Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

contributes more than $25 billion to fund 70,000 startups every year. As an active angel investor, I can tell you what doesn’t work is broadcasting your idea description to flocks of angels, hoping that one will swoop down to anoint you with funding. Early stage research and development won’t excite angels. Marty Zwilling

Venture Capital 106

Venture Capital Angel Seed Funding Invest 106

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. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until real revenue flows.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Trade equity or services for startup help. These are tough for a first-time entrepreneur.

Funding 107

Funding Startup Equity Examples 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Develop 70

Develop Development Product Startup 70

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2014

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Trade equity or services for startup help. These are tough for a first-time entrepreneur.

Startup 113

Startup Entrepreneur Funding Equity 113

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Tips 104

Tips Startup Technical Review Equity 104

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

The company’s rough turn of luck couldn’t be happening at a worse time, as Facebook looks to pivot the broader company towards the “metaverse” they also shared that they spent nearly $10 billion on the effort — and don’t expect to recoup that money any time soon.

Marketing 246

Marketing Newsletter Technical Review News 246

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. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until real revenue flows.

Startup 128

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 128

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

Santa Monica-based March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com) has just announced a brand new, $240M venture investment fund, led by longtime venture investing veterans Jim Armstrong, Sumant Mandal, Gregory Milken and Jamie Montgomery. What is the investment focus for this fund? All of that represents opportunity, as well.

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2018

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Trade equity or services for startup help. These are tough for a first-time entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Funding 96

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 19, 2013

Silicon Valley’s 9+, an accelerator founded by serial entrepreneur and company builder Peter Relan is investing $110,000 into game developers to quit developing games and shift to consumer, mobile, Big Data and wearable apps. 110,000 to quit developing games for wearable apps. 2 million raised. 2 million raised.

Startup 79

Startup Develop Development Incubator 79

Xconomy

JUNE 22, 2016

Radicle, a new accelerator fund focused on agricultural ventures, is launching today with plans to seed and nurture the next generation of agtech companies addressing global farming problems. So far, Radicle has closed on $6 million in funding, and the accelerator expects its pot will reach up to $15 million.

Funding 68

Funding Research San Diego Incubator 68

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Here, we have the thoughts of Jeb Spencer of TVC Capital (www.tvccapital.com), a software focused growth equity fund, and has had some great success in the market. Jeb Spencer: We closed our nineteenth and twentieth software focused growth equity investments this year, a significant milestone for our firm. READ MORE>>.

Capital 113

Capital Southern California Equity San Diego 113

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

After listening to hundreds of startup pitches, and reading even more business plans, most new venture investors develop their own favorite list of “red flags” that signal the beginning of the end of their interest. Even non-profits need money to scale, but their pitch should be to philanthropists, not equity investors.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

The link for the video is here and if you want a short firsthand view on our changes it’s a great resource. I often advise startup companies not to try and pin all of your brand equity into an announcement. At a big Hollywood fund raiser this past weekend a well-known entrepreneur pulled me aside to thank me for hiring Hamet.

Venture Capital 324

Venture Capital Startup Blogging Platform 324

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Startup 87

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 87

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2015

These don’t get funded, nor bought by customers. Here are the motivation elements that investors expect to hear: Size and growth potential of the market opportunity. How the solution and business model work to fund the business. Immediate investment requirements and use of funds.

Product 103

Product Slides Customer Custom 103

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 16, 2015

Why raise funds? This seems like an obvious question but you need to be clear why you’re looking to raise in order to come up with an effective game plan and determine your best funding option. And when it comes to timing, wait until you’ve come up with a working prototype and developed your product before you seek external funding.

Startup 40

Startup Venture Capital Equity Funding 40

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2010

When I first read Paul Graham’s blog post on “High Resolution&# Financing I read it as a treatise arguing that convertible notes are better than equity. I argued it in my post on how social proof helps fund raising with angel investors. But that’s what great angels do. Photo credit: D.

Venture Capital 286

Venture Capital Pricing Technical Review Startup 286

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until real revenue flows.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 105

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 17, 2010

And we’re left with a city with idyllic weather, major commerce, the media center of the world, and a great emerging technology scene. ’ &# His message was that in 2010 great business can be built anywhere if there is a great team and the will to make it work. As a result many funds are OK with big bets.

Company 290

Company Companies Technology Startup 290

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 1, 2010

Self-funding from your savings is the preferred source of cash for your startup – if you have it. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It’s not a quick solution, but the government and other funding agencies do not want ownership or interest payments from your company.

Funding 59

Funding Startup Technical Review Equity 59

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Startup 123

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 123

socalTECH

AUGUST 13, 2010

Last month, Los Angeles-based Language Weaver (www.languageweaver.com), the developer of machine translation software, was acquired by SDL , a publicly held, UK-based firm in the language translation business. We prepared a presentation to go out to the private equity community, to investigate opportunities to put money into Language Weaver.

Equity 168

Equity Startup Acquisition Funding 168

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

But many have no insight or connections to the ethereal angel investment community, which actually funds more startups then all other venture sources combined (over $25 billion annually). Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes.

Angel 106

Angel Startup Venture Capital Seed Funding 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2012

Self-funding is the preferred source of cash for your startup – if you can do it. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It’s not a quick solution, but state and federal funding agencies do not want ownership or interest payments from your company.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Equity Incubator Venture Capital 103

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. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until real revenue flows.

Startup 53

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 53

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2011

Self-funding is the preferred source of cash for your startup – if you can do it. After bootstrapping, friends and family are the most common funding sources for early-stage startups. It’s not a quick solution, but state and federal funding agencies do not want ownership or interest payments from your company.

Startup 93

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 93

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

He said, “They need an unbiased view of the fund raising environment because there is too much misinformation and everything seems to be changing fast.&#. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. – you’re very well positioned as a fund. This post originally ran on TechCrunch. I believe that.

Pricing 309

Pricing Marketing Startup Venture Capital 309

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. Dat Do: That's a great question. They told me they'd help me out in the market, which I was very thankful for, because I wasn't expecting it. Have you gotten any funding?

Software Review 193

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Software 193

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

So eventually you have your company funded but only 2 of the 5 people who started the company are still around. You never got around to agreeing exact equity splits but you had many conversations about it. Your contractor wrote a great V1 of the product and it helped you get angel funding. Here’s a hack for you.

Startup 318

Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2012

Bauckhage talks about the firm's recent funding from DFJ Espirit, T-Venture, Grazia Equity, and others, and how the company has been helping studios like Twentieth Century Fox, Universal, Disney and Paramount market their upcoming releases. How big do you expect your operations to be here in Los Angeles?

Startup 164

Startup Paramount Netflix Entertainment 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2011

Investors assume it will only go up with more funding. The cost of giving up more equity early is often more than offset by the increased flexibility to recover from mistakes. Your startup will require more money than you expect, and the cost of going back to the well is very high. Pay people with equity or future revenue.

Startup 92

Startup Outsource Development Development Team Review Equity 92

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Greathouse: Great products and companies that came out (of) Santa Barbara. I chalk up our success to doing a great job validating the opportunity before we started to build the business. It’s a relatively small entrepreneurial community, and Greg has a great reputation. I have always worked on early stage products.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

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. So if all I need to do is make some customer calls, interview potential employees or help with his fund-raising decks – hallelujah. And improve.

Tips 365

Tips Email Venture Capital CTO Coach 365

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2010

Investors assume it will only go up with more funding. The cost of giving up more equity early is often more than offset by the increased flexibility to recover from mistakes. Your startup will require more money than you expect, and the cost of going back to the well is very high. Pay people with equity or future revenue.

Startup 48

Startup Outsource Development Development Team Review Equity 48