Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

They actually lost about $175 million in cash in that quarter, FWIW. I know this seems obvious but I promise you that even smart people forget this when talking about profitability. They raised $5 million in venture capital to fund growth. They hired a marketing team to promote their products more broadly.

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 12, 2019

Working capital loans and lines of credit are needed for growth and during times of business stress. If a business were operating above breakeven and revenues and expenses steady, profits would flow to either the shareholders’ pockets or to working capital and taxes. How about existing loans outstanding? The scary exception.

Press 156

Press News Capital Email 156

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 12, 2022

providing freshly packaged salads, heat-and-eat prepared meals and vegan overnight oats, raised $7 million in funding as it goes after the $34 billion fresh prepared foods market. In January 2020, the company was in discussions with Whole Foods about launching a pilot of its meals in a few stores. Positive Food Co.,

Invest 175

Invest Los Angeles Startup Funding 175

socalTECH

JUNE 17, 2021

According to the company, the new program will provide companies that have demonstrated clear market traction and provides targeted introductions to venture funds. The Alliance said the program came about, because SoCal founders continue to struggle to raise growth capital despite "a wealth of talent and potential".

Southern California 192

Southern California SoCal Venture Capital Capital 192

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2016

At the Upfront Summit in early February, we had a chance to have many off-the-record conversations with Limited Partners (LPs) who fund Venture Capital (VC) funds about their views of the market. In fact, if you add the capital flows of the past ten years, there have been just shy of $50 billion in net cash outlays.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Capital Marketing Seed Funding 150

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 8, 2022

The platform is going after marketers with a Canva-style drag-and-drop interface. It has so far raised around $9 million in funding from investors including IDG, Sequoia Capital China and, most recently, Baidu Ventures. Users will first pick from a range of templates, be it a theme for a shopping site or a trip to Japan.

Generative AI 182

Generative AI Marketing Artificial Inteligence Template 182

InfoChachkie

JUNE 30, 2014

Too bad, as they would be well served to study Dirty Franks marketing plan, which has withstood the test of time. Franks didn''t need a sign, let alone a marketing budget. Hurry Up And Stop Marketing. If you have amazing products, the marketing of those products is trivial. say) ‘We’re the market leader in blah.’

Marketing 193

Marketing Software Review Product Social Media 193

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2021

Every business I know is intimately familiar with outbound marketing, or pushing your message out to customers through email, newspaper, and television advertising. Only a few really understand the process and value of inbound marketing, for pulling customers to your brand. Pull marketing is less expensive than push marketing.

Customer 172

Customer Custom Marketing Social Media 172

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2014

It’s not hard to find people willing to write the narrative that “venture capital is not an asset class” or “venture capital has performed terribly.” I wrote about this in a blog post last year titled “ It’s Morning in VC ” but I never made the full deck available until now.

Venture Capital 362

Venture Capital Capital Startup Writing 362

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Something happened in the past 7 years in the startup and venture capital world that I hadn’t experienced since the late 90’s — we all began praying to the God of Valuation. How might our next phase of the journey seem brighter, even with more uncertain days for startups and capital markets? What happened? People were building.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

On the phone … Me: So, you raised venture capital? About $1 million. It’s simply what a market is willing to pay based on a future belief that your company will grow and non-linear rates and be worth much more in the future. I hadn’t really thought about it. People seem concerned about valuation.

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Capital Pricing Doc 417

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

If you haven’t read Adam Lashinsky’s awesome new book about Apple , you should. It takes on many of the lessons MBA programs and Corporate America have been teaching about business for the past 50+ years and questions whether lessons from Apple might be more applicable in thinking about the future. Specifically, 1.

Startup 319

Startup Sales Course Competition 319

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

Our perspectives on the topic wax and wane with market cycles. We love capital efficiency until we love land grabs until we abhor over funding until we get huge payouts and ring the bell for more funding until we attract every non-VC on the planet to invest in startups until it crashes and we start the cycle all over again none the wiser.

Funding 150

Funding Venture Capital Startup Marketing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2020

Traditional marketing may be adequate for linear growth, but it likely won’t catapult you to Amazon’s unicorn status , or make waves in the business world. For example, I usually hear about an aggressive marketing budget, with a plan to penetrate a few big retail chains, and some videos to catch your attention on YouTube.

Marketing 170

Marketing Startup Examples Customer 170

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Thus began my marketing campaign. As I like to say (and as Kara humbly hates when I do so in front of others) … she has a much better resume to a venture capital partner than I do. I have known Kara for 7 years and knew almost immediately after meeting her that I wanted to work with her one day in some capacity.

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

The sweeping infrastructure package put forward today by President Joe Biden comes with a price tag of roughly $2 trillion (and hefty tax hikes) but gives startups and the broader tech industry about $1 trillion worth of reasons to support it. What excites me about this space is that there’s so much low-hanging fruit.

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

Raising capital for a female-led startup can be very diffiult--which is what Justine Lassoff and Melinda Moore found out when they started their own company, LovingEco, in Los Angeles. Melinda Moore: If you think about it, guys have golf courses, and you have things like the PayPal Mafia, and poker games. What is TuesdayNights?

Help 224

Help Entrepreneur Capital Startup 224

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2022

Think about the questions that you are asking your advisors. I expect questions about how a business works, or what are best practices, but I really can’t help you with removing doubts on your abilities, or providing a sure-fire idea and formula for success in business. Build positive psychological capital to sustain your business.

Capital 114

Capital Coach Satisfaction Ideas 114

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2019

The summit is now associated with March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com). What's your role at March Capital? Meredith Finn: I joined March Capital at the beginning of the year. How did you end up joining March Capital? That carried through to March, where the big theme is Artificial Intelligence in the enterprise.

Capital 162

Capital Entrepreneur Invest Artificial Inteligence 162

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

With the enormous changes to our economies and financial markets?—?how 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?

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

TechCrunch LA

MAY 3, 2022

million last year, is among hair businesses aimed at women and people of color, like Rebundle , Morado and theCut , attracting venture capital dollars. The other side of the business is a new monthly subscription service for stylists that helps them market their handcrafted wigs, beauty and other digital products and services.

Tool 179

Tool Customer Custom Marketing 179

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2019

This morning's interview is with Kevin O'Connor , a longtime investor and serial entrepreneur, who is now running venture capital investment firm ScOp Venture Capital. Congrats on the new name for your venture capital firm. Tell us a little bit about the firm? It's always hard with venture capital.

Venture Capital 145

Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 18, 2022

and Europe, today announced that it has raised $65 million, with $50 million of those as a Series B funding round co-led by Albacore Capital Group and $15 million in convertible notes. Expa and Keyframe Capital, as well as new investor Capital One Ventures also participated in this route. In the U.S., In the U.S.,

Los Angeles 255

Los Angeles Capital Customer Custom 255

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 14, 2014

But my specific point is that while everybody is busy telling you that “kids don’t use email” or “email is dead” I have actual data from portfolio company CEO’s showing the efficacy of email as a communication and marketing channel. The key is understanding the nuance. Google knows it. I’ll wait.

Email 339

Email SaaS Venture Capital Google 339

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 7, 2020

The latest of these is Luxury Presence , which pitches digital marketing services to real estate agents and has raked in $5.4 Our 2020 goal is to build a full digital marketing solution for real estate agents looking to build successful, lead-generating digital brands,” said Malte Kramer, the company’s chief executive, in a statement.

Los Angeles 168

Los Angeles Services Angel Marketing 168

socalTECH

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Today, we have Kelly Perdew , Co-founder and General Partner of Moonshots Capital. This year ushered in the successful launch our second fund at Moonshots Capital, further validating our thesis that investing in extraordinary leadership produces exceptional companies. Are you a founder, CEO, or investor who would like to participate?

Capital 124

Capital Technical Review Truecar Southern California 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 9, 2019

There's a new opportunity in clean technology investments, according to venture capitalist Aaron Fyke , the head of a new, Pasadena-based venture capital investment fund, Thin Line Capital (www.thinlinecapital.com). Talk about the new firm and the new fund? Talk a bit about your background in this area?

Invest 113

Invest Capital Venture Capital Idealab 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2021

In today’s fast-paced world, that means recognizing early and capitalizing on the changes that are bringing many big companies to their knees, before that company is yours. The best startups also see these as opportunities for brand recognition and viral marketing, to simultaneously benefit people and boost the bottom line.

Marketing 135

Marketing Startup Entrepreneur Social Media 135

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 26, 2010

Because if you’re truly that early / novel there’s a good chance that you’re too early and will spend lots of time / money educating the market. The “competition slide&# of your investment deck is such a great opportunity to talk about how you’re positioned (premium product vs. economical product?

Venture Capital 313

Venture Capital Slides Competition Education 313

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

The following are some lessons I learned about early-stage startup marketing. Because market is such a broad topic, I’m restricting these lessons to PR marketing (as opposed SEO, SEM, product marketing, etc.). Be careful about this advice. Also be careful about VCs.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 18, 2022

Last week, we talked about layoffs and the Winklevoss rock gods. Things are happening so quickly right now that even seasoned crypto investors seem to be feeling uneasy about this one. Welcome back to Chain Reaction. This week, we’re looking at a new layer of crypto doom and gloom. crash redux. How much worse will things get?

Newsletter 278

Newsletter Platform Capital Marketing 278

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 9, 2013

The topic of the conference was “The Sharing Economy” and as I read many of the session title descriptions I realized that people would be talking more about “collaborative consumption” (think airbnb, taskrabbit, uber) than about why people are sharing more on Instragram & Snapchat. Market meet reality.

Marketing 361

Marketing Course Pricing Networking 361

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Here, we have Greg Martin, Founder and Managing Partner of Archer Venture Capital (www.archervc.com). This was a most difficult year, filled with unimaginable hardship, and the raw humanity of this year, in all its forms, is what I will remember most about 2020. We'll be posting these throughout the next two weeks.

Venture Capital 124

Venture Capital Capital Technical Review Brentwood 124

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

It was only a year ago that many in the Venture Capital industry were predicting that “winter was coming” and to be fair the author of this post was chief amongst them. Yet as we enter February 2017 the VC funding markets are booming, Snap, Inc has filed for its IPO, AppDynamics was just purchased for $3.7 Baidu alone raised $3.2

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Capital Funding Startup 150

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 26, 2016

Many first-time founders seek advice when thinking about what ideas would be great for a startup company and receive the wrong advice that you need to focus on a billion-dollar idea. Think about it: Do you think Uber knew when it started how big the potential of the business was? Facebook was just about college campuses.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Capital Ideas 150

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Every year at Upfront we try to analyze the venture markets. We try to look at the sources of capital, the valuations, exits and trends. Of course we fund companies in good markets and bad. For this year’s analysis we turned to our peers to gather their points-of-view on the state of the market.

Funding 150

Funding Venture Capital Marketing Writing 150