Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

With the enormous changes to our economies and financial markets?—?how how on Earth could the venture capital market stand still? One of the most common questions I’m asked by people intrigued by but also scared by venture capital and technology markets is some variant of, “Aren’t technology markets way overvalued?

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Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2011

In this three-part series I will explore the ways that the Venture Capital industry has changed over the past 5 years that I would argue are a direct result of changes in the software industry, not the other way around. I will argue that LPs who invest in VC funds will also need to adjust a bit as well. Enter Amazon.

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Venture Capital Software Capital Startup 334

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 5, 2023

Since this number is budgeted and pre-authorized, managers tend to focus upon other things such as sales, marketing and product development issues. There is an art to efficient management of a process, whether that is the process of bringing a product to market from R&D to production or developing a new product’s launch program.

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Venture Capital Product Marketing Resource 296

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 13, 2018

As a VC and former entrepreneur let me offer you some advice. Remember that the goal of an email to a VC or an introduction from a trusted mutual connection is simply to get you the meeting. Remember that the goal of an email to a VC or an introduction from a trusted mutual connection is simply to get you the meeting.

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Venture Capital Slides Email Startup 261

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. I always tell founders … “An investors job is to deploy capital and make a return. Of course there’s no exact number of VCs you should meet?—?these

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Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

I became a VC 12 years ago in 2007 when the pace of deals was much slower. As I was trying to figure out the role I wanted to play in the VC world I decided I wanted to focus on businesses that were building deeply technical products to solve problems for business users. Over the past 2.5

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Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 16, 2019

With a focus on female venture capitalists and founders, All Raise hosts an annual conference, several in-person and virtual fundraising workshops and networking sessions and, recently, the group began creating curated peer groups for investors. The idea was how do we hack the old boys’ network? It’s highly concentrated.

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Venture Capital Ideas Los Angeles Tool 184

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Over the past month a colleague ( Chang Xu ) and I sifted through data on the venture capital industry (as we do every year) and made a bunch of calls to VCs and LPs to confirm our hypotheses. As a result of the IPO window shifting we saw a massive inflow of public-market capital into the latest stages of venture.

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Venture Capital Invest Seed Funding Startup 328

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Last week, we talked about about the “de-stonkifying” of the market. The company’s stock tanked by more than 26 percent, representing a $230 billion reduction in market cap and a $31 billion drop in Zuckerberg’s personal net worth. Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review ! Image Credits: TechCrunch.

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Marketing Newsletter Technical Review News 246

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2023

Yet many of you are telling me that we are all missing big opportunities by not recognizing the unique challenges faced by startups in developing countries , where infrastructure is lacking, and talent is not so concentrated. Target a global market rather than a local from day one. Assemble a distributed A-team from top world talent.

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Capital Marketing Ideas Venture Capital 138

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

Picking a VC is hard. So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Most VCs are book smart. VCs should be more of a coach than proscriptively telling you what to do. You want a VC who will spar with you but then STFU and let you get on with things.

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Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

One of the least understood parts of the venture capital industry and venture capital firms is how investment decisions actually get made. You’d be surprised how many firms are “dictator VCs” – even those that don’t formally acknowledge it internally. ” Some firms are collegiate.

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Venture Capital Capital Startup Invest 150

socalTECH

AUGUST 24, 2021

Los Angeles-based Greenfly, a developer of marketing software for brand ambassadors, athletes, and sponsors, said on Tuesday that it has raised $8.4M in a strategic growth round.

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Software Marketing Activision Venture Capital 113

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In my previous post, The VC Ice Age is Thawing (for now) I wrote about the reasons why the VC market came to a screeching halt in September 2008 and remained largely shut until at least April 2009. There are now signs the VC market has gathered pace meaning it’s a great time to be fund raising.

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Venture Capital Marketing Startup Social Network 255

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2011

This is the final part of a 3-part series on the major changes in the structure of the software & the venture capital industries. The result was a massive increase in startups & a whole group of new funding sources: both angels & “micro VCs&#. But … Downsizing Venture Capital.

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Venture Capital Capital Cloud Computing Marketing 289

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2013

His imagination of what is wrong with VC has captured perfectly in satirical format what ails our industry. It is Nikolas Tesla pitching a VC firm. The back-and-forth between Andy & me if anything I hope just raised the issue a bit more about entrepreneur & VC relationships. He knew me then. by Dorrian Porter.

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Venture Capital Rancho Palos Verdes Entrepreneur Ideas 315

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

I’ve raised money as a “hot company” and I’ve raised capital when no one would return my phone calls. I’ve raised in boom markets and when everybody thought the Internet was a fraud. And of course I’ve sat on the other side of the table: As a VC. I’ve raised seed rounds and A-D rounds.

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Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 28, 2010

This was the first episode where Jason wasn’t on the show, which gave me the chance to have another VC on the show to discuss deals. Rustic Canyon is an LA-based, but geography-agnostic VC that is currently investing from a $200 million fund. VC Financings: 1. I keep meaning to get him drunk to spill the stories.

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Venture Capital Capital Rustic Canyon Mobile 270

socalTECH

JUNE 4, 2010

General Motors announced Friday morning that it has entered into the venture capital industry, and created its own transportation venture capital arm called General Motors Ventures, LLC. Tags: general motors venture capital automotive cleantech clean transportation.

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Venture Capital Capital Southern California Equity 150

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 17, 2014

San Diego-based Soci , a developer of a social content discovery engine and social media marketing software product, has raised $1.5M The company said the round was led by angel Peter Fischer (Shepherd Ventures) and Silicon Valley Growth Syndicate. soci social media marketing venture capital content discovery'

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Social Media Media Marketing San Diego 193

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 8, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series “Pitching a VC&# – the outline is here. You’ve pitched several angels and VC’s. Your friends and advisers tell you that this means you need revenue because in this economy VC’s will only fund businesses with revenue. Unfortunately your advisers are wrong.

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Venture Capital Guide Startup Technical Review 309

Xconomy

JANUARY 28, 2019

Venture capital firms invest in potentially disruptive technologies with the hope of profit, then keep watch for further advances that could overtake their existing portfolio companies. All this is done while they guide startups through other external challenges such as fundraising droughts and overall market downturns.

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Venture Capital Marketing Guide Invest 67

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. I barely know the guy (or his markets) but he wanted me to weigh in one “which market I thought he should pursue.”

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Venture Capital Course Guide Entrepreneur 150

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 21, 2009

On the third Wednesday of every month I co-chair a meeting called the SoCal VCA (venture capital alliance), which represents participants from all of the top venture capital firms in Southern California as well as prominent members of the Tech Coast Angels (TCA).

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Venture Capital Technical Review Southern California Company 241

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

This is the market that Wonga serves and they are killing it! Peer-to-peer lending service; started on FaceBook; claim to own 79% of the US peer lending market in March 2010 with a whopping $8,664,750. Investors: Foundation Capital (lead), with existing investors: Morgenthaler Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Canaan Partners.

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Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2010

If you want to raise venture capital more easily the advice could be quite practical and counter-intuitive. Many companies that are raising B or C venture capital rounds right now raised their initial money in 2005-2008. Not so VC. It is 2010. So you don’t bother. Buy the second home. So what happens?

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Venture Capital Capital Startup Pricing 289

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2010

I’m often asked by people, “how do I get into VC?&# Well, I know 3-4 VC jobs that are publicly available. Every time I do recruiting I get somebody who says, “I’m willing to take a step back in my career to work in VC.&# This isn’t likely to appeal to us. Tags: VC Industry. Are you merging?

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Venture Capital Technical Review GRP Partners Email 290

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

Mostly it’s because your marketing campaigns suck. Or more directly – they are likely narcissistic resuscitations of your newest features or bragging points that nobody but your marketing team and your mom care about. I am a VC. I hand out money. How differentiated is that? It’s brilliant.

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Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Irvine-based Netlist , the developer of memory subsystems for the datacenter and high performance computing market, said today that it has added Claude Leglise to its board of directors. Leglise is the co-founder of ClearSpot Energy, a solar energy services company, and had previously served as a venture capitalist at WI Harper Group.

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Venture Capital Capital Services Marketing 140

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

I recently filmed a show for This Week in Venture Capital in which I talked about how to prepare for a VC meeting: whom you’ll meet, who should attend from your side, what materials you should bring and how you should run the meeting. The “Triple Play&# of VC Presentations. But take prompts from the VC.

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Venture Capital Slides Technical Advisors Startup 299

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

I had previously raised VC in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005. In case VC’s haven’t figured this out yet, shit rolls downhill. My blog linked to Brad Feld’s blog because I was so grateful for his series on term sheets and he was one of the biggest reasons that as a VC I felt compelled to blog. And covered we did.

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Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Los Angeles-based BuildOps , a developer of software that provides business process management for subcontractors in the commercial real estate market, has raised $5.8M The funding was led by Fika Ventures, and also included. in a seed funding round. The company's founders are Alok Chanani, Steve Chew, and Neeraj Mittal.

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Venture Capital Seed Funding Los Angeles Software 100

socalTECH

MAY 15, 2018

Buena Park-based Rael , a developer of feminine hygiene products, has raised $2.1M The funding came from SoftBank Ventures Korea and Thrive Market Ventures. in a "pre-series A" funding, the company disclosed on Tuesday.

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Marketing Product Organization Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

APRIL 22, 2014

Tubular Labs , which develops online video marketing tools for AwesomenessTV, Maker Studios, and other local MCNs, said today that it has raised $11M in a Series B funding round. Tubular Labs develops video analytics and marketing tools, and also has raised prior funding from Machinima co-founder Allen DeBevoise.

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Tool Marketing Venture Capital Los Angeles 183

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 26, 2010

Because if you’re truly that early / novel there’s a good chance that you’re too early and will spend lots of time / money educating the market. With VCs my strong suggestion is that you be open & realistic. Leaving your real competitors off of you presentation to a VC is not recommended.

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Venture Capital Slides Competition Education 313

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2019

San Diego-based biotech startup Biolinq , which is developing wireless-enabled biosensor patches for continuous monitoring of biomarkers, has raised $4.75M additional Series A funding, the company said this morning. The funding came from JDRF T1D Fund, Aphelion Capital and LifeSci Venture Partners.

Marketing 168

Marketing San Diego Venture Capital Study 168

socalTECH

APRIL 30, 2013

Santa Barbara-based Local Market Launch , a new startup founded by former ValueClick founder Brian Coryat, said Tuesday that it has raised $1.5M The round came from Rincon Venture Partners. Local Market Launch said it will use the new funding to expand its market presence, plus to accelerate delivery of its products.

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Search Engine Optimization Marketing Santa Barbara Seed Funding 178