly fast. Testimonials like these are what it's all about. @ChrisJBakke has been a customer, friend, and trusted voice from our early days. Need to streamline

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

1. Vision Jobs had a clear vision of the future. He had a deep understanding of what customers wanted before they even knew it themselves. Don't just wander around aimlessly. Have a clear vision.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

@lawrencekingyo Switching your environment wakes your brain up. I’m way more productive when I change it up.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

That's a wrap! If you enjoyed this thread: 1. Follow me @akhilred_ for more of these 2. RT the tweet below to share this thread!

Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

One year ago, I quit my job with: • No team • No mentors • No safety net Today I'm the CEO of a rapidly growing Y-Combinator backed startup. Here's how I did it 🧵:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Cheat codes for success I know at 26 that I wish I knew at 18 🧵👇🏽

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Progress was slow at first. Any founder will tell you... Nothing happens for a long time. But when it rains, it pours.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Kindness goes an incredibly long way

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy. Yesterday, one of the vendors we work with shoddily added a hidden 3% fee to our monthly bill. I could have sent an angry email about how its unethical and we would be searching for a new vendor. Instead, I sent an

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

As growth was starting to pick up, I decided to apply to accelerators. The goal was to get into Y-Combinator - the Harvard of accelerators (though I fully intended to succeed: accelerator or no accelerator).

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Watching Steve Jobs’ keynotes is a masterclass in presenting. This was one of his most iconic moments.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

There’s a common tendency for aspiring founders to over index on the idea they start with. Sure the idea is important but it’s very rare for a startup to exit with the same idea they started with. The best ideas are adjacent to good ideas. Just start building and selling.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

He was a master storyteller who could convey complex ideas in simple terms and make them relatable to his audience.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

So often we convince ourselves that what we need is more motivation when what we really need is more discipline. "If only I had a bit more willpower" "If I was only a bit more motivated" Its not that the most successful among us have a godly level of willpower, it's that

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Me everyday: "Man I hate unsolicited emails. Someone has to solve this problem." Also me everyday: *sends 10 unsolicited emails*

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Michael Seibel founded in 2007 to allow anyone to broadcast video online. eventually became Twitch. In 2014, Twitch sold to Amazon for $970 million. This is his blueprint on how to build 🧵👇🏽

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

For every piece of conventional startup advice, you can find an example of a successful startup that did the exact opposite. Should you still follow it? The answer is: probably The true wisdom of a founder comes into play when they’re choosing what to be contrarian on.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

It's thought that stress is one of the greatest threats to your wellbeing. Its not stress that's the threat but your perception of stress. The same stress can make you or break you. Its up to you.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

4 months

Roger Federer is a class act. I've long admired his grace on and off the court. Here are the three big lessons from his commencement address at Dartmouth this past weekend: 1. Effortless is a myth "Hopefully like me, you learn that effortless is a myth. I didn't get where I

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

4. Relentless Drive Above all else, Jobs was known for his passion and drive. He was deeply committed to his vision for Apple and willing to work tirelessly to make that vision a reality. Hold yourself to a high standard, and watch those around you rise to your expectations.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

7 months

Here are two graphs of our monthly payroll volume (one of our key KPIs) (non-cumulative) The red line in both the graphs are the same. The red line is from Q1 to Q3 of last year. The blue line is from Q3 to February 2024. Notice how our graph from last year now looks mostly

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

3 months

The ex-head of global sales at Apollo reached out to me with a major problem. He ran payroll with one of the larger providers a month earlier and his contractors still weren’t paid. Our migration team moved them over in less than 24 hours. The crazy part: the payroll from

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

As a founder there are so many things that you can be doing but so few things that you should be doing. Bring intention to everyday.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

11 months

The world changes fast. New challenges. New solutions. Being flexible and open-minded keeps us ahead. Tech got Thera off the ground, but soft skills took us beyond Level 1.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

11 months

Leadership isn't about being in charge. It's about guiding our team, shaping our vision, and staying true to our mission. Every decision, every iteration, needs a strong hand. Adaptability keeps us on our toes.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

A great answer to "how do you know people need what you're building?": "people are already doing this, we just make it easier" Airbnb: Few people were already renting out their homes on Craigslist. Stripe: Few companies already built in-house payments systems.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Airbnb wouldn’t be where it is today without the founders' determination and resilience. It’s now a household name, and its success is an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs around the world to be bold and think different.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

As someone who has very little experience managing people and had to learn through trial and error. Two simple tips that make a world of difference: Celebrate everyones wins together as a team. Take every opportunity to praise the qualities you want to reinforce both publicly

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

28 days

I'm not usually one to bash on competitors but how is this the reply to this

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Phenomenal write up on the importance of the quality of the problem you're solving by @haridigresses

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Ok…

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

27 days

due to the recent influx of folks looking to switch payroll providers, we’ve opened up our weekend for demos

Thera | Payroll + AP/AR for Global Teams

Thera is an ecosystem of apps designed to save you money. Whether you're looking to use one of our products or the full suite, we've got you covered.

www.getthera.com

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

@EssentialMastry Success is a consequence of boring habits repeated again. And again. And again.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Start selling your product to strangers from day 1 (before its even built). You learn so much more when you sell to people who aren't your friends.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Each sales call is one small battle in the war for market share

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

You need to find the intersection of what you want to work on and what you should work on. You need to have both passion and conviction to overcome the inherent inertia in a new venture. Make something people want AND make something you want to make.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

5 days. That’s how long it took ChatGPT to reach 1,000,000 users. It took Netflix 41 months, FB 10 months, and Instagram 2.5 months. But who’s behind the meteoric rise? 🚀 Who’s driving it all? This is the story of OpenAI: the brains behind ChatGPT 🧠

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

@WealthInc247 Unsuccessful people compare. Successful people prepare. The most successful people execute.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

1. Founder and CEO Luke Sophinos demonstrates how to size a market opportunity:

Luke Sophinos

@lukesophinos

2 years

It all comes down to market size when building a vertical software business. It will quite literally MAKE or BREAK your business. How to size your market opportunity 🧵

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 months

Congrats to Thera client @1840andCompany for being named one of Kansas City’s Fastest-Growing Businesses for 2024 by the Kansas City Business Journal. They've been with us for a while now but it feels like just yesterday our migration team seamlessly moved over their multiple

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Cathedral Effect: "A relationship between the perceived height of a ceiling and cognition. High ceilings promote abstract thinking and creativity. Low ceilings promote concrete and detail-oriented thinking."

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

@callmehouck When there’s an endless amount of things to do decisiveness is key. I use the one-way door/two-way door framework from Bezos: One-way door: decisions that are irreversible; should be made methodically. Two-way door: decisions that are reversible; should be made quickly.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Today, Airbnb is one of the most successful startups in the world, with a valuation of over $60 billion. The company has faced its fair share of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

What’s remarkable about many successful startups is the percentage of early employees that were ex-founders. ( @tryramp , @rippling , @stripe ) Sometimes, correlation is causation.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

If you found these threads useful then retweet the first tweet in this roundup to share them with others:

Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

Here are the best 5 threads about startups from this week: 5. Difficulties of Series B Fundraising 4. 13 Hard Truths about Entrepreneurship 3. 6 Mistakes People Make With Customers 2. How to Start a Business with AI 1. How to Size a Market Opportunity Check them out 👇🏾

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

During YC, they still didn’t have many customers. The few they had were in New York City. Paul immediately told them “You’ve got to go to your users”.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 months

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

11 months

Clear comms keep the team aligned. It turns complex ideas into relatable stories. Empathy makes a world of difference. We listen. Really listen. To our users' needs and frustrations. This isn't just business. It's about making something people love.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

11 months

A realization hit us: Tech skills aren't the only things that lead to success. Soft skills matter. A lot. Clear communication is a lifeline. It's not just about explaining code. It's about making our platform accessible (and sharing our vision with the world).

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

@Sreezy3000 ✋🏽 @oceans_xyz has been incredible for us at Thera. Very happy clients! 10+ satisfaction

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

9 days

This will be me at the Thera launch party tomorrow in NYC. 600+ founders, investors, and creators coming out tomorrow. There's still a few spots left!

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

2 years

did i think it was going to be this hard? no would i do it all over again? yes

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

There's a risk associated with every decision you make on your startup, but the greatest risk of all is not taking any risks.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

That's a wrap! If you enjoyed this thread: 1. Follow me @akhilred_ for more of these 2. RT the tweet below to share this thread!

Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Ever wonder how three recent college graduates turned couch surfing into a $70B company? This is the story of Airbnb 🚀:

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Investors were also wary of the concept. Numerous investors had ghosted them and some had even left in the middle of meetings.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

11 months

Example: With limited startup resources, founders make the most with what they have without reaching for more. Mottainai emphasizes: → Efficient resource utilization → Minimizing wastage → Maximizing every opportunity

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

The company had run out of cash and literally had a binder full of maxed out credit cards. As a last ditch effort to stay afloat they started a side project of selling Obama and McCain themed cereal boxes. The cereal boxes were a hit and netted them $30K to survive a bit longer.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk. The trio had recently moved to San Francisco and were struggling to pay rent. To earn some extra money, they decided to rent out air mattresses in their apartment during a design conference.

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Akhil Reddy

@akhilred_

1 year

This weekend of hosting random guests in their apartment gave them a vision of the future. Couchsurfing could become much more than a taboo experience for broke people. They knew they discovered something and that this simple idea could disrupt the entire travel industry.

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