Sarah Prevette

Stepping Away

sarahprevettesblog — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:05:31 +0000

I am stepping away from my role at Sprouter.

It’s been over a year since we were acquired by Postmedia and I look forward to seeing the community grow under their leadership.

It’s hard not to be nostalgic as this chapter closes, as the past few years have been an incredible journey.

I’ve been privileged to travel to many far-flung places, meet incredibly talented people and forge friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.

I’ve learned so much that it seems trivial to try to put it into words… From building products to growing brands… from determining strategy to leading teams… from idea to execution, through triumph and failure.

It has been the most terrible, humbling, amazing, stressful, fantastic, exciting, maddening, wonderful, horrible, exhilarating experience one could ever have – and the most amazing education one could ever hope for.

My perception, philosophy and person are forever changed.

My time as a founder has brought forward an acute sense of self-awareness and resilience that I am immensely grateful to have discovered. It has also revealed to me the single greatest asset of any organization: the people.

I have had the distinct privilege of working alongside an amazing group of individuals. People I’ve come to respect, admire and appreciate deeply. It has been outrageously humbling to have such talented people believe in my vision and work tirelessly to bring it to fruition. Our shared battle scars are representative of the unfathomable bond that comes from toiling together in the trenches.

As I step away from Sprouter to move forward with a new idea, I’d like to sincerely thank those who have given so much of their time, effort and support to get us to where we are today. I am truly indebted for your unrelenting dedication, passion and loyalty. Thank you for bravely defying the odds, ignoring the critics and always believing in the possibility behind “what if”…

And finally – thank you to the entire Sprouter community. Thank you for rallying behind us, for sharing in our vision and letting us be a part of your own startup journeys. I wish you all continued success and know that the team at Postmedia will endeavor to serve you well.

I am looking forward to re-joining the startup ranks, rolling up my sleeves and starting the cycle all over again…

Here’s to the next adventure.

Sarah Prevette

Founder, Sprouter

The Revolution Has Started

sarahprevettesblog — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 02:16:27 +0000

View the full presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/sprevette/the-revolution-has-started

Leadership is about empowerment

sarahprevettesblog — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:19:38 +0000

If you’re going to be the leader, you need to lead.

Leaders are responsible for propagating the big vision for the company.

They sell the dream and inspire through passion.

They battle to maintain company focus and drive execution.

They set goals, align resources and push for success.

Most importantly, they are responsible for attracting top talent.

Recruit the best people and empower them to be great.

The central role of any leader is to inspire others to achieve.

Forget your competition

sarahprevettesblog — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:32:09 +0000

You’re wasting time worrying about your competition.

Many companies grow stale while watching and mimicking their competitors.

Founders become paranoid and reactionary at the expense of their own creativity.

Forget what others are doing.

Focus on what your customers need and how best to deliver.

Blaze your own trail and ensure you’re being driven by passion rather than fear.

Attitude is everything

sarahprevettesblog — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:31:17 +0000

A great startup is made up of “can do” people.

Individuals who proactively solve challenges, who naturally collaborate and actively support one another.

Teams need to have a shared passion for success and conviction about the business vision.

No leader can afford negativity to permeate their organization.

Negativity is a contagious disease that kills hope, enthusiasm and optimism as it spreads.

Eliminate naysayers immediately, whenever they reveal themselves, and hire only those with positive energy.

In a small company, attitude is everything.

Release often, release early

sarahprevettesblog — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:29:58 +0000

Many startups struggle with when to launch.

Desperate for perfection, founders often fall prey to fear and delay bringing their products to market.

Don’t agonize over having your full vision brought to fruition immediately.

Concentrate on simplifying your service to a smaller core and execute that.

Get feedback as early as possible and see criticism as key learning.

Aim for constant improvement and deliver ongoing iterations that continue to better the user experience.

Release often, release early.

Check your ego at the door

sarahprevettesblog — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:28:23 +0000

Creating a new product is a roller coaster of intense, rapidly changing emotions.

Euphoric epiphany and excited anticipation can quickly give way to unbearable anxiety, stress and paranoia.

A founders mindset can be both her greatest ally and her greatest foe.

User testing and feedback is a necessary and humbling exercise.

Critical analysis and scrutiny are required in order to improve the product and gain customer acceptance.

Egos need to be checked at the door in order to effectively solicit criticism and honest review.

Ensure that you’re not letting your pride get in the way of creating the best product possible.

Everyone Needs to be Able to Handle The Ride

sarahprevettesblog — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:11:29 +0000

Great companies start around a core of incredible people.

In a startup, the first few recruits are critical.

Beyond shared passion, vision and motivation – every one needs to be able to handle the ride.

Startups are hard.

Every one needs to be prepared to bleed, sweat and sacrifice.

Every one needs to be flexible enough to handle changing tides and tenacious enough to persevere despite ongoing difficulty.

Hire only those who are going to be relentless in their pursuit of success.

Build Your Narrative

sarahprevettesblog — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:20:10 +0000

Building a sales strategy for the first time is a daunting task for every startup.

Work on crafting your narrative through discussions with your potential audience.

Hone in key messages and iterate with every pitch.

Identify customers that have similar views, ambitions and focus on winning their support.

Early progress is made conversation by conversation, handshake by handshake.

Leverage each contact for a new connection and be relentless in your pursuit.

Hire Those Who Tackle the Unsexy

sarahprevettesblog — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:21:38 +0000

Hiring is one of the most critical skills a founder needs to develop early on.

With limited resources, it’s all about your team.

Every individual needs outstanding capacity, focus and drive.

They need to share the vision and passionately want success.

Everyone must demonstrate perseverance despite adversity, a willingness to tackle the unsexy and ongoing hustle.

Ensure you’re evaluating every potential candidate for the most important trait: resourcefulness.