Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

Lower costs to start a business (95% reduction), many more companies created & funded by angels / seed. But it still takes VC to scale a business (thus large capital into industry winners like Uber, Airbnb, SnapChat, etc). Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.”

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

Today Upfront Ventures is announcing that we’ve backed Rebecca Kantar ’s startup Imbellus , a company designed to assess human potential and ultimately change the way we teach children. How does one come up with the right idea to start a company? We led a $4 million investment along with Thrive Capital, GLG and Sound Ventures.

Design 150

Design Ideas Startup Writing 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. I’ve seen too many companies go off track by a VC hell bent on the team pursuing the VCs strategy which at times is about chasing the next shiny object. Most VCs are book smart. I call them “ VCs Seagulls.”

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Do you need a board when you first start you company? Time based as in “a guaranteed right for 12 months, which can be renewed by mutual board consent” and event based “a guaranteed right until the company has raised $x million from new investors.” Should I be worried that I could be fired from my own company?

Startup 236

Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

We are going to write checks of between $100,000 and $500,000, and we are going to invest in what we are calling first institutional capital. That's the first time organized, institutional, managed capital is coming into a company, right after friends and family. Two, is I missed a bunch of deals because I did not have a fund.

Invest 145

Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2018

Right now, when people are communicating using Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and others, those businesses are principally using display advertising and sponsored listings to monetize those users. Who is providing the funding and backing for the company? We're taking a different approach. Jordan Glazier: That's a fantastic question.

San Diego 159

San Diego Social Media Commerce Snapchat 159

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

Or you know the other one — the one where Snapchat lost $2 billion in just one quarter. 70–80% of the costs of most startups are employee costs so what you’re really talking about when a company is unprofitable is that they are growing their staff ahead of their revenue. Two-f **g-billion! What a disaster!

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

While many tech startups do this intuitively (say, SnapChat thinking it would be much better if our photos out partying disappeared) it still happens. SEO / SEM are promotional techniques for marketing through the Google distribution channel, which have yielded huge benefits to many companies – Yelp being a prime example.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

” Case in point: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, SnapChat. The company with no revenue and a $150k burn rate that raised $2.5 Should I write off my $2.5 And I only know one reason companies go out of business – they run out of money. This is certainly one Path you can take if you have the right background.

Venture Capital 412

Venture Capital Startup Funding Snapchat 412

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 14, 2017

Writing a wish list for birthday presents at 10 years-old is expected. The company announced they have secured an exciting national partnership with Amazon to drive sales and disrupt their digital gifting experience. Snapchat Stories are an easy way to send your friend a birthday wish. Say Goodbye To The Wish List.

Startup 126

Startup Venice Social Network Tool 126

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

So that we’re speaking the same language I would define “exclusive” as a period in which your company is prohibited from doing business with certain customers or business partners, which is why many incorrectly assume this is necessarily bad. I need to give credit for the topic to PR Malloy who Tweeted me this question.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Startup Customer Custom 150

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

There is much discussion online and also in small, private groups, about why the price of technology companies – public and private – are falling. Valuing any company can be difficult because it requires a degree of forecasting future growth & competition and ultimately the profits of the organization. Mostly, no.

Startup 150

Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 5, 2013

For example, he explained a situation where his company could not meet payroll the next day and was about to go out of business. There was one particular memory that stood out, which was when my co-founders and I first started our company. Why did you decide to start your own companies rather than follow a more traditional route?

Startup 107

Startup Los Angeles USC Southern California 107

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but think how excited I am about our future. Similar to when Snapchat got rid of the “hold to view” function , or how Facebook routinely shifts and evolves its newsfeed algorithm, if Twitter can move on from what used to define it and create a new space, it could have a bright future.

Platform 40

Platform Startup News Content 40

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

In more than a decade of writing about the Internet and tech-enabled businesses I’ve learned that mobs don’t do nuance well. When you achieve economies-of-scale advantages it doesn’t benefit you to help newer companies draft off of your infrastructure to rise and compete against you. It’s Hobbesian economics 101. Enter blockchain.

Course 280

Course Startup Framework Marketing 280

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2016

As of this morning Clinton still holds a lead in the popular vote but even that as I write is only by 0.2% yes, I get those) … There is an unfollow button on Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and this blog on Medium. This isn’t my work blog or my company blog or a venture capital blog. And yet he won. Keep your mouth shut.” (yes,

Blogging 267

Blogging Course Venture Capital Media 267