The document is a cover letter from someone applying to be an Associate at Lightbank, highlighting their experience graduating college in 2008, completing a survival school, selling beer which taught them business skills, starting a company that was accepted to various accelerators and pitched to Clinton Global Initiative, and most recently working on a social goal setting app called Leap that acquired 20,000 users with no budget through hustling. They want to bring their entrepreneurial skills and passion for technology to Lightbank to have a global impact.

1. Hi Paul, I want to be your
next Associate!

2. solving problems with technology is my
superpower.
I want to make a dent in the universe.
here is why I’d be a great fit @
Lightbank...

3. after graduating from college in 2008, I completed
the world’s toughest outdoor survival school...

4. 30 days in the desert with a blanket, a knife, and a poncho
You learn a lot about yourself when you risk it all

5. It wasn’t long until I entered the “real
world” and started selling...

6. BEER!
Built relationships w/ a customer base of 1000 retail stores
Designed incentive plans for a team of 14 salespeople
Helped define sales strategy for a $50mm/yr business
Rolled out new products with promotions, tastings, events
Relationships are everything

7. beer is great and all, but my passion is
technology. So I struck out on my own to start...

8. Designed the user experience & game mechanics
Built a badass team
Ran customer development
Business development - signed up 12 great companies
Investor presentations, product iteration & strategy
people liked our team & product,
hustler + hacker + designer...

9. we were accepted into the Brandery
we were one of five teams in the country invited to pitch at the Clinton Global Initiative
and through my own hustle, I was able to get 12 awesome beta tests including...
McKinsey & Company UDI’s Gluten Free Foods
Rockfish Interactive Paycor

10. then came the “pivot”...

11. Leap uses the power of social support groups to help you
reach goals - faster
I worked with our designer to deliver an addictive and fun
user experience
My marketing strategy acquired 20,000 users within a month
of launch...
With a $0 budget.
Hustled to line up bloggers, press, high value users, and
execute a social media strategy
Achieved a lot with limited resources

12. Then it was time to fundraise.
with few connections, I headed out to SF...

13. it was an amazing experience
pros cons
Tasted failure and I’m still standing Couldn’t raise the funds we were looking for
Brought on some amazing advisors Here’s why:
Hustled to get in front of amazing investors 1. Weak business model
2. Traction wasn’t strong enough
Built a strong network
Greatly improved my pitching skills
Learned a ton about the fundraising process

14. I spent almost 2 years bootstrapping to pursue
my vision of being an entrepreneur...

15. I love hustling, traveling, using technology to
improve lives, building relationships, taking action,
and helping others.
I want to bring my skills to a team with a global impact.

16. Why should I be your next Associate?
Deep understanding of & involvement in the startup world
Very strong product focus, have taken two products from idea to reality
I can wear a lot of hats
Working knowledge of Ruby, Rails, HTML, CSS
Whenever I’ve visited your office, I’ve always admired the culture at
Lightbank.

17. If you think there is a fit....

18. Let’s talk!
more about me what I’m reading what I’m learning
twitter Inspired - How to Create Products Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, Javascript
linkedin Customers Love by Marty Cagan
blog Meditation
jmdickerson2@gmail.com Start Small, Stay Small - A Developer’s
Guide to Launching a Startup