Builders + Backers

Your startup isn't built on a business plan. It's built on a stack of guesses. In this week's Builders Field Guide, "Every Startup is a Bundle of Guesses," Donna Harris reveals why treating assumptions like facts is the fastest path to failure. Knowing you're guessing, naming your critical assumptions, and testing your foundation before you build the whole house. Read the full edition here: https://lnkd.in/eURrU-zf #BuildersFieldGuide #StartupStrategy #ProductValidation #WeBuildWeBack

Are you still manually responding to customers, writing every social post from scratch, or spending hours trying to learn coding basics? If so, it might be time to welcome AI into your daily routine, delegate the smaller tasks, and focus your energy on what matters most. Check out these 5 practical ways AI is leveling the playing field for founders without big teams or budgets: - 🤖 Customer Support → AI handles the questions while you focus on growth - ✍️ Content Creation → Crank out social posts, emails, and blogs more efficiently than ever - 📊 Data Analysis → Get insights from your metrics in plain English, no PhD required - ⚡ Lightning Speed Code → Build and ship faster, even if you're not a developer - 🔍 Competitor intel → Know your competitors without spending all day researching How are YOU optimizing AI to build? Let us know below! 👇 #WeBuildWeBack #LetsGetBuilding #ScrappyStartups #SmarterNotHarder #AITools  

Builders + Backers is excited to highlight an opportunity for early-stage mobility startups: Applications for the 2026 Capital One Mobility Accelerator are now open! If you’re building a solution in the mobility industry or related services, this program offers a powerful path to refine your business plan, sharpen your pitch deck, and build the professional connections that lead to future funding. As a Capital One partner organization, we know firsthand the value of accelerator programs that help founders get capital-ready. Applications close January 31st, with the program launching in late March. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/e4xhPQze #WeBuildWeBack #CapitalOneMobility #MobilityAccelerator

Got a startup in the Mobility industry that you're ready to grow? This is for you: Apply now for the 2026 Capital One Mobility Accelerator. Propel your business forward and get capital ready...The Mobility Accelerator will help fine tune your business plans and pitch decks while building professional connections that enable you to create a foundation for future funding. Applications closes on 1/31, and the program kicks off in late March. Learn more, apply here: https://lnkd.in/eVmGg6AP (Still at the idea stage? That's okay too -- just click on "Idea Stage Program" and check that out too).

The difference between dreamers and builders isn't talent or luck—it's the willingness to master the mundane. In this week's Builders Field Guide, "Mastering the Mundane: The Secret to Building Anything That Lasts," Donna Harris reveals why most ideas never make it past the excitement phase. The truth? Everyone has ideas. But building requires something less glamorous: showing up day after day to do the same unglamorous work. What separates entrepreneurs who talk from those who build? They embrace the repetition. They master the mundane. Read the full edition here: https://lnkd.in/eE7UqjRJ #MasteringTheMundane #BuildersFieldGuide #WeBuildWeBack

They pulled off a heist with just 7 minutes... What are you building with yours? 🧑💻🛠️ #WeBuildWeBack #LetsGetBuilding #LouvreHeist

Declaration Day is in the books! 📊 Our Fall 2025 cohort has officially moved into the experimentation phase, and this week our Builders declared the testing they’ll be running to validate their assumptions. We broke down the numbers and here’s what we found: Over a third of builders are leading with landing pages and digital validation, while nearly half are building prototypes or testing with real people in pop-ups and events. From U-turn signals to spacecraft networks and DIY garages to regenerative farms—our builders are combining digital-first thinking with hands-on, community-centered testing. This is what lean experimentation looks like in action. Let’s see what the data reveals. 🧪 #DeclarationDay #BuilderExperiments #ValidationTesting #WeBuildWeBack #LetsGetBuilding

In this week's Builders Field Guide, we explore why the names we give ourselves matter more than we think. In "The Name You Give Yourself: How Identity Shapes Action," Donna Harris shares a powerful story about a first-grade teacher who called her students "scholars" from day one. By June, 90% were performing at third-grade level or above. The lesson? When you change how you see yourself, you change what you think is possible. This isn't about pretending you've arrived. It's about stepping into a bigger name and growing into it. So, if you have an idea nudging you, stop saying "I'm just someone with an idea." Start saying "I'm a Builder." And then, take one small step. Read the full edition here: https://lnkd.in/dTbmvCap #BuildersFieldGuide #FounderMindset #EntrepreneurialIdentity #WeBuildWeBack

Next up in our Alumni-exclusive workshop series: Social Media Content Calendar Creation, led by our Social Media Manager, Jane Butler! This session tackled one of the most common founder challenges: creating and managing a social media content calendar - while trying to juggle all of the other founder hats! From frameworks to templates, our alumni left equipped with practical tools and systems to take control of their social content strategy. What topics should we cover next? Drop them below! 👇 #WeBuildWeBack #LetsGetBuilding #AlumniExclusive #SocialContentCalendar 

Most people dismiss community-centered ventures as "just volunteering." But they're actually following the exact same playbook that built the world's most successful companies. In this week's Builders Field Guide, "The Rise of Community-Centered Ventures," Donna Harris reveals why the next wave of innovation isn't coming from Silicon Valley—it's starting on your block. A neighbor spots a local problem, solves it for a handful of people, turns those early adopters into evangelists, then scales nationwide. Sound familiar? It's Paul Graham's "do things that don't scale"—they just don't know they're already following startup best practices. The opportunity? Reframe these community projects as Step 1 of the most proven startup process we know. Read the full edition here: https://lnkd.in/evwf6id9 #BuildersFieldGuide #CommunityVentures #StartupStrategy #WeBuildWeBack #LetsGetBuilding