November 20 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am PST
FreeStartup Lessons and Growth Strategies: Essential Insights for Founders
Book Now For FreeBuilding a startup is equal parts discipline, resilience, adaptability, and vision. In this session, we’ll share the bearings we gain as first-time founders — from getting an early product to market, to scaling with discipline, to navigating exits.
Together, we’ll explore the lessons that matter most: how to prioritize when everything feels urgent, how to read market signals without getting distracted, and why going deep with the right customer persona is often the fastest path to momentum.
We’ll also look at some of the less obvious but critical pieces — keeping exit options alive from day one, aligning incentives across the org so everyone rows in the same direction, and building strong co-founder dynamics that help us survive the hardest moments.
Finally, we’ll dive into practical strategies: how to de-risk at every stage, assemble a team that can ship a real MVP, validate with customers on the path to product-market fit, and work with the right type of investors at the right stage.
Whether we’re building our first company or our next, this conversation is about frameworks, scars, and stories that help us navigate uncertainty and make sharper decisions along the way.
Opening Remarks @ 9:30am PT
Join us for opening remarks with Dina Wagner, Head of Member Success at Founders Network, to get the latest updates from the Network and opportunities for getting involved.
Keynote Speaker @ 9:40am PT
Surbhi Rathore is the co-founder and CEO of Symbl.ai, a conversational intelligence platform that enables real-time analysis of voice, video, and text. Since launching the company in 2018, she has led Symbl.ai to raise $35 million in funding and scale annual revenue to approximately $3.1 million in 2024. Her leadership culminated in the acquisition of Symbl.ai by Invoca in May 2025.
Prior to co-founding Symbl.ai, Surbhi built a strong foundation in engineering and product development, working across software development teams and enterprise environments in India before relocating to the United States.
Her leadership has been recognized on multiple fronts. In 2024, she was named to Inc. Magazine’s Female Founders 250, honoring women entrepreneurs driving success while also prioritizing mentorship and leadership. She is also an active member of the Forbes Technology Council, where she contributes thought leadership on AI, conversational intelligence, and developer innovation.
Her entrepreneurial journey reflects a commitment to intentional prioritization, pragmatic growth, and preparing for long-term outcomes, with a focus on building strong teams, validating product-market fit, and strategically de-risking businesses at every stage.
Stage-Based Roundtables @ 10:30am PT
Complimentary Ticket:
Are you a full-time tech founder? Be our guest! We’re making our events available to tech founders everywhere. Enjoy a complimentary ticket to come learn from fellow tech founders, partners and investors. Already used your complimentary guest pass? Request an invite to see if you qualify for membership.
About Founders Network:
Founded in 2011, Founders Network offers lifelong peer mentorship to over 600 tech startup founders globally. Our platform, programs and high-touch service facilitate authentic experience sharing, warm introductions and long-term professional relationships. Additional benefits include over $500k in startup discounts and promotion to 2,000 newsletter readers. Members are located in San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, London and other tech hubs. Each month our Membership Committee admits a new cohort of full-time tech founders who are nominated by an existing member. Learn more about us here
Confidentiality Policy
All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record. In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity. Read more about our Privacy Policy here.
Testimonials
"If you don't have a cohort group in something like Founders Network that you can develop long-term relationships with and discuss the same topics that come up with people that you already know, you're probably missing out on something very important."David Plonsky
"The number one advantage is the law of compound interest. The longer you stay in a very high-quality network the strong and more authentic relationships you build."Chaitanya Vaidya
"We know each other's business and we know each other's struggles. Having a personal relationship with other founders that is completely confidential and completely authentic gives you a lot of great advice."Doug Lessing
"FN manages my network for me by connecting me with other founders in my specific industry sector. I've been able to explore business development opportunities, partnerships, etc."Becky Splitt
"We just saw the first Mexican unicorn come to life this same week which is a fantastic idea. Being part of the Founders Network makes a lot of sense. We see that the Mexico City chapter is growing substantially."Max Linares
"There's a lot of great stuff going on even now in San Francisco. I've found Founders Network has been a great resource for me and for all of the founders I know during these tough times."Jarie Bolander
"It allowed me to meet people who had done this before that had the experience. I was able to explain an issue very briefly and they were able to give me a very detailed response on how they addressed it."Terence Finn
"I've used the platform to discover advice, connections, resources, discounts, on important services, connections to investors, and practice on how to pitch. The kind of conversations you can't get anywhere else on youtube or google searches."Alexandra Greenhill
"I see Founders Network as one of those necessary resources in the Chicagoland area."Jason Jacobsohn
"The Black Founders initiative allows me to shape this program where we can inspire, engage, and support Black Founders."Khiry Kemp
