TechCrunch LA

MAY 29, 2019

The company raised $46 million last year—its first year operating—with the vision that owning the infrastructure for competitions and expanding it to encompass other social elements of gaming can make it the largest gaming company in the world. Did it seem like an obvious opportunity or did it take you a while to figure it out?

Startup 204

Startup Coach Competition Los Angeles 204

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Competitive (Athlete: skier & rowed at Princeton, hates losing at everything she does). Investment experience (5 years a VC at Battery Ventures). People often ask me what VCs look for when we hire partners and many have asked how to become VCs themselves one day. She is a coach and mentor to team members.

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

[Email readers, continue here…] Bootstrapping: This term describes your ability to start a business with little investment and grow it using internally-generated funds. Venture, private equity and more: Here we lump a large number investor classes into one. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 28, 2012

You’re on a first date with a VC – how much should you tell them? When is it appropriate for a VC to call your customers? There is no universal answer and my discussions with various VCs on these topics have yielded many differing opinions. We’re not really fund raising yet so I’m not prepared to have that discussion.”. “So

Technical Review 316

Technical Review Venture Capital Customer Custom 316

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 10, 2013

I made many classic first-time mistakes which serves both as my warning signal of which teams to avoid funding (if I perceive they will make critical mistakes often led by hubris) and also as my source for coaching others. It’s why I believe startup coaches are so important and I wish I know more great ones.

Startup 412

Startup Press Course Entrepreneur 412

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

The barriers to entry when it comes to launching a company require less tension and a lot less capital. Still though, when founders are seeking funding, “ 75 percent of the venture capital goes to three states: Massachusetts, New York, and California,” said Steve Case in an interview with Recode.

Startup 140

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 140

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2011

Yesterday I wrote Part 1 of the series on the changes to the software industry over the past decade that has led to changes in the venture capital industry itself. These trends have put pressure on traditional VCs. So VCs spent a couple of years experimenting with earlier-stage investing, which is OK. Funny, that.

Venture Capital 296

Venture Capital Capital Software Startup 296

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

Your goal should be to turn your VCs into extended members of your team to get real value from them. Understanding where your VC partner sits in their respective fund and where their fund is in the cycle of its investment lifecycle will help you understand your VCs behavior. What Rob wrote in his post is right.

Tips 365

Tips Email Venture Capital CTO Coach 365

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2015

I felt this myself as we went from a few founders huddled into a tiny room to the front page of the Financial Times, an influx of VC interest, magazine covers, invitations to high-profile events and the pressures of trying to live up to this perception and the economic opportunities everybody expected. Advisors / Coaches / Mentors.

Press 150

Press Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 150

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

Convertible debt is an investment that “converts&# into equity in the future usually at a discount to your next funding round price and sometimes has a “cap&# (maximum price). But as an angel you’re usually not only taking risks but also helping the company succeed (through introductions, social proof, coaching, recruiting).

Equity 319

Equity Pricing Venture Capital Entrepreneur 319

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. In the same year they won Business Insider’s Startup competition. We generally have a policy to only fund entrepreneurs once the first version of a product has shipped or it near to shipping. So I asked Ethan to build his product first and then we would fund.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

And of course I’ve sat on the other side of the table: As a VC. I now observes the fund raising process as a profession. This is not just the perspective of a VC although I can’t say I have zero VC bias. This is not just the perspective of a VC although I can’t say I have zero VC bias.

Develop 366

Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

*. What is the role of a VC for entrepreneurs? I suppose it can be different for every founder and for different VCs but I’d like to offer you some context on what I think it is and it isn’t. VCs have the safety of not being that person. Crowd funding now exists. ” I responded. That is what separates us.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Course Guide Entrepreneur 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

We want to invest in early-stage technology enabled startup businesses – upfront in the funding cycle. We’re a national venture capital investment firm but with our roots firmly in Los Angeles. We like to hire people and fund people who are deeply ethical and we try to be long-term in our investment thinking.

Startup 150

Startup Coach Course Invest 150

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

We also want to create more capital for women entrepreneurs to increase the chances of being funded and connected to a bigger network. In addition to coaching and mentoring, I want to put them in the game of investing into startups. NON: I judge a lot of pitch competitions and speak at a lot of conferences.

Mentor 84

Mentor Invest Entrepreneur Startup 84

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2009

We brought together Peter Cowen of Groundwork Equity , Mark Suster of GRP Partners , Rick Smith of Crosscut Ventures , and Richard Yen of Saban Ventures -- all of who will be on the judging panel for the Tech Coast Angel's Fast Pitch on February 24th, to give us a their hints and tips about pitching to venture capitalists.

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels Ideas Entrepreneur Invest 100

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 28, 2012

I faced the same challenge not being able to form a team because most people joined the competition with friends that they had already planned on working with. THIRD TIME’S A CHARM: On Sunday we presented to a panel of judges consisting of entrepreneurs and a VC investor.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas San Diego Mentor 100

SoCal Delicious

MARCH 1, 2010

Sand Hill Road has so many venture capital firms and they are so large, and they have been around for so long and they are very closely coupled and tied with Stanford [University]. My fund was an early investor in Overture. Because its just not that hyper-competitive, Im-hiring-all-your-staff, because-Im-Google environment.

Los Angeles 50

Los Angeles Company Companies Angel 50

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 1, 2015

I look around at the startups I fund. As with my early career, my CEO years or my years as a VC – I’m not perfect and I don’t pretend to be. I was competitive. He wanted to play midfield this season but the coach asked him to play center defense. The hardest leadership challenge is in the home.

Startup 150

Startup Course Technical Review Competition 150