Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

Since 2009 we’ve been in an unequivocal bull market. An impressive number of new VCs have been created – most of them with new seed funds. Growth markets have a way of fooling us all. When markets start to turn shelfware companies are the quickest to die.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2010

Last week, the University of Southern California 's Viterbi School of Engineering announced that it had established a new, business plan competition, the Maseeh Entrepreneurship Prize Competition ([link] specifically aimed at students in the engineering school. Why a business plan competition, and why in engineering school?

Competition 154

Competition Southern California Mentor USC 154

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

AOL co-founder and former chief executive officer Steve Case’s venture capital fund, Revolution , deploys capital to companies “outside of the hotbeds.” Since Revolution launched in 2005, venture capital activity in underrepresented markets has grown significantly. Revolution Ventures managing partner David Golden.

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Funding Seed Funding Activity 211

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

10 years ago we found ourselves trying to persuade LPs and VCs that it was worth spending more time getting to know the LA market and now the most common refrain that I hear from them is “there really is something going on in LA.” See in the end, in LA VC firms are far more collaborative than competitive. Don’t we know it.

Dollar Shave Club 321

Dollar Shave Club Cornerstone OnDemand Riot Games Venture Capital 321

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

With the enormous changes to our economies and financial markets?—?how how on Earth could the venture capital market stand still? One of the most common questions I’m asked by people intrigued by but also scared by venture capital and technology markets is some variant of, “Aren’t technology markets way overvalued?

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

15 years ago we were at the peak of Internet hype with the launch of many over-capitalized businesses with a market size & opportunity was limited. The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). ” Stated simply – if you seed funded Uber at $4.5m

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

After many years in business, working in large companies as well as startups, I’m no longer surprised at why mature and successful companies struggle with introducing innovative new ventures as the market and environment changes. Commit a source of internal or external seed funding.

Incubator 143

Incubator Seed Funding Metrics Customer 143

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

The VC industry grew dramatically as a result of the Internet bubble - Before the Internet bubble the people who invested in VC funds (called LPs or Limited Partners) put about $50 billion into the industry and by 2001 this had grown precipitously to around $250 billion. What accelerated this was the collapse of the public stock markets.

Venture Capital 311

Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding Rustic Canyon 311

socalTECH

MAY 7, 2009

San Diego-based Qualcomm disclosed today that it has launched a new, entrepreneurship prize which will provide $550,000 in seed funding to entrepreneurs in North America, Europe, China, and India. The company will award one semi-finalists $100,000 each in each of its four markets--North America, Europe, China, and India.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Competition San Diego Entrepreneur 100

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2009

San Diego-based Qualcomm reports today that it is extending the deadline for the firm's wireless business plan competition, its Qualcomm Ventures QPrize Business Plan Competition, to August 21st. The deadline for the business plan competition was originally today, July 31st. READ MORE>>.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Competition San Diego Venture Capital 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

If you will need to supplement your own funds and assets for your business, don’t wait for a crisis to enlist family, friends, angel investors, or start a crowdfunding campaign. Raising money is difficult, even with the best idea, so don’t assume any entitlement to loans, grants, or seed funding.

Startup 114

Startup Tips Coach Satisfaction 114

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. An incubator won’t help you if the market opportunity is small, the competitors are large, or your solution doesn’t address a real need.

Organization 92

Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. An incubator won’t help you if the market opportunity is small, the competitors are large, or your solution doesn’t address a real need.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Have you looked at competition? How well financed is the competition? What is their market traction? My advice: Do not mention the other VC firms, angels, seed funds, etc. So is the market really colluding? It’s called competition. It’s healthy competition. Have you reference them?

Pricing 292

Pricing Entrepreneur Technical Review Venture Capital 292

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

It’s why in this article I advise that people “market today not futures” because you don’t want your playbook in the hands of the competition. The other thing that tech execs often want to do is to delegate the PR to their marketing person. I raised a small seed round. I have no money?

Press 319

Press Startup Writing Training 319

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. Many VCs who do lots of seed stage deals are very supportive and active. I think they definitely qualify as a VC and not a seed fund. What exactly is seed funding anymore? They do many early-stage deals.

Seed Funding 283

Seed Funding Venture Capital Funding Software Review 283

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

As a product or service you can often trade short exclusivity periods for the retailer’s willingness to spend marketing dollars promoting your product or give you better merchandising in the physical or virtual store. It is on this last point where Amazon is best positioned to dominate markets. So Why Does This Matter?

Product 296

Product Course Customer Custom 296

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

I think this is a combination of being realists as venture capitalists that outsized returns in our funds must come from taking on bigger, more impactful projects that can move markets. Could we produce this at cost? Did anybody hold patents that would prevent us from using this technology? Would they build a world class team.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

Prorata rights are one of the most important rights of a private market technology investors and yet are seldom fully understood. These tensions seep out in some angels or seed funds publicly or semi-privately deriding later-stage VCs for their “bad” behavior. And sometimes they take part of their prorata right.

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

On the other hand, if you can qualify for membership in a top-ranked accelerator , such as 500 Startups , AngelPad or TechStars , you will get a rigorous development program, top-quality professional guidance, and some seed funding to move you ahead of the crowd. Costs, returns in equity and funding access.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

I saw that they were employing local people, providing them with a capacity to earn, but also that they needed a way to get to market. They were doing great work, but they had no e-commerce or marketing team to get them out there. That''s where we entered the scene, as a platform for that particular type of organization.

Commerce 140

Commerce Help UCLA Organization 140

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

Building a standout destination site for video gamers takes moxie in the highly competitive and lucrative on-line game industry. Jeff Solomon and Chris Olson are often the last guys to turn out the lights and the first ones in the door on any given morning. Jeff looks for these same qualities in the companies he backs.

Web Design 103

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 103

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2010

The problem with VC Seed Funding – Chris is right to raise the issue with entrepreneurs because there have been instances where large VC funds have set up seed programs where the investments have been used as “options.&# There are many problems with this. As always it comes down to competition.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Seed Funding Pricing Invest 265

socalTECH

OCTOBER 23, 2012

How long have you been looking at this market? I then went on to work for McKinsey for a couple of years, then got involved in Eric Schmidt's seed fund, Innovation Endeavors up in Palo Alto. I have been doing seed stage stuff for a while. They're pretty competitive about deals.

Funding 253

Funding Startup Invest Commerce 253

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 3, 2010

5 Lessons from 150 startup pitches - A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks , July 11, 2010 I just reviewed several hundred startup pitches for Capital Factory. The collapse of the IPO market and dysfunctional math in the venture capital community has stacked the odds against you. Here’s why. Take a look at the chart below.

Startup 217

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Software Review 217

socalTECH

MAY 17, 2018

Allen Kamrava: It's technology which is a true alternative to the insurance market, the first ever. I worked in the medical field for the Kaiser HMO, and had my own surgical practice in the uber-competitive West Los Angeles market. When you push people into that cash market, it shows a tremendous savings. What is Eusoh?

Technology 165

Technology Startup West Los Angeles Platform 165

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

by Michael Woolf that is worth any startup founder reading to get a sense of perspective on the reality warp that is startup world during a frothy market such as 1997-1999, 2005-2007 or 2012-2014. We’re going to start aggressively spend money on marketing our product. (it is also the title of a fabulous book from Internet 1.0

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. An incubator won’t help you if the market opportunity is small, the competitors are large, or your solution doesn’t address a real need.

Incubator 87

Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2016

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. An incubator won’t help you if the market opportunity is small, the competitors are large, or your solution doesn’t address a real need.

Incubator 106

Incubator Startup Help Resource 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2013

Yet 2013 is still projected by The Fiscal Times as a difficult IPO opportunity for startups, due to choppy markets, continuing fiscal uncertainty, and the Facebook fiasco. The market and venture capitalists are looking for business, but with a continuing focus on proven business models. Line up a winning team.

Venture Capital 101

Venture Capital Startup Capital Seed Funding 101

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

There are too many deals to look at, too many seed funds or angels asking you to look at deals and weekly “demo days” with manicured and monocultural presentations crafted by experienced story tellers to help even the mundane idea sound like it will. One needs to be in during bull markets and bear markets.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. An incubator won’t help you if the market opportunity is small, the competitors are large, or your solution doesn’t address a real need.

Incubator 98

Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

socalTECH

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Michael Kleist: We''re seed funded, and have already raised money from twelve investors. It''s also a dog-eat-dog world over there with the competition. We opened up an office in Shanghai, and we have marketing in Hangzhou. Tell us about your backers? Four of them are institutional, including Siemer Ventures in LA.

Southern California 170

Southern California Startup SoCal CTO Hire 170

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

Building a standout destination site for video gamers takes moxie in the highly competitive and lucrative on-line game industry. Jeff Solomon and Chris Olson are often the last guys to turn out the lights and the first ones in the door on any given morning. Jeff looks for these same qualities in the companies he backs.

Web Design 40

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 40

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 18, 2012

Competition? How unique are you from the competition? As a social platform, exploreB2B is to a small degree, in competition with other social media platforms used for business (Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora). Any funding yet? exploreB2B is a social platform for business professionals. Future plans?

Networking 71

Networking Help Social Media Platform 71

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2011

billion jump in funding over the same quarter of 2010 with a similar number of deals, so it clearly shows a trend to larger deal sizes for fewer startups. Sure, there is always some seed funding (10% of overall deal flow), but you can bet that this money goes to entrepreneurs who have been there before and won.

Venture Capital 93

Venture Capital Startup Capital Seed Funding 93

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

million and tell the entrepreneur that they can bring in angels or seed funds for the remaining investment if they want. I’ve always been a believer that new competitive dynamics are good for industries because they favor those that are most nimble in responding to the new market dynamics. If I commit to a $2.5

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356