Part of the experience of 500 Start Ups is discovering new ideas and processes that other batchmates have blazed the trail on. And yes, after 30 years of being an entrepreneur and an investor, I still learn new stuff every day. Herewith, my list of favorite shortcuts:

1. Founder wall is a great hack for short terms memory people like me- pictures, faces and logos there on the wall just before meeting someone.
2. Open the door with lockitron. It’s just so cool to walk into the ante room, put the phone up to your head and presto, something opens.
3. The batch 10 email blaster is for founders with challenges- any challenges. And it rocks! We have solved for everything from free lance graphics to interviewing coders. (sorry-internal)
4. Ping board is an in house Messaging service that allows you to text anyone in the office or outside easily. I probably mis-use or abuse it, but it get my POC’s attention, usually.
5. Lunch and learns have covered everything from email marketing to financing rounds to acquiring users. We just used the KISS doc for our Advisor round. Timesaver! MoneySaver!
6. Conference rooms are booked on a iPad platform (name unknown).
7. Skype is used incessantly, maybe google handouts are a distant second there.
8. The bathrooms use regular toilet paper, some things are common even at 500.

And last but not least: Lunch club rains down boxes of awesomeness at noon almost everyday. Food. Eat. Back to work. RULE NUMBER ONE: TELL EVERYONE ABOUT EAT CLUB