Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2012

I hear many executives and professionals in large corporations talking about their dream of jumping ship, and starting their own company. The reasons for waiting have merit, but they need to be balanced against the non-entrepreneurial habits that every professional picks up in a large corporation. Executives have perks.

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Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

We all like to think of startups as “non hierarchic&# organizations and to some extent that should be true. A good early-stage CEO needs to be accessible, to be accountable for producing results and should be establishing the cultural norms of the company through direct leadership at all levels.

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Startup CTO Coach Technical Review CTO Hire 308

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. That company was Invoca, which just announced a $20 million fund raise led by Accel. At the time I pointed out: “If I had realized exits almost certainly it would be because I invested in a company that failed.

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Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Berkonomics

APRIL 3, 2014

We’ve spoken of financing a young company through friends and family, known as “inside angels.” If you are starting a virtual company with your employees working from home locations, as many startups do, it should be the location of the founder. This class of investor typically writes checks from $50,000 to $250,000.

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Equity Startup Organization Invest 232

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Like Steve Jobs, Michael Dell and Larry Ellison, he is one of the few startup Founders who remained at the helm of their respective companies throughout their entire maturation process. Great Startup Ideas Come From Everywhere. "At One Of The Most Important Startup Skills. "The " [Tweet this quote].

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Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I started in 2007 with a thesis that my primary investment decision would be about the team (70%) and only afterward about the market opportunity (30%). I was telling him that it was much easier when I started because there were fewer deals, life was less public and somehow the world seemed to be spinning more slowly. I don’t.

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Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2017

When I hear executives and professionals in larger businesses talking about their dream of going out on their own to start a new company, I always cringe. They and I never realized how hard it is to break the big-company habits and conventions. Professionals get dependent on big company perks.

Company 58

Company Companies Startup Training 58

Berkonomics

JUNE 29, 2017

If you have been following our recent insights, you’ll be up to speed knowing that professional investors negotiate tough terms, from provisions of control over asset acquisition, eventual sale of the company, future investments, forced co-sale when others attempt to sell their shares and more.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2023

I have found that the ability to make effective decisions is a key starting point, and a tough one to learn. I always struggle with coaching along these lines, so I was pleased to see some excellent guidance on tactics in making decisions in a new book, “ The Leap To Leader ,” by Adam Bryant. People have to know what is real.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. VCs should be more of a coach than proscriptively telling you what to do. In the end it will be up to you to figure out what to do. I would call their portfolio companies and ask how helpful or not they’ve been.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2011

We’ve hung out periodically over the past few years and I have enjoyed debating many startup topics. Like many companies they experimented with many pricing models. They realized for them this was dumb because people didn’t want to use up their credits so viral adoption wasn’t happening quickly enough.

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Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2015

One of the questions we discussed is, “How much capital should a startup raise?” In his words, [in some instances] “because lots of capital is available, the company takes on the capital and that ends up resulting in no constraints on decision making and so the company decides to do five things in stead of just one.”

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). start-ups are overvalued. The only way for a company to be overvalued is if there’s someone willing to pay that price. I hustled.

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Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). I think my mentality to banker pitches was best summed up in this article about Y Combinator in which Paul Graham apparently made the following quotes.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2011

I hear many executives and professionals in large corporations talking about their dream of jumping ship, and starting their own company. The reasons for waiting have merit, but they need to be balanced against the non-entrepreneurial habits that every professional picks up in a large corporation. Executives have perks.

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Startup Training Course Entrepreneur 103

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2011

This led to an explosion in startups. Amazon in turn led to the formation of an earlier stage of venture capital now led by what I call “micro VCs&# who typically invest $250-500k in companies rather than the $5-7 million that VCs used to invest. The LP Community Hasn’t Yet Caught Up. That’s wise.

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SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

I recently got together with Aaron Shechet and an early stage startup to discuss the direction the company might want to take. I grew up in Los Angeles and went to undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 2003 with Honors in Economics. While at UC Santa Barbara, I started a café which served over 1100 dorm residents.

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socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2019

We spoke with Meredith Finn a new Partner at March Capital--who headed up that the Rise of the Female Entrepreneur sessions this year--to hear more about her perspectives on investments, what the Rise of the Female Entrepeneur was all about, March's interests in artificial intelligence and more. How did you end up joining March Capital?

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

Let me start out with my premise: “Data rooms are where fund-raising processes go to die.” I have to back up and give you more context. I’m going to start with the reasons and then explain how to use your best data to your advantage. against a broad range of similar companies.

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Berkonomics

DECEMBER 17, 2020

There is an exemption from the requirements that these investors be accredited with net worth or income minimums to qualify legally to invest in your company. If you have a virtual company with your employees working from home locations, as many startups do, it should be the location of the founder. Accelerators.

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Equity Technical Review Class Organization 156

Eric Greenspan

APRIL 11, 2019

Sharing those ideas was the goal, but the achievements came first” It starts with the idea, or the accomplishment, whether it’s the NHL or TED. As they grow up, they may choose a path. They may never step inside that blue circle on NHL ice, but they won’t give up either. I believe it is. What’s yours?

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

Having time to think about “leadership” at most startups feels like a luxury. The reality of most startups is about survival. That’s why it’s important to revisit your company’s mission from time-to-time. We try to recruit investment partners who bring startup operating experience.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2010

What they don’t realize is that the longer they wait, the more big-company habits they are acquiring, which will make their eventual decision harder and entrepreneurial efforts less and less likely to succeed. Executives in an enterprise usually don’t write their own memos, contracts, and certainly don’t schedule their own meetings.

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Entrepreneur Company Companies Training 92

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 9, 2013

These outside board members spend most of the board meeting trying to reacquaint themselves with the company’s business and critical issues. Every time I think to write a post about this I figure the most recent board meeting I’ve attended will think it’s about them so I don’t bother. Ideal Board Meeting.

Writing 337

Writing Venture Capital Help SaaS 337

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2010

Most early stage startups having monthly board meetings. And most companies don’t do enough between board meetings. For the record, this is not a secret, coded messages to companies for which I am on the board! I ran board meetings as a startup CEO for more than 8 years. Running the “Agile&# Board.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2013

I hear many executives and professionals in large corporations talking about their dream of jumping ship, and starting their own company. The reasons for waiting have merit, but they need to be balanced against the non-entrepreneurial habits that every professional picks up in a large corporation. Executives have perks.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur Startup Training Course 95

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

In fact, customers today also seem more attracted to companies with a higher purpose than profit. Before you start your business, think hard about your vision for fulfillment, and write it down. One of the keys to my own fulfillment has been coaching, mentoring, and give-back of what I have learned along the way.

Satisfaction 173

Satisfaction Mentor Coach Entrepreneur 173

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

This insight follows closely the conclusions from the previous declaration, that professional investors negotiate tough terms, from provisions of control over asset acquisition, eventual sale of the company, future investments, forced co-sale when others attempt to sell their shares and more.

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Resource Startup Invest Entrepreneur 149

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2019

Based on my own experience in business over the years, and current coaching efforts, I recommend a focus on the following strategies and attributes: Make your customer the center of everything you do. Now customers judge you by your visibility to them at public forums, your writing, videos, and what other public figures say.

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Customer Custom IBM IBM 93

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 2, 2011

Several people have been asking me to weigh in publicly on the “20 under 20″ initiative announced by Peter Thiel in which he will award up to $100,000 to 20 people under the age of 20 who agree immediately to pursue entrepreneurship (the implication of which is that they’d drop out of university to do so). Experience life.

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Education Startup Incubator Class 322

socalTECH

JUNE 13, 2011

Jonathan Lehmann: I was awarded the Larry Wolfen Entrepreneurial Spirit Award at UCLA, after getting amazing coaching from Matt Ridenour in our business plan development class. Exatly a year ago was the very beginning of KarmaGoat, where I was trying to come up with something that would work as a marketplace donating items.

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UCLA Startup Ideas Help 256

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

One example is that they introduced a program where their founders can pool together shares from their company and exchange them for a small portfolio of other First Round Capital companies. As a courtesy if you enjoyed his write-up please check out his startup company, ChannelStack. and Half.com.

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Capital Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 284

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 25, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. I write this post as a warning to pick your VC’s carefully. Keeping a blog has been great because so many entrepreneurs have written me with questions about their companies and I’ve gotten to know many of you personally through the process. Let me explain.

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Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur 297

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

I finally got around to writing it having read Fred Wilson’s post about what a CEO does. He says it basically comes down to three key functions: Sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholders. Recruits, hires, and retains the very best talent for the company.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. Nor do they exist in the investors of early-stage companies. My first startup was no different. I’ve started writing up some of those sales & marketing lessons and I plan to continue to build that section out over time.

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Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

million in a new round of financing from Peter Thiel, FF Angel , Siemer Ventures , 500 Startups , Andrej Henkler (former Bertelsmann executive), and Alexsis de Raadt-St. For years now, companies have been forced to choose between cumbersome, expensive Virtual Data Rooms and decentralized, unsecure email to manage their complex transactions.

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Technical Review Software Review Bertelsmann Technology 88

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

This is an updated post from my ongoing series on Startup Advice that I learned from founding two companies. . It is never as rewarding when you’re the coach (but coaching has many other benefits. Last year I lost a deal in a company that I wanted to invest in and that I thought I should have won.

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Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 328