Richard Mensah @riomensah Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Richard Mensah

@riomensah

2,312

Followers

476

Following

207

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founder & ceo @salleyinc . 3x founder, building the future of leadership growth. 🔥insights on startups, AI, & human progress. 💙✈️. Optimist. CAB @brexHQ

san francisco | new york

https://t.co/FyGeLCTurK

Joined February 2011

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

A top-rated VC firm invited me to the Hamptons yesterday, along with other AI founders and engineers based in New York. Even though I've lived in New York for more than 2 years now, I've never really had any reason to spend some time in the Hamptons. After visiting yesterday, I

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

"Make something people want" - (Product-led growth) vs "Make people want something" - (Influence-led growth) @paulg thoughts?

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

@nikitabier Immigrant tech workers: 15/10

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

5 months

haha, YC looking to get in early on a legit billion dollar opportunity. apart from the community and bookface what other tangible benefits does it provide?

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Apart from @launchhouse and @beondeck , what are the best startup communities for young, ambitious people?

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

10 months

@adamguild Sam actually responded to me when I reached out about an important topic even though he was super busy I’ve spoken to a number of founders who’ve highlighted how helpful he is over the last couple of months. He’s incredibly kind and honest. Can’t wait to see what he does

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

thinking of hosting the first NYC founders dinner for this year :) the last one I hosted had a DJ, a Michelin star chef and awesome NYC founders from pre-seed though series A who's down?

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

6 months

@paulg exactly how it should be done! too many companies accelerate their demise by raising VC too early. VC works best as rocket fuel once things are working. It’s not ideal in the ideation stages

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

who's in NYC this summer? Thinking of putting together a dinner series for other startup founders and tech peeps

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

9 months

Personal update: My EB1A - extraordinary ability green card was approved!! A little over 5 years ago, I left my life in Ghana to move to the US for grad school. I was anxious and excited about starting from scratch in another country away from my family and friends. I had

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

@APompliano Skills and people that interface with the physical world will increase in value substantially over the next decade

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

10 months

@AviSchiffmann yep, we’re closer than most people think the next 2 - 3 years will be insane buckle up!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

What's the best bank for fast growing startups? Thinking of switching our current one

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

5 months

hi from Accra, Ghana! excited to be back home for a bit after more than 5 years :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Thinking of hosting a dinner for founders in NYC at the end of the month The last one was super fun :) Who’s in?

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Earlier this week, I hosted a private dinner for some of New York's finest founders As usual, we had a Michelin star chef cook for us! For those who could not make it / get in, I'll keep you posted about the next one :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

That feeling when you secure a huge initial partnership for your startup :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

Was super fun having @sriramk over at @launch_house to talk about all things @Clubhouse , @elonmusk & @a16z investing. Huge shoutout to @jamierusso for moderating this

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Most people are terrified about moving to a new country. But it’s not as bad as it seems On this day 4 years ago, I came to the US from Ghana. I’m now building a startup that I’m super passionate about while on an O1 visa Here are 7 lessons learned from building in the US:

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Had a great time tonight hosting other NYC founders for dinner We got treated to amazing food cooked by a Michelin star chef :) A special thank you to @RHouseNYC for opening up their lovely space to us.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 months

many VC-backed AI startups are over indexing on features instead of solving real customer problems

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

@mickeyxfriedman But what if that's effective therapy for us, haha

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

when your founder friend randomly sends you a photo of you on a big screen near Time Square! @OfficialAlexKim I see you! 🙏

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

10 months

@Humane Looking forward to leaving my phone home more often :) Great way to focus and be present

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

It’s always great meeting Twitter friends IRL. Met up with @thisiskp_ here in NYC!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Super fun hanging out with some creator and VC buddies!! @nateobrienn @_rachelbraun @heydannymiranda @MattGresia Shout out to others cool folks not in the pic: @JessTheVC @jackmmcclelland @amiyoshimura_

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

@agazdecki They listen to customers :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

Lots of great energy in the room today @launch_house with @saranormous from @GreylockVC As always huge shout out to @jamierusso for moderating this :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

Hey folks, I'm hosting a mixer and fireside chat with @andruyeung in a few weeks! Andrew is the mastermind behind some of NYC's most epic tech parties, and he's built a following of almost 40,000 people across Twitter and Linkedin in the process. RSVP in the comments below 👇🏽

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Last week, we hosted yet another epic mixer for the NYC tech community. The five star reviews keep coming in :) If you're in New York and want to join a future event, hit me up!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

@callmehouck Have so many lol A great idea with poor execution is just a hobby. The market dictates what you build. if your passions align with the market, great keep building, if not be adaptable and keep building Distribution separates good companies from great ones

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

Working with this amazing view at @launch_house NYC!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

NYC needs an @thesfcommons place for tech folks. Came there this morning and I’m brainstorming mental models with a bunch of super smart folks. Serendipitous deep conversations are the best :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

5 months

@crlaferla the signaling reach is limited primarily to the early stage startups space. larger partners and customers don't care much imo

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Gm! Randomly run into @tobydoyhowell in Austin Asked him to explain NFTs to some friends, haha

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

thinking of hosting a private dinner for NYC founders later this month the last one I hosted this year was in an exclusive location in the Hudson Yards. we had a Michelin star chef and an awesome group of NYC founders from pre-seed though series A who's down?

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

11 months

Had an amazing start with to the #NYTechWeek presented by @a16z . Was great catching up with old friends and making new ones :) @howard @andrewchen @ChrisLyons @chrisrohaut , etc

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

@sama The rules have changed. 99% of startup advice over the last few decades are now irrelevant. Follow them at your own peril

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

@alexisohanian We are better off without Ads. Companies are beginning to realize that they need to create an authentic brand to win the in the long run.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Just had the most interesting conversation with @jchen623 of @contrarycapital about all things startups & investing :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

5 months

craziest thing happened today: i introduced myself at a VC event as the founder of Salley and the other person already had our website open and was looking to sign up feels good knowing others love what we’re building :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Last week we hosted 40+ tech folks for a happy hour in NYC :) Had a couple of attendees reach out about how much they enjoyed it The NYC tech scene is 🔥

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

Just met this super friendly Canadian visiting NYC for a few days, haha @gregisenberg is building something pretty impressive at @latecheckoutplz

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Spontaneous weekend jam @launchhouse

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

What’s an online or in-person community you’re bullish about? I’m particularly excited about @launchhouse , @beondeck & @southpkcommons

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

got invited to visit the @LinkedIn NYC office today in the empire state building. it's great to see various teams there are excited about what we're building at @salleyinc :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 month

@agazdecki the best known product wins if your target audience doesn’t know your product exists, they’ll not use it doesn’t matter how much effort you put into building it

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

Hey friends, We're live on Product Hunt today! Come check it out and share your thoughts :) Here's the link 👇🏽

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Salley - Product Information, Latest Updates, and Reviews 2024 | Product Hunt

A strong online presence can unlock a number of opportunities. With Salley, you will learn how to get there faster. Get personalized weekly quests, actionable advice and all your questions answered...

www.producthunt.com

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

5 months

@mwseibel many investors are just glorified poker players at best users and customers should be the main focus for startup founders, not investors.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

11 months

Huge turnout today for the @salleyinc #NYTechWeek mixer and fireside chat with Ellen Brandenberger - the Director of Product Innovation at @StackOverflow 🔥 We dove deep into building generative AI products. Awesome partnering with @lennysan ’s community for this :) Great

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

10 months

Hey friends, allow me to re-introduce myself! I'm Richard, the Founder & CEO at @salleyinc - a personalized skill coach for professionals and teams. As the workplace evolves due to automation and AI, Salley helps you to easily master only skills that help you stay relevant in

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

Just had a really interesting convo with @ismeralgmi , @gaby_goldberg & @adampatel23 on all things crypto at @launch_house NYC! More specifically, how to bring more people from web2 into web3 It's been great seeing a lot of crypto folks in NYC for #Mainnet2021

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 months

first driverless ride with @Waymo :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 years

@paulg The most ambitious first time founders are usually not credential-seeking. Unfortunately, they are underestimated by many as a result of the lack of credentials.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 years

Great fireside chat today with @Alfred_Lin from @sequoia on diversity in VC and the "and" mindset. Thanks a ton to @ljin18 from @a16z for moderating and highlighting how constraints breed creativity. Organized by @lunchclubai

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

Awesome time tonight at the @roam x @brex x @MagnaTokens event! It’s always great to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Shoutout to @Bfaviero & @chrishlad Also, @howard did a great job with the live demo :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 months

amazing mixer and demo event from @OpenAI for #NYTechWeek ! always great catching up with old friends and making new ones :) @jasonmok @kaysorin @zehranaqvi_

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

8 months

excited to share Salley Sessions with you! i've had to uncover many hard lessons over the years though experience here's a better way to do it :)

@salleyinc

Salley

8 months

Introducing Salley Sessions. A new way for you to develop as a leader. Many professionals have to uncover hard lessons in years through experience. Reading books, going to conferences, signing up for courses and going to business school only takes you so far.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

i've met quite a few smart people who are not sharing their ideas and expertise online cause it's hard / they're busy being able to build a community of advocates on the internet helps you attract new opportunities if you're struggling with this, lmk! I'll help out if I can :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 months

so awesome having Michael Katz - CEO & Founder of @mParticle ($272M raised) leading at our last Salley Session. Mike has 20+ years of executive & leadership experience. Before mParticle, He was Founder and CEO of interclick, which he took public in 2009 and sold to Yahoo in 2011

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 years

@shl It's hard because, you are looking in the wrong places. Try hiring people from unconventional backgrounds. You'll thank me later. Also, a person's motivations and passion > schools and brand names.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Recently joined @_rachelbraun on the Ok Boomer segment for @TWiStartups had a fun chat about: - the origins of @salleyinc - meeting my co-founder, @leia_ruseva - building in the US vs Ghana - why NYC is the best city for startups take a listen :)

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Frost Giant CEO Tim Morten on gaming business models, Esports & more...

Frost Giant CEO Tim Morten on gaming business models, Esports & more | E1503Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp0:00 Jason and M...

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 years

@HarryStebbings Lol, they should probably consider moving into private equity instead. Early stage VC is for folks who can bet on companies when the is little to no data. Sad thing is too may early stage VC's are very risk averse. Definitely not good for the future of innovation.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

@TurnerNovak Yep, he consistently showed up for many years. Basically, a typical story of a ten year overnight success

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

10 months

@satyanadella Crazy turn of events! Satya is a next level negotiator. Excited for @sama , @gdb and the rest of the @OpenAI team leaving to join Microsoft Bullish 🔥

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

Bringing in a 2 Michelin star Mixologist for our upcoming mixer and fireside chat :) If you’re in NYC on July 27, you don’t want to miss this. I’m be hosting Elizabeth of Absence of Proof to chat about how she built an engaged community across 7 cities in less than a year.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

. @thebrunchguy ’s brunch game is on a whole new level 🤩 been great running into old friends and making new ones bullish!!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

It’s always great to have founder friends who support you on the journey Caught up with @MarcAtiyeh this afternoon :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

if you're in new york next wednesday, you don't what to miss the event I'm hosting with @chrishlad . we'll be chatting about how he built an audience of more than 200k in just 2 years. lmk if you're down to join and hang with other tech folks :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

On this day 10 years ago, I received my first personal computer. And it changed everything. Growing up in Ghana, I had always been fascinated by technology from a very young age. However, my biggest constraint at the time was getting access to the tools and devices to experiment

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

@FluentInFinance Insightful. Seems like it typically happens later in life for most

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Labor Day weekend vibes @launchhouse

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

@ptsi Bro! I’ll be down to watch that, haha

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 years

@shl A CEO's fifth job is to ensure the team is diverse in terms background and mindset so they collectively come up with ideas that are new and unique.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Planning a dinner for a small group of venture backed founders in NYC A few series A and seed stage founders are already in Who’s interested?

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Please stop stalking me @JessTheVC

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Super fun meeting twitter frens in person! cc: @JessTheVC @shannonlitweets @amiyoshimura_ Big shoutout to @nftpho for putting this together

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

I’m super excited that we’re launching Story Alley today on @ProductHunt 🥳 Over the last few months, we’ve tested this with some awesome storytellers - @tobydoyhowell , @TomJWhiteIV , @_rachelbraun , @jareddashevsky , @nicolecasperson , among many others let us know what you think!

@salleyinc

Salley

2 years

Hey hey! We're live on @ProductHunt today 🥳 would love to learn your thoughts about Story Alley Come hang!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Was great catching up with @shaig earlier today Lot’s of cool things happening over at @brexHQ . They are one of the best community builders in tech.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Growing up in Ghana, i always thought being technical was a prerequisite to building a successful startup I've built software across frontend, backend, DevOps and mobile However, I've come to realize that storytelling, communication and design are way more valuable

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Hosting a Space today with the one and only @NoDegreeDotCom at 3:30 ET. Come through if you’re available :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Just had a great chat with @victorhunt_ :) His last startup was acquired, and he’s now doing cool things at @southpkcommons The NYC tech scene is heating up 🔥

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 years

"Our TAM [total addressable market], the way we think about it is, every private and publicly-traded company in the world that has a high degree of predictability in their revenues" @harryhurst Now, that's the right way to think about TAM. Congrats to the @pipe team!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

3 years

@agazdecki 💯 Don't start with building a product. Start with building an audience of people who may be experiencing the problem you want to go after.

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

We're now #10 🎉. Let's get to top 5 y'all!

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

I'm beyond excited to share that Ellen Brandenberger is part of our Advisory board at @salleyinc Ellen has wealth of knowledge and insight from her experience working across startups and large public companies. She's currently the Head of Product Management at @StackOverflow ,

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

9 months

when you run into another founder who’s also working today

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

10 months

Earlier this week, I hosted a thought-provoking mixer and dialogue on the art of effective conflict resolution at work. To bring this event to life, we joined forces with The Inheritance Project and Free Agency to create a truly memorable experience for the attendees. This was

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Watching the World Cup finals with founder friends hits differently :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

Learning to code is great but learning to tell compelling stories is more impactful for your career :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

5 months

unpopular opinion: building great software only matters after you’ve built a viable business. obsessing over software before you’ve identified a working business is usually a waste of time unless it’s just a hobby

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

A few weeks ago I asked about the best communities for young, ambitions people aside from @launchhouse & @beondeck Here's the top 16 communities from the responses:

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

5 months

just joined @getairchat . who else is there? love the fact that i can hear what other sound like would be cool to also clone your voice and have it used for text written there. hard to use voice in noisy areas. all in all, it feels more like hanging out with friends :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

10 months

happy thanksgiving friends!!🍁🦃 this is my 5th thanksgiving since moving to the US. excited cause I finally get to have a proper dinner with my cousins :) for many solo immigrants without family in the US, it can be a difficult time of the year go tell your immigrant friends

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

1 year

As a founder, you need to curate the people you take advice from. Not all advice is helpful even if it's well intentioned

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

8 months

2023 was challenging but we accomplished a lot in spite of it :) Even though there was a lot of uncertainty in the beginning, we focused on deeply understanding our users and what they need. I had lot of user interviews, and then we kept on iterating the product and our offering

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

The ability to build a strong online presence is a skill that many smart people lack. Unfortunately, this limits their ability to attract asymmetric career opportunities for themselves. I wrote an article on why building an online presence can help future proof your career. 👇🏽

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

4 months

NYC is amazing today! best city in the world :)

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@riomensah

Richard Mensah

2 years

Had an amazing time in Austin with these fun folks 🔥 Huge shoutout to @launchhouse for putting this together cc: @laurenlself @AndrewSchrbr @_katherholt @nickconfrey @sydneylai @aminiman89 @AstronautUlrik @ZiqiDeng5 @monica_bzaar and more :)

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