Introduction
Part five of the Founder's Playbook addresses the final frontier of early stage startup development: earning high quality backlinks at scale, navigating government and EU funding programs, achieving visibility in AI-driven search results, and building a sustainable growth engine that attracts users without requiring massive marketing budgets.
The backlink cluster tackles a nuanced challenge: how to earn links from educational institutions, government sites, and high authority domains that carry significant ranking power. These are typically harder to acquire but deliver outsized value once earned. This section distinguishes between free tactics and paid approaches, focusing on what actually works for bootstrapped founders.
The funding cluster expands beyond traditional venture capital to include government grants, EU innovation programs, and strategic funding sources specific to different startup verticals. Most founders focus narrowly on VC fundraising and miss accessible funding streams that require less equity dilution.
The AI visibility and growth clusters address the emerging reality that founders must now optimize for discovery across both traditional search and generative AI systems. This includes positioning your business to be cited by ChatGPT, getting mentioned in Perplexity responses, and ranking in AI-driven search results where the traditional SERP framework no longer applies.
The final section covers sustainable growth mechanics: how to build a user base without massive budgets, how to identify and recruit early adopters, and how to create compound growth through community and content rather than paid advertising alone.
Check out the Complete "How to" Series:
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 1: Startup Strategy, Funding and Business Fundamentals
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 2: SEO, Naming, and Competitive Analysis
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 3: Content, Business Models, and Growth
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 4: Finding Customers, Funding, and Keywords
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 5: Backlinks, Funding, Growth, and AI Visibility
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 6: Launching, Naming, Tools, and Fundraising
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 7: Costs, Funding, Naming, and Starting Up
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 8: Tech Startups, Tools, AI, and Keyword Research
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 9: SEO Tools, Schema Markup, and AI Optimization
🔗 1000 Startup How-To Questions Part 10: 2026 Trends, AI, and Future Opportunities
How to Get EDU Backlinks for Free
Identify universities and educational institutions in your industry or with relevant programs, research if they have resource pages or link to similar content, reach out to relevant department heads or librarians explaining why your content benefits their students, and offer to contribute to their blog or research projects. EDU backlinks carry significant authority weight.
How to Get EU Funding for a Startup
Research EU programs like Horizon Europe, EIC, or regional innovation funds, identify programs matching your startup stage and sector, prepare a strong proposal aligned with program objectives, and apply before deadlines. EU funding timelines are longer but equity dilution is minimal compared to VC.
How to Get First 1000 Users
Start with your founder network for first 50 to 100 users through direct outreach and beta invites, launch on early adopter platforms like Product Hunt and Indie Hackers for publicity, engage in relevant online communities sharing genuine value, and ask customers for referrals by offering incentives. First 1000 users come from relationships and community, not advertising.
How to Get Free Ahrefs Account
Ahrefs does not offer free accounts; alternatives include using Ahrefs free Site Explorer tool with limited functionality, checking if you qualify for educational discounts, or using free alternatives like Ubersuggest or Moz free tier. Most bootstrapped founders use free tools until they can justify paid subscriptions.
How to Get Free Backlinks
Create genuinely useful content that people reference naturally, participate in communities where linking is organic, contribute guest articles to relevant publications, and build relationships with journalists and creators. Free backlinks come from value alignment, not transactions.
How to Get Free Backlinks for My Website
Same approach as free backlinks generally: create valuable content, identify relevant sites where it fits, reach out with personalized pitches, and contribute guest content. Focus on quality over quantity.
How to Get Free PDF of Any Book
Use your library's digital lending service through platforms like Libby or OverDrive, search Google Scholar for academic PDFs, contact authors directly requesting their work, or find open access versions on author websites or ResearchGate. Most published books are available through legitimate free channels.
How to Get Funding for AI Startup
Demonstrate product traction and real customers before raising capital, show differentiation beyond using existing models, target AI-specialized investors, and prepare for longer due diligence as investors educate themselves. Most AI funding goes to teams with proven execution track records.
How to Get Funding for Startup From Government
Research government programs in your country like SBIR in the US or KMU Förderung in Germany, identify programs matching your startup stage and sector, prepare required documentation and proposals, and apply before deadlines. Government funding is slower but requires minimal equity dilution.
How to Get Funding for Technology Startup
Show product market fit through customer traction, emphasize repeatable unit economics, target investors with experience in your tech category, and leverage regional incentives and grants. Multiple funding sources exist beyond venture capital.
How to Get Good Quality Backlinks
Target high authority sites relevant to your industry, create content that solves specific problems their audience faces, reach out with personalized pitches explaining why their readers benefit, and build ongoing relationships. Quality requires specificity and generosity.
How to Get High PR Backlinks
Focus on content quality that naturally attracts attention from high authority sites, build relationships with editors and journalists through consistent value contribution, and analyze which types of content earn high quality links. High PR backlinks come through reputation building, not outreach tactics.
How to Get High PR Backlinks Free
Create genuinely groundbreaking research or content your industry will reference, earn media coverage through press releases and relationship building, and contribute to industry publications where backlinks are natural. Free high PR backlinks require exceptional content and relationships.
How to Get High Quality Backlinks
Identify high authority sites and analyze what content they link to, create content matching or exceeding that quality, reach out with personalized pitches, and contribute as a thought leader. High quality backlinks come from reputation and content excellence.
How to Get High Quality Backlinks for Free
Create content worth linking to, build relationships with influential people and publications in your space, contribute guest articles and expert commentary, and earn media mentions. Free quality backlinks require consistent content quality and relationship investment.
How to Get Into MozBar
Download the MozBar browser extension from the Moz website, click the extension icon in your browser, and authenticate with your Moz account credentials. MozBar provides page authority and other metrics directly on SERP results.
How to Get Into Startup Incubator CEE
Research incubators in Central and Eastern Europe matching your sector, attend info sessions or reach out directly to founders, understand their selection criteria and cohort structure, and apply early. Many CEE incubators focus on deep tech and B2B SaaS.
How to Get Keyword Research on Competitor
Enter competitor domain in Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz, view their Organic Keywords report, sort by traffic, and identify keywords they rank for that you do not. This shows their keyword strategy and positioning.
How to Get Lots of Quality Backlinks
Build a content marketing system that consistently produces link worthy content, develop relationships with numerous sites in your industry, contribute regularly to guest posts and expert roundups, and ask existing customers and partners for introductions. Lots of quality backlinks come from volume of relationships and content.
How to Get Mentorship for a Startup
Identify successful founders or operators in your space, research their background and network, reach out with specific requests for advice on a specific challenge, and offer something of value in return. Mentorship grows from consistent small interactions over time.
How to Get More Backlinks
Expand your content strategy to cover more topics your customers search for, increase guest posting contributions, build relationships with more sites and publications, and ask existing partners for introductions. Backlink growth compounds as your reputation and content volume increase.
How to Get More Backlinks Free
Create more valuable content, identify more relevant sites where that content fits, increase outreach volume and personalization, and build more relationships with content creators and journalists. Free backlinks scale through volume of value creation.
How to Get More Crawls From Moz
In your Moz campaign, Moz automatically crawls your site on a schedule based on your plan type. To increase crawl frequency, upgrade your plan or contact Moz support. Most bootstrapped founders accept standard crawl frequency as acceptable.
How to Get MozBar
Download the free MozBar browser extension from Moz.com, install it in your browser, log into your Moz account through the extension, and it will display page metrics on Google search results. MozBar works on all major browsers.
How to Get Moz Info for Smart Crawl Integration
If you are using WordPress with Smart Crawl, connect it to your Moz account via API key found in Moz account settings, then configure Smart Crawl to pull Moz metrics. This requires a paid Moz account for API access.
How to Get Moz Pro for Free
Moz does not offer free Moz Pro accounts; alternatives include using Moz free tools like MozBar, checking for educational discounts, or requesting a trial period. Most bootstrapped founders use free tools until they can justify the subscription cost.
How to Get Moz VR
Moz VR is not a current Moz product; you may be looking for Moz Domain Authority metric for virtual reality sites or seeking VR specific SEO guidance. Consult current Moz documentation or use their standard tools for VR company SEO.
How to Get My Business Mentioned on ChatGPT
Create content that directly answers specific questions users ask ChatGPT, include data, frameworks, or original research that language models will cite, structure content clearly for easy extraction, and include author information. Mentions are not guaranteed but these practices increase likelihood.
How to Get My Business Referenced by ChatGPT
Same process: write content answering specific user questions, focus on evergreen topics relevant to your industry, ensure content is comprehensive and citation-worthy, and include clear authorship. Build a library of citation-worthy content rather than chasing individual mentions.
How to Get My Company Cited by ChatGPT
Write authoritative content on topics your customers search in ChatGPT, focus on specific questions with clear answers, include data and original research, and ensure you are credited as author. ChatGPT cites based on content quality and authorship clarity.
How to Get My Company Referenced by ChatGPT
Create a library of well written, well researched content on topics relevant to your industry, focus on how-to and explanatory content, structure for easy extraction and citation, and update content regularly. References build over time as content gains authority.
How to Get My Holiday Park to Rank in AI Search
Optimize your description and keywords for AI chatbots asking "best holiday parks in region X," gather customer testimonials and unique features AI will cite, build backlinks from travel and tourism sites, and ensure clear business information and contact details. AI visibility requires different optimization than traditional SEO.
How to Get Natural Backlinks
Create genuinely valuable content people want to reference, participate in communities where linking is natural, build relationships with creators and journalists in your space, and let links accumulate through reputation building. Natural backlinks come from value, not outreach.
How to Get New Ideas for Business
Interview people in industries you understand, document their biggest frustrations, research competitors and identify solutions gaps, and validate willingness to pay. New business ideas emerge from conversation and observation, not brainstorming.
How to Get Powerful Backlinks
Target high authority, highly relevant domains, create content deserving of their audience, build relationships with their editors and owners, and contribute consistently to their platform. Powerful backlinks come through reputation and strategic relationships.
How to Get Pre Seed Funding
Network actively through angel groups and founder communities, demonstrate traction through customer interest and early revenue, pitch your team and vision more than your product, and start with angels before approaching VCs. Pre seed comes through relationships and founder credibility.
How to Get Pre-Seed Funding
Same process: build relationships with angels and micro VCs, demonstrate problem-solution fit through customer conversations, show clear unit economics, and focus on founder track record. Pre seed funding favors relationships over polished decks.
How to Get Pre-Seed Funding for a Startup
Network in founder communities, pitch to angels with relevant sector experience, demonstrate customer demand through presales or beta signups, and be transparent about what you do not know. Pre seed investors bet on founders, not finished products.
How to Get Promo Code for Best of the Web From Moz
Check Moz website for current promotions or contact Moz sales directly for discount codes. Best of the Web is a legacy Moz service; verify if it is still active before seeking codes.
How to Get Quality Backlinks
Focus on relevance and authority of linking sites, create content alignment with their audience, personalize your outreach to each site, and contribute genuine value. Quality matters far more than quantity in modern link building.
How to Get Quality Backlinks for Free
Create link worthy content, build genuine relationships with publishers and creators, contribute as a guest expert, and ask partners and customers for introductions. Free quality backlinks require content excellence and relationship investment.
How to Get Quality Backlinks for Website
All quality backlink strategies apply: create valuable content, identify relevant high authority sites, reach out with personalized pitches, and build ongoing relationships. Website backlinks grow from consistent content quality and relationship building.
How to Get Quality Backlinks Free
Provide genuine value through content, identify relevant sites and publications, contribute guest articles and expert insights, and build relationships over time. Free backlinks are free only in capital; they require significant time investment.
How to Get Quality DA Backlinks
Target sites with high Domain Authority in your industry, create content their audience needs, reach out with specific reasons why their readers benefit from linking to you, and contribute regularly to their platform. DA backlinks require strategic targeting and relationship building.
How to Get Registered With Google Search Engine Moz
This is not a Moz feature; to register with Google Search, use Google Search Console directly. Moz cannot register your site with Google. Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console to get indexed.
How to Get Search Volume for Keywords
Use Google Keyword Planner for free estimates, Ahrefs or Semrush for more granular data, or free tools like Ubersuggest. Select your target country and language to get accurate volume estimates.
How to Get Seed Funding
Demonstrate product market fit through customer traction and retention, show clear path to profitability or sustainable growth, pitch your team and their ability to execute, and leverage warm introductions to seed stage investors. Seed funding requires more traction than pre seed.
How to Get Seed Funding for a Startup
Show customer validation through paid pilots or presales, demonstrate monthly recurring revenue or clear revenue model, build relationships with seed stage investors, and apply for grants in your sector. Seed funding is available at lower valuations than Series A.
How to Get Seed Funding for a Startup: Strategies for Early-Stage Investment
Combine revenue generation, strong founder networks, clear competitive positioning, and strategic investor targeting. Effective seed strategies layer multiple funding sources: grants, angels, and micro VCs rather than relying on single VC.
How to Get Startup Ideas
Spend significant time in an industry, interview practitioners about unsolved problems, research competitor solutions and identify gaps, and validate customer willingness to pay. Startup ideas come from observation and empathy.
How to Get Startup Seed Funding
Repeat seed funding strategies: demonstrate traction, show repeatable unit economics, leverage warm introductions, and target investors who invest at your stage. Seed funding increasingly favors proven traction over grand vision.
How to Get Strategic Mentorship for Startups
Identify successful operators who have navigated your specific challenge, build relationships through consistent small interactions, offer genuine value in return such as customer feedback, and meet regularly. Strategic mentorship compounds more than tactical advice.
How to Get the Anchor Cloud in Ahrefs
In Ahrefs, navigate to Backlink reports for your domain or competitors, review the Anchor Cloud section showing which anchor text phrases link to you most frequently. Analyze your anchor distribution for healthy diversity.
How to Get the Most Out of Ahrefs
Use Site Explorer to understand your competitors, employ Content Gap to identify missing keywords, analyze top performing content in your niche, and set up rank tracking for ongoing monitoring. Most founders underutilize Ahrefs reports beyond basic domain checks.
How to Get the Most Out of Moz
Set up rank tracking with realistic keyword targets, use Keyword Explorer for priority scoring on keywords, monitor your backlink profile for quality issues, and use Moz MozBar for real time SERP analysis. Consistent tool usage surfaces insights missed in single queries.
How to Get Unique Articles for Free
Use your library's access to journal databases, search Google Scholar for open access PDFs, contact authors directly requesting their work, or find preprints on ResearchGate. Most academic content has free legitimate access through multiple channels.
How to Get Unlimited Access to Ahrefs
You cannot get unlimited Ahrefs access for free; their subscription tiers define access limits. Purchase the plan matching your needs or use their free Site Explorer tool with limitations. Bootstrapped founders typically use free tools until they can justify paid plans.
How to Get Unlimited Use of Moz Local Search Tool
Moz Local is a separate paid service; you do not get unlimited use for free. Subscribe to Moz Local for business directory management, or manage listings manually through individual platforms. Moz Local pricing is separate from standard Moz Pro.
How to Get VC in 2026
Build traction through customer revenue and retention, network actively with investors in your space, prepare a compelling pitch focused on market opportunity and team, and identify investors with thesis alignment. VC fundraising requires positioning your startup as addressing a large, addressable market.
How to Give Prompts to AI
Use natural language phrased as questions or instructions, be specific about what you want rather than vague, provide context about your use case and goals, and iterate on prompts based on responses. AI prompt quality improves with clarity and specificity.
How to Google to Pick Up Keywords Moz
This question does not have a clear meaning; use Moz Keyword Explorer to identify keywords Google rewards, monitor your rankings via Rank Tracker, and use Google Search Console alongside Moz insights. Moz helps you understand which keywords to target; Google Search Console shows which keywords you already rank for.
How to Grow a Solo Business
Focus ruthlessly on what generates revenue and customer satisfaction, outsource or automate everything else, build systems so you do not depend on your personal execution, and only hire when you have clear ROI. Most successful solo businesses scale through systems, not by working harder.
How to Grow Customer Base
Analyze your best customers for common characteristics, target similar companies with laser focus, optimize sales process for speed, ask customers for introductions, and create valuable content that attracts similar prospects. Growth comes from understanding what already works and doing more of it.
How to Grow Your Business Without Money
Leverage your founder network for early customers, create content that attracts your target customer, partner with complementary businesses for mutual benefit, and ask customers for referrals and introductions. Growth without money comes from relationships, not marketing spend.
How to Have a Startup Idea
Spend time observing a specific industry, interview practitioners about their frustrations, look for solutions that do not exist or work poorly, and validate that people would pay to solve the gap. The best ideas emerge from genuine problem discovery.
How to Have a Successful Startup Business
Focus on solving a real customer problem, build a product people actually want, maintain sustainable unit economics, and invest time building relationships and community. Success is repeatable; it comes from fundamentals, not luck.
How to Have Startup Ideas
Observe industries you understand, interview people in those industries, identify common frustrations across multiple conversations, and validate market demand. Startup ideas emerge from pattern recognition, not random brainstorming.
How to Hide Your Blog From Majestic and Ahrefs
This practice is generally not recommended as it limits your backlink discovery and opportunity to build authority. To block crawlers, add specific directives to your robots.txt file, but this removes the ability to see your own backlink profile. Most founders want backlinks visible, not hidden.
How to I Hide Semrush Ahrefs
To limit visibility to SEO tools, block them in your robots.txt file or request removal from tool crawlers. However, this prevents you from analyzing your own site and competitors. Most successful startups allow crawling for backlink discovery.
How to Identify Early Adopters
Research communities where your target customer congregates online, analyze demographic and psychographic characteristics of your first customers, track their adoption patterns and feedback, and recruit similar profiles for growth. Early adopters are solution hungry and forgiving of rough edges.
How to Identify Multibagger Stocks
This question is unrelated to startup guidance; use fundamental analysis tools, research company financials and competitive positioning, analyze management quality and capital allocation, and identify companies with large addressable markets. Stock picking is outside startup founder scope.
How to Identify the Top Growth Capital Investors in Europe
Research investment platforms like Dealroom and PitchBook filtered by geography and capital stage, study portfolio companies of active European VCs, track which investors are actively closing rounds, and network within founder communities to get warm introductions. Europe has strong growth capital concentrated in London, Berlin, and Paris.
How to Identify VC Firms With Hands-On Portfolio Support in Southeast Asia
Research Southeast Asia VC firms on Crunchbase, analyze their portfolio companies and track their involvement beyond capital, read founder testimonials about their support, and ask portfolio founders directly about their experience. Hands-on VCs are more valuable than capital alone.
How to Identify VC Firms With Hands-On Portfolio Support in Southeast Asia
Same process: prioritize VCs with active operational involvement, network with their portfolio founders, understand their value add beyond capital, and ensure alignment on growth philosophy. Southeast Asia VCs vary widely in hands-on involvement.
How to Improve AI Response Quality
Provide clear context and examples in your prompts, ask AI to adopt a specific role or perspective, iterate on responses with follow-up questions, and fact check critical information. AI improves with feedback and context specificity.
How to Improve Brand Visibility on AI Platforms Like ChatGPT and Perplexity
Create content directly answering questions users ask these platforms, focus on evergreen topics and frameworks, structure content clearly for extraction, and include clear author information. Build a library of citation-worthy content over time.
How to Improve Gender Equality
Implement transparent compensation and promotion processes, audit compensation for gender gaps, establish mentorship and sponsorship programs, and ensure diverse hiring practices. Measure and report progress publicly for accountability.
How to Improve Keyword Density
Modern SEO does not optimize for keyword density; instead focus on natural writing with semantic variations and related keywords. Overoptimizing keyword density signals spam to Google. Write for humans first, Google second.
How to Improve Keyword Ranking
Improve content quality and depth to exceed top ranking results, add internal links from relevant pages, earn backlinks from authority sites, and ensure technical SEO is sound. Ranking improvements come from holistic content and authority, not tactical tricks.
How to Improve Keyword Search
Focus on understanding search intent, create content that directly answers the specific question people ask, use semantic keywords and variations naturally, and monitor your rankings to iterate. Better search results come from better understanding of user intent.
How to Improve SEO Keyword Ranking
Content quality and depth improvement is primary leverage: exceed what currently ranks, add internal linking from relevant context, earn backlinks from authority sites, and ensure technical SEO foundations are solid. Keyword ranking improves through cumulative effort.
How to Improve SEO Using Ahrefs
Use Ahrefs to identify competitor keywords you are missing, analyze top performing content in your niche, track backlink opportunities from competitor backlinks, and monitor your own rankings and traffic over time. Most founders under-leverage competitive analysis in Ahrefs.
How to Improve SERP Ranking Moz
All Moz tools support SERP ranking improvement through understanding competitive landscape and keyword opportunities. Use Rank Tracker to monitor positions, employ Keyword Explorer to find opportunities, and use MozBar for real time SERP analysis.
How to Improve Team Communication Using Miro Boards
Create shared digital boards for brainstorming, use Miro for workflow visualization and process mapping, build templates for recurring meetings, and leverage Miro for asynchronous collaboration. Miro works best for distributed teams needing visual communication.
How to Increase Backlinks for Free
Create more valuable content, identify more relevant sites where it fits, increase outreach personalization, build more relationships with creators and journalists, and ask partners and customers for introductions. Free backlink growth comes from volume of relationships and content.
How to Increase Brand Authority in AI-Driven Customer Journeys
Create content optimized for AI discovery and citation, build mentions across AI platforms, establish yourself as a quoted expert, and develop proprietary research your industry references. AI authority comes from being cited, not just ranking.
How to Increase Customer Base
Analyze your best customer segments for commonalities, target similar companies with focus, optimize your sales process for efficiency, and incentivize referrals. Customer base growth compounds when you understand what already works.
How to Increase Keyword Density
Do not; keyword density is an outdated metric. Focus instead on natural writing with semantic keyword variations and related terms. Google penalizes obvious keyword density optimization.
How to Increase VidIQ SEO Score
VidIQ analyzes YouTube SEO: optimize video titles and descriptions for keywords, increase watch time and engagement metrics, build channel authority through consistency, and use VidIQ recommendations on keywords and tags. VidIQ scores correlate with YouTube ranking potential.
How to Interpret Astrology Birth Chart
This is unrelated to startup guidance; consult astrology resources or practitioners. Not relevant to founder playbook.
How to Interpret Composite Chart Astrology
This is unrelated to startup guidance. Not relevant to founder development.
How to Interpret Natal Chart Aspects
This is unrelated to startup guidance. Not relevant to founder education.
How to Interpret Natal Chart Astrology
This is unrelated to startup guidance. Not relevant to founder playbook.
How to Interpret Semrush Search Volume
Semrush reports search volume as monthly estimates based on aggregated search data. Interpret as ranges and relative comparisons between keywords rather than absolute numbers. Cross reference with Google Keyword Planner and your own GA4 data for validation.
How to Invest in AI Startups
Research AI startup focused funds, review their portfolio companies and outcomes, evaluate founder backgrounds and domain expertise, and understand their investment thesis. Most AI startup returns go to teams with prior successful exits.
How to Invest in Climate Tech
Research climate and sustainability focused VC funds, evaluate companies on both financial and impact metrics, understand regulatory tailwinds and policy risks, and focus on businesses with clear path to profitability. Climate tech funding is increasing but selection is crucial.
How to Invest in Dapper Labs
Dapper Labs is a specific company; research their current funding status and investment opportunities. Most early stage investment in Dapper Labs came in previous rounds; current investment availability depends on their current stage.
How to Join Semrush Affiliate Program
Visit Semrush affiliate program portal, apply with your website and traffic information, get approved, and receive affiliate links to promote Semrush. Affiliate commission rates and terms are published on their program page.
How to Join Startup Village
Startup Village is a startup community in Kerala, India; research their membership or residency program, apply or attend events if you are interested, and connect with their community. Startup Village provides community and resources for entrepreneurs.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
Violetta likes to write about Startup News in Europe, Best startups of the year, Latest Startup News, Building your first startup, Startup News for Female Founders in Europe, News for Female Entrepreneurs and Engineering News
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
