Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In the first post in this three part series I described why I believe the VC market froze between September 2008 – April 2009. I’m not a doomsday guy, but just believe that we won’t see a V shaped recovery, which could make VC funding more difficult for tech start-ups (don’t shoot the messenger!).

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Startup Funding Technical Review 269

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review ! Last week, we talked about about the “de-stonkifying” of the market. This week, we’re looking at a wounded Facebook/Meta that finds itself backed into a corner. Image Credits: Facebook. the big thing. Meta had a bad week — like history-making rough.

Marketing 246

Marketing Newsletter Technical Review News 246

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

Today I’m handing her the largest A-round check I’ve ever written as a VC as we lead her $10 million A-Round at uBeam. As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning. We hired IP specialists to review prior art.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2013

deliver profitable revenue that while on gross margins of 50% vs. software at 85-95% it is still profits to help you cover fixed costs. You don’t want to run the risk that having a PS business that takes your eye of off the ball of growing a large software business. That is the software business. rollout support.

Software Review 321

Software Review Software Services Company 321

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

VC's love to talk about their successes. Yet most VC's bury their failures under six feet of denial. In the startup world, the former happens when a VC makes a bad investment, and the latter occurs when they miss a great opportunity. Tech Diligence - Consider The Source. However, they seldom acknowledge their mistakes.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

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). But software companies often take longer to scale top-line revenue than retailers so it takes a while to cover your nut.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

As a business advisor, I have to recommend even to established companies that they review and revamp their competitive strategy now, even if it appears to be working today. Features, availability, and brand are just the price of entry. The real challenge is to win massive consumer preference repeatedly.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

Many observers of the venture capital industry have questioned whether its best days are behind it. I can’t help feel a bit of rear-view mirror analysis in all of “VC model is broken” bears in our industry. They are, in fact, great news for traditional venture capitalists. This article originally ran on PEHub.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Capital Technical Review Startup 347

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. The vast majority of those are nowhere up to modern codes. ” Climate resiliency .

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series of posts and I need to file this one under both Raising Venture Capital and Startup Advice. Many of these businesses were what First Round Capital called FNACs (features, not companies – this acronym has always stuck with me). That died with waterfall software development.

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

You have to understand whether they’re likely to yield revenue growth in the near term OR whether you have access to cheap enough capital to fund your losses until your investments pay off. Have easy access to capital by investors who are committed to building businesses at Interent scale. Internet scale.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

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. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Dat Do: We produce valuation software that solves a lot of complex valuation issues for privately held companies, backed by venture capital and private equity. Who would be purchasing the software? Dat Do: It would be the VCs, the PEs, management of privately held companies. How to price it.

Software Review 193

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Software 193

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

I spoke about how Amazon Web Services deserves far more credit for the last 5 years of innovation than it gets credit for and how I believe they spawned the micro-VC category. I said that I felt that Micro-VCs were the most important change in our industry. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. I believe that.

Pricing 309

Pricing Marketing Startup Venture Capital 309

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. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary.

Startup 128

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 128

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

As a startup in this phase you often raise capital, get press, hire staff and everything feels possible. As an early-stage VC I love this phase. He came to work in our offices at Upfront Ventures as an EIR and immediately began building software to improve how storage was picked up, photographed, scanned and routed to a warehouse.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Pitching a VC. I recently wrote a post on angel financing covering the topic of convertible notes but I realized I was thinking about the issue more from investor perspective and a very narrow topic of how to price the round. They might be as hard as raising VC. But for most businesses it is.

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

As I have pointed out in previous posts , 91% of VCs surveyed believe prices are declining (30% believe substantially) and 77% believe that funding will take longer than it has in the past. The earlier the round, the less capital you need and the more reasonable your valuation the less time that is needed generally to raise capital.

Startup 150

Startup Capital Funding Invest 150

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

We want to create the right mix of the types of activities, price points, and make sure we have high quality content and high quality activities. Another guy who is helping is Richard Yen, who is at Saban Capital, and has joined as an advisor. We've also got a very heavy emphasis on online to offline integration.

Startup 271

Startup CTO Coach Activity Software Review 271

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

The key to being able to run a business that isn’t yet profitable (on operating margin) is availability of capital to finance losses and preferably at a cost that isn’t too punitive to the founders and employees. It’s funny how scarcity of capital can focus one’s mind. So if you’re able to raise easily no problem. End of story.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

Today the company officially announced its most recent round of capital ?—?having This allowed Bird to then raise $300 million from some of the top VCs in the country. having raised $300 million?—?less Ah, but Bird doesn’t have network effects! There is nothing viral! Anybody can launch a scooter service! Not really.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself. Apply for contests and business grants. It’s the time when you create tremendous value out of nothing.

Tips 104

Tips Startup Technical Review Equity 104

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2010

The company provides SAT, ACT, and other similar test preparation courses and related software. I had worked as a tutor for Princeton Review, and Jake for Kaplan. We thought, we could put out a better product than Kaplan or Princeton Review, which would be more compelling, and also would tie in a strong social mission.

Software Review 178

Software Review Technical Review Education Startup 178

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series about Raising Venture Capital. A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. Some larger VCs felt they were being “scooped&# by some younger, nimbler and smaller VCs.

Seed Funding 283

Seed Funding Venture Capital Funding Software Review 283

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Our interview today is with Andrew Schydlowsky , the CEO and founder of Santa Barbara-based TrackStreet (www.trackstreet.com), a startup which is backed by Okapi Capital, The Cove Fund, Early Light Ventures, SaaS Venture Capital, and Stage Venture Partners. What is TrackStreet? We evolved and expanded from there.

Artificial Inteligence 140

Artificial Inteligence Startup Commerce Sales 140

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 9, 2014

Perhaps it’s time to raise a round of Venture Capital funding and want a pitch presentation a bit more composed than the dusty Keynote you put together last year for your friends and family round. Due Diligence. When you have big business decisions (management consulting, entering new markets, pricing sheets, etc.),

Outsource Development 105

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review Outsource 105

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

It says that selling an airplane ticket for $500 and getting paid a $5 fees by the airlines (1% gross margin) is not the same thing as selling $500 of software that you built (>90% gross margin). The questions that a VC mulls before writing a check are precisely the questions you should be asking yourself. Market Size.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with 90% of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies.

Startup 123

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

According to a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don''t attract investors failing within the first three years. This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself. Apply for contests and business grants. It’s the time when you create tremendous value out of nothing.

Startup 87

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

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. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself. Only one-third make it past their tenth anniversary.

Startup 53

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 53

SoCal Delicious

OCTOBER 8, 2012

CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=FB CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=GOOG CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=I/DRG CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=I/HOM CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=I/ISV CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=I/MED CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=M/TEC CODE=DJII-DJN SYMBOL=MDA.T October 5, 2012.

Los Angeles 44

Los Angeles Software Review Technical Review Journal 44

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

I had a picture in the office of my first company with the logo above and the capital letters JFDI. (In I spent nearly a decade building software for large companies and then advising companies on the same. He was stuck on capital raising. This is part of my Startup Advice series. This was such a guy.

Entrepreneur 414

Entrepreneur Technical Review Slides CTO Coach 414

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

This source is a major focus these days, due to government initiatives to incent research and development on alternative energy and other technologies. Now the price is closer to $100, if you are willing to do the work yourself. Apply for contests and business grants. It’s the time when you create tremendous value out of nothing.

Develop 70

Develop Development Product Startup 70

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

It is an opportunity to get frank feedback from VCs, angels, peers and the technolust. Mixergy and AsAble are also joining us to bring you an amazing VC/Angel Panel. InVenture has created a market for "micro venture capital," whereby everyday investors can provide expansion capital to developing businesses.

Social Media 71

Social Media Technical Review Mixergy Tech Coast Angels 71

SoCal CTO

MARCH 22, 2007

We have been using LinkedIn for both sourcing recruits and reviewing backgrounds for recruits. Technology Advisor Technology Roles in Startups Pricing Customer Acquisition Sunk Costs and More -. Its been great to zero in on very specific skillsets. The level of resumes we get through our LinkedIn networks is top notch.

Blogging 150

Blogging CTO Coach CTO Hire Southern California 150