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How the Seed-Stage VC Trend Began, The Downsides of Unicorns & Much More

Both Sides of the Table

Let me take you back just 10 years ago to 2005 in Silicon Valley where I returned after 11 years of living in Europe. At the time almost nobody had heard of the following funds: FirstRound Capital, TrueVentures, Floodgate and SoftTech. I was out to raise my first seed money in my second startup of $500,000.

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What is the Right Burn Rate at a Startup Company?

Both Sides of the Table

Let’s set up a framework. 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. There are many times when being overly capitalized before you’re ready is a negative.

Startup 383
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Top 29 Startup Posts May 2010

SoCal CTO

Draw Your Ideas - A VC : Venture Capital and Technology , May 16, 2010 I saw Jack Dorsey give this talk at The 99% Conference last month. The Yin and Yang of Product and Engineering - A VC : Venture Capital and Technology , May 22, 2010 For a tech company, product and engineering are the heart and soul of the business. Tesla is not.

Startup 248
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The Case For & Against Cryptocurrencies (for those tired of all the noise)

Both Sides of the Table

My goal is to lay out a basic framework for anybody unsure whom to listen to as a way of helping you think about a way to orient your own views. Breakout companies become much harder and this isn’t likely to improve unless we give new companies the tools and capital they need to flourish. Without trust no currency has value.

Course 280