It’s AYZH time

AYZH is a new venture taking a for-profit approach to developing,
commercializing, and scaling low-cost, high quality products that
impoverished women want and need to help improve their standard of
living.

And we’re psyched about supporting them! Learn more about them here:
http://33needs.com/ventures/ayzh

How to get in TechCrunch

You’re a startup company. Your PR/Marketing budget? Ah, right around
$0. So how do you get in some the biggest, most widely read
publications in the world? Short answer: Send concise, personable, and
compelling emails to lots and lots of people in charge of writing the
stories.

Think to yourself: How does this story (aka, my company) relate to
their worldview? How does it connect to stories they’ve written in the
past? How does it appeal to them, on a personal level?

Here’s a sample email (see TechCrunch response beow) 33needs used to
launch in TechCrunch, Venture Beat, and others:

Hey Erick,

Big fan of your work since way back in the Business 2.0 days. Thanks
for all the great stuff throughout the years; your insights have
become required reading for me.

We were hoping you’d take a look at a social investing platform we’re
about to launch for startups with a social/environmental mission.

We act as a platform, like eBay, for the everyday person to invest,
not donate, in startups. For example, 20,000 people could invest $50
each in HalfUnited.com, one of the companies raising money with us.
You can check out a post about the concept and the company, called
33needs, in a social innovation blog: http://bit.ly/fWGZF6

It’d be great if you’d consider chatting with me about what we’re up
to. Is there any chance we could talk for a few minutes? I’d be
grateful for your time. Again, thanks for all the great content over
the years.

All the best,

Josh

“33needs’ of my dog” contest! Starting: Now.

We love dogs here at 33needs.

Almost as much (OK, maybe more) than impact investing and doing good.
In that spirit, we’re starting a new contest, called “The 33needs of
my dog.” It’s beginning 6/1 (AKA, Today!) and finishing on 6/8. We’re
asking you to send in pics or videos of your doggy doing something
ridiculous to team@33needs.com. The coolest one gets $75 to invest.

Here’s the first nomination submitted by one of us, entitled “Sticks
and Stones.” Please note the dignity Jake displays in the midst of the
anger onslaught:

http://www.youtube.com/user/joshtetrick#p/u/13/h4EpBe1g-CE