Proptech Entrepreneurs Share Lessons for Survival and Growth

🤝 The Ownership Alternative: Why Cooperatives Outlast the Competition When we talk about entrepreneurship, we often default to one model: raise VC, scale fast, and exit. But there’s a quieter, more resilient path that deserves our attention: worker-owned cooperatives. The data is striking: cooperatives have a 25% higher survival rate after 5 years compared to traditional startups. When everyone has skin in the game, a business isn't just a project: it’s a shared community asset. Why this works for local economies: 🔄 Local Profit: Wealth stays where it’s created. 🛡️ Shared Risk: The business isn't one founder’s gamble. 🏗️ Collective Wisdom: Decisions draw on the group’s strength. 🌱 Sustainable Growth: Not driven by artificial timelines. Across the 100+ countries where we’ve worked at ISM, we see how these models offer a powerful path to wealth building for under-resourced entrepreneurs. It’s about building together. The real question isn't just "Can it scale?" but "Who benefits when it does?" In a world obsessed with unicorns, let's focus on the businesses that last. #Cooperatives #SharedOwnership #InclusiveEconomy #EconomicDevelopment #SustainableBusiness #ISMGlobal

Financial discipline is key to entrepreneurial success. Many startups falter not due to product issues, but poor cash flow management. Rapid growth can be a double-edged sword, as expansion often consumes capital faster than anticipated. A critical skill for founders is maintaining constant awareness of their financial runway. #Entrepreneurship #CashFlow #BusinessStrategy #StartupLife #FinancialManagement

The most common assumption is that businesses fail due to poor products or running out of cash. However, extensive research, including a Harvard Business School study of over 10,000 founders, reveals a different primary cause. According to the data, a staggering 65% of startups fail because the founding team members end up in conflict and absolutely hate each other. This internal implosion is the silent killer of early-stage companies. Even with a market actively seeking your product, team dysfunction can lead to the entire venture collapsing. This highlights the critical importance of founder relationships and team cohesion for long-term business survival. #StartupFailure #FounderConflict #TeamDynamics #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship

The most common assumption is that businesses fail due to poor products or running out of cash. However, extensive research, including a Harvard Business School study of over 10,000 founders, reveals a different primary cause. According to the data, a staggering 65% of startups fail because the founding team members end up in conflict and absolutely hate each other. This internal implosion is the silent killer of early-stage companies. Even with a market actively seeking your product, team dysfunction can lead to the entire venture collapsing. This highlights the critical importance of founder relationships and team cohesion for long-term business survival. #StartupFailure #FounderConflict #TeamDynamics #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship

**Lovable Eyes $13.2B Valuation with New Funding Round** Lovable is reportedly in discussions to increase its valuation to an impressive $13.2 billion, with a potential $300 million funding round led by Menlo Ventures. Such growth in valuation signals strong investor confidence in the company's market strategy and future prospects. At ElevenX Capital, we closely monitor these trends as they offer insights into emerging industry dynamics. How do you view the impact of valuation surges on a startup's long-term sustainability? #investing #innovation #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

$1.75 billion, global stars, and a shutdown within months. Quibi had everything a startup could ask for - massive funding, experienced founders, premium content, and celebrity partnerships. What it didn’t have was a strong enough reason for people to pay. Short-form video was already available everywhere for free, while Quibi offered a more restricted version behind a subscription. The idea sounded exciting on paper, but it failed to solve a real customer problem. The lesson is simple: The market does not reward the most expensive idea. It rewards the product people genuinely need. Before asking, “Can we build this?” businesses must ask: “Why would anyone choose this?” #BusinessFailure #StartupLessons #ProductMarketFit #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #Finance #MaverickMinutes #FinMaverick

Ever heard of the 'Ask Gap'? It’s one of the biggest psychological hurdles standing between brilliant founders and the capital they need to scale. When you see that Black-founded startups in the US received only 0.4% of total venture capital funding in 2024, it’s not hard to understand why a trust deficit exists. For many underrepresented entrepreneurs, the financial system doesn't just feel exclusive: it feels inaccessible. This creates a cycle where founders expect a "no" before they even walk into the room, so they stop asking. At ISM, we know that bridging this gap globally takes more than a standard lecture. It requires building real trust through peer-to-peer facilitation and community-driven support. We meet entrepreneurs where they are, helping them navigate these systemic barriers and regain the confidence to pursue traditional funding. This is your time to shine. Don't let the stats keep you on the sidelines. We’re here to help you bridge that gap and bring your vision to the world. - Faris Alami International Strategic Management (ISM) #Entrepreneurship #Equity #VentureCapital #EconomicDevelopment #ISM

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 (𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗔), 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗨𝗦 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀? Refraction’s three- and six-month 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 have been custom-designed to give global entrepreneurs everything they need to succeed in NOVA — and beyond. For over a decade, Refraction Innovation Hub has provided high-growth startup and scale-up companies throughout NOVA with a comprehensive range of business support solutions — from access to state-of-the-art offices and event spaces to a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and partners. ▶️ Explore the Launch Pad Program today: https://zurl.co/K7Kds #TheCenterOfInNOVAtion

It only took 5 minutes. While Mohamed Mohamud was still pitching at the Family Investment Summit in Lake Como, Italy, an investor had already shown serious interest. In this behind-the-scenes conversation, Tony and our CEO Mohammed reflect on the pitch, the response in the room, and what happened immediately afterwards. Sometimes, all it takes is one conversation to change everything. This is the journey of building QuickBuzz from vision to reality. 🚀 Follow us as we take you behind the scenes from investor meetings to product launch. #QuickBuzz #StartupJourney #FounderStory #CEO #Investment #FamilyOffice #LakeComo #TechStartup #Innovation #Entrepreneur #BusinessGrowth #BehindTheScenes #StartupLife #Pitching #FutureOfCommunication #ConversationsWithoutFootprints

This chart from PitchBook caught our attention. It shows that repeat founders in Europe raised a median of €4.3M in 2026 (as on 30th June 2026), compared with €2.5M for first time founders a 72% difference. At first glance, this might seem like a story about capital. We think it’s really a story about credibility, learning, and execution. Experienced founders are not necessarily backed because they have all the answers. They are backed because they have navigated uncertainty before. They have made difficult decisions, learned from setbacks, built teams, and demonstrated resilience when things didn’t go to plan. For investors, past experience helps reduce execution risk. For founders building their first company, this isn’t discouraging it should be encouraging. Every successful repeat founder was once a first time founder. The takeaway isn’t that experience is a prerequisite for success. It’s that experience is created through action. Every customer won, every product iteration, every challenge overcome, and every lesson learned builds the credibility that compounds over time. As leaders, whether we are founders, executives, or investors, our role is to create more opportunities for talented first time entrepreneurs to gain that experience because today’s first time founders become tomorrow’s ecosystem builders. Experience may attract capital. Character, execution, and persistence are what create it. What lessons have you found most valuable in your first or latest venture? #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Startups #VentureCapital #Innovation #Founders #GrowthMindset Source and data: PitchBook https://lnkd.in/eFBGAHky