48. Have you ever cold-emailed the CEO of a big company? Yes. This is how I made my first start-up worth a $50,000,000 exit in 12.5 months. At the time, I had no money to make the next payroll. The VCs had all pulled out. I had one Big Elephant Customer, but I needed another. I had signed a $750,000 full- recourse promissory note to the VCs that pulled out and pledged my house and all my savings– and it was all going to go down the tubes. I cold emailed and called the CEO of a huge Fortune 100 Company. I told him crisply and cleanly why I could completely change the trajectory of his largest business segment -- and exactly why. We got the meeting. We closed them, at least for a small first deal. The VCs came back. We closed the VC money in 2 weeks. I did not believe it was possible. But I was desperate. I had one payroll cycle to make it happen. My life’s savings were pledged away. And our house. 12.5 months later, we were acquired for $50,000,000. 49. What did you learn from your startup experience? You cannot quit. If you allow optionality, you will fail. Do not listen to the fail fast people. Period. Because even if it’s sort of true, it will give you an out ... and you will fail when the others guys refuse to quit. If you have revenue, you shouldn’t quit. Great teams can always do better than they are currently doing. How much better, I don’t know. But, clearly better. Great teams really never quit. SAASTR.COM 44