6 software tools to supercharge founders

In startup mode, small teams typically afford minimal staffing and resources dedicated to what most large companies consider standard operations. Most large companies hire positions, even entire departments, dedicated to project management, presentation materials, and finance — on top of purchasing expensive software licensing for each function.

As a result, startup founders inevitably wear a multitude of hats, which eat away at founders’ precious time and pull specialized experts away from where they truly add value.

Fortunately, we live in a world where a software exists for nearly every business pain point. Check out some of the below tools to streamline business operations and spend your time on growth.

Calendly – The office administrator

Calendly provides individual scheduling, auto-assigned meetings, and attendance engagement metrics through a simple, centralized subscription service. This platform allows team members to schedule availability slots, which customers and investors can easily book through a convenient web interface. We love Calendly for the simplicity of the mobile app that saves hours of emailing back and forth over prospective meetings.

Paperstreet – The investor liaison

Paperstreet helps founders create and segment email lists to engage customers and investors through powerful content and professional aesthetics. This platform boasts an accessible user interface to quickly insert content into a “medium-esque rich text editor” with searchable sections. Paperstreet offers efficient contact management, group segmentation, and networking opportunities through your company profile. We also love that they are a fellow Techstars Alumni!

Slidebean – The graphic designer

Slidebean uses artificial intelligence to build you the best slides possible. You can select from hundreds of beautiful templates — many designed specifically for pitch decks — and build a comprehensive deck in a fraction of the time. Slidebean uses a brief questionnaire and robust user interface that practically builds the deck for you. No shade toward Microsoft, but we’re pretty happy to save three hours from aligning text boxes and shapes in PowerPoint.

Asana – The project manager

We use Asana, a powerful work management software, to manage projects, track goals, and streamline workflow. This platform showcases a clean interface with robust tools for development, marketing, sales, and human resources. We love the elegant visualization features and flexibility for managing team tasks and lean operations.

Carta – The record keeper

Carta provides capitalization table management and valuation software with excellent data visualization tools and structured document organization. Startup founders love the ability to model fundraising scenarios, manage stock benefits, and generate reports within an accessible interface. It’s really important to have a single source of truth when it comes to Cap Tables, and Carta does the trick.

Forecastr – The CFO

Raise your hand if you love building financial models in Excel! Any takers? Forecastr helps founders confidently manage and forecast their finances. Our online software allows founders to easily construct fully fledged financial models that will blow investors away. Our approach digs deep into every aspect of their customer acquisition funnels and enables founders to beautifully convey their growth strategy. Our experts will be with you every step of the way as you raise capital and run your business.