As a co-founder of Venturesmiths, with years of experience in institutional investing and sales leadership, I’ve seen what works—and more importantly, what doesn’t—in the startup world. If you don’t have sales yet, you need proof of concept. Here’s how to get it fast.
Hi, I’m Robin Bentele, and I’ve been through the trenches in the startup world, not just as an Antler entrepreneur but also as a 2x bootstrapped founder. I know firsthand how crucial it is to get your product-market fit right from the get go. Without it, you’re finished before you start.
That’s why I’ve joined Creatrix Accelerator as Program Director. My goal?
Show me the money, honey!
When you’re a founder, you’ve got to cut through the noise and get straight to what matters: traction, conversions, and proving the market wants what you’re selling.
You don’t have time to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. But when you’re just starting out, you don’t know what your sweet spot is.
How do you prove you’re sitting on the next big thing without the sales to support your claims?
Let’s be real: nice-to-haves are impossible to sell.
A “maybe” isn’t good enough. If you can’t prove people are willing to pay for what you offer, your idea remains, at best —an idea and at worst —a giant waste of time and money.
My hope is that every founder meets success instead of a setback because we deserve our dreams to become reality. So the faster we validate our ideas, the better. You can always pivot or start over if you realize you’re off track but doing so sooner rather than later is what makes you.
Time is money, and you probably don’t have much of either. This accelerator is the perfect antidote to validate your idea in the market.
We’re all about finding potential and converting it into your sales pipeline for deal flow.
My big goal is to get you that first-paying customer.
But if it’s not direct cash instantly, then there are other indicators that people are willing to pay.
Thee 3 are vital signs of a healthy startup:
#1: Someone paid cash
Nothing validates as well as cash. Making money is first prize.
#2: Subscribers
You’re building a waitlist of beta-testers or early adopters. You have a growing user base. You can count the number of emails and/or cell phone numbers.
#3: An Audience
Now this can be in real life through events, or online on your choice of social media platforms. When someone shows up or follows you, you have an opportunity to convert them into a buyer for your business.
So the sooner you build your audience, the better. It’s the first indicator that there’s interest in what you’re selling.
How to validate your idea
During our 3-week program, we’ll guide you through a structured process designed to give you the tools to differentiate yourself and stand out. You’ll be working in public, posting, and getting feedback from your target audience in real-time.
What happens during the accelerator doesn’t stay in the accelerator—it goes online. It builds momentum. You gain traction fast. And the faster you gain traction, the faster you sell.
By the end of the program, you’ll have product-market fit and a launch strategy to engage an audience that’s ready to convert. Then you’re off to the races: subscribers and sales are the next step. We’ll smell your success coming from a mile away!
Let’s show the market what you’ve got—and let’s make sure they’re ready to pay for it.
Apply to join the Creatrix Accelerator here.
See you inside.
