True Founder

MARC LAFLEUR had holes in his shoes at sixteen. As the only Black kid in an all white Catholic school, life was tough. His entrepreneurial journey didn¿t begin until he heard that Snapchat turned down a $3 billion offer from Facebook. That¿s when everything changed. By 2016, at the age of twenty-five, he founded truLOCAL¿ an online marketplace for consumers to connect with local farmers and producers. Over the course of five years¿as cofounder and CEO¿he grew the business to over sixty employees and expanded across the country. Following a successful pitch on Dragons¿ Den, truLOCAL became a runaway success culminating in a $16.8 million acquisition in 2020. Marc was thirty years old at the time.
Today Marc shares his unique perspective on business from the lens of someone who nobody thought would make it. He has been asked to share his knowledge with the likes of Lululemon, Google, FedEx, and various academic institutions. Marc is currently doing keynote talks at conferences across the United States and Canada

Acknowledgments Introduction: Who Is This Book For, Anyway? PART I: ALL THAT MATTERS IS HAVING THE RIGHT MINDSET Becoming a Professional Problem Solver Business is a Series of Sprints, Not a Marathon Your Job is to Make Decisions, Even if They Aren¿t the Right Ones How to Stay Motivated ¿ Part 1
PART II: ALL THAT MATTERS IS GETTING STARTED Creating Opportunities by Shooting Your Shot and Putting Yourself at the Table Avoid Co-Founder Drama with Difficult Conversations and a Shareholders Agreement The Truth About Early Stage Hires Working with Freelancers, Dev Houses, and Marketing Agencies
PART III: ALL THAT MATTERS IS PUTTING IN THE WORK Raising Capital with Angels and Venture Capitalists. Building Community by Finding Your Own Niche Evolving Quickly and Transitioning as a Founder How to Stay Motivated ¿ Part 2
PART IV: ALL THAT MATTERS IS USING WHAT YOU¿VE BUILT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE If You Can¿t Communicate, You Can¿t Lead You Can¿t Fake Culture Being Organized as a Person Who Thrives in Chaos How to Stay Motivated ¿ Part 3
Outro: Goddamn Right Resources Bonus Chapter About the Author