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Show757.vc

I've been part of Virginia's startup ecosystem for 7 years, including time in Startup Studios alongside the first three generations of 757 Collab's management and applying to VIPC | Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation's grant program. That experience shaped everything I think about entrepreneurship in this state. The community here is amazing. Genuinely inspiring people building real things. During that time, I got to see the decision-making process for selecting startups from the inside and outside. I watched pitch sessions, pitched myself, sat in on reviews, hung around the conversations that happened after. What I kept seeing was the same pattern: talented founders building real solutions, getting passed over because the numbers didn't match some template. I've been on the receiving end too. Sometimes it felt more like a human factor than actual feedback. So I decided to do something about it. I built 757.vc, a local Product Hunt for Virginia. A place where startups can be seen by investors, partners, and the broader community without waiting for a single gatekeeper to say yes. Here's what's live right now: For Startups: Community-driven startup directory. Submit your company and get discovered by investors, partners, and the ecosystem Community voting. Real people upvote the startups they believe in AI-powered founder tips to sharpen your story and positioning Already listed? Claim your startup, add details, and make it yours Leaderboard rankings so the best startups rise to the top For Investors: A deal flow board to track startups through your pipeline AI-powered due diligence briefs with instant analysis on market positioning, team strength, and investment potential Intake forms to collect startup submissions and funnel them into your deal flow Warm intros to founders through the platform Calendar integration so founders can book time directly from your profile For the Community: Scout startups you discover in the Virginia ecosystem, even if you're not the founder. They can claim it later Curated collections to explore startups by theme Browse by Virginia region or industry topic Discussions space to exchange ideas, share feedback, and help each other Public profiles showcasing your startups, scouts, and activity Weekly newsletter digest with top Virginia startups This is a community project. I don't want funding. I don't want equity. I just want Virginia's startups to prosper, not struggle. I've been through the rejections. I know what it feels like when the door closes and the feedback doesn't match the effort. Let's make sure talent doesn't go unnoticed here. Heads up: I just launched this and I'm still actively working on it. If you run into anything broken, please let me know through the feedback form on the site. 757.vc is live. Let's build this together. P.S. Startups scouted this week: Nerdbeak, Mercurial AI, Nasoni, Coastal Resilience Solutions, FibrX, Joy of Wine Company™.

Show757.vc

Every first-time founder asks the same question: "Where do I even start?" Not because the information doesn't exist. It does. It's buried across 47 blog posts, 12 podcasts, a few outdated Reddit threads, and that one PDF someone shared in a Slack group three years ago. We got tired of watching founders piece it together from scratch. So we built Founder Skills on 757.vc - five structured learning paths that walk you from idea to launch, through fundraising, growth, operations, and the Virginia ecosystem. No fluff. No paywalls. Just the best resources we've found, organized into checklists you can work through at your own pace and actually track. Already been through the fire? Raised a round, scaled a team, survived year one? You can build your own skill path as a Mentor - and give someone else the head start you never had. → https://757.vc/skills

Show757.vc

We just shipped something we've been wanting to build for a while - a reputation system for 757.vc. The idea is simple: the people who show up and contribute to this community should get recognized for it. So now, every time you vote on a startup, write a comment, post a review, scout a company, or start a discussion - you earn reputation points. It all adds up over time. Once you hit certain milestones, you'll automatically earn badges. Things like "Scout" when you submit your first approved startup, "Reviewer" after writing a few reviews, or "Rising Star" when your reputation hits 50. The more you do, the better the badges get. And they show up on your profile and next to your name in comments, so people can see who's really contributing. We also added a People tab to the leaderboard. You can already see which startups are trending - now you can see which community members are most active too. Filter by week, month, or all time. One more thing - we can now give out custom badges for things that don't fit into the automatic system. Think "757 Accelerate Alum", "Serial Founder", "Virginia Tech" - stuff that tells people a bit more about who you are in this ecosystem. Check out the leaderboard and your profile to see where you stand. And if you've been lurking, this is a good reason to start participating.

Five startups building in defense, climate, healthcare, wine compliance, and AgeTech. Go check them out, upvote your favorites, and follow along as they go through the program. Let's see who comes out on top. #Coastal Resilience Solutions #FibrX #Joy of Wine Co. #Mercurial A.I. #Nasoni

Show757.vc

Two days ago I launched 757.vc, a local Product Hunt for Virginia. A place where startups can be seen by investors, partners, and the broader community without waiting for a single gatekeeper to say yes. That's the startup side. But here's what I'm really excited about, the Investor profile. I put a lot of thought into this one, and honestly, it's the kind of tool I wish investors had when startups were trying to reach them. Let me walk you through it. Your deal flow, actually organized. Startups are scouted by the community daily, and you can bring your own into the system too. A clean board that takes you from discovery to invested, and it actually makes sense. AI-powered due diligence before the first call. Market positioning, team strength, investment potential, all in an instant brief so you walk in with real perspective, not a pile of tabs. Social proof that works both ways. The companies you've backed show up on your profile and as "Backed By" badges on their startup pages. Your portfolio, front and center. Startups come to you. If you've ever had to set up a form to collect startup submissions through some cluttered Airtable or random third-party tool, you know the frustration. That's exactly why I built embeddable intake forms. You customize the questions, drop them on your website, newsletter, or event page, and everything flows straight into your deal flow. No more jumping between platforms. Real community signal. Star ratings, reviews, upvotes from people actually in the Virginia ecosystem. You know what the community thinks before you dig in. And you stay in the loop, notifications when you're mentioned, when startups you're tracking get reviewed, when founders respond. I'm building the investor experience I wished existed. Purpose-built for Virginia's startup ecosystem. Check it out → https://757.vc

Show757.vc

Yesterday I launched 757.vc - a local Product Hunt for Virginia. A place where startups can be seen by investors, partners, and the broader community without waiting for a single gatekeeper to say yes. So what happened in 48 hours? We got 17 new startups on board. Most joined organically, a few I scouted during the launch push. Welcome to the directory: DreamerMade - AI + human-powered startup roadmaps AdvisorFinder - find and connect with financial advisors Knobbles- AI-powered hardware for memorable experiences Nerdbeak - multi-vertical OS for collectibles marketplaces @coldcase - collaborative cold case investigation platform CXperks - by Scott Janney Nasoni — building the GPS for human [health/wellness] Some I’ve scouted, but still need to complete onboarding for reelist, Coastal Resilience Solutions, FibrX, Joy of Wine Company™. If you see this, feel free to go ahead and claim your page! Welcome in. Excited to watch each of you grow. What the feedback led to The community feedback was surprisingly actionable. In these 48 hours, I shipped major improvements: -Discussions & @mentions - a real place to talk, tag people, and exchange ideas Founder tools - team member linking, multi-founder support, startup claiming Scouting system - anyone can submit a startup they discover and get credit as a scout Investor features - embeddable intake forms and polished deal flow Mobile experience - completely reworked for phones Rich text editor - bold, images, links right in your comments All driven by your feedback. Keep it coming. You can see more in our changelog here: https://757.vc/changelog What's Next If you're reading this - go claim your startup on 757.vc. You're missing a chance to be part of Virginia's growing startup ecosystem from day one. If you know a great startup in Virginia, scout it. It literally takes 2 minutes to submit. Thanks again. I'll keep you posted on the progress.