Female Tech Founders: 12 Tips for Success by Award-Winning Entrepreneur & 30Seconds Founder Elisa All Schmitz! by Donna John

Elisa All Schmitz, entrepreneur and founder of 30Seconds and its amazing tribe of contributors, was interviewed for a feature on Women Tech Founders! Not only did Elisa share her entrepreneurial journey - which started with iParenting, curved through the Walt Disney Company and led her to 30Seconds - but also had some valuable tips for female tech founders. Read on for her 12 tips for entrepreneurs and check out the full article on WomenTechFounders.com:

• Do your research and lay the foundation before you jump in without a plan.
• Find amazing tech talent, especially if you’re not a techie and more of a visionary.
• Utilize accelerator programs and digital startup communities like Chicago’s 1871.
• Build a proof of concept, even if it’s not the “end-all-be-all,” so you can see if it’s something that’s going to resonate with people. Would they even want this?
• Market test as soon as possible to get feedback from others, especially your target audience.
• When it comes to money, it’s not just about raising it and finding investors right out of the gate. Be patient and get creative about funding your business.
• Don’t be too protective of your equity when you first start out – use it. In order to grow, you have to.
• Surround yourself with talented people who fill in your gaps. Use equity to find key people for your team.
• Be fearless and be "scrappy." Feel the fear, but do it anyway.
• If you want something, ask. What do you have to lose?
• For female entrepreneurs in the tech world, don’t think you have to be defined by “gender norms” to be on an equal playing field.
• At the end of the day, it's all on you. Be prepared for the ups and downs, because there will be both. 

“But, it’s worth it,” says Elisa in the interview. And we agree. Just look at what she’s creating here at 30Seconds. Enjoy the ride with your tribe!

Read the full article on  WomenTechFounders. 

Photo: 30Seconds founder Elisa All Schmitz (center) with members of the tribe, Donna John (left) and Meredith Schneider (right). Photo courtesy of Dieter Schmitz.