You show up.
You grab a drink.
You say “what do you do?” about 11 times.
You leave with… maybe 2 LinkedIn connections and one “let’s catch up soon” that never happens.

Cool. Very productive. 10/10 ROI.

But here’s the thing most founders miss:

It’s not the event. It’s the questions you ask.

Because the difference between:

• “just another networking night”
  and

• “this actually changed something for me”

…usually comes down to one good conversation.

And good conversations don’t start with:

“So… what do you do?”

They start with better questions.

Join us on May 7

🧠 1. “What are you currently trying to figure out?”

This question is gold.

It cuts through:

• polished pitches

• rehearsed intros

• “we’re doing great” energy

And gets straight to reality.

You’ll hear things like:

• “Honestly, we’re struggling with distribution”

• “Trying to crack retention right now”

• “We have users… but not the right ones”

Now you’re not networking anymore.
You’re in a real conversation.
And that’s where value starts.

Join Us Now!!

🚀 2. “What’s been working surprisingly well for you?”

Founders LOVE talking about wins they didn’t expect.

Not the obvious stuff.
Not the pitch deck highlights.

The real stuff:

• “This one channel randomly took off”

• “Cold emails actually started converting”

• “We changed one thing and signups doubled”

This is where you get insights you won’t find on Twitter threads or LinkedIn posts.

It’s like unlocking a cheat code… except it’s legal.

May 7 | Doors Open 5pm

😅 3. “What’s been way harder than you thought?”

Now we’re getting honest.

Because behind every “we’re scaling fast” post is:

• something breaking

• something not working

• something stressful

And when someone answers this honestly, two things happen:

1. You learn faster

2. You connect deeper

Also, it’s oddly comforting to hear:

“Oh… it’s not just me.”

🎯 4. “Who would be a great person for you to meet tonight?”

This is how you actually network.

Not by collecting contacts.
But by creating connections.

When you ask this:

• you position yourself as helpful

• you become memorable

• you instantly stand out from 90% of people in the room

And ironically?

This is the fastest way to build a strong network. (Yes, helping others works. Annoying but true.)

🔥 5. “What are you building towards right now?”

Not “what do you do.”

But:

where is this going?

This shifts the conversation from:

• present → future

• features → vision

• job → mission

And you’ll feel the difference.

Energy changes.
People lean in.
The conversation becomes… interesting.

The Real Game

Here’s what most people get wrong:

They think startup events are about meeting more people.

They’re not.

They’re about:

• having better conversations

• going one level deeper

• leaving with real connections

Because one strong conversation > 20 forgettable ones.

Every time.

Meet Interesting People

And That’s Exactly the Energy We’re Building

Startup+ Networking Night isn’t:

• awkward small talk

• surface-level intros

• “what do you do?” on repeat

It’s a room full of:

• founders figuring things out in real-time

• operators sharing what’s actually working

• people open to real conversations

No fluff.
No forced vibes.
Just high-signal interactions.

If You Come, Try This

Instead of asking:

“So what do you do?”

Try just one of the questions above.

That’s it.

One better question → one better conversation → one unexpected opportunity.

That’s how this works.

Final Thought

Most people will show up and network. A few will show up and connect. Save your spot

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Think about your last 5 working days.

Where were you?

Probably the same place.
Same setup.
Same rhythm.

Nothing wrong with that.

But also… nothing new happens there.

Now imagine something slightly different.

You walk into a new space in the city.

There’s good light.
People are already there, laptops open, focused, building things.

No one’s trying to sell you anything.
No one’s interrupting your flow.

You just sit down… and start working.

Claim your $5 workday

And then something shifts.

You get into deeper focus faster than usual.

You overhear a conversation that makes you think differently.

At lunch, you end up talking to someone building something interesting.

No agenda. No pressure.

Just… proximity to the right people.

Wayo x Startup+ Workday

That’s what Wayo Community Workdays are designed for.

Not coworking… Not networking.

Just a better day of work, surrounded by people who take what they’re doing seriously.

Wayo Community Workdays

We’ve partnered with Wayo to bring this to the Startup+ community.

And the best part? You can try it for $5.

No commitment. Just show up and see what happens.

Claim your full workday with Lunch

Upcoming days

May 1 — Branch

Small groups. Intentionally so.

There’s a version of your workday where you get more done…

…and maybe meet someone who changes what you’re working on.

You don’t have to commit to anything long-term.

Just try one day. → Book your $5 workday. Sometimes progress isn’t about working harder.

It’s just about changing the room you’re in.

Full Disclosure: Startup+ receives zero commission, kickbacks, or monetary benefits from this partnership. We’re doing this because we actually think Wayo offers massive value to our builders. If it doesn’t help you scale, we don’t share it. Simple as that.

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Let’s be honest for a second.

No one really talks about this part of startups.

Not the pitch decks.
Not the funding rounds.
Not the “just closed $2M” LinkedIn posts with 47 fire emojis.

But this part?

The part where it’s just… you.

Sitting with 17 tabs open.
Your Stripe dashboard open in one corner (you check it way more than you admit).
Your Notion roadmap staring back at you like “so… when are we actually doing this?”

And you’re somewhere between:

• “This is going to be huge” and

• “Should I just apply for a job at a normal company and get free snacks?”

Welcome to startup building.

Join Startup+

The Quiet Truth Nobody Mentions

Building a startup is… weirdly lonely.

Not because you don’t know people.
But because very few people get it.

Your non-founder friends hear:

“I’m working on my startup”

And translate it to:

“Oh nice, flexible schedule 😌”

Meanwhile you’re:

• Debugging something at 2:13 AM

• Googling “why is my API returning emotional damage”

• Wondering if your CAC is a number or a personality trait at this point

And don’t even get me started on explaining what you do.

“So what does your startup do?”

You:

“It’s like Uber… but for X… powered by AI… and also B2B SaaS… with a marketplace layer…”

Them:

“Ah nice. So… like an app?”

Yes.
Sure.
Let’s go with that.

You Start Living in Founder Brain

At some point, your brain rewires itself.

Normal conversations become:

• “What’s the TAM of this coffee shop?”

• “Their pricing strategy is actually kind of smart”

• “Lowkey this bar could increase revenue with better funnel optimization”

You can’t unsee it.

You go to events and instead of enjoying them, you’re like:

“Is this a good place to meet investors or am I just here for overpriced drinks?”

And the worst part? - You start thinking you’re the only one going through this.

Join Startup+ Networking

You’re Not.

Every founder you’ve seen…
Every “overnight success”…
Every person posting wins…

They’ve had:

• weeks where nothing worked

• days where they questioned everything

• moments where they seriously thought about quitting

They just don’t post that part.

(LinkedIn doesn’t reward emotional vulnerability. It rewards “grateful to announce…”)

So What Actually Helps?

Not another YouTube video.
Not another “10 growth hacks you NEED to know.”

Because something changes when you’re in a room where:

• everyone is building

• everyone is figuring things out

• no one has it perfectly together (despite how it looks online)

You stop feeling like the outlier.

Meet NYC Founders

That’s Exactly Why We Do This

Startup+ isn’t just another networking event.

(You know the ones… awkward name tags, forced small talk, “so what do you do?” repeated 19 times.)

This is different.

It’s:

• Founders talking about what’s actually working

• Operators sharing things that don’t make it to Twitter threads

• Conversations that start casual… and turn into something meaningful

Sometimes it’s:

• meeting your next co-founder

• finding your first hire

• getting feedback that saves you 3 months of wrong direction

• or just… realizing you’re not crazy for feeling the way you do

And Honestly?

Sometimes the biggest win is just this:

You walk in feeling overwhelmed.

You walk out thinking:

“Okay… I can do this.”

That shift?

Underrated. But powerful.

Join us on May 7 | Doors open 5pm

May 7 - Come Through

If any part of this felt a little too relatable…

You should probably be in the room.

We’re bringing together:

• founders

• builders

• investors

• people who are in it, not just talking about it

No fluff.
No panels that say nothing.
No “inspiring but useless” talks.

Just real people, real conversations, and real momentum.

Save Your Spot Here

Final Thought

Building a startup will still be hard.

You’ll still have:

• confusing days

• slow weeks

• moments of doubt

But doing it alone? - That part is optional.

See you on May 7.

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

P.S. If your startup has pivoted more times than a React component re-render… you’ll fit right in.

They have an environment problem.

Same desk.
Same inputs.
Same interruptions.

And over time, that compounds.

You end up solving the same problems the same way… thinking in the same loops… moving, but not always progressing.

Now change just one variable.

The room.

You walk into a space where everyone is there to build.

💻 Laptops open.
⚡ Heads down.
🚀 People shipping, iterating, figuring things out in real time.

No noise. No posturing. No wasted motion.

Just proximity to other people doing the work.

Book your $5 workday!

This is where things start to shift.

You get into flow faster.
You stay focused longer.
You think a little sharper.

Not because you changed your strategy, but because you changed your inputs.

And in between that, something else happens.

You have a quick conversation.
You exchange context.
You hear how someone else is solving a problem you’ve been stuck on.

No forced networking. No “let’s connect.”

Just high-signal interactions that happen naturally when the room is right.

That’s the idea behind Wayo Community Workdays.

Small, curated groups of founders, operators, and builders spending a full day working in the same space.

Not an event.
Not coworking.

Just a better operating environment for a day.

Book your workday

Startup+ is bringing this to our community.

And for the community workdays, you can get it for $5.

Low friction. Real upside.

Upcoming Workdays

📍 May 1 — Branch (8 spots)

Each room is intentionally small.

Because the quality of the day depends on who’s in it.

Book your $5 workday

If you’re a founder, you already know:

Small changes compound.

One conversation can unlock something.
One insight can save weeks.
One day can reset your momentum.

One day. Different room. Different outcome.

Different room. Different outcome.

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Full Disclosure: Startup+ receives zero commission, kickbacks, or monetary benefits from this partnership. We’re doing this because we genuinely believe Wayo offers real value to our builders. If it doesn’t help you build or scale, we don’t share it. Simple as that.

You walk in.
Scan the room like you’re in a startup-themed episode of Survivor.
Grab a drink (for confidence, obviously).
Start a conversation with:

“So… what do you do?”

They reply with:

“We’re building an AI-powered, blockchain-enabled, vertically integrated…”

You nod.

You both nod.

No one understands anything.

You exchange LinkedIns like Pokémon cards and disappear into the night.

Beautiful. Truly.

Now Here’s the Problem

You’re not bad at networking.

The environment usually is.

Because most events are:

• too surface-level

• too random

• or just… full of people there for the linkedin connection count

(Which, to be fair, is a strong incentive.)

This One Feels Different

We’re already at 87 people registered for May 7.

And this isn’t:

• the usual “startup mixer”

• a room full of people “thinking about maybe starting something someday”

This is builders.

People who:

• are actively working on something

• have broken things (and fixed them… sometimes)

• have stories better than their pitch decks

Let’s Talk About ROI (Founder Brain Activated)

You don’t need:

• 100 conversations

• 50 business cards

• or 12 “let’s definitely catch up” messages that never happen

You need ONE conversation where:

• something clicks

• something shifts

• something actually happens

That could be:

• meeting someone who solves a problem you’ve been stuck on

• finding a collaborator who gets your vision

• hearing one insight that saves you 2 months of trial and error

That’s it. That’s the game.

Also, Quick Reality Check

The people showing up?

They’re not NPCs.

They’re:

• founders figuring things out in real time

• operators who’ve seen some chaos

• people who also refresh their Stripe dashboard for emotional validation

So when you walk in, don’t think:

“I need to impress people”

Think:

“Who can I actually talk to like a human?”

Wild concept. I know.

What Happens in a Good Room

A good room doesn’t feel like networking.

It feels like:

• “wait… you’re dealing with this too?”

• “that actually worked for you?”

• “we should definitely continue this conversation”

And suddenly:

• conversations last longer

• people remember you

• things… move

No forced vibes. No weird energy.

Just actual connection.

👉 Save your spot here: https://luma.com/nyc-networking

(Before you forget, get busy, or convince yourself “I’ll go next time.” There is always no next time.)

The Subtle FOMO You Can’t Ignore

Here’s what’s going to happen regardless:

On May 7, a bunch of people will show up.

Some of them will:

• meet someone important

• get an idea they run with

• make a connection that compounds

And a week later, you’ll see:

“Met some amazing people last week…” on LinkedIn

And you’ll be like:

“Ah… I should’ve gone.”

We’re trying to avoid that storyline.

Final Thought

100+ people.
1 night.
Infinite conversations.

And statistically speaking… at least one of them could be useful. (Yes, that’s founder math. No, I won’t show my work.)

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Quick update on the Wayo x Startup+ Community Workdays 👇

The registration issue has now been fully resolved by the Wayo team. They’ve also created a special private listing exclusively for Startup+ members, so you can now sign up smoothly here: https://wayo.club/startupplus

If you’re still facing any issues, feel free to reach out to us anytime at contact@startupplus.club, we’ll make sure you’re taken care of.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding with this.

Want to share your founder story?

If you have insights, experiences, or lessons that could help other builders, we’d love to feature you.

Reach out to Jaynish at jaynish.shah@startupplus.club, he’ll help you curate and share your story with our 25K+ community members, so others can learn and grow from your journey.

Thanks again for being part of Startup+ ❤️

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

We’re currently aware of technical issues affecting the registration process for the Wayo x Startup+ Community Workdays.

While the Wayo team works on resolving this, we recommend refraining from registering for upcoming sessions until the issue is fully fixed to avoid any confusion during checkout.

We’ll send another update as soon as registrations are working properly again.

Thank you for your patience and for being part of the Startup+ community.

Full Disclosure: Startup+ receives zero commission, kickbacks, or monetary benefits from this partnership. We’re doing this because we actually think Wayo offers massive value to our builders. If it doesn’t help you scale, we don’t share it. Simple as that.

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

• Alone at home

• In a noisy café

• In a coworking space that doesn’t really feel like a community

What if there was a better option?

We’ve partnered with Wayo to bring Startup+ members a new way to work alongside some of NYC’s most driven founders, builders, and operators.

Wayo curates Community Workdays in some of NYC’s best daytime venues, think rooftops, restaurants, and private spaces designed for productivity and connection.

Instead of sitting alone behind your laptop, you spend the day working alongside 12–15 other ambitious people. Get your space just for $5 (Use code: SPLUSVIP5)

Just a thoughtfully designed workday surrounded by people who are building serious things.

What the day looks like

🕘 9:00 AM - Settle in, coffee/tea, deep work
🕙 10:45 AM - Light intros with the group
🕛 12:45 PM - Lunch + organic conversation
🕞 3:45 PM - Optional curated 1:1 connections
🍸 5:00 PM - Optional casual happy hour

You can work on your own schedule and join any moments you want, or none at all.

Reserve your spot

Why people love it

Members often report being 1.5–2× more productive than working from home, a café, or a typical coworking space.

But the real magic happens in the in-between moments, when you meet someone building something interesting at the table next to you.

Most people walk away with 2–3 meaningful connections by the end of the day.

Startup+ Member Offer

To celebrate the partnership, the first few Startup+ Community Workdays are just $5.

Upcoming sessions:

📍 April 16 (Thursday) - The Wilson (132 W 27st, New York)
📍 April 22 (Wednesday) - The Throwback (710 Amsterdam Ave, New York)
📍 May 1 (Friday) - Branch (18 W 40th St, New York)

Spots are intentionally small and tend to fill quickly.

If you’ve been wanting to meet more builders in NYC, this is probably the easiest way to start.

Book your $5 workday

Use code: SPLUSVIP5

Show up, do your best work, and see who you end up building alongside.

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Missed the first drop? This is your final early-access chance before tickets go public tonight.

Claim your spot now

Event in a nutshell

• When: Thursday, May 7th · 5:00 PM

• Where: Sour Mouse NYC, Lower East Side

• Why: Real conversations, zero fluff, and our favorite ping-pong backdrop

• Who: Founders, investors, operators | new faces & returning friends

Register Now

About Startup+

Startup+ is one of NYC’s largest startup communities, bringing together founders, funders, and innovators through mixers, pitch nights, and events built for real connections.

Be a part of Startup+

See you May 7!

Aneesh Lal, Founder, Startup+
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead, Startup+

Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

P.S. Want to volunteer? Complimentary tickets + a chance to connect with NYC’s startup community. Write to contact@startupplus.club

This is a subscriber-only early access invite.
These are subscriber-exclusive tickets, curated for you before we open this event to the public. RSVP now

Our events are simple:
founders, investors, operators and builders meet - and real conversations happen.

People find co-founders.
People find investors.
People find new opportunities.

Claim your exclusive entry

Expect 100+ founders, investors, and builders in one room - people who love creating new ideas and helping each other grow.

These tickets go fast. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

RSVP Now

See you soon,
Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Join us Tomorrow (Thursday, April 2nd, 5:00 pm @ SourMouse) to meet and mingle with some of the industry's most innovative and exciting startup founders. This is an excellent opportunity to make new connections, share ideas, and learn from the experiences of others.

Most folks come alone. These networking events are the friendliest to start meetups. 18 more entries - Get yours before it is gone

See you tomorrow,
Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

But they almost always remember the moment that changed everything. Join that room.

The conversation that sparked the idea.

The person who introduced them to their cofounder.

The stranger they met, who later became an investor, advisor, or first customer.

Startups rarely grow in isolation.

They grow through people.

Through the unexpected conversations that happen when the right builders end up in the same room. Join the room

That’s exactly why Startup+ gatherings exist.

No panels.
No long presentations.
No awkward “pitch the room” moments.
Just founders, builders, and curious operators spending a few hours meeting each other naturally.

And April 02nd - 5 pm, that room is happening again.

RSVP Now!!

The Startup+ community is gathering at Sour Mouse in NYC.

And judging by the response so far, this one is going to be packed.

Which means the room will be full of people building interesting things.

People launching products.
People hiring.
People are experimenting with ideas that might turn into the next big company.

RSVP to the event now

Come early. The best conversations usually happen when the room is just starting to fill up.

You grab a drink. - Start talking to someone next to you.
And sometimes those conversations lead somewhere unexpected.

Save Your Spot

If you’re building something in NYC, these are the rooms worth showing up for.

If you want to be in the room, make sure to RSVP before it fills up.

See you on April 02,
Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

In NYC, those rooms are usually full of founders, builders, and operators trading ideas, sharing lessons, and occasionally meeting the people who change the trajectory of their startup.

Join the Room

Next Thursday (April 02nd), one of those rooms will be Sour Mouse (110 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002).

Startup+ is hosting our next gathering, and the response has been incredible, 130+ people are already registered. Count me in

Which means the room is going to be packed with ambitious people building interesting things.

No panels.
No speakers.
No “structured networking.”

Just the kind of conversations that only happen when the right people end up in the same space.

Startup+ NYC Gathering

📍 Sour Mouse, NYC (110 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002)
📅 Thursday, April 2
🕔 Doors open at 5:00 PM

Meet NYC Builders

Come early, grab a drink, and meet the room as it fills up.

These events tend to produce unexpected introductions, the kind that turn into collaborations, friendships, and sometimes even companies.

130+ builders have already signed up. See Who’s Coming

If you want to be in the room, it’s a good idea to RSVP before we hit capacity. → Save your spot

See you on April 2nd,
Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Need a fractional CFO? They know a guy.

Dev shop that won’t ghost you? They know someone.

Warm intro to that investor? They already know a few.

You don’t normally meet that person at a networking event. You met them somewhere random where you happened to sit near each other and talked over lunch.

On April 16, we’re teaming up with Wayo for a Wayo Community Workday at The Wilson (in Chelsea).

It’s not a coworking space or a networking event. It’ll be founders doing real work in an inspiring environment and sitting down for lunch together.

Book the exclusive $5 spot for Startup+ members

Here’s what actually happens.

You show up, do your work, and around lunch everyone eats together. You sit next to someone for 6 hours, you’re going to learn what they’re working on. And when your friend asks you next week “know anyone who does X?” – yeah, now you do.

Spots are capped to keep the group small enough that you actually talk to everyone.

Grab your $5 spot before it fills.

Can’t make it on April 16th? Check the other available dates from here.

Transparency Note: Startup+ receives zero commission or kickbacks here. We just think this is a massive win for our community’s productivity.

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Some are panels.
Some are pitch nights.
Some are… let’s just say very structured.

Startup+ events are intentionally different. Join us on April 02nd

No presentations.
No awkward “go around the room and introduce yourself.”
Just a room full of founders, builders, and operators meeting each other naturally.

And honestly, that’s where the best conversations happen.

April 02nd, Thursday - we’re gathering at Sour Mouse in NYC.

If you haven’t been before, expect:

Great people
Great conversations
A little startup chaos (the good kind)

And, usually at least a few introductions that turn into something meaningful later.

Join the Startup+ Crowd

We already have 117+ people registered, and the event is still two weeks away, it is highly likely to be sold out early this week.

If you’re thinking about coming, grab a spot before it’s gone. → RSVP here

If you're building something — or thinking about starting — these are the rooms you want to be in.

Bring a friend building something interesting.

See you there,

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Working from home sounded like a dream… until it became a loop. Same desk. Same four walls. Same Slack pings.

So you go to a café. You buy your third $7 latte just to justify staying another hour. It’s loud, the WiFi is shaky, and you’re still basically alone.

We decided to build something better.

Startup+ has teamed up with Wayo to host curated Community Workdays across NYC. These aren’t networking events—they are productive “Deep Work” sessions in beautiful rooftops, restaurants, and private venues.

Transparency Note: Startup+ receives zero commission or kickbacks here. We just think this is a massive win for our community’s productivity.

The “Zero Fluff” Workday

Think of this as the “Goldilocks” of working: Not as isolating as home, and not as sterile as a traditional coworking office.

• 9:00 AM: Settle in, coffee/tea, and hit deep work.

• 12:45 PM: Lunch is on the house (and it’s actually good).

• Optional Moments: Light intros at 10:45 AM and 1:1 connections at 3:45 PM.

Join what you want. Skip what you want. The only goal is to get your best work done.

The $5 Member Perk

Normally, these curated workdays cost significantly more. But for the Startup+ launch, you can grab your first session for just $5.

That’s a full day of workspace + Lunch + Coffee for less than the price of one latte.

👉 CLAIM YOUR $5 WORKDAY (UNLOCK CODE)

Upcoming Dates & Locations

These are limited to 8–15 spots each. They will likely sell out by the time you finish your next meeting.

• April 16 – The Wilson (Chelsea)

• April 22 – The Throwback (Upper West Side)

• May 1 – Branch (Midtown)

To keep it fair for everyone, we are routing all bookings through the partnership page below. Click the button to see the venues and apply your member discount.

VIEW VENUES & SECURE A SPOT

See you there,

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

It’s not.

A real founder brand usually starts somewhere much less glamorous:

At a random tech mixer.
With a bad name tag.
Holding a drink you didn’t really want.

And someone asking:

“So… what are you building?”

That moment matters more than any LinkedIn post.

Because in startups, your reputation spreads faster than your product roadmap.

Apply for NYC founder story

Fill-in the Google form or reply to this newsletter

Introducing: Startup+ Founder Stories

We’re opening up the Startup+ newsletter to feature NYC founders and their journeys.

Not the polished version. The real one.

The messy pivots.
The “almost quit” moments.
The first tiny win that made you keep going.

And we’ll share your story with 25,000+ builders in the Startup+ community.

Founders.
Operators.
Investors.
Future collaborators.

People who might become:

• your first hires

• your next customers

• your investors

• your biggest supporters

Apply to Share Your Founder Story

Fill-in the Google form or reply to this newsletter

Why Founder Stories Matter

The public startup timeline looks like this:

Idea → Funding → Growth → Exit 🚀

The real timeline usually looks like:

Idea → doubt → pivot → ramen → doubt again → first customer → tiny win → more doubt → progress.

Every founder knows this version.

But almost nobody talks about it.

That’s why we want to tell founder-first stories, the kind that help another builder realize:

“Okay… maybe I’m not the only one figuring it out.”

Submit Your Story to Startup+

Fill-in the Google form or reply to this newsletter

Your Startup’s First Distribution Channel: People

Before product-market fit
Before investor intros
Before your first viral tweet

There’s community.

The strongest founders in NYC didn’t just build startups.

They built relationships.

They:

• show up consistently
• introduce people
• help other founders
• share lessons publicly

Over time something interesting happens.

People start saying:

“You should meet her.”
“He’s building something interesting.”
“You need to talk to them.”

And just like that, your personal brand becomes your startup’s growth engine.

No growth hacks required.

Get your story in 25k+ mailboxes

Fill-in the Google form or reply to this newsletter

The Quiet Power of Startup Communities

After hosting dozens of Startup+ events, we’ve noticed something:

When you put 100 builders in one room, unexpected things happen.

Someone meets their co-founder.
Someone finds their first engineer.
Someone meets the investor who funds their seed round.

No panels.
No pitch decks.

Just conversations.

That’s the whole idea behind Startup+.

Today the community includes:

• 25,000+ builders
• 75+ founder mixers
• thousands of meaningful connections

But the best part has always been the people behind the startups.

And their stories.

Get your startup story published

Fill-in the Google form or reply to this newsletter

Tell Your Story

If you’re building in NYC, we want to hear about:

• what you’re building
• the problem you’re obsessed with
• the moment you almost gave up
• the lesson every founder should know

We’ll feature selected founders in the Startup+ newsletter and introduce them to 25K+ community members.

Your next investor, co-founder, or early user might be reading.

Apply to Be Featured

Fill-in the Google form or reply to this newsletter

Until next time,

Keep building.
Keep showing up.
And keep introducing good people to good people.

That’s how startups actually happen.

Cheers,
Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

Full Disclosure: Startup+ receives zero commission, kickbacks, or monetary benefits from this partnership. We’re doing this because we actually think Wayo offers massive value to our builders. If it doesn’t help you scale, we don’t share it. Simple as that.

For a lot of founders and builders in NYC, the workday usually looks something like this:

Laptop open at home.
A few hours at a café.
Maybe a coworking space where everyone has headphones on.

Flexible? Yes.

But also… a little isolating.

One of the biggest shifts in the past few years is how many people now work remotely or independently. Founders, operators, freelancers, and remote employees all have the freedom to work from anywhere, but that often means working alone most of the time.

That’s exactly the problem Wayo set out to solve.

Startup+ <> Wayo Partnership

So what is Wayo?

Wayo is a curated workspace network designed for the modern way people work.

Instead of traditional coworking offices, Wayo partners with beautiful venues across NYC, rooftops, restaurants, hotel lounges, and private spaces that open their doors during the day to host professionals.

On any given workday, a small group of people gathers in one of these spaces to work.

Just to spend the day building alongside other motivated people.

Each Community Workday usually brings together 8–15 founders, freelancers, and operators.

Everyone is working on their own projects.

But something interesting happens when ambitious people share the same room for a full day.

You focus more.
You get more done.
And the conversations that happen naturally throughout the day often lead to meaningful connections.

Get your workspace for $5

Startup+ × Wayo

When we came across Wayo, it immediately felt like something our community would enjoy.

So we partnered with them to bring Community Workdays to Startup+ members.

These are small, curated workdays where you can spend the day working in a great venue alongside other founders and builders from the Startup+ ecosystem.

No panels.
No forced networking.

Just a productive day with interesting people in the room.

And yes, coffee, tea, and lunch are included.

Upcoming Community Workdays

April 16 - The Wilson (15 spots)
April 22 - The Throwback (12 spots)
May 1 - Branch (8 spots)

Each session is intentionally small, so spots tend to fill up quickly.

Get your seat

Use code SPLUSVIP5 when booking.

Special offer for Startup+ members

To celebrate the partnership, Startup+ members can attend the first Community Workdays for just $5. And yes, coffee, tea, and lunch are included.

Use code SPLUSVIP5 when booking.

Book your first workday

If you’ve been looking for a better way to meet other founders in NYC - this might be your new favorite workday.

Hope this helps,

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club

This is it. If you’ve been thinking about applying for the AWS x Women in Tech Pitch Competition, you have exactly 24 hours left to get your deck in.

The application deadline is tomorrow, Monday, March 16th.

We don’t share every event that comes across our desk. We only share the ones that actually move the needle for this community. A fully-funded trip to Cape Town and dedicated AWS mentorship through 2026 is a massive opportunity for any early-stage, woman-led startup.

APPLY TO PITCH BEFORE TOMORROW’S DEADLINE

The Game Plan for March 26th

Even if you aren’t pitching, you should be in the room. This is where you’ll find the AWS Global Startups team, top-tier NYC investors, and the core of the Startup+ community.

• The Vibe: High-stakes pitches followed by a networking happy hour.

• The Perks: Open bar and bites at Amazon JFK27.

• The Goal: Stop scrolling, start connecting, and support the founders building the future.

Event Details: 📅 When: Thursday, March 26th | 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM 📍 Where: Amazon JFK27, NYC ⏳ Pitcher Deadline: Tomorrow, Monday, March 16th 🎟 Attendee RSVP: Open (but spots are going fast)

RSVP TO ATTEND OR APPLY TO PITCH HERE

See you in the room,

Aneesh, Jaynish & the Startup+ Team www.startupplus.club

Know a woman founder who belongs on that stage? Forward this now. They have until EOD tomorrow.

We talk a lot about the power of showing up. Whether you’re early-stage, scaling, or just getting started, the biggest opportunities usually happen when you stop scrolling and start talking.

Sikirat from the AWS Global Startups team reached out with an opportunity that’s too good not to share with the Startup+ community.

On March 26th, AWS and Global Women in Tech® are taking over Amazon JFK27 for a high-stakes Pitch Competition and one of the best networking nights of the month.

Here’s the deal:

• For the Pitchers: Early-stage, women-led startups will pitch to top-tier judges. The prize? 3-4 winners get a fully-funded trip to the Women in Tech Global Summit in Cape Town (April 28–30) plus AWS mentorship through June.

• The Catch: The application deadline to pitch is this Monday, March 16th. If you’ve been looking for a sign to get your deck in front of the right people, this is it.

• For the Rest of Us: You don’t need to be on stage to win. Come for the energy, stay for the connections. There’s a networking happy hour afterward with an open bar and bites.

The Details

📅 When: Thursday, March 26th | 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

📍 Where: Amazon JFK27, NYC

⏳ Pitcher Deadline: Monday, March 16th

🎟 Attendee RSVP: Open until March 26th

Apply to Pitch or RSVP to Attend Here

Whether you’re looking to secure that AWS mentorship, find your next co-founder, or just enjoy a drink with the people building the future of NYC tech, we’d love to see you in the room.

See you there,

Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club