Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

“Hi [entrepreneur], I hope all is well. I know the firm well and I know the entrepreneur & his business well. But if that’s all that they’re after then entrepreneurs should definitely be wary of taking these calls. So I have to imagine many other entrepreneurs felt the same. They’re flattered.

Venture Capital 294

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Email Equity 294

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2021

One of the business ironies that many entrepreneurs have learned the hard way in the past is that ideas which are truly disruptive carry the highest risk of failure, take the longest to gain traction, and thus are the least likely to get external funding. Great entrepreneurs aren’t just dreamers, they are doers.

Startup 174

Startup Cloud Computing Ideas Entrepreneur 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2014

One of the business ironies that many entrepreneurs have learned the hard way in the past is that ideas which are truly disruptive carry the highest risk of failure, take the longest to gain traction, and thus are the least likely to get external funding. Great entrepreneurs aren’t just dreamers, they are doers.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Startup Cloud Computing Ideas 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million-dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy).

Startup 122

Startup Funding Organization Incubator 122

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2023

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. Successful entrepreneurs get the job done quickly, without breaking the bank. Martin Zwilling

Statistics 120

Statistics Research Report Newsletter 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2023

Entrepreneurs seem to have blinders on when looking at competitors. Where your competitor isn't really competing with your direct market, you can refer business to each other without anyone losing customers. No entrepreneur has all the insights they need, and none should be so arrogant as to assume they hold all the cards.

Startup 105

Startup Outsource Competition Entrepreneur 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. It’s what separates the true entrepreneurs from the wannabes. Are you ready to start?

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

The fact that Kara doesn’t have what my wife likes to refer jokingly as my “Y chromosome problem” is beside the fact. Venture capital is about backing the leaders of tomorrow who imagine the world as it should be and aren’t constrained by what it is today. It’s time to prepare Kara to help smash some more glass ceilings. I’m only 52!

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

InfoChachkie

MAY 22, 2012

The same should be true of an entrepreneur who is attempting to secure money from sophisticated investors. The steps outlined below represent an ideal approach to raising capital from sophisticated investors. VCs collude all the time, it is only fair that entrepreneurs compare notes every now and again as well.”. Prep Steps.

Venture Capital 236

Venture Capital Capital Research Customer 236

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2014

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market-research data. Successful entrepreneurs get the job done quickly, without breaking the bank.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Statistics Research 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. It’s what separates the true entrepreneurs from the wannabes. Are you ready to start?

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2014

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. Perhaps the greatest asset in social capital is that of benevolence. In today’s social networks, the social economy is defined by how people earn and spend social capital.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Social Media Technical Review Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2013

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Funding Incubator Startup 102

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. It’s what separates the true entrepreneurs from the wannabes. Are you ready to start?

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

Make sure that every interaction with every customer is positive, the service delivered is exemplary, and always follow-up for reference and repeat business. The investor perspective is that no manufacturing or inventory implies a minimal need for capital up front. You are the ultimate critical success factor for your business.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

socalTECH

APRIL 4, 2014

However, in a bid to rejuvenate and re-energize the industry, a new effort-- Swarm --has just launched to bring together local software entrepreneurs, venture capital, and angel investors, in an attempt to bring new life to the region. Others involved in the effort include investor Brant Cooper, and Cooley''s Eric Otterson.

San Diego 185

San Diego Software Equity Invest 185

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Reverse due diligence on the investor is a comparable process whereby the entrepreneur seeks to validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of every potential partner.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

Although many are entertaining, most fail to provide entrepreneurs with a sufficient return on their time investment. If you are a leader at a startup and you are reading a business book, you are not closing customers, raising capital, improving your product, or spending time with your loved ones. I was not disapointed.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

Make sure that every interaction with every customer is positive, the service delivered is exemplary, and always follow-up for reference and repeat business. The investor perspective is that no manufacturing or inventory implies a minimal need for capital up front. You are the ultimate critical success factor for your business.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy).

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. Successful entrepreneurs get the job done quickly, without breaking the bank. Martin Zwilling.

Marketing 157

Marketing Statistics Research Report 157

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2012

Network with other entrepreneurs. Ask the investor for “references,” meaning contacts at companies where previous investments were made. Entrepreneurs are optimists by nature, so I definitely recommend the involvement of your favorite attorney (usually the pessimist). Don’t just call, but personally visit these contacts.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Offshore Invest Social Network 96

InfoChachkie

JULY 28, 2014

The sharing economy is also proving to be a significant source of bootstrap startup capital. In the past, a struggling entrepreneur''s options for paying the bills were limited. Entrepreneurs using TaskRabbit earn an average of $60 per odd job. This trend is not only good for entrepreneurs, but for society as a whole.

Funding 223

Funding Startup Santa Barbara Entrepreneur 223

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2020

Entrepreneurs seem to have blinders on when looking at competitors. Where your competitor isn't really competing with your direct market, you can refer business to each other without anyone losing customers. No entrepreneur has all the insights they need, and none should be so arrogant as to assume they hold all the cards.

Startup 126

Startup Outsource Competition Acquisition 126

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

One of the hardest decisions entrepreneurs make when they start a company and raise outside capital is figuring out what an acceptable “burn rate” is. Usually when an investor is asking you your burn rate he or she is referring to net burn — what cash are you consuming.

Startup 212

Startup Venture Capital .Net Capital 212

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

In case you don’t know – as VCs we have have 2 sets of customers: LPs (limited partners) who invest money in our funds and entrepreneurs (who we in turn give money to and help support them in building businesses we hope will be valuable). Who else is going to tell a VC if he got a bad reference from an entrepreneur or fellow VC?

Customer 341

Customer Custom Venture Capital Software Review 341

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2023

As the business economy is rebounding from the pandemic, many entrepreneurs are thinking that life will soon get easier, and their opportunity can only grow. These elements are referred to as “barriers to exit.” Way back in 1979, Michael E. If you new vehicle costs too much, people take the bus. Bargaining power of customers.

Competition 88

Competition Startup Framework Pricing 88

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 11, 2013

Entrepreneurs spend a lot of time and effort tracking performance, measuring sales traction and predicting growth in an effort to win over outside investors. However, it is the emotional bond an entrepreneur cultivates with their potential investor that helps close a deal. The VC did not see the necessity of such a move.

Venture Capital 45

Venture Capital Capital Startup Invest 45

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2018

Wildlink is backed by Mucker Capital. Those references drive trillions of dollars of commerce. We're really latching onto the growing trend of building products that detect product references in social messaging. We automatically add tracking and point those product references to e-commerce merchants. How does this work?

San Diego 159

San Diego Social Media Commerce Snapchat 159

InfoChachkie

APRIL 28, 2011

Many entrepreneurs encounter a similar dilemma. They often identify expeditious ways to make money in the early days of their adVentures, which allow them to reduce the amount of capital they must raise from outside investors. However, in the long run, entrepreneurs always benefit from delivering Maximum Utility for a fair price.

Entrepreneur 225

Entrepreneur SaaS Pricing Cloud Computing 225

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Every business owner and entrepreneur I meet in my consulting rounds dreams of finding that “ disruptive ” innovation that will supercharge their business and move it into the ranks of business unicorns (billion-dollar valuations), such as SpaceX and Apple. Capitalize on free communal initiatives around you.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

We are often asked how companies get funded, why VCs make the decisions we make and what we’re looking for in entrepreneurs. At Upfront we’re totally fine funding entrepreneurs who have done multiple businesses in the past – in fact we like it. But I’m guessing the narrative is similar elsewhere. And Seriously.

Funding 373

Funding Technical Review Startup Screening 373

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2011

The caveat is that these young entrepreneurs have to drop out of college to do it. Thiel is providing his mentees with capital to make their startups a reality. When you don't accept capital from someone else, you aren't beholden to anyone else's input. Your mortgage and grocery bill depend on it. You can keep overhead low.

Startup 92

Startup Capital Blogging Ideas 92

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2022

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. Perhaps the greatest asset in social capital is that of benevolence. In today’s social networks, the social economy is defined by how people earn and spend social capital.

Customer 122

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 122

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 11, 2013

Entrepreneurs spend a lot of time and effort tracking performance, measuring sales traction and predicting growth in an effort to win over outside investors. However, it is the emotional bond an entrepreneur cultivates with their potential investor that helps close a deal. The VC did not see the necessity of such a move.

Venture Capital 40

Venture Capital Capital Startup Invest 40

InfoChachkie

MAY 7, 2012

Although it is tempting to overly intellectualize modern-day venture capital, its underlying construct has been part of human society for thousands of years. Skilled entrepreneurs bring ideas and money together by building a bridge of trust. Confirmation from people whom the entrepreneur did not cite as a reference is vital.

Ideas 251

Ideas Venture Capital Education Entrepreneur 251

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. For example, I often hear from aspiring entrepreneurs that “I had that idea first, and he stole it, and is now making money on my idea.” Build positive psychological capital to sustain your business.

Coach 70

Coach Satisfaction Ideas Entrepreneur 70