Founder Camp 2013

Yesterday, over 160 Founders in the True portfolio gathered at the Automattic (WordPress) offices for our seventh True Founder Camp. Founder Camp is an incredibly special event that brings together Founders in the True portfolio for a day of “big idea” talks and targeted breakout sessions, all focused on the unique experience of early-stage entrepreneurs.

After five years of holding this event, we have learned that the more input our Founders have into the content of the event, the more they will get out of it. To that end, when planning this year’s Founder camp, we asked our Founders three things:

• What do you want to learn?
• What do you want to teach?
• What issues are you facing?

Not surprisingly, “scaling” was an overwhelming response, and we dedicated several sessions throughout the day to growth and related concerns. Other subjects discussed included “Finding Product/Market Fit,” “Navigating the M&A Process” and “What to Do When It’s not Working.”

We were incredibly excited about the fact that on the fifth anniversary of creating this event, all the speakers at Founder Camp were active or “alumni” Founders in the True portfolio. Not only did this speak to our belief that the people best suited to give advice to Founders are other Founders, but it also provided a safe, uninhibited space for our Founders to discuss challenges and issues, and help each other find solutions. It’s not that any one person has the specific answer, but by discussing the issues, everyone becomes stronger and everyone feels supported.

Since its inception, the purpose of Founder Camp has been to provide True’s Founders with a space in which they could make lasting connections and deeply explore the entrepreneurial experience. We’re proud to have provided this service for five years now, and look forward to many more to come. Thank you to all the True Founders and True team for an incredible day.