About
Hi! I’m author and start-up advisor Cynthia Kocialski! Welcome to my blog, where start-up entrepreneurs discover exactly how to take their bright idea and transform it into a successful, satisfying, fast-growing and profitable business!
This blog and the community here is all about you, the start-up founder! My goal is to solve the problems and hurdles you’re facing with your start-up and within the start-up community. Can you resonate with any of the following feelings and situations?
- You’re starting to realise that the reality of start-up life is far from easy! You’re working hard, barely ramen profitable and the plain-sailing glitz and glamour of entrepreneurship portrayed by the media seems like a long way away for you at this point.
- You’re confused about the whole business thing. You’re a techy with a great idea but no business background. You have no idea how to start-up and break out into the start-up scene with some buzz.
- You’re feeling isolated with nobody to turn to for advice. You need honest, down to earth advice from someone who has truly been ‘in the trenches’ to guide you on the path to success.
- You’ve created a prototype and have a few customers, but not enough! You need to find out how to position and market your business in a way that converts sales and more importantly, creates raving fans that freely spread the word about your product!
- You have that sinking feeling at the pit of your stomach, because something is wrong in your startup but you can’t pinpoint exactly what it is. You need to know the best action steps for your start-up now, before you end up losing more money.
- You’re in love with your product! You know it can improve the lives of other people, but you’re having trouble translating your ideas into a workable business model that will make investors fall in love with it too!
- You’re scared because you’re bootstrapping or self-funding your start-up, but you are running out of money, fast. You need to solve your problems now, because you fear you might have to give up on your dream, lose face and return to the 9 to 5.
If any of those emotions or problems resonated with you, stick around and I’ll show you how to leave those struggles behind you and lead a successful start-up without the hitches and hiccups!
Here’s How I Can Help You:
My story begins in Buffalo, N.Y., where I was born and raised. Over the years, my career in the technology sector has taken me to NYC, Washington D.C., Miami and now the Silicon Valley.
Before I entered the technology world, I gained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester. I also gained graduate degrees from the University of Virginia in engineering.
Prior to being bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, I held a wide range of technical, marketing, management, engineering, development and planning positions in corporations such as IBM and Matrox. I also served as the COO for a personal medical technology services start-up.
I’ve come a long way since I took my first steps in the technology start-up community. I certainly didn’t plan on becoming an entrepreneur, but today I look back and find myself having founded 3 hi-tech companies as well as being an advisor to 24 start-ups over the last 15 years! Today, all of these start-ups have been acquired for billions and made investors happy. I love new gadgets and gizmos that make people’s lives easier or better, so naturally I love the work that I do in tech start-up scene.
I’ve literally been there, done that and wrote the book on starting up your own business with the intention of helping other entrepreneurs start up their business the right way! My core experience lies in that I have witnessed all the different aspects of start-up life: the, good, the bad and the ugly. I know what works and what doesn’t from first-hand experience. What makes me unique is that I have experienced the tech start-up community from the inside out, not just the milestones and status presented to passive investors and outsiders.
Why I Do What I Do Today
Over the years, I kept seeing passionate founders making the same mistakes over and over again. It is heart-breaking to see a passionate founder’s pride and joy fail when all they needed was some honest, practical and down to earth advice to turn their start-up into a big hit. I knew I could give back to the community I love by helping entrepreneurs solve these problems quickly and easily.
Let’s face it, with entrepreneurship, there is no training program. It’s an on-the-job training program, where every start-up is unique. Sometimes we just need a little guidance to ensure us that we’re on the right path. I wrote my book ‘Startup from the Ground Up: Practical insights for Transforming an Idea into a Business’ and started this blog to do just that!
Are You Ready to Start Up Smart and Turn Your Business Idea into a Success Story?
