Launched April 25, 2023
Build The Fort – The Startup Community Builder’s Field Guide
How to inspire, accelerate, fund and create impact in your startup community.
By Chris Heivly
Build The Fort
How To Start Anything
Why 5 simple lessons you learned as a 10-year-old can set you up for startup success.
More of My Writing @ My Blog
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The Government Capital Trap: Why More Money Rarely Makes a Startup Ecosystem
I once sat in a state capitol conference room while an economic development director explained his plan to "create the next Silicon Valley" in eighteen months. He had a budget. He had a new venture fund for residents of his state. He had a matching-funds program for...
The Thief in Every Founder’s Pocket
A few years ago I was talking to a founder who'd just closed her seed round (her first round). She should have been floating. Instead, she pulled up a LinkedIn post about someone locally announcing their Series A and got quiet for a second. "They're already three...
The Drive-Time Test for Startup Community Reach
In my veins, I bleed geographer. Not sure that will ever go away. So, when I meet a new ecosystem enthusiast, usually on a video call, I pull up Wikipedia to quickly get some data, like the population of the city & region, population growth over time, and maybe...