Video: Startup lessons from 6 Chicago tech leaders

Written by James Risley
Published on Apr. 18, 2017
Video: Startup lessons from 6 Chicago tech leaders

YouTube isn’t just cute cat videos and rants about conspiracy theories — it’s also a great place for finding tips and tricks on starting your business. You may not be able to get these Chicago tech leaders to be your personal mentor, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them.

We rounded up some of the best YouTube advice from Chicago tech leaders so you can learn from them from the comfort of your couch.

 

Rose Afriyie, mRelief co-founder

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjOuRr59vRo width:610 autoplay:0]

You may know of a problem that needs solving, but the solutions aren’t always clear. In this quick talk for Women Tech Founders, Rose Afriyie goes over how she turned a major problem she recognized into a business, partnering with the city and nonprofits along the way.

 

Sam Yagan, Shoprunner CEO and co-founder of OkCupid

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob_eGsfDhD4 width:610 autoplay:0]

Sam Yagan knows a thing or two about success stories. He co-founded and subsequently sold numerous companies before landing the job as CEO of Match.com after they acquired his startup OkCupid. In this presentation at Hustle Con, he talks about the importance a great content strategy played in his success.

 

Neal Sales-Griffin, CodeNow CEO

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uIkE_xmz3U width:610 autoplay:0]

Neal Sales-Griffin is part of the co-founding duo behind Starter League, which he sold last year to Fullstack Academy. Currently, he's the CEO of CodeNow, but the philosophy of trusting yourself, deciding quickly and not quitting likely still hold true. 

 

Matt Moog, CEO at PowerReviews and co-founder of Built In

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQdsVgV-AjM width:610 autoplay:0]

Building a great startup may start with the tech, but you'll need a good place for everyone to work together. In this quick video, Matt Moog offers advice about how to find a space that can make your product better, providing enough room and character to inspire employees. 

 

Howard Tullman, 1871 CEO

[video:https://youtu.be/T5mvxIiC0mM?t=240 width:610 autoplay:0]

Howard Tullman has long been a champion of the Chicago tech scene. In his role as CEO at 1871, he thinks a lot about building up the tech community here and what Chicago offers to entrepreneurs. This interview with StartupTV, he gives some great insight into what entrepreneurs need to get started.

 

Eric Lefkofsky, CEO of Tempus and co-founder of Groupon

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M20EYGZmrU width:610 autoplay:0]

We often think of the startup grind as a win or lose situation. Either you “win” and turn your idea into a successful business, or you “lose” and have to sell out to competitors or go out of business. But Eric Lefkofsky offers a different perspective in this Chicago Ideas Week talk. Entrepreneurs stand to learn from failures, if they pay attention.

 

Image via Shutterstock

Do you know of some great startup advice from Chicago tech leaders? Let us know with a tip or a tweet @BuiltInChicago

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