Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

The dinner parties now are filled with self-righteous angel investors bragging about how many deals they are in on. Logic tells me the following: It is hard to make money angel investing. The best angels will do very well just at the best real estate investors did well in good times and bad. And now everybody is an angel.

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

As a result I didn’t write my first venture capital check until March 2009 – exactly 5 years ago. I divided success into the phases of venture capital and 18 months into writing my first check here was my view (details on each in the link above). 5 years ago. Sourcing high-quality leads : 9/10. The monkey on my back.

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 16, 2019

The organization, active in the Bay Area and New York City, is announcing new chapters in Los Angeles and Boston this week, as well as a new director of engagement, Domonique Fines, formerly of Y Combinator, and a new chief of staff, Jack Dorsey’s former chief of staff at Square, Alicia Burt. “We

Venture Capital 184

Venture Capital Ideas Los Angeles Tool 184

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

I’m over-paying for every check I write into the VC ecosystem and valuations are being pushed up to absurd levels and many of these valuations and companies won’t hold in the long term. If you’re going to play in the big leagues you need to be writing checks from a $700 million?—?$1 Are we in a bubble?” By definition?—?I’m of the fund.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

This is the third article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). But I prefer a certain naive optimism in founders but I can’t see that this extends to angel investors. Either scenario requires angel deals to be funded further. Not everybody agreed.

Invest 152

Invest Angel Venture Capital Startup 152

socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2013

Los Angeles-based Focus@will , the operator of the music streaming service aimed at helping users become more productive, said today that it has is launching its paid subscription service to consumer tomorrow. The company claims its service helps increase attention span up to 400 percent while working, studying, writing and reading.

Study 145

Study Writing Mobile Services 145

Berkonomics

MAY 22, 2014

Bill Payne has been actively involved in angel investing since 1980, funding over 50 companies and mentoring over 100 more. He is the recipient of the coveted “Hans Severiens Award form the Angel Capital Association, its highest honor. . The PPM does not meet the investing terms and conditions of the angels.

Writing 199

Writing Invest Entrepreneur Equity 199

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Startup 171

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Ideas 171

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

My favorite new VC blogger, Hunter Walk, weighed in with some thoughtful comments about how Syndicates might actually pit, “ angel vs. angel.” AngelList 101 : As you know, AngelList is a platform where angels can invest in semi-screened tech deals. Less investments, more active. But it can also be destructive.

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

Every tech or major news journal in the country is preparing to write their Snap, Inc (creators of Snapchat, Spectacles, etc) stories and many of them seem to want a “How does it feel to have missed this investment story.” Lightspeed, Benchmark, IVP, General Catalyst, SV Angel and others. Mostly kidding.

Snapchat 214

Snapchat Invest Technical Review Dollar Shave Club 214

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 70

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 70

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2013

What I love about writing is that you inadvertently say what many others are thinking and just knowing that somebody else is thinking something similar can be reassuring. Example: Fred Wilson writing his end of 2012 post wrote. “I’ve wanted to write a year end post for days. And your favorite bloggers stop writing.

Writing 313

Writing Venture Capital Blogging Startup 313

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2020

Then you don’t have to worry about the fact that most angel investors and venture capitalists won’t take a bet on you if none of your friends and family have given you a vote of confidence with money. Treat the transaction as you would expect to be treated by an angel investor or VC. Be professional about it.

Funding 123

Funding Startup Equity Venture Capital 123

Berkonomics

MARCH 13, 2014

They wanted to come to pitch to my angel network. None of the angels in my group is likely to write a check without hearing and believing a story about how something dramatic is about to happen. David Steakley, a past President of the Houston Angel Network, is a reformed management consultant. Raising money'

Invest 237

Invest Examples Networking Writing 237

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. You need it for communicating to your team, finding strategic partners, or soliciting investor funding from friends and family, angel investors, VCs, and crowd funding. Pitch your company, not your product.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 31, 2011

BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2011 comes to Los Angeles and its finally here. Tim Street – Topping Mashable’s list of Social Media VIPs in Los Angeles Tim Street is a Writer, Producer, Director, Editor, New Media Consultant and Web Video Branded Entertainment Pioneer. Jace Hall is the President and founder of HDFILMS INC.

Los Angeles 75

Los Angeles Angel Social Media Media 75

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

Earlier this week, Derek Norton , a long time advisor to the media, Internet, and technology industry in Los Angeles, announced a brand new venture capital fund called Watertower Ventures (www.watertowerventures.com). Derek Norton: We're investing in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and New York. Tell us about the new fund?

Invest 145

Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

If you’re an early investor like I am that often means writing the first $2-3 million check into a business that previously had either survived on fumes or on a $500,000 angel round. But you do need to find a way to do activities that are more scalable. You can do them all yourself, of course. But at what cost?

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2010

GRP Partners is looking to hire two analysts (maybe even three) to join our practice in Los Angeles. Plus, show my you can write! I’m already 2 weeks late in writing this blog post as my partners keep reminding me. Creative Artists Agency ( CAA ) is a prominent entertainment and sports agency headquartered in Los Angeles.

Venture Capital 290

Venture Capital Technical Review GRP Partners Email 290

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2014

People cite sources like this BusinessWeek story last year “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ,” or even my own article a while back, “ 10 Reasons Not To Write A Business Plan First.” Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Slides 108

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 31, 2011

BlogWorld and New Media Expo 2011 comes to Los Angeles and its finally here. Tim Street – Topping Mashable’s list of Social Media VIPs in Los Angeles Tim Street is a Writer, Producer, Director, Editor, New Media Consultant and Web Video Branded Entertainment Pioneer. Jace Hall is the President and founder of HDFILMS INC.

Los Angeles 49

Los Angeles Angel Social Media Media 49

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

The trends are well understood: more angels, more seed funds, more crowdsourcing and so forth. In a funding round with 1 or 2 VCs and 15-20 angels or 4-6 seed funds if you gave every investor you financial information and performance metrics your proprietary information would increase in its probability of leaking out.

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2015

People cite sources like this BusinessWeek story a while back “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ,” or even my own article on this subject, “ 10 Reasons Not To Write A Business Plan First.” Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself.

Startup 104

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Slides 104

Berkonomics

JUNE 25, 2015

David is an active angel investor in Texas and is a former management consultant, where he obviously plied his trade well. – Dave. Sometimes this is called a white label strategy, because your customers offer your product as their own product, writing in their brand name on the blank label in your underlying offering.

Outsource 120

Outsource Social Media Commerce Writing 120

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Angels have been prolific for years now and they, too, rely on downstream money to cover their bets. I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal. If an accelerator is writing you they’re also writing 25 other VCs. I don’t.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2013

As has been pointed out by Dan Primack based on FLAG Capital data, there are fewer than 100 “real and active” tech VCs in the country. If we count seed funds and large angels maybe that number goes up by 2x? But here’s the kicker. Point is – it’s a small industry. Everybody knows everybody.

Pricing 302

Pricing Seed Funding Invest Venture Capital 302

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Then you don’t have to worry about the fact that most angel investors and venture capitalists won’t take a bet on you if none of your friends and family have given you a vote of confidence with money. Treat the transaction as you would expect to be treated by an Angel investor or VC. Be professional about it.

Startup 97

Startup Equity Entrepreneur Venture Capital 97

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2010

We also discussed how to deal with pricing in angel rounds and a strategy I advocated in my “social proof&# blog post , which is to price your initial angel round really low and get in the best possible angels as a way to get momentum in the company. Angels have a much lower threshold for returns than do VCs.

Venture Capital 282

Venture Capital Capital Startup Pricing 282

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 10, 2012

It was good to see someone else who actively thinks about the world from the user’s perspective.” As a treat to Angelinos, this coming weekend October 13th and 14th, Reiss is flying to Los Angeles from Copenhagen, Denmark and will be conducting two limited seating seminars in Culver City. “Great presentation.

Culver City 105

Culver City Design Content Writing 105

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

In a collaborative effort, Ria Consulting, LLC and Los Angeles Net Developers Group are hosting this event on November 10th, 2012 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. Aaron Heckman , maintainer of Mongoose, the MongoDB object document modeler and an active member of the nodes community.

JavaScript 93

JavaScript Long Beach Java .Net 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Ability to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 110

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Our profile this morning is with Network Automation , a Los Angeles company competing in the IT automation market. It's nice chatting with you again about your company--you're here in Los Angeles, aren't you? Gary Bishop: One of the things about Los Angeles which I think is very unique, is it's been great for entrepreneurialism.

Networking 214

Networking IBM IBM Pacific Palisades 214

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2018

Then you don’t have to worry about the fact that most angel investors and venture capitalists won’t take a bet on you if none of your friends and family have given you a vote of confidence with money. Treat the transaction as you would expect to be treated by an angel investor or VC. Be professional about it.

Funding 59

Funding Startup Equity Entrepreneur 59

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2012

Los Angeles-based CreatorUp (www.creatorup.com) wants to help aspiring online video producers with an online web education series. An example is Melissa Rundle, who was been writing for the industry doing FunnyOrDie type comedies. I worked on packaging independent projects, and helped send Paranormal Activity to Paramount.

Web 187

Web Content Startup Education 187

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2014

Then you don’t have to worry about the fact that most Angel investors and venture capitalists won’t take a bet on you if none of your friends and family have given you a vote of confidence with money. Treat the transaction as you would expect to be treated by an Angel investor or VC. Be professional about it.

Funding 101

Funding Startup Equity Entrepreneur 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2016

As an Angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 63

Entrepreneur Product Startup Activity 63