Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

Bootstrapping: This term describes your ability to start a business with little investment and grow it using internally generated funds. And just for measure, VC’s fund less than 2% of all deals they do investigate. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

socalTECH

AUGUST 13, 2020

Los Angeles-based Omaze , which operates an online fundraising platform for charities, has raised $30M in a Series B funding round. The funding was led by FirstMark Capital, and also included Causeway Media Partners, BDMI, Tusk Ventures, Inherent Group, Gaingels, Penni Thow's Copper and Guy Oseary. READ MORE>>.

.Net 113

.Net Los Angeles Platform Media 113

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

the most counter-intuitive fund-raising advice you’ll ever get I’m about to offer you some fund-raising advice that flies directly in the face of what most conventional wisdom will tell you. Let me start out with my premise: “Data rooms are where fund-raising processes go to die.” I mean, in a real fund-raising process?

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 20, 2018

Every entrepreneur wants to hear “yes” during the fund-raising process but I would argue that being too risk averse and not pushing hard enough and be willing to hear a “no” is what holds back many people from “yes.” I believe people generally hate making decisions and especially so when they involve commitments and risks.

Funding 189

Funding Software Review Entrepreneur Venture Capital 189

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Gross Burn vs. Net Burn. Burn rate in case you don’t know is the amount of money a company is either spending (gross) or losing (net) per month. (it Net burn is the amount of money you are losing per month. I often see companies burning $100,000 per month (net) looking to raise $6-8 million.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Today, one of the companies that is supplying produce and other items both to consumers and other services that are in turn selling food and groceries to them, is announcing a new round of funding as it gears up to take its next step, an IPO. Source tell us it is now between $400 million and $500 million.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

TechCrunch LA

JULY 24, 2019

Postmates’ cooler-inspired autonomous delivery robot, which will roll out commercially in Los Angeles later this year, will rely on lidar sensors from Ouster, a burgeoning two-year-old startup that recently raised $60 million in equity and debt funding. The contract with Postmates is its first major customer announcement.

Los Angeles 216

Los Angeles .Net Customer Custom 216

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

contributes more than $25 billion to fund 70,000 startups every year. As an active angel investor, I can tell you what doesn’t work is broadcasting your idea description to flocks of angels, hoping that one will swoop down to anoint you with funding. Look to grants and strategic partners for seed funding. Marty Zwilling

Venture Capital 106

Venture Capital Angel Seed Funding Invest 106

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 30, 2019

Nine years after launching its online magazine, and three years after diversifying into the subscription box business , FabFitFun has raised $80 million in a growth round of funding led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from its previous investors Upfront Ventures and NEA. .

Newsletter 212

Newsletter Los Angeles .Net Platform 212

Berkonomics

MARCH 30, 2012

You have enough in savings to get started, but how and where do you go to find additional funding sources? Many of those investors, individual and institutional, are still licking those wounds; and as a result, investors today want to see a working business model, and customers that are willing to spend good money for your specific solution.

Funding 192

Funding Entrepreneur Startup Invest 192

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2023

Most modern investors still look for a business model that embodies a gross margin over 50%, and a net margin in the 20% range. A healthy business, ready to scale, has been doing this for a year or more, with an existing customer set generating a non-trivial and growing revenue stream. High customer loyalty and high team passion.

Organization 94

Organization Invest Customer Custom 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Fund your startup yourself. Solicit venture capital investors.

Startup 106

Startup Capital Equity Funding 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2020

Most modern investors still look for a business model that embodies a gross margin over 50%, and a net margin in the 20% range. A healthy business, ready to scale, has been doing this for a year or more, with an existing customer set generating a non-trivial and growing revenue stream. High customer loyalty and high team passion.

Organization 173

Organization Invest Customer Custom 173

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Fund your startup yourself. Solicit venture capital investors.

Funding 107

Funding Startup Equity Examples 107

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2022

In reality, a simple Excel spreadsheet model customized around your assumptions can save you hours and avoid a wasted expense in validating alternative vendor and marketing decisions. Vendor costs are subject to change, customers are fickle, competitors come out of the woodwork and the economy can take a downturn. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 147

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

You can’t succeed in business without an operational model that delivers value to customers at a reasonable price, with an underlying cost that allows you to make a profit. A target market is the group of customers that the startup plans to attract through marketing and sales their product or service. Target market. Sales/Marketing.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2014

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Fund your startup yourself. Solicit venture capital investors.

Startup 113

Startup Entrepreneur Funding Equity 113

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

In one year of Airbnb Tracy netted more than $28,000. She focused on her customer. Tracy is knowledgeable enough to talk tech and swap design & product stories with other founders, but she realized early that networking amongst this group and reading and writing in their journals would not bring her more customers.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2020

Jeff Bezos is one of the world’s most admired entrepreneurs, primarily because of his humble style and his growth from a regular person background to a current net worth in the neighborhood of $200 billion dollars. It allows investors to come into alignment with customers. Focus relentlessly and passionately on the customer.

Slides 137

Slides Customer Custom Satisfaction 137

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 8, 2020

Today, a startup that is doing this in the specific area of distressed property is announcing a round of growth funding to ramp up its team and expand its business. The funding is being led by QED Investors; Founders Fund, Susa Ventures, Navitas Capital, and Prudence Holdings also participated. million Series A also led by QED.

Sales 282

Sales Demand San Diego Funding 282

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

Bockerstette, Main Street Venture Fund As I outlined last week, trophy angel investors are always looking for trophy entrepreneurs. The result is that the Main Street Venture Fund consistently has more money available than good opportunities for investment. Tags: entrepreneur investor angel successful funding business.

Funding 106

Funding Startup Entrepreneur Activity 106

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

El Segundo-based iChange , the online community site focused on nutrition counseling headed by Stuart MacFarlane, has raised another $500,000, as part of an ongoing $600,000 funding round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm today. Source of the new funding was not disclosed. READ MORE>>.

El Segundo 147

El Segundo CitySearch .Net Incubator 147

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

[Email readers, continue here…] Bootstrapping: This term describes your ability to start a business with little investment and grow it using internally-generated funds. And just for measure, VC’s fund less than 2% of all deals they do investigate. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

If you are living your passion, you want to interact with customers, and “touch and feel” the product every day. Under all of these, net income flows easily into your personal income. Startup funding comes from personal savings and family. Insist on being engaged at the transaction level. There is no free lunch for money.

Entrepreneur 148

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Course 148

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2020

In reality, a simple Excel spreadsheet model customized around your assumptions can save you hours and avoid a wasted expense in validating alternative vendor and marketing decisions. Vendor costs are subject to change, customers are fickle, competitors come out of the woodwork and the economy can take a downturn. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 123

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 123

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

If you are looking for funding and customers for your new business, you need to identify your “unique selling proposition” (USP) right up front, in 30 seconds or less, to differentiate yourself in today’s information overload. Investor and customer attention spans are short, and both will write you off quickly.

.Net 73

.Net Examples Customer Custom 73

TechCrunch LA

MAY 19, 2020

These are companies like the recent Y Combinator graduates Homestead and Rent the Backyard and United Dwelling, which has just raised $10 million in funding from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alpha Edison. “Garage conversions were a new concept for us,” Martin McCauley told Curbed Los Angeles.

Los Angeles 191

Los Angeles Startup Culver City .Net 191

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

To grow faster businesses need resources in today’s financial period to fund growth that may not come for 6 months to a year. You have to understand whether they’re likely to yield revenue growth in the near term OR whether you have access to cheap enough capital to fund your losses until your investments pay off.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2018

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Negotiate an advance from a strategic partner or customer. Fund your startup yourself. Solicit venture capital investors.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Funding 96

Berkonomics

APRIL 10, 2014

This type of funding is great for startup companies, refinancing existing loans, and financing for growth, mergers and acquisitions. After the orders are filled, payment is made directly to the lender by the customer, and the lender then deducts its cost and fees and remits the balance to the company. Email readers, continue here.]

Report 166

Report .Net Customer Custom 166

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Two founders have spent $200K of personal and family funds over a one year period to start the company, get a prototype site up and running, and have already generated some “buzz” in the Internet community. Early customers and contracts in progress add value. NewCo doesn’t have any of these yet.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Patents Outsource Development 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 1, 2010

Self-funding from your savings is the preferred source of cash for your startup – if you have it. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. Use this approach before you have a real valuation, a real product, or any real customers. Commit to a major customer.

Funding 59

Funding Startup Technical Review Equity 59

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2016

I even prefer to fund entrepreneurs who have experience some level of set-backs in their careers or startups because I think it brings a humility to decision-making that I find healthy. Could leaders of society try to change the culture in ways that encourage acceptance of failure? Could big business accept its own creative destruction?

Startup 261

Startup Press Blogging .Net 261

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

To grow faster businesses need resources in today to fund growth that may not come for 6 months to a year. They don’t want high burn rates but they will never fund slow growth. Do 20% of the customers make 80% of the revenue or do the top 3 customers represent 80% of the revenue. Is it one product line or multiple?

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2012

One way is getting funding from your potential customers. Wil Schroter: We're a crowd-funding platform for startups. Wil Schroter: We had been in the startup space for a long time, watching lots and lots of companies--my own included--try to get funded. We believe that there is more than one way to crowd fund a company.

Startup 223

Startup Equity Venture Capital Ideas 223

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

It should talk about how many customers you think you will acquire and how much you’ll charge for your product. Do you really want to spent $100k building a product to discover through Customer Development that the market is too small? I care about the thought that you’ve given to the customer problem.

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2010

While entrepreneurs freely throw around the term “value proposition,” they rarely offer a thoughtful explanation for the “value” their business is providing and, more importantly, an understanding of who their real customer is and what valuable benefit their customer perceives they are receiving.

Startup 95

Startup .Net Customer Custom 95