Today we’d like to introduce you to Landon Howell.
Hi Landon, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
If you’re reading this, I’ve probably lived in your hometown. Born in Mississippi. Raised in Alabama. Stops along the way in Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, and Birmingham, to name a few. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve worked at high-growth, venture-backed startups. Every new role took me to a new city.
My wife and I moved to Atlanta five years ago. We love it. It’s home now, and our time here has taught us that Atlanta really does influence everything.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think anyone has a smooth road, no matter the street we grew up on. Thankfully, my parents taught me to be rationally optimistic, which is useful in life and in startups.
There’s an old saying among startup founders: “Pessimists sound smart. Optimists make money.” Entrepreneurs get rewarded for being optimistic, and Atlanta has become a magnet for optimists.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I help startups with operations, growth, and fundraising. My help comes in different forms, from leading the team as an executive, joining as an advisor, hosting classes at Atlanta Tech Village, or serving as a Techstars mentor.
Through my role in fundraising and pitch deck creation, I’ve helped 50 startups secure $255 million in total funding. This is even more fulfilling, given the fundraising headwinds of the past 18 months. Startups are tough, especially at this moment in time.
To work at a startup is to believe that you are building something that is not inevitable. This belief requires action, with hiccups and failures along the way. Even the best founders find the frequency of failure at startups uncomfortable.
Because of this, another area of my focus is helping teams develop a bias for action, which in turn enables product velocity. I love the quote from journalist Flora Rheta Schreiber: “You’re never ready for what you have to do. You just do it. That makes you ready.”
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been excited. Excited about hobbies, ideas, sports, you name it. Thankfully, my parents enabled me to lean into that excitement. One of the more important moments of my life was a weekend trip to the thrift store as a 16-year-old.
On that trip, I found an old football video game, Tecmo Bowl. I bought it for $1, took it home, cleaned it with a Q-tip, and then used my dad’s credit card (with permission, I think?) to set up an eBay seller account. Seven days later, the video game sold for $27. A 27x return in a week. I felt like I’d unlocked a cheat code to life. It was the bite that gave me the entrepreneur bug.
That summer I lived at thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales. If I wasn’t at football practice or church, I was finding, buying, cleaning, and flipping products on eBay. I’ve been chasing that high ever since. The lessons learned and skillset built directly translate into my daily work with entrepreneurs. I’m thankful that my parents enabled my excitement about such a small thing as an old video game.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://landonhowell.com
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/landohowell
- Other: https://intro.co/landonhowell
