--- title: 21 Ways to Blow Up Your Company description: Hiring bad employees & ignoring your customers, lacking goals and focusing on your needs instead of investors, committing any of these 21 ways could put you out-of-business. --- - [![](https://toolkit.techstars.com/hubfs/Techstars_Logo_Black.png)](https://toolkit.techstars.com/../) - [| ← | Home | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/../) - [| 1 | Build Your Lean Canvas | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/build-your-lean-canvas) - [| 2 | Understand Your Customers | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/understand-your-customers) - [| 3 | Give Your Elevator Pitch | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/give-your-elevator-pitch) - [| 4 | Make Progress | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/make-progress) - [| 5 | Check Your Progress | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/check-your-progress) - [| 6 | Grow Your Business | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/grow-your-business) - [| 7 | Master Your Pitch | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/master-your-pitch) - [| 8 | Get More Done | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/get-more-done) - [| 9 | Brand Your Business | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/brand-your-business) - [| 10 | Blow Up Your Company | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/blow-up-your-company) - [| 11 | Engage with Mentors | | --- | --- |](https://toolkit.techstars.com/engage-with-mentors) [![](https://toolkit.techstars.com/hubfs/ts-logo-white.png)](https://toolkit.techstars.com/../) ##### ENTREPRENEUR'S TOOLKIT # Topic 15. Twenty One Ways to Blow Up Your Company There are many ways entrepreneurs can blow up a company. Featuring thought leader [Jason Mendelson,](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmendelson/details/experience/) former Board Member at Techstars & Cofounder & Managing Director at Foundry, whether it’s hiring bad employees and ignoring your customers to lacking goals and focusing on your needs instead of investors, committing any of these 21 ways could put you out-of-business. ##### WATCH THE TRAILER: ## What's Included in this Guide: 1. Mess Up Company Basics 2. Ignore Your Customers 3. Hire Bad Employees 4. Fundraise Without Intent 5. Follow Bad Advice 6. Lack Leadership Skills ##### Let's get started [Watch The Videos](https://toolkit.techstars.com/blow-up-your-company#chptr1) [Do the Exercises](https://toolkit.techstars.com/blow-up-your-company-worksheet) [Watch The Videos](https://toolkit.techstars.com/blow-up-your-company#chptr1) [Do the Exercises](https://toolkit.techstars.com/blow-up-your-company-worksheet) ##### Part 1. # Mess Up Company Basics As your company grows, lacking foundational practices will reduce your likelihood of success. This video will help you dodge the ways entrepreneurs have messed up company basics and closed down their business. ##### Part 2. # Ignore Your Customers Ignoring the needs of your customers could put your business in a downward spiral. This video will share how to keep your eye on the customer and competition, as well as your public image to keep the wheels turning. ##### Part 3. # Hire Bad Employees There’s nothing more deadly to a company culture and productivity than hiring poor performing or non-compatible employees. In this section, you’ll learn how to avoid these missteps and attract the right people to help grow your business. ##### Part 4. # Fundraise Without Intent When entrepreneurs get tired, it’s easy to get lazy when fundraising and think a standardized approach will work for all investors, it doesn’t. This video will show you how a tailored approach to each prospective investor could help attract investment and keep the doors open. ##### Part 5. # Follow Bad Advice Entrepreneurs who wait to complete key paperwork or follow bad advice can have things blow up when you least expect it. In this video, you’ll learn ways to avoid putting your company at risk. ##### Part 6. # Lack Leadership Skills When you commit to growing a business, you become an entrepreneur 24/7, and there will be life changes. This video will share insights on avoiding leadership fails that could run your business into the ground. # Apply Your Knowledge Continue to the worksheet where you can turn your knowledge into action. 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