As Microsoft offers 60,000 employees the door, a founder shares pre-seed startup advice
MartinGTobias · x · 2026-10-29
Microsoft just offered roughly 60,000 employees an exit package. Serial entrepreneur Martin Tobias (took a company public in 2000) shared pre-seed advice for those considering startups:
- Don't raise until you have 10 customers who'd be upset if you disappeared.
- Your Microsoft network is your first sales list, not your investor list.
- Keep the deck to 10 slides.
- Build what customers will pay for next month, not what your old team couldn't get approved.
His core take: the best time to start is when everyone else is scared.
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