All Segments
The Most Important Decision is Getting Started – Laura Behrens Wu
15 segments available
Laura Behrens Wu is the CEO and cofounder of Shippo. She shared the story of founding Shippo at the 2017 Female Founders Conference. https://goshippo.com/ You can watch the other Female Founders Conference talks here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ-uHSnFig5OfUA6Kgif-AfRFJhkFksXI
Segments Timeline
Introduction to Laura Behrens Wu
Laura Behrens Wu, CEO of Shippo, is introduced at the Female Founders Conference. She shares her journey from a diverse upbringing across multiple countries to founding Shippo, a company that simplifies shipping for e-commerce businesses.
"hello I'm Carolyn levy a partner at Y Combinator and I'm delighted to introduce our next speaker Laura Behrens whoo founder and CEO of Shippo Shippo makes it easier and more - for more affordable for ..."
The Courage to Start
Laura emphasizes the importance of making the decision to get started in entrepreneurship. She discusses the lack of a magic formula for success and highlights the need for courage and confidence to embark on the entrepreneurial journey.
"name is Laura and the CEO of a company called Shippo let me see if this works oh now it works great so I'm Laura I run a company called Shippo we power shipping for e-commerce I am so humbled to be ab..."
Finding the Right Problem to Solve
Laura recounts her initial foray into entrepreneurship with a curated e-commerce store. She stresses the significance of identifying a real pain point in the market, which led her to discover the challenges of shipping in e-commerce.
"being a founder is making a decision to get started but in order to get started you have to have the courage you have to have the confidence and this is one of my favorite quotes confidence was cash y..."
Building Shippo: The Painkiller Approach
Laura shares insights from her mentor about focusing on 'painkillers' rather than 'vitamins' when developing products. She explains how Shippo was born from recognizing the shipping pain points faced by e-commerce businesses.
"working on something on anything and eventually you'll find the right problem to solve so with my idea with the e-commerce idea I approached my CEO back then Sasha from lendeth and asked him for his f..."
The Fundraising Journey
Laura details her challenging fundraising experience, including multiple rejections from investors. She emphasizes the importance of persistence and learning from each pitch to ultimately secure funding for Shippo.
"to build chapeau is an API that connects our customers or e-commerce stores marketplaces and platforms to a network of different shipping providers we out them get access to that network we help them ..."
Transparency in Communication
Laura discusses the importance of transparency with investors, especially during challenging times. She shares how clear communication helped maintain trust and ultimately led to successful funding rounds.
"investors practice really makes perfect at the end of pitching all these people I had my pitch nailed down and when we finally met the right investors and you exactly what to say all investors tend to..."
Key Performance Indicators for Success
Laura advises focusing on a single key performance indicator (KPI) to define success. She reflects on how Shippo's growth metrics have evolved while maintaining a focus on shipping volume.
"able to close around from the same investors despite the change in the founding team leading up to the series seed we were growing our business 40% week over week and that was in terms of shipping vol..."
Lessons from Pitching Investors
Laura shares valuable lessons learned from pitching investors, including the importance of authenticity and passion. She highlights the unique strengths of female founders in the startup ecosystem.
"got our first lawsuit during due diligence who would have thought like that was really crazy well anyway again we were able to we were able to use that situation to like to use that bad situation and ..."
The Stick Figure Incident
Laura recounts a humorous yet embarrassing moment during a pitch meeting with a prominent VC. This story illustrates the unpredictable nature of startup life and the importance of maintaining a sense of humor.
"founders are really good at is to under but to over-deliver and that's a great characteristic to be known for then there are some situations while pitching that are just totally out of your control we..."
The Marathon of Entrepreneurship
Laura reflects on the long-term nature of entrepreneurship, comparing it to a marathon filled with ups and downs. She emphasizes the need for resilience and the importance of separating self-worth from company success.
"the kleiner office they're they know me as the stick figure girl anyway stuff like that happens it happens to anyone and these make these make for great stories to tell don't worry too much about it w..."
Be Unapologetically Yourself
Laura encourages founders to embrace their authentic selves and build a company culture that reflects their values. She discusses the importance of hiring complementary skills and creating a positive work environment.
"don't let that define you while going through all these ups and downs it's important to remain persistent however persistence does not mean being stubborn I think it's important to be persistent about..."
Self-Care as a Founder
Laura stresses the importance of self-care for entrepreneurs. She shares personal anecdotes about maintaining balance and seeking support from peers and mentors in the startup community.
"work with everyone having clicker problems yeah that you won't be able to work with everyone and again that's completely fine better a hole in the organization than an in the organization this is your..."
The Role of Co-Founders
Laura highlights the significance of having a supportive co-founder. She shares her experiences with her co-founder Simon and how their partnership has been crucial in navigating the challenges of running Shippo.
"love hanging out with other CEOs and founders because hanging out with them teaches me that the struggle said I'm going through are completely normal that they've gone through the same struggles as we..."
Empowering Female Founders
Laura addresses the challenges faced by female founders in a male-dominated industry. She encourages women to support each other and create inclusive company cultures that foster growth and success.
"few females in a male-dominated industry and given that we're at a female founder conference today I think it's important to acknowledge the brave women that have been speaking up in the last couple o..."
Finding Your Calling
In her closing remarks, Laura shares an inspiring quote about following one's calling. She encourages the audience to embrace their entrepreneurial journeys and pursue their passions with determination.
"friends [Applause] [Music] I could keep talking about this endlessly but I'm running out of time and there is still so much to do so much to learn I want to leave you with one final quote if you're fo..."