This guest blog was written by Andrew Tessmer of XLR8.
At the heart of what we do here at XLR8 is the story of one of our founders, Joe Shehata. Joe was working in the financial sector with his Series 7 license and a focus on the futures market. He had the idea to create an algorithm that would systematically trade futures based on specific parameters and without human interaction. The problem was, even though he had the idea, he had no way to implement it. He found himself in need of a collaborator with a very specific set of skills (not Liam Neeson) to get the business up and running. Joe was searching for a coder with expertise in C++ who was also a certified financial adviser who understood the complicated futures market. His search for a collaborator with those very specific skills was not only disallowing him to finish development, it was also stealing time that could be spent working on his algorithm.
Joe, like most entrepreneurs at this stage, was low on time and resources and this drawn out process was causing him to lose hope and doubt his idea; something that happens all too often to entrepreneurs everywhere.
After more than 13 months of attending networking events, symposiums, and constant lunch meetings, Joe just so happened to sit next to the person with the very particular skills he was in need of at his wife’s softball game. A rarely successful “random collision†happened, a conversation was sparked, a partnership formed, and the launch of Joe’s business dreams became reality!
While Joe’s entrepreneurial saga ended happily ever after, it doesn’t usually end as perfectly. A 13 month wait usually spells the end of the runway and disaster for a startup. The long journey robs entrepreneurs of time and capital, the most finite resources, and leaves them counting on serendipity to build their teams and businesses.
After realizing there had to be a better, less costly and time consuming way of connecting entrepreneurs with one another, Joe joined forces with a team of proven entrepreneurs to connect the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem. Out of this quest for an interconnected entrepreneurial ecosystem, XRL8, a social matching and communication platform, was born.
XLR8 is all about connecting people. We make it easier and quicker for entrepreneurs to find and connect with the collaborators, mentors, investors and resources they need to launch their dreams into reality.
The concept is pretty simple: users create their profiles in less than a minute by telling other users what they need and how they can help. The XLR8 matching engine then suggests collaborators, mentors and investors who can best provide the skills, expertise or funding each user says they need. The user then follows the recommended collaborators and is notified when matching users pledge to collaborate, mentor or invest in their concept or business. XLR8 reduces the time it takes entrepreneurs to find the people they need.
XLR8 also allows users to search and find geocentric and relevant events. The integrated Smart RSVP tool shows how well each attendee matches to the user, making choosing the most beneficial events a breeze. Users also have access to a stream of relevant articles, videos, podcasts and resources specifically cultivated to match their needs, offers and skills.
Check out Traklight on XLR8. XLR8 intelligently connects entrepreneurs.
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