Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

Many CEOs have asked me if I felt an investment banker adds value if the buyer has already been identified. How investment bankers behave. Investment bankers sometimes slow the process by requiring a cloud-based “data room” and “deal book” to be prepared containing considerable information about a company to help a buyer.

Invest 156

Invest Competition Pricing Guide 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

In case you hadn’t noticed, the key elements of a competitive advantage for your business have changed as businesses move online, and your domain is instantly global. 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.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Berkonomics

JULY 6, 2017

Know your market and competition, or don’t spend a dime on anything else. In 1994, (I know a long time ago), I invested over a million dollars into a company whose entrepreneurs had a vision that I bought into for many reasons, not the least of which was that I had industry experience and understood the need.

Competition 266

Competition Research Summary Pricing 266

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

leadership, mentorship, competitiveness, communications, relationship-building?—?and The core of the investing job of course is investing dollars into startup companies and helping as a mentor, advisor and board member on the companies in which you’ve invested. She had all of the skills and traits we sought?—?leadership,

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2021

Trust, which today has announced a $9 million financing (Upfront is an investor), is a platform designed to help make the most of marketing investment by providing both analytics and a community of likeminded executives to share what’s working, and what’s not, across platforms. Why Did I Invest in Trust?

Product 424

Product Platform Advertising Acquisition 424

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

More importantly, he has just announced his first investment – he led a $7 million investment in Deliv – please read about it on Greg’s spiffy new blog. On the one hand you can view their local stores as a competitive disadvantage because eCommerce companies can sell products with no physical retail stores.

Startup 331

Startup Competition Examples Invest 331

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). For starters we’re an LA-based venture fund who invests nationally (and sometimes internationally, but less so). billion IPO), Envestnet (Chicago, $1.25 billion).

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Scott Kupor of A16Z responded with a comprehensive overview of valuation methodology in a post that while accurate feels more targeted at sophisticated Limited Partners (LPs) who invest in funds. billion (and their stake worth $237 million not $3 billion) — the reported value at which they invested in the last round. We can’t know.

Venture Capital 264

Venture Capital Invest Funding Competition 264

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. Just this past September was a year with Amazon, when I left, and we started investing in September under the new name, ScOp Venture Capital.

Venture Capital 145

Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

Even then private market investors can paper over valuation changes by investing at the same price but with more structure so it’s hard to understand the “headline valuation.” No blog post about how Tiger is crushing everybody because it’s deploying all its capital in 1-year while “suckers” are investing over 3-years can change this reality.

Venture Capital 416

Venture Capital Marketing Technical Review Seed Funding 416

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

If I’m covering a company can I get evidence of what the competition is doing so the story is balanced? They are an investment bank that targets the technology & media sectors. Their website proclaims, “LUMA Partners is a different kind of investment bank. Do I have data or facts to present so the story has legs?

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2014

to raise “opportunity funds” to fund the prorata participation of their best early-stage investments. Of course the concentration of capital in growth firms and the intense competition to fund the best deals leads to some risks. These are most notable in late-stage, D-round, investments.

Venture Capital 362

Venture Capital Capital Startup Writing 362

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

AngelList 101 : As you know, AngelList is a platform where angels can invest in semi-screened tech deals. As an angel you can look for the social proof in deals “Dave Morin is investing …” to make your decision. AngelList Syndicate leads don’t take any fees on the investment, which should help with returns.

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

” Most VCs view it as their responsibility to mentor, debate, cajole and generally assist with investments they make. Tomorrow I’m meeting with a senior exec who is considering joining a company in which we’ve invested. Thus, a desire to invest more locally where I think I have a competitive advantage.

Venture Capital 365

Venture Capital Marketing Santa Barbara Startup 365

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. If you have a market lead then raising capital and making investments now will help you as others enter the market. ” The Details.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2013

The reason for this is that the executives who founded the company have so much tacit knowledge of how to position their product relative to the competition that they can easily win campaigns when they’re involved. So I often work with teams to get them to codify the key things they do well that the competition does not.

Sales 336

Sales Startup Competition Customer 336

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

They often create the biggest tensions between investors who are investing at different stages in the business. Prorata investments rights given investors the right to invest in your future fund-raising rounds and maintain their ownership % in your company as your company grows and raises more capital. return (on paper).

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

Let me start by saying that Clayton is one of the most influential people on my thoughts about markets that led to both the concept behind my first startup and my main theses in investing. We also spoke about technology systems in the perspective of global competition. Some money out of every investment. No minority shareholder.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

Put simply – you need enough users in a segment who care about what you’re doing to dictate investing further in the product or in sales & marketing resources. It’s why in early-stage teams I personally invest in strong teams not in strong product strategy. You need product / market fit. why did they buy?

Startup 401

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 401

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 26, 2022

At the time, the company raised $2 million, and Alexandrov said about the perceived competition, “The level of competition in this market in the U.S. is still manageable, which is why we have the opportunity to become leaders in the sphere of fast delivery of basic products and household goods. locations.

Funding 246

Funding Demand Los Angeles Competition 246

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

For all the things he’s likely known for, he probably hasn’t yet built a strong relationship as an early stage venture investor (he invests often in later-stage deals where he is very respected). “… for any good investment, from Series A on, there is at least one firm to compete with. Competition is fierce.

Venture Capital 333

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Email 333

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 22, 2014

I didn’t invest in any of their fine competitors either like Lyft, Sidecar, Hailo, etc. They were a little too fierce in their competitive practices against Lyft to sign up drivers. It’s a brutally competitive world out there because there are extreme amounts of money at stake. I’m not so sure. I wish I were.

Press 418

Press Journal Startup Training 418

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Many questioned whether it could survive under the fail whale, inevitable competition from Facebook, founder fighting, fights with 3rd-party developers let alone become a revolutionary business that could make money. ” So other partners at the firm might sling mud at your ideas as you go for approval on an investment. Lots of it.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

You’ll have less competition. You’ll wonder: ‘’Is this a worthy investment with probable payback in revenues? Competition is good, but – if there are hundreds of businesses out there that already have gotten to and penetrated this niche – you’re going to find it hard to get through the marketing noise.

Marketing 266

Marketing Advertising Resource Social Media 266

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

You’re adding unnecessary “purchase friction” If your deck is something I should open 3–4 times as I’m contemplating an investment, why add any consumption friction to the reader? Because I invest in “ lines, not dots ” it’s actually the delta that I’m investing in. Competition isn’t won or lost by your marketing decks?—?it’s

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

VC firms like NEA, which invests in companies across industries and stages, has made a concerted effort to tap into the Atlanta startup ecosystem, another market that has seen considerable growth thanks to the corporations headquartered there and the network of universities producing top-notch engineers. “We

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Funding Seed Funding Activity 211

Berkonomics

JANUARY 11, 2018

But sometimes there is a barrier, an impossibly high cost not considered, a social backlash never thought of, or competition already covering the idea that is unknown to the originator. Strategic thinking: Board members who ask: “What is the competitive landscape?” Which leads us to the second class of creative board thinking….

Company 243

Company Companies Ideas Competition 243

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

It’s building a product that is substantially differentiated, and, as Bill Gross, one of the most prolific tech entrepreneurs of our era says, “ It needs to be 10x better than the competition ” (because if you shoot for that then in competitive markets you might achieve 3x. So, yes, you can buy a best seller.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 10, 2021

We’ve scaled up so massively in investments in our growth and technology, but running on a loss is very odd for us,” he told TechCrunch. “We Now we have more cash and money available to invest further in the long term.”. True competition is coming to this space, this decade,” he said. We will get back to profitability soon.”.

Los Angeles 266

Los Angeles Funding CIO Marketing 266

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

This raises a big red flag with potential investors, who conclude that no competitors means no market, or you haven’t looked, and the new startup is likely not investable. Competition for your new hydrogen fuel auto engine is not limited to other hydrogen auto engine offerings, or even other autos. Investors check connections.

Competition 166

Competition Funding Startup Patents 166

Berkonomics

AUGUST 31, 2023

Know your market and competition, or don’t spend a dime on anything else. But wait for the mic drop… [Email readers, continue here…] Here’s where some intelligent market research might have saved the company and my investment. In this case, the competition was not from a company but from a new technology.

Competition 156

Competition Research Summary Pricing 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2023

Yet everyone has limits, and every investor implicitly has similar limits on what makes a startup investable, or one to avoid at all costs. Huge investments are also required to ramp up manufacturing, build a distribution network, and provide the support infrastructure. If you have deep pockets, these ultimately can be very lucrative.

Invest 98

Invest Sites Technical Review Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

He succinctly outlines the key behaviors that I believe every business leader must focus on, to drive innovation without waiting for the next competitive crisis: Avoid the assumption that current gifts will keep on giving. Sponsor experiments and measure like new investments. Invest more energy in the “horse you can control.”

Tips 160

Tips Framework Competition Ideas 160

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

And while the grocery delivery market has become increasingly competitive, Hall argued that Good Eggs stands out thanks to the quality and breadth of its products — 70% of its products are locally sourced, and it often delivers them within 48 hours of harvesting. Image Credits: Good Eggs. ” Good Eggs CEO Bentley Hall.

Southern California 318

Southern California Orange County San Diego Commerce 318

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2018

If you’re talking with a typical Seed/A/B round firm they often have ownership targets in the company in which they invest. Since they have limited capital and limited time availability they often try to make concentrated investments across companies in which they have the highest conviction. some might even want slightly more.

Venture Capital 324

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Invest 324

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2015

Conventional wisdom says I shouldn’t tell you this because I invested in their main competitor, MakeSpace. Clutter is LA based and many of my friends invested. But the bigger truth is the competition is important. Healthy competition keeps you on your toes. This morning Clutter.io Congratulations.

Funding 150

Funding Competition Marketing Summary 150

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 11, 2014

Competitive Rivalry - Constructive internal competition that does not derail a startup from achieving its strategic goals will enhance your teams overall performance. Founders should encourage a healthy rivalry among each other, while modulating such competition so that it does not escalate into destructive behaviors.

Startup 257

Startup Santa Barbara Competition Journal 257