Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

So, the question: load up with more equity and dilution? He concluded that the sweet spot for valuation was in the $20–30 million sales price range, and that many, many times more deals were completed in that range than above $100 million in valuation at exit. Or sell now?

Pricing 156

Pricing Invest Equity Entrepreneur 156

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Projecting financials is a natural extension of the homework every entrepreneur needs to do on customer opportunity size, product costs, pricing, competition and customer value. As a rule of thumb, most viable businesses need a gross margin above 50 percent, even on wholesale prices, to cover operational expenses and survive as a business.

Startup 116

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 116

socalTECH

DECEMBER 18, 2018

San Diego-based Seismic , a developer of sales and marketing software, has raised $100M more in a funding round, which values the company at $1 billion, the company said on Tuesday. Rowe Price, plus General Atlantic, JMI Equity, and Jackson Square Ventures. The funding round came from Lightspeed Venture Partners, T.

San Diego 113

San Diego Sales Equity Pricing 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Equity 94

Equity Startup Pricing Marketing 94

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

how on Earth could the venture capital market stand still? One of the most common questions I’m asked by people intrigued by but also scared by venture capital and technology markets is some variant of, “Aren’t technology markets way overvalued? With the enormous changes to our economies and financial markets?—?how Of course we can’t.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Berkonomics

MAY 12, 2010

Equity is divided between the founders and the business begun. The document should also contain clear buy-sell clauses, forcing any sale of shares to first be offered to the corporate treasury, then to the other founders in proportion to their holdings, and then if no interest, to outside investors. Email readers continue here.]

Equity 213

Equity Class Pricing Startup 213

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

The subject of raising money is critical to many businesses and a passing option to others, depending upon the capital efficiency of the enterprise. You will realize much more from the ultimate sale of your business even if at a considerably lower price than if splitting the proceeds with investors.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

socalTECH

AUGUST 24, 2009

Costa Mesa-based Semicoa Corporation , a supplier of military and high reliability components, announced Monday that it has relaunched the firm with backing from private equity firm Vance Street Capital, which is based in Los Angeles. Financial details of the private equity investment were not disclosed.

Equity 100

Equity Venture Capital Los Angeles Pricing 100

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 8, 2020

The funding is being led by QED Investors; Founders Fund, Susa Ventures, Navitas Capital, and Prudence Holdings also participated. That also speaks to the vast and interesting quantity of data that the startup is amassing on home sales, and how it can use that to power its platform in the future. million Series A also led by QED.

Sales 282

Sales Demand San Diego Funding 282

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

This time by the efforts of Adeo Ressi to introduce a new kind of structure called “ convertible equity.” My initial reaction to Adeo when we spoke was that while it may have solved some issues (debt versus equity) it didn’t solve the ones that I’ve been warning entrepreneurs about most loudly.

Startup 354

Startup Pricing Equity Venture Capital 354

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

If you don’t have a destination, don’t waste your money trying to get there, and don’t expect anyone to support you along the way Projecting financials is a natural extension of the homework every entrepreneur needs to do on customer opportunity size, product costs, pricing, competition and customer value. Forecast sales-volume expectations.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 147

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

I like the ten steps he outlines, which I characterize here as follows: Seek major capital infusion. They need a large infusion from venture capitalists, private equity, bank loans, or mezzanine financing. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Separate marketing from sales for further leverage.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2022

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Startup 137

Startup Equity Pricing Marketing 137

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

In my experience, here are some of the key elements of that “second-stage” of entrepreneurship: Move from small investors to major venture capital. Of course, that means a mindset willing to give up much more equity, and taking on a whole new level of risk. Switch your focus from product development to sales.

Startup 151

Startup Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

socalTECH

APRIL 5, 2011

Santa Monica-based TrueCar , the online car pricing site headed by Scott Painter, has scored a new, equity investment and partnership with direct marketing firm Guthy-Renker , the firm announced today. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed. READ MORE>>.

Truecar 232

Truecar Invest Edmunds Santa Monica 232

socalTECH

OCTOBER 31, 2012

The firm said it will not receive any proceeds from the sale by the selling stockholders. ServiceNow went public in June, pricing at $18.00 The firm's major stockhoders are JMI Equity (44.64% ownership) and Sequoia Capital (19.68%). per share; the firm is now trading around $30.65 per share on the NYSE as NOW.

San Diego 138

San Diego Equity Pricing Sales 138

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

I got an email recently from my friend & fellow VC, Jeff Bussgang from Flybridge Capital Partners in Boston. Jeff (also an HBS alum) co-teaches the LTV course with Professor Eisenmann about a student of theirs who had written a blog post about sales taking on some of my previous assertions.

Startup 319

Startup Sales Course Competition 319

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 28, 2010

Blippy (and their competitor Swipely – which was founded by Angus Davis , who has a great track record from both Netscape and TellMe, both aim to capitalize on the era of consumers living more openly ala Twitter, Foursquare and Gowalla. Investors: August Capital (David Hornik) (lead) with existing investors Charles River Ventures.

Venture Capital 270

Venture Capital Capital Rustic Canyon Mobile 270

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The most effective new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity. The positives are that you give up no equity, and these apply to the early startup stages, but they do take time and much effort to win. Use crowd funding.

Tips 104

Tips Startup Technical Review Equity 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2011

Plus you have to remember that these 200,000 shares could still be worth nothing in four years, depending on the “strike price” today, compared to the market price four years from now. CEO brought in to replace the founder, 5 - 10% CTO, CFO, VP of Marketing or Sales, 1.5 - 3% Chief Engineer or Architect, 1 - 1.5%

Equity 93

Equity Startup Pricing Marketing 93

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Nevertheless, it’s an option that doesn’t cost you equity. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself.

Startup 128

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 128

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2011

MarketShare is backed by private equity firm Elevation Partners. MarketShare develops software which helps companies determine the best way to manage their sales, marketing, and pricing efforts. MarketShare was unable to provide additional details on the funding. READ MORE>>.

Funding 124

Funding Equity Los Angeles Pricing 124

InfoChachkie

JULY 11, 2011

By combining our equity investment with a tranche of venture debt, the company has avoided a larger equity round, which would have significantly diluted the Founders’ ownership share. Dollar Blend – Many venture debt lenders require that their funds be accompanied by an equity investment, generally from legitimate venture capitalists.

Equity 235

Equity Startup Invest Funding 235

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

I like the ten steps he outlines, which I characterize here as follows: Seek major capital infusion. They need a large infusion from venture capitalists, private equity, bank loans, or mezzanine financing. Switch your attention from product development to sales. Separate marketing from sales for further leverage.

Startup 97

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 97

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

Often when startups who have raised venture capital need another round of financing they will turn to their existing investors to give them money before raising from outsiders. a loan) that is later converted to equity at the time of the next financing. Maybe the market views this as not worth the price you paid?

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

There are many times when being overly capitalized before you’re ready is a negative. Plus, most early-stage M&A fails so this isn’t likely a good use of capital for a young company). Availability of Capital. ” Whatever answers they have manufactured the only thing I hear is, “Because we can.”

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2010

This is part of my ongoing series on startup advice but also filed under my sales & marketing posts. The only problem is that you can’t afford all of these expensive direct sales reps to go and sell it. Sort of amortizing the costs of their sales reps over more products. You decide to go out and hire a sales rep.

Startup 293

Startup Sales Marketing Product 293

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

Features, availability, and brand are just the price of entry. Customers today quickly get beyond these, and put a competitive priority on the experience of others, reflected in reviews and social media, and their own total experience with your sales process, delivery, returns, and support on their schedule.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

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. source: Capital IQ.

Pricing 309

Pricing Marketing Startup Venture Capital 309

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2017

Boards are not appointed to be founder-friendly lapdogs for the 1–3 founders who start companies and usually own the largest equity positions in the company. The rise of crowd funding saw the first wave of founders gleeful that they could raise capital without having to deal with terrible VCs. Those seldom get reported.

Startup 217

Startup Technical Review Equity Report 217

Berkonomics

AUGUST 27, 2015

They financed their companies, to the extent possible, in a manner minimizing the cost of capital, planning for organic growth in the number of customers served and in associated revenues. The Flipper’s executives usually have significant equity holdings, either actually owned or reflected in stock options.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Equity Competition Pricing 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

Investors, on the other hand, look at the money figure, and even the equity, as the easy part. This is a loan with an option to convert to equity at a later date. For later investments, the price is equity, with a percentage of the owner stock to be assigned to the investor. Type of stock assigned to the investor.

Demand 105

Demand Startup Equity Invest 105

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 10, 2010

This episode of This Week in Venture Capital featured Michael Montgomery, president of Montgomery & Co. You have to be selected to present and it is typically reserved for companies that have already raised early-stage capital and are well into revenue growth. Should you use investment banks to raise venture capital?

Venture Capital 242

Venture Capital Mission Ventures Capital Help 242

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. Somehow many first-time founders equate “sales” with something that is beneath them. In sales there are also three rules: Qualify, qualify, qualify.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2010

This post will be perhaps a bit longer than usual, but certainly of great interest for those with interest in or have need for more capital… This stage is critical to many businesses and a passing option to others, depending upon the capital efficiency of the enterprise. For you who fit that description, nice work.

Venture Capital 174

Venture Capital Invest Class Entrepreneur 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity. The positives are that you give up no equity, and these apply to the early startup stages, but they do take time and much effort to win. Use crowd funding. Get a loan or line-of-credit.

Startup 87

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 87