InfoChachkie

MAY 26, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Should millennial entrepreneurs go to college? If you believe the mythology surrounding the handful of entrepreneurs who did not obtain a degree, you may think that the path to entrepreneurial success is enhanced by avoiding college. In sports, outliers generate headlines.

Entrepreneur 150

Entrepreneur Case Study Education Seed Funding 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 26, 2013

Understanding “The Funding Angle” I sit at enough board meetings to hear conflicting advice given to entrepreneurs about how to handle PR and announcements at startups. Is Funding a Worthy Announcement? There are reasons you may delay funding announcement but rarely reasons not to announce.

Startup 355

Startup Funding News Press 355

InfoChachkie

JULY 28, 2014

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. In the past, a struggling entrepreneur''s options for paying the bills were limited. Part time jobs typically generated minimal income while requiring the entrepreneur be at a specific place at a specific time, thus restricting their ability to work on their venture.

Funding 223

Funding Startup Santa Barbara Entrepreneur 223

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. I outlined what investors expect to see in an old article “ Adding Slides Does Not Enhance Your Investor Pitch. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers.

Slides 147

Slides Funding Technical Review Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking. A positive personal brand will give your product instant credibility.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. Professional investors do not fund great ideas. Instead, they fund proven businesses. Thus, it is incumbent on entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into viable businesses before seeking venture funding. Entrepreneurs Are Never Stuck. I’m stuck.”.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Ideas Seed Funding Capital 100

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 25, 2013

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Adeo Ressi is a serial entrepreneur turned investor and entrepreneur advocate. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! I began by asking Adeo about the inspiration for The Funded. like your firm.

Entrepreneur 232

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Technical Review 232

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. One of the most important aims of a fund-raising process is to keep similar firms at the same stage of your process. Why 8–10 and not just 3–4?

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. MBA’s are an easy target for entrepreneurs’ scorn. I too have taken shots at MBA’s, describing why they are not typically well suited for startup life in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs. Situationally, MBA’s Can Be Effective Entrepreneurs. “When M.B.A.’s

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Allegis Startup Competition 113

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 27, 2014

A version of this article previously appeared in The Wall Street Journal. Entrepreneurs typically embrace celebrity investments, while most sophisticated investors prefer to avoid famous entertainment or sports personalities on the cap table. What’s the cause of this incongruence? Share and Enjoy.

Entrepreneur 193

Entrepreneur Technical Review Hollywood Southern California 193

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Some aspiring entrepreneurs are so desperate for funding, or naïve, that they ignore the obvious signs of scams and rip-offs on the Internet, praying for a windfall. Phantom fund investors. Work at home to fund your startup. For more details, see a whole article I wrote earlier on this subject. Ignore these.

Entrepreneur 80

Entrepreneur Technical Review Funding Email 80

InfoChachkie

JUNE 2, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Are you an entrepreneur that is thinking about dropping out of college? I even played into this mythology with a provocative article I wrote about college dropout successes. However, as made clear in Should Millennial Entrepreneurs Skip College? Are You LeBrone?

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Study Education 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

In previous articles, I have occasionally mentioned “red flags” which every potential investor unconsciously listens for. Other writers, like Guy Kawasaki, have irreverently called some of these “entrepreneur lies,” but I prefer to think of them as innocent over-enthusiasm or over-confidence that can kill your deal.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2011

This article originally ran on TechCrunch. tl;dr version: If you’re an entrepreneur or VC or will be working in this industry - buy this. – entrepreneurs never seem to focus on anything other than ownership percentage. When I first started as a startup CEO in 1999 there were no guides on raising venture capital.

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Venture Capital Entrepreneur Guide Blogging 304

InfoChachkie

MAY 6, 2013

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! I was in a board meeting recently at Connexity when Dave Gross, the company''s Co-Founder and CEO, made an insightful observation regarding the shortage of Series A funds.

Entrepreneur 246

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Technical Review Capital 246

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 384

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Even entrepreneurs that already sold on SaaS should stake note of new research from the SalientGroup : SaaS gets funded - Nearly 50% of SaaS-based startups are getting successfully funded—a rate of funding success no other sector can match. is du jour.

SaaS 100

SaaS Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction 100

InfoChachkie

JULY 16, 2012

Apologies: an incomplete draft of this article was inadvertently sent out previously via RSS. This article originally appeared on Forbes HERE. If you haven’t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! You can also check out my blog for emerging entrepreneurs HERE. Share and Enjoy.

Customer 226

Customer Custom Entrepreneur Advertising 226

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2019

Image via Flickr by ivanpw Some aspiring entrepreneurs are so desperate for funding, or naïve, that they ignore the obvious signs of scams and rip-offs on the Internet, praying for a windfall. Phantom fund investors. Work at home to fund your startup. Cash transfer assistance funding. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Funding Email Entrepreneur 91

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Phoenix communities are celebrating because JPMorgan Chase has made several local charitable investments to support underserved entrepreneurs and small businesses with the goal of creating jobs and spark a growing economy. Supporting underserved entrepreneurs and small businesses helps revitalize communities and creates jobs,” Tripp said.

Invest 70

Invest Entrepreneur News Tips 70

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Rolf Winkler wrote a piece in the WSJ about A16Z’s returns in which he says they “lag behind Sequoia, Benchmark and Founders Fund.” Scott Kupor of A16Z responded with a comprehensive overview of valuation methodology in a post that while accurate feels more targeted at sophisticated Limited Partners (LPs) who invest in funds.

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Venture Capital Invest Funding Competition 264

InfoChachkie

JULY 21, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in The Wall Street Journal. The reality television show Shark Tank makes for entertaining content but many of its underlying messages are potentially detrimental to tech entrepreneurs. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Entertainment Technical Review Ideas 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

As an advisor to young entrepreneurs, I find that many are a bit naïve about how the investment process really works. In my first working session with this entrepreneur, I suggested ways to break this request into stages or tranches, based on showing traction, with the first amount in a more affordable range of $50 thousand or less.

Tips 86

Tips Funding Startup Entrepreneur 86

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. Amount of funding provided is usually not enough. Many fail spectacularly after exceeding their funding objectives.

Funding 101

Funding Equity Entrepreneur Invest 101

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 12, 2015

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Fredi''s email is worth reading, as it reinforces how lucky American entrepreneurs truly are. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! He founded Alpha Origins in 2011. Fredi''s Plea.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Santa Barbara Venture Capital 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2014

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. For aspiring entrepreneurs, or if your last startup failed, it’s all about standing out above the crowd of others like you. Financial model.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Slides 108

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

For our Insights and Opinions section today, we have a contribution from entrepreneur Braven Greenelsh , who talks about how--if you're an entrepreneur--you have to realize that sometimes, everything is on fire, every day. Read the entire article, Everything's On Fire. And perform you must. Because the numbers are against you.

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Resource Entrepreneur Startup Funding 113

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

A version of this article previously appeared on Inc. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! Dear Friends, We have no income and no venture capital funding. Wow, we''ve heard about your newsletter, and it seems to be motivating and inspiring entrepreneurs around the country.

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 1, 2010

There has been much discussion about VCs doing seed funding in the past year. I’ve written about it myself (Is VC Seed Funding Dead?) and (Is There Really a Signaling Problem with VC Seed Funding?). Many firms do it in a way that can be more detrimental to entrepreneurs. Short summary of my posts: 1.

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Seed Funding Funding Venture Capital GRP Partners 298

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

Yesterday I saw a Tweet from Chris Sacca fly by that prompted me to want to write a blog post helping entrepreneurs understand why they should push back against VCs asking for “super pro-rata” rights. They might own 8% of your company after the first funding but demand up to 33-50% of your next round of financing.

Entrepreneur 310

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Writing Invest 310

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2013

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. Amount of funding provided is usually not enough. Investors are not prepared for the high risk of startups.

Funding 106

Funding Equity Entrepreneur Sample 106

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 29, 2011

If you haven’t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! The Three Enthralling Factors Of Venture Funding. Naval Ravikant, Co-Founder of AngelList and Venture Hacks, details a variety of factors that influence your chances of raising venture funding in this informative interview.

Venture Capital 233

Venture Capital Capital Funding Technical Review 233

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Having a great idea in the wrong place won’t get you the funding you need, the experienced domain experts you want, or the pilot market results you need for survival.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2013

On a regular basis, I am approached by entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like a recent BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this NY Times article. You need funding, and plan to get it from friends and family.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Technical Review Writing Slides 100