Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

So my simple advice is to start PR as early as possible (and certainly earlier than most of your investors will advise) when you have your head around your product plans and are well into execution (or ready to launch) precisely because your recruiting, seed funding and initial user base may depend on it. I raised a small seed round.

Press 319

Press Startup Writing Training 319

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2016

LPs have followed the recent press about the over-valuation and over-funding of the startup industry, and they experience these phenomena first hand. But the problem for LPs is that as VCs write bigger checks with increased frequency, these firms go “back in the market” to raise funds more quickly than in the past.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Capital Marketing Seed Funding 150

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2018

While I tell founders not to let the lemons get to them I also have to remind people that “It only takes one yes to have a successful fund-raising round!” Founders read the tech press every day filled with stories about these $20 million fund-raisings by this firm and that firm and it sounds like everybody else is doing it except for you.

Press 232

Press Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 232

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

We all know that funding markets have changed for startups. The trends are well understood: more angels, more seed funds, more crowdsourcing and so forth. We are doing what we do – writing larger checks and playing an active role at the company. What is less understood are the consequences of these changes.

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

These tensions seep out in some angels or seed funds publicly or semi-privately deriding later-stage VCs for their “bad” behavior. Or your A-round investor who wrote a $5 million for 25% of your company may not be well positioned to write another $5 million (25%) of a $20 million round.

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

We not only have our Series A funds that can write $500k?—?$15 15 million first checks but we also have three growth funds. If you invest early and then pull back in the next 3 rounds your multiples on cash invested are much higher than if you keep writing checks. VCs have different views and strategies on this.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

InfoChachkie

JUNE 9, 2015

With top-ranked accelerators Lauchpad LA closing its doors and Y Combinator rebranding itself as a seed fund, it seems fair to ask the question, “Are Accelerators Dead?”. My Forbes co-contributor Geri Stengel concurs that something is happening in the Volunteer State, writing last month about that state’s emerging women entrepreneurs.

Startup 100

Startup Class LAMP Santa Barbara 100