About this Event
You got here on the skills you already had. Building, selling, whatever you happen to be good at. That is what got the thing off the ground.
Then the business starts asking for skills nobody taught you. Not the parts that made the company exist. The parts that keep it running.
You don't have to do all of it yourself. You have a network, you can hire fractional, the tools are actually good now. But you can't direct what you don't understand. That is where founders get hurt.
This Ugly Talk names the gaps - sales and marketing, money, people, process - and how founders who collected those skills the hard way actually did it.
🎯 Why you should be in this room.
- Hear which operator skills founders wish they had picked up sooner.
- Learn how much you need to know about a function to hire for it and direct it.
- Get the tells that a part of your business is running on hope.
- Find out what people got wrong first, and what it cost them.
- Leave with a short list of what to learn next and what to hand off.
💬 What's on the table.
- Collecting the skills: how the jobs you already did quietly trained you, and where they left holes.
- Sales and marketing: what a founder still has to own after hiring help.
- Money: the numbers to watch weekly, and the shortcuts that get expensive.
- People: the first few hires, and what a bad one actually costs.
- Directing help: network, fractional, AI - how much you have to understand to use any of it well.
🤝 Who's hosting it.
Phil Slabine - Founder, Not Dorks Accounting & Finance
Phil Slabine is co-founder of Not Dorks Accounting & Finance, a managed service firm providing early-stage and growth companies with the support they need. He spent 15 years in corporate accounting, most recently as corporate controller at a fast-growing robotics company, before leaving to build his own business. He spends most of his time on the unglamorous parts of building a business — cash runway, pricing, and the plumbing of your financial model — and thinks that since founders have to do accounting anyway, they might as well get amazing value out of it. Based in Boston.
🙋 Who's getting in.
- Boston founders past the idea stage, with real money on the line.
- First-time founders suddenly running functions they have never run.
- Operators who inherited sales, finance, or people because somebody had to.
- Anyone who has said "I'll figure that part out later," and later showed up.
⭐ About Ugly Talk
Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough "aha!" moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.
With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we've built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.
Official Website: UglyTalk.com
📢 Important Notice for Ugly Talk Attendees
Admission & Confirmation
Attendance is by approval only. Approved guests will receive a confirmation email along with a calendar invite. Invitations are non-transferable. Additional event details will be shared as the event approaches.
Code of Conduct
By attending, you agree to:
- Maintain respect and professionalism, adhering to all venue rules, policies, and applicable laws.
- Refrain from harassment, discrimination, unwelcome sexual advances (verbal or physical), intimidation, or inappropriate photography/recording.
- Report any violations to the event hosts immediately.
Violations may result in immediate removal from the event and exclusion from future invitations.
Liability & Risk
Participation is voluntary and at your own risk. The event organizers, hosts, sponsors, and venue are not liable for personal injury, lost or stolen belongings, or any other damages incurred during the event.
Media Consent
By attending, you grant the event organizers and affiliated entities the right to capture, use, and distribute photos, videos, and audio recordings of you for promotional, marketing, and other lawful purposes, including digital and print media, advertising, and social media. You waive any right to inspect or approve the final materials and release all claims related to their use.
Communications
By registering, you agree to receive marketing and promotional communications from Ugly Talk and its co-hosts, partners, and sponsors. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Agreement
If you do not agree to this Code of Conduct, please refrain from attending the event.
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Event venue & nearby stays
TBA, TBA, Boston, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.