Malcolm and I share our college experience at Georgia Southern University, our startup lessons learned, and details about ProjectMQ. We then give advice for college seniors preparing to start their professional careers. To see ProjectMQ launch date, check out our BRAND NEW trailer: https://vimeo.com/146342028

1. ToDo: Come Up With
A Clever Title
Malcolm and Marcus Howard • 11.17.2015

2. Overview
Our Georgia Southern Experience
Startups & ProjectMQ
Career (Hacking) Advice
Questions & Answers
Recommended Startup Books

6. Our Georgia Southern Experience
Campus Involvement
● Pickle Barrell (RIP Landrum)
● Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
● CEIT Senators for SGA
Cool (Tech) Projects
● Software Virtualization
● Digital Signage
● QEP Committee
"You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never
were; and I say, ‘Why not?’"- George Bernard Shaw

7. Our Startup Journey
● Metavio Co-Founders
● Worked for Morris Tech
● Sold Cutco (MLM)
● Pelorus Co-Founders
● Sold Organo Gold (MLM)
● Created Internship Program
● ProjectMQ Founders
● Now Working at MenuPad
Past (8 yr) Experiences
“Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make
you look like an overnight success.” - Biz Stone, Co-Founder of Twitter

8. Our Startup Journey (Continued)
● (Social) Networking
● Work/Life Balance
● Lean Startup Philosophy
● Time/Priority Management
● Low Personal Burn Rate
● Product/Market Fit
● Pivoting/Failure Is Inevitable
● Growth Hacker Marketing
Lessons Learned
“Don’t worry about failure. You only have to be right once.” - Drew
Houston, Founder and CEO of Dropbox

9. Now, Focused On Just One Project
(outside of our full-time jobs)

15. ProjectMQ: The social media app for indie game studios and fans
worldwide. Our mission is to connect, support, and grow the global indie
gaming community.
● American gamers spent $15B on content in 2014.
● Global market size: 1.7 billion gamers.
● Our current market reach: 50 of 195 countries.
● Our startup blog: projectmq.silvrback.com
“Best startups generally come from someone needing to scratch an
itch.” - Michael Arrington, Founder of TechCrunch

17. ProjectMQ Timeline

18. 03.05.13
Created ProjectMQ
(formerly MetaGamer.tv)
06.17.14
Attended E3 2014; we
were in way over our
heads. (PIVOT)
4.18.15
ProjectMQ placed as a top
finalist in one of Florida’s
statewide business plan
competitions
5.01.15
Reduced our ProjectMQ
scope to get to market
more quickly (PIVOT)
7.01.15
Rebooted our
ProjectMQ marketing
efforts on Twitter

19. Growth Hacker Marketing: Twitter

20. Next steps
48-Hour Sneak Preview Weekend
Later this month, 2K Lucky ProjectMQ fans will get 48 hours to test
drive our site. Check our blog for details: projectmq.silvrback.com
Launch The Alpha Release
Date to be announced VERY soon, see the above blog link for more.
……TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!
Just kidding, but seriously, we’re building a global startup. BLAH
BLAH BLAH blog link above BLAH BLAH BLAH cool updates.

21. Tips For Your
Career (Hacking)
1. Understand Your Career Goals
2. Get (Legitimately) Involved In
Student Orgs
3. Begin Job Searching NOW
4. Start Your Own Internship
5. Get Out There & Network
6. NEVER STOP LEARNING!!!!!
7. Find A Way To Give Back.

22. Understand Your Career Goals
Benefits
1. Creates More Realistic Expectations
2. Aligns Your Short/Long Term Efforts
3. Provides Critical Internal Motivation
“You should focus relentlessly on something you’re good at, but before that you
should think hard about whether it will be valuable in the future.” - Peter Thiel,
Co-Founder of Paypal

23. Get Involved In Student Orgs
Benefits
1. Gain Valuable Leadership/Business Experience
2. Expands Your Personal/Professional Network
3. Helps Improve Time/Priority Management
“If you’re not actively involved in getting what you want, you don’t really want
it.” - Peter McWilliams

24. Begin Job Searching…NOW
Benefits
1. Get Ahead Of the Crowd
2. Less Stress/Anxiety
3. More Openings Available
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who
hustle.” - (Attributed to) Abraham Lincoln

25. Start Your Own Internship
Benefits
1. Shows Initiative To Potential Employers
2. Customizes Your Learning Opportunity
3. Enables You To Work On Your Schedule
“Doing something different is what’s truly good for society…The best
projects are likely to be overlooked, not trumpeted by the crowd.” - Peter
Thiel, Co-Founder of Paypal

26. Get Out There & Network
Benefits
1. Develops Important Social Skills
2. Uncovers New Information/Resources
3. Builds Your Personal Brand
“If you want to build a strong network that will help you move ahead in your
career, it’s vital to first take stock in the connections you already have.” -
Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn

27. NEVER STOP LEARNING!!!!!
Benefits
1. Greater Career Flexibility
2. Better Job Security
3. Increases Your Professional Value
“There is no knowledge that is not power.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

28. Find A Way To Give Back
Benefits
1. Inspires Others To Achieve
2. Improves The Local Community
3. Instills An Important Sense Of Humility
“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” -
Winston Churchill

29. Questions?

30. Recommended
Startup Books
1. “Zero To One: Notes on Startups, or
How to Build the Future”, By Peter
Thiel
2. “Growth Hacker Marketing”, by Ryan
Holiday
3. “The Founder’s Dilemmas:
Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls
That Can Sink a Startup”, by Noam
Wasserman
4. “Pitch Anything”, by Oren Klaff
5. “Exponential Organizations: New
Organizations Are Ten Times Better,
Faster, and Cheaper Than Yours (and
What to Do About It)”, by Salim Ismail