Startup Life: Unscripted #29 with Elaha Gurgani, Community, Marketing & Social Media Associate at EVP

Startup Life: Unscripted is a TNG Media newsletter, as part of The Nudge Group, where we feature candid conversations with startup operators about their career journeys and experiences. If you received this email as a forward, you can read all our past interviews and subscribe right here.

Welcome back to Startup Life: Unscripted! In this week’s edition, we're excited to introduce Elaha Gurgani, a Community, Marketing & Social Media Associate at early-stage venture capital firm, EVP. Elaha's journey has been nothing short of a global adventure, shaping her unique approach to the bustling startup scene.

From her multicultural background to her role in community building and marketing, Elaha brings a wealth of diverse experiences to the table. She talks about how her upbringing has not only made her adaptable but also resourceful – qualities that have been crucial in her successful navigation through the dynamic world of startups.

Key interview takeaways:

🌏 Global Upbringing: Elaha reflects on how her international experiences have fostered adaptability, a critical trait for thriving in startups.

🔗 Transitioning Roles: Elaha discusses her shift from working in startups to a venture capital firm, bringing her community-building expertise to a broader scale within the startup ecosystem.

🤹‍♀️ Building Community: She highlights the importance of empathy and cultural fluency in her role, essential for connecting with and growing a diverse startup community.

🛤️ Entry into Startups: Offering advice for those aspiring to join the startup world, Elaha emphasises the value of embracing one's unique experiences and learning in public as key strategies for success.

Elaha, your journey has taken you across different continents and cultures, and now you're fully immersed in the startup world. How has your upbringing shaped your approach to navigating the dynamic and fast-paced environment of startups?

Moving around a lot helped me become adaptable and handle all sorts of situations, like not knowing what's going on, making new friends, and fitting in with different cultures and people from different backgrounds. The constant moving around meant I had to start my life from scratch each time, which later transferred for me to be resourceful and adaptable working in early stage startup environments. 

While I was at Earlywork, a community-led startup, I faced a big responsibility with events. I had to manage a regular cadence of 3–4 events every other week, which included workshops, masterclasses, and in-person meetups. These events came with their own set of problems, like quickly getting venues sorted, which could impact things like food and location confirmation. 

Also, dealing with unexpected changes in the number of sign-ups, which could affect how many people attended each event. However, my upbringing had taught me to stay calm when things got tricky and come up with creative solutions to unexpected issues. 

You’ve mentioned that you bring your unique experiences and perspectives to your work. In what ways do you feel this has influenced your role in the startup ecosystem? 

My upbringing was diverse, and that's been a real game-changer for me. It has made me good at switching between different ways of communicating and understanding a broad set of individuals.

As a community builder, this skill comes in handy – big time! It helps me be empathetic and see things from other people's perspectives. When you're in a role where you deal with people, having empathy is key. You have to understand where they're coming from and bring them together on a common ground. 

You’ve been involved with Earlywork community from its early stages. Can you share some of your insights and experiences on how a community grows from zero to thousands of members? How have you applied these learnings in your current role at EVP?

It’s cliché to say, but the most important lesson I've taken from my time at Earlywork is the importance of making everyone feel like they belong. I've come to understand that a community isn't created by just one person; it's formed together with the people in that community. 

Personally connecting with community members also turns them into strong supporters of your brand. This, in turn, allows the community to naturally expand as people share positive experiences through word of mouth. By simply treating people with the right principles, you can see the brand grow. 

Transitioning from startups to a VC that focuses on B2B SaaS companies at EVP felt like staying in the same community spirit. EVP had a fantastic reputation and strong advocates in the community even before I joined the team this year. Their founder-friendly approach has been crucial to the success of the fund's B2B SaaS brand within the ANZ Founder community.

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Speaking of your role at EVP, could you share what a typical day or week looks like for you? How do you balance the different demands of a role focused on marketing and community?

My week is focused 80% on marketing (content and branding) and 20% on community (events and partnerships).

• I've set up my Kanban board on Notion to organise my top priorities each week. I then break them down into tasks and determine which days of the week I will complete each task. I also write down my to-do list by hand in my diary, allowing me to check off tasks as I complete them each day.

• I try not to schedule any calls in the morning, dedicating that time to work that demands my deep focus and creativity, such as writing long-form content for our monthly newsletter. 

• In the afternoon, my focus shifts to writing content for our short-form social media posts and providing support for our portfolio-related activities and events.

• In the evenings, I engage in calls and respond to emails to nurture relationships and partnerships within the ecosystem.

A valuable tip I follow to avoid burnout is to maintain outside hobbies like dance classes or dinner with friends. This hack helps me set hard deadlines to complete tasks and rewards myself with fun activities after work.

As someone who is dedicated to curating information and bringing people together, what strategies or tools have you found most effective when it comes to fostering a strong community in the startup ecosystem?

We live in an information age where we are drowned with over-information. Whenever somebody asks me for resources on community building, it’s been helpful to follow up with them an email curated links of reads and resources on community reads or upcoming startup events that they may find interesting. So, being the person who curates or filters through the 'noisy' information for people to learn about a topic has been a powerful skill. 

Given your pathway to the startup world was somewhat non-traditional, starting with a fellowship during university, what advice do you have for those who are looking to break into the startup world but might not have a clear starting point?

• Embrace your curiosity and joy: try out different hobbies and pay attention to what feels like fun for you but may seem like 'work' to others. As a hobby, I used to organise workshops and started a social club to bring people together during the Startmate student fellowship. Now, years later, I'm in a Community and Marketing role where I essentially get paid to do what I love!

• Learn in public: I documented my learning about no-code and workshops on my LinkedIn and Twitter. This eventually led to me being discovered by Relevance AI Founder on LinkedIn, which I then went on to join them as employee #19. 

Finally, we’d love to hear about any books, resources, or practices that have been particularly influential in your personal or professional life. Given your interest in journaling, meditation, and self-help books, are there any specific resources you'd recommend to our readers?

• Life-changing career book: Designing Your Work Life teaches you how to navigate modern workplace dilemmas and create your ideal role within your current workplace. I really wish I had read this book two years ago when I was just starting out! 

• Wellness: I pay attention to the fundamentals of my mental health like going to sleep before 10 pm, engaging in 15 minutes of daily physical activity, and quality time with friends over dinner or lunch once a week.

• Productivity Apps: These days, I use Habitify to track my morning routine and analyse patterns to see which habits correlate with my daily mood. I also use Brain.fm to select curated electronic music playlists that help me stay focused at work.

From the Startup Life team

And that's a wrap! We hope you've enjoyed this edition as much as we loved putting it together. Stay curious, keep learning, and above all, enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is Startup Life. Catch you in the next one! 👋 Not subscribed yet? Do it here and don't miss out! Subscribe Now.

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