Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

If you’re funding the same stuff as everybody else and if you started your activities when the clues were obvious you’re much less likely to drive enormous returns. When Fred Wilson funded Twitter I guarantee you it wasn’t obvious that it was a billion dollar idea. Venture Capital is a tricky industry. Far from it.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. First you need to assess the risks and value of investor funding and carrying debt.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. If you need funding for these early stage activities, I have some suggestions on better strategies to follow. Commercial product prototypes. Business commercialization.

Help 165

Help Research Startup Funding 165

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Boulevard , a spa management and payment platform, has raised $27 million in a new round of funding despite a business slowdown caused by the COVID0-19 pandemic. Through those months of interviews the two developed the booking management and payment platform that would become Boulevard. million in funding.

Software 323

Software Beverly Hills Los Angeles Equity 323

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 1, 2010

There has been much discussion about VCs doing seed funding in the past year. I’ve written about it myself (Is VC Seed Funding Dead?) and (Is There Really a Signaling Problem with VC Seed Funding?). Many firms do it in a way that can be more detrimental to entrepreneurs. Short summary of my posts: 1.

Seed Funding 298

Seed Funding Funding Venture Capital GRP Partners 298

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2021

Most business managers preach that the key to success is holding employees accountable for actions, but I have found that successful entrepreneurs are all about holding themselves accountable. Entrepreneurs with the mantra “if we build it, they will come,” and executives who don’t communicate their expectations, fall into this category.

Startup 164

Startup Class Entrepreneur Coach 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2022

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. First you need to assess the risks and value of investor funding and carrying debt.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Even if you work every day in the world of new-venture funding, as I do, the options are confusing, and their meanings seem to change on a regular basis. I challenge any entrepreneur, for example, to define the difference between "seed-stage" and "early-stage" financing. Business accelerator funding.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

Even entrepreneurs that already sold on SaaS should stake note of new research from the SalientGroup : SaaS gets funded - Nearly 50% of SaaS-based startups are getting successfully funded—a rate of funding success no other sector can match. A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. is du jour.

SaaS 100

SaaS Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction 100

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2019

We've helped entrepreneurs raise over $225M in early stage, venture funding. Their goal is to partner in really unique ways with entrepreneurs, accelerators and investors, to create businesses and brands in new categories for P&G. percent of funds going to female founded businesses.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Metrics Los Angeles Help 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2015

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active Angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. First you need to assess the risks and value of investor funding and carrying debt.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Startup Marketing Customer 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs the last couple of years is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. Good-cause crowd funding. Pre-order crowd funding. Rewards-based crowd funding.

Funding 99

Funding Satisfaction Sites Outsource Development 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2020

One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round. Can you justify your use of funds to this investor? Be prepared to explain your business model. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 135

Startup Equity Invest Funding 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2020

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” Funding for founder salaries at this stage is a red flag.

Startup 134

Startup Invest Social Media Examples 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2016

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” Funding for founder salaries at this stage is a red flag.

Funding 67

Funding Startup Invest Entrepreneur 67

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 23, 2021

Indeed, two of the best funded companies in the lab-grown meat market hail from The Netherlands, where Mosa Meat is being challenged by a newer upstart, Meatable , which just announced $47 million in new financing. Early Stage is the premier ‘how-to’ event for startup entrepreneurs and investors.

Chief Technology Officer 261

Chief Technology Officer Technical Review Software Review Product 261

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2012

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs these days is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. This new model will allow large numbers of “regular” people to invest small amounts each online to fund early startups.

Funding 96

Funding Satisfaction Sites Outsource Development 96

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Idea people often don’t get funded as entrepreneurs, because a new business is all about results, not just ideas. I find many technologists fit well into this category, but most of them are frustrated by required interfacing to real customers, managing business finances, and marketing.

Activity 108

Activity Satisfaction Metrics Startup 108

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 27, 2013

But some larger companies, such as Canonical, came to the crowdfunding community to help them fund projects like the Ubuntu Edge. Kate Drane, hardware category lead at IndieGoGo joins us and talks about IndieGoGo and crowdfunding. They are learning new things to tweak and find new ways to fund the project, like T-shirts.

Startup 74

Startup Funding Capital Help 74

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2016

Most business managers preach that the key to success is holding employees accountable for actions, but I have found that successful entrepreneurs are all about holding themselves accountable. Entrepreneurs with the mantra “if we build it, they will come,” and executives who don’t communicate their expectations, fall into this category.

Entrepreneur 59

Entrepreneur Startup Class Coach 59

socalTECH

JANUARY 29, 2020

This week, Los Angeles-based Crosscut Ventures announced a brand new effort to provide health and wellness to the founders of companies it invests in, helping those founders with well being, mental health, stress management, coaching, and leadership development. Any lessons you have learned now that you're now on your fourth fund?

Invest 113

Invest Framework Coach Startup 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. Entrepreneurs in this category are usually dreamers. Investors are not looking for conservative entrepreneurs.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2013

A good many startups I know have been “successful” over a couple of years in overcoming the challenges of starting the business, including incorporation, services development, funding, and setting up operations. entrepreneur Patricia Sigmon plateau profits startup' Mix things up. Change the rules of operations. But don’t worry.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Startup Outsource Development Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2012

You have probably heard plenty of times that being an entrepreneur is a risky business, and investors talk all the time about reducing the risk. Here is my own priority list of key risk drivers that every entrepreneur and every investor should evaluate and minimize in starting a business: Team experience and depth risk.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Examples Social Network Marketing 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2012

Many entrepreneurs I know feel guilty about not quitting their day job when initiating their startup, worrying about not giving their all to an employer, juggling the multiple roles, or even a legal conflict of interest. At the very least, don’t take the entrepreneur plunge with your eyes closed. Set some real milestones.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Funding 95

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 13, 2018

One of the hardest things to know when you’re new to fund raising is what you’re supposed to send to an investor, when and will they keep your information confidential. As a VC and former entrepreneur let me offer you some advice. This is part of a series on how to improve your fund raising game. Compelling.

Venture Capital 261

Venture Capital Slides Email Startup 261

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

million in funding from Rebecca Minkoff and other unnamed investors. Founders and investors circling the space suspect a wave of Silicon Valley interest is coming, however, and that it will alter the category entirely. Naturally, these were also the first business to get funded. Last month, the product launched with $1.2

Platform 170

Platform Marketing Tool Venture Capital 170

socalTECH

MAY 18, 2021

For today's interview, we sat down and chatted with >Zeb Evans, the founder and CEO of San Diego-based ClickUp (www.clickup.com), the developer of a workplace productivity software platform which is based by such companies as Google, Airbnb, and Nike. How are you funded and backed? ClickUp has raised $135M in venture capital so far.

Doc 203

Doc San Diego Demand Product 203

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2017

The key is to look hard outside the world of “professional investors,” to regular people who share your vision and dreams, friends and family who believe in you, and crowd funding your ideas that have a popular appeal. The basic categories include equity, straight debt, convertible debt, services, and agreements for future equity.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Equity Capital Entrepreneur 88

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Whenever a VC assesses a potential investment opportunity, they attempt to match the entrepreneur(s), their solution, and intended markets with a pattern they have previously encountered. Conversely, even if a venture is pre-revenue, the operational risk is reduced if the entrepreneurs have a relevant track record of success.

Technical Review 244

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital RSS 244

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2011

The result was a massive increase in startups & a whole group of new funding sources: both angels & “micro VCs&#. The venture capital business itself is going through an even more fundamental change than just the entry of a new category at the earliest stage. Some are going later stage to not miss out on hot deals.

Venture Capital 289

Venture Capital Capital Cloud Computing Marketing 289

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2015

One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round. Can you justify your use of funds to this investor? entrepreneur funding request investors startup stage' Be prepared to explain your business model.

Help 104

Help Startup Equity Entrepreneur 104

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

It’s what life was like as an entrepreneur. According to the SEC we’re not allowed to market the fact that we’re fund raising, so I won’t. According to the SEC we’re not allowed to market the fact that we’re fund raising, so I won’t. What’s it really like being an entrepreneur?

Blogging 420

Blogging Press Entrepreneur Venture Capital 420

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

We break it down by a number of vertical categories, including Indulgent--all about food, wine, and alcohol; Active--outdoor athletic endeavors; and Creative, which is arts and crafts. Finally, we have an Eclectic category, which are interesting activities which don't fit into any of those other buckets.

Startup 271

Startup CTO Coach Activity Software Review 271

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2014

Entrepreneurs looking for investor funding often fail to realize that all money comes with strings. For example, if you have watched the Shark Tank TV series, you probably noticed that the Sharks always ask the entrepreneurs for their intended “use of funds.” Funding for founder salaries at this stage is a red flag.

Startup 114

Startup Funding Entrepreneur Invest 114

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2015

Most business managers preach that the key to success is holding employees accountable for actions, but I have found that successful entrepreneurs are all about holding themselves accountable. Entrepreneurs with the mantra “if we build it, they will come,” and executives who don’t communicate their expectations, fall into this category.

Startup 116

Startup Entrepreneur Class Coach 116

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that their idea and passion are so great that failure is not a possibility. They relate quickly to one of the big successes out there today, including Facebook, Airbnb, or Snap, and can give you a dozen reasons that they are in the same category.

Startup 99

Startup Competition Examples Ideas 99