Ahhh, the holidays: a time to spend time with loved ones, express gratitude for the bounty of the year, and excitedly plan for an even better year yet. Of course, founders are something of a special breed: “loved ones” will often mean cofounders around the dinner table, and planning for the next year will often turn into hustling on those goals in between sips of Christmas eggnog or Hanukkah latkes.
So, what if you and your team are sitting over a new UI design together pushing well into the typical holiday vacation dates, and it suddenly hits you: you totally blew it on gifts for the team this year?
Don’t worry - we’ve been there, and so have other founders in our community. We asked you for the best gifts for entrepreneurs this year, and we couldn’t be happier to get any of this stuff ourselves. No knick-knacks that will go unused, no showy but impractical big-ticket items, and not much above $200 so you can show them you care without cutting into this month’s marketing budget.
One thing before we dive in: you won’t find any funky affiliate links or the scent of dirty backroom deals in the making of this list -- every recommendation comes from our team and you guys -- so shop at will.
But we do want to add one more gift we think is cool: a ticket for your friend to the Startup Grind Global Conference, coming in February. Last year, attendees said, “the audience here genuinely seemed interested in lifting each other up,” and “[it] shook my world and re-ignited my brain cells.” Two teams that randomly met investors in the audience left with handshake offers totalling +$1 million before the event was over. We can’t make this stuff up. Want to bring your whole team? Email us and mention this post for a group deal.
Without further ado,
The Best Last Minute Gifts for Entrepreneurs under $200
For Work
Karma - The Generous WiFi Hotspot | From $99
I use my Karma multiple times a day -- not just to log into my own hotspot, but also to get those around me to join in. You see, whenever a friend logs in to use your Karma, you each get free data to surf the web on. It’s a pay-as-you-use deal, too, with no monthly rate, so technically you might never pay for data if you’re helping others get online. Coverage is strong in North America.
Seyvr - The Charging Wallet | Priced at $65 plus shipping
I loved this tagline from Seyvr: “You might run out of cash, but you’ll never run out of power.” The Norway-designed wallet is both a slim carrier for cards and cash, but also sports a 1400mAh battery pack to boost your phone battery. It suits either Apple or Android devices and is a nice find for under $100.
Coin - The All-in-One Credit Card | Price at $99 plus shipping
As something of a travel hacker, I swear by Coin: instead of juggling 6 credit and debit cards, I log all my cards into Coin, select the one I want to pay with on the device, and keep on moving. Plus, it’s a heck of a conversation piece.
Pebble Smartwatch - Smartwatch for a Week | Starts at $99
We’re Apple fans here, sure, but for a smartwatch that will last more than a day, has as vibrant an app community, and looks stylish out of the box, we’re big Pebble fans. A third of the Startup Grind office wears one, relying on the notifications and cool custom apps. Battery can last 7x or more than an Apple Watch.
Kindle Voyage - Books Quickly on the Go | $199, other models from $99
While we like all sorts of Kindles, the Voyage is built for the road. Good lighting and a slightly more rugged design make it the choice for founders on the move.
Clear Card - Make Security a Breeze | $79 for 6 months of Clear
Few things will make you feel like more of a VIP than skipping a line - especially at the airport. The Clear card lets you or your Secret Santa partner do just that, blazing through security to their flights. Especially useful for founders on the fundraising circuit, the Clear card means more time to eat, read, and work at most airports. Alternatively, look into the TSA Precheck or Global Entry, or set your friend up with a booking of an airport lounge for their departure date.
AeroPress - Great, Fast & Cheap Coffee | $35 on Amazon
The world’s favorite stimulant, coffee has been called “black gold” even before oil welling was discovered. No need for heavy macheinery here, though: the AeroPress is dead simple to use, easy to transport and clean, and works with any ground beans. Try Intelligentsia or Paradigm Coffee -- two Startup Grind favorites.
Tile - The “Stop Losing Stuff” Sticker | $25 for one, $70 for four
Attach a Tile to your keys, bike, or laptop -- and never lose it again. You can even use your Tile to find your phone by double pressing the TIle device, which is about the size of two quarters. Simple & effective. Tile is pretty cool - but I just sort of wish I built it first.
Moleskin - Notebook Gold Standard | From $9
Ok, we admit it, a few of us are part of the Moleskin cult. Sure, a notebook might be a notebook - but Moleskins are stylish, built to last, and even seem to deal ok with getting rained on (don’t try that one at home, folks). One of the coolest integrations we’ve seen is with Evernote, allowing you to scan in your notes to the app.
Smiirl - The IRL Social Counter | From $350
Ok, so this one is a bit pricier than the others, but we couldn’t resist featuring this submission: Smiirl is a live feed of lives or followers for brands and individuals, showing how many fans you have to all passer-bys. You’ve gotta see this, at least.
For Play
Roku - The People’s Media Box | Price at $89 plus shipping
Nothing like the holiday break to catch up on some documentaries -- or Game of Thrones -- right? You’ve talked about the Apple TV and Google’s new Chromecast, but Roku still won the media-box loving crowd for its moddability, relative ease of setup, and price. Link it up with your Amazon Prime account and you’ve got tens of thousands of shows and movies on demand. Lately, we’ve liked Transparent for comedy and The Man in the High Castle for drama
Fitbit - The “Just Works” Fitness Tracker | From $99
Arguably the tracker that started it all, Fitbit was the popular digital fitness device among the office. Capable of tracking sleep, steps, and now even more sophisticated biometrics, every founder should finally get the data they need to improve their health. Off to a good start -- now find a gym near you.
GoPro Session - Vloggers, Lifeloggers, and Adventurers | From $199
Whether recording your next online course, making a promo video, or hitting the waves after a long workday, the GoPro Session is reviewed as a great starter camera, shooting with high frame rates and resolution in a tiny, portable package.
Craftsquatch - Social Media Pillows | From $30
Custom made social media icon pillows, from Snapchat to Gmail, for the “social media guru” in your network. We all know one or two (dozen).
For Last Second Gifting
Shipping time? Ain’t nobody got time for that. When you’re in a time crunch, here’s what you can do right now to make someone’s year, from paying for web hosting to helping make them smarter.
Audible - Audiobooks for Everyone | $45 for 3 months
Look at the most impressive entrepreneurs, and you’ll notice they’re always doing one thing: not working, but learning. Audible is a way to conquer your morning commute or liven up a lunch break with some great titles read aloud by real professionals. I’ve been a user for over a year, and am just listening to Fooled by Randomness.
Headspace - Meditation 101 | $95 for 1 year
Being an entrepreneur is one of the most stressful experiences the modern society has to offer. Meditation is one of the most profound ways of calming one’s body, mind, and spirit since ancient society. It’s no wonder SIlicon Valley is drawn to meditation, with the promise of clarity and calm against the constant confusion of the markets. Headspace is a smart introduction for even the greatest skeptic, focusing on the utility and health benefits of meditation and introducing concepts over a 10-day habit. Probably a better way to get creative and grounded than Silicon Valley’s other “meditation” - microdosing. No recommendations from us on that front.
Fancy Hands - Your Personal Assistant | Starts at $30 for 5 tasks
All of us wish for more time. If you’re not ready to hire, Fancy Hands is your best time travel device yet. Mostly college-educated staff located in New York will take care of your research, errands, or scheduling for just a few bucks per task, and saving you dozens of hours. We’ve used them to generate sponsor leads, research regions for Startup Grind’s expansion, and order lunch. The options are endless. Want a real personal touch? Get set up on AskSunday.
Fancy Giftcard - For the Home and/or Office | Any Budget
Fancy offers apparel, decorating, equipment and memorabilia for the trendiest of startup offices -- or, you know, cramped founder apartments. We love the posters. Don’t forget Etsy, too, for craft-happy gift cards.
Soothe Gift Card - Uber for Massage | Starts at $99
Long nights in front of the computer mean achy backs. Enter Soothe, the on-demand specialty masseuse service. Need we say more? Get a gift card already, or send us one!
Web Hosting or SAAS Payments | All Budgets
So, your friend runs a Squarespace or BigCommerce site? If he or she is a big Mailchimp or Close.io user, that’d make two of us. Luckily, if you appreciate a utilitarian gift like we do, you’d simply get your friend a gift card to apply against an account charge in the future. Google your friend’s service provider with the “+ gift card” suffix, and you’ll be set to make a most valuable of presents happen.
Now, if you’re looking for gifts from your post-IPO friends, look for inspiration on the Billionaire Shop, where we recommend booking a private island or getting a ludicrously fast custom car.
What was the best gift you received this year? Let us know, and we’ll add the best to our list!
Also, stay tuned for our list of must-read books for founders, or let us know your recommendations in the comments below!