article thumbnail

Why Has Seed Investing Declined? And What Does this Mean for the Future?

Both Sides of the Table

The reality is that as a result of two major trends the costs of starting a technology startup went down massively. Between 1999–2005 the costs went down by 90% and between 2005–2010 they went down a further 90%. million and my A Round in 2005 was only $500,000 (and that’s all I ever raised).

article thumbnail

Beware of Ballers on a Budget

Both Sides of the Table

I researched the pricing of the car at TrueCar – not because we’re an investor – but because it gives you complete price transparency over what other people in your area paid for a car. “Invoice price” is an equally meaningless marketing tool. I still drive the same car I bought for cash in 2005.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

On Bubbles … And Why We’ll Be Just Fine

Both Sides of the Table

But that doesn’t mean that people are paying rational prices as investors based on intrinsic value. Rational people can disagree and some may argue that today’s prices are rational and under-pinned by economic drivers. All of that might be true, but the 2006 price might still be over-valued. That’s fine.

Pricing 309
article thumbnail

Interview with Brett Crosby and Brew Johnson, PeerStreet

socalTECH

The easiest way to look at it, from the tech perspective, is that we are very similar to LendingClub. Brett and I sat down, and said, how can we take a tech approach and create a positive impact on the existing real estate industry, particularly in the mortgage and real estate finance industry. So, what is PeerStreet?

article thumbnail

How to Decrease the Odds That Your Startup Fails

Both Sides of the Table

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. But that’s harder to build in 2016 than it was in say 2005. No, thanks.

Startup 150
article thumbnail

What is the Right Burn Rate at a Startup Company?

Both Sides of the Table

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. You technically have more gas left but you never know if some unexpected circumstance causes you to run out of gas.

Startup 383
article thumbnail

Does the Size of a VC Fund Matter?

Both Sides of the Table

Some wait 5-7 years but usually this is because it’s proving more difficult to raise a new fund due to market conditions or the lack of returns in their current fund. Irrational prices and over investment in your competitors hurts your ability to build healthy businesses. So VCs often raise money every 3-5 years if they can.