As a 4x entrepreneur, Leslie isn't afraid to admit that she's done a lot of things wrong on the road to getting a few things really right—including making the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies list twice for revenues generated under her leadership; co-founding an award winning pinot noir vineyard when she was 12; and being named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business. Come for some killer and actionable frameworks for evaluating a business idea—and stay for the rap, agricultural, Biblical, and pop culture references. Whether you want to be an intrapreneur, entrepreneur, advisor, startup employee, or more sophisticated reader of TechCrunch... this deck promises to have something in it for you. (Originally presented in a conversation with the NYC Salon crew over drinks and laughter at Arty's HQ in NYC on June 28, 2016)

1. HARVESTTILL
LAY
FALLOW
SCOUT
LAND
SHARPEN
TOOLS
PLANT
WEED PRUNE
SHARPEN
TOOLS
WATER
REPLANT
WEED
PEST
CONTROL
REPLANT
Framing the Problem
Farming the Solution
LIFE, CAREER, STARTUPS
A conversation with the NYC Salon
June 28, 2016

2. Which season are you in?

3. We cannot always be
in a season of
harvest.
G O A L / S E A S O N F I T

4. Balance where you
want to be with
where you need to be.
G O A L / S E A S O N F I T

5. HARVESTTILL
LAY
FALLOW
SCOUT
LAND
SHARPEN
TOOLS
PLANT
WEED PRUNE
SHARPEN
TOOLS
WATER
REPLANT
WEED
PEST
CONTROL
REPLANT
G O A L / S E A S O N F I T

6. TILLSCOUT
LAND
SHARPEN
TOOLS
WEED
P R E P A R E

7. PLANT
E X E C U T E

8. PRUNE
WATER
WEED
PEST
CONTROL
M A I N T A I N

9. PRUNE
WATER
WEED
PEST
CONTROL
& F I X
M A I N T A I N
REPLANT

10. SHARPEN
TOOLS
WATER
WEED
PEST
CONTROL
& P R E P A R E
M A I N T A I N

11. HARVEST
R E J O I C E

12. LAY
FALLOW
R E S T

13. TILLSCOUT
LAND
SHARPEN
TOOLS
REPLANT
& R E B O O T
P L A N

14. Can you have it all?

15. 0
25
50
75
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
Love Life Career Health Family
L I F E / H A P P I N E S S F I T

16. 0
25
50
75
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
Love Life Career Health Family
L I F E / H A P P I N E S S F I T

17. 0
25
50
75
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
Love Life Career Health Family
G R E A T P A R T N E R , A V E R A G E C A R E E R

18. The single most important career
decision that a woman makes is
whether she will have a life partner and
who that partner is.
S H E R Y L S A N D B E R G

19. 0
25
50
75
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
Love Life Career Health Family
built a successful company
…with a terrible partner
T E R R I B L E P A R T N E R , G R E A T C A R E E R
…at the cost of my health
…and as a checked-out
daughter, friend, sister

20. All that glittered was not gold.
M Y L I F E 2 0 0 6 – 2 0 1 2

22. R E C O G N I T I O N H I D T H E P E R S O N A L C O S T S

23. Two really sad / funny / true stories…
I . A M A D C L I E N T C A L L F R O M S P A C E O N M Y B I R T H D A Y
I I . A R I D I C U L O U S T R I P T O S P A I N

24. B L O G R E S K I N S C O P E - C R E E P S I N T O
A S O C I A L N E T W O R K

25. S P E E C H I N B I L B A O B E C O M E S C R A Z Y R I D E

26. Now:
Focus on the big rocks first.

27. 0
25
50
75
100
2000 2005 2010 2015
Love Life Career Health Family
focus:
family,
faith,
friends,
funds,
fitness
dating
life:
working
on it

29. Should you become a founder?

30. P R O D U C T / F O U N D E R F I T
“I love to shop and I
love when women’s
bodies of all sizes are
celebrated…”
PASSION

31. P R O D U C T / F O U N D E R F I T
UNIQUE
INSIGHT
“When I shop online,
the model is always
so unrealistic. It’s
hard to know how it
would fit someone
my size and I know I
am not alone…”
PASSION

32. P R O D U C T / F O U N D E R F I T
UNIQUE
INSIGHT
“Having worked in
ecommerce for 15
years, I know the
market, the gaps,
and what it will take
build the solution I
have in mind…”
DOMAIN
EXPERTISE
PASSION

33. P R O D U C T / F O U N D E R F I T
DOMAIN
EXPERTISE
PASSION
NETWORK
Y A S
UNIQUE
INSIGHT
“I know the right
people at 10 major
brands that I could
test my hypotheses—
and have them come
on as eventual
launch partners…”

34. What should you build?

35. Now that you've
concluded you are the
right founder for the
space you are pursuing,
are you going after the
right product?
COMPARATIVE
ADVANTAGE
P R O D U C T / M A R K E T F I T

36. Does your idea take
advantage of current
user behaviors and
technologies?
Is it too early?
Or too late?
TIMING &
TRENDS
P R O D U C T / M A R K E T F I T

37. UNMET
NEED
Do existing products
miss the mark?
Is there a gap in the
market?
P R O D U C T / M A R K E T F I T

38. WILLINGNESS
TO PAY
Are people willing to pay?
How much? Is it a
profitable model?
Can you monetize the
users without losing them?
P R O D U C T / M A R K E T F I T

39. P R O D U C T / M A R K E T F I T
COMPARATIVE
ADVANTAGE
UNMET
NEED
WILLINGNESS
TO PAY
Y A S
There are many
nuances to each of
these pillars and
subjectivity can
cloud them; be ready
to test things and be
wrong.
TIMING &
TRENDS

40. P R O D U C T / M A R K E T F I T
L E T ’ S P L A Y !
H T T P : / / B I T . L Y / P I T C H - D E C K - M X M

41. Framings to consider using

42. Comprehension before career.
J E S S E W I L L I A M S

43. Always stay gracious,
best revenge is your paper.
B E Y O N C É

44. Plan the work, work the plan.
C O A C H D E E M S Y A R I A S

45. No matter how many zeroes,
your ethics are always the same.
M Y D A D

46. Politic around the ‘hood
like your running for mayor.
5 0 C E N T

47. Be an impeccable communicator.
In all mediums.
L B

48. In your 20s:
Develop skills, reputation, network.
L B

49. In your 30s, 40s, 50s:
Nurture your skills and network;
build wealth.
L B

50. It’s all in how you frame it,
how you sell it to yourself.
P H I L K N I G H T

51. What really matters

52. Family.

53. Helping others.

54. Being kind.

55. Giving credit to others.

56. Enjoying what you do.

57. Taking responsibility.

58. Thank you!
@lesliebradshaw (managing partner @madebymany)
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