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Growth Audience Case Study

How Techstars Builds Thriving Startup Communities Worldwide with Letterhead

Bruce Pinchbeck
Bruce Pinchbeck

"Letterhead has been an invaluable resource for us."

- Jessica Ford, Director of Startup Digest at Techstars

 

Techstars, a global accelerator network empowering entrepreneurs, uses Startup Digest, its newsletter, to connect with aspiring founders worldwide.

The Challenge

Jessica Ford, Director of Techstars Startup Digest needed a platform that could:

  • Handle Scale and Diversity

Efficiently manage a vast network with varied content needs.

  • Empower Local Curators

Enable curators to deliver engaging, personalized content to their specific audiences.

  • Maintain Brand Consistency

Ensure a unified Techstars experience across regions.

Their previous custom-built platform struggled to keep pace with evolving technology and lacked features for effective multi-newsletter management. This hindered Techstars' ability to foster vibrant startup communities worldwide.

The Solution

After an extensive search, Techstars found Letterhead,  a comprehensive solution that addressed all their needs.

Letterhead’s robust features, including different permission levels, list segmentation, and content customization options, is empowering Startup Digest's global network of curators to create and send tailored newsletters that resonate with their local audiences.

Letterhead has transformed Techstars' community building:

  • Scalable Newsletter Management

Oversee hundreds of newsletters from a single platform.

  • Granular Permissions

Allows curators to manage their own newsletters while maintaining central control.

  • Flexible Content Creation

Personalize templates, content blocks, and designs to suit audiences.

  • Seamless Onboarding

Quickly add new curators and newsletters as the community expands.

The Outcome

Techstars has found a perfect fit in Letterhead, a platform that has met their unique needs and budget. Letterhead streamlined their newsletter operations, empowering curators to take more ownership, ultimately scaling Techstars’ global community-building efforts.

Empowered Curators, Engaged Audience

Jessica emphasized the importance of a platform that allows curators to "get someone set up and then let them run with it."

This empowered approach leads to more engaged readers and a stronger sense of community. Open rates and click-through rates have increased, validating the effectiveness of localized content.

A Thriving Global Network

Today, Startup Digest, powered by Letterhead, serves as a critical top-of-funnel tool for Techstars. It attracts entrepreneurs at all stages and guides them on the journeys. By providing a platform for personalized, valuable content sharing, Techstars has nurtured a thriving network of startup communities across the globe.

The Future

Jessica sees Startup Digest playing an even more vital role in Techstars' mission, stating, "Continuing with Letterhead and our newsletter is probably going to be the future of our company."  This highlights the platform's importance in driving community engagement and growth.

Techstars' success with Letterhead shows the power of flexible, scalable tools in enabling authentic community building on a global scale.