Both Sides of the Table

MAY 28, 2018

There’s a quick litmus-test conversation any early-stage VC will have with the founder and it’s one that you should be as prepared for as your elevator pitch. It goes something like this … VC: “How much money are you raising?” Founder: “$8–10 million” VC: “What’s your current burn rate?” This is a red flag for VCs.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

The idea is simple enough: several female VC partners at top funds will hold 1-hour meetings with 40 promising female entrepreneurs looking to get advice on their business and pitch in a friendly, non-judgmental, safe environment. LA Female Office Hours. So why is this initiative so important for men, women and other gender identities?

Venture Capital 256

Venture Capital Examples Screening Help 256

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

How important is this issue for your business? Friends, family and fools: [Email readers, continue here…] This term, although pejorative, describes the typical mix of early investors in a small, young growing business. It is for this group that we explore the implications implicit in raising money for growth.

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Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 12, 2013

I see it on email even more. And sometimes I feel happy to help somebody even when we’re just getting to know each other. ” In it he talked about how he gets daily emails asking for intros to Oprah (he does a lot of work with her) and his advice. It feels much better to be helpful than to be indebted.

Venture Capital 407

Venture Capital Press GRP Partners Blogging 407

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 7, 2017

Especially if they have sold their companies and live comfortably upon the proceeds, these people are often the most willing to help and the most patient through the process. If you take smart money from a good angel or venture organization, the lead investor usually becomes your board member and has a vested interest in your success.

Coach 243

Coach Organization Resource IBM 243

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2021

But what if you are an introvert, or new to this game, and don’t know where or how to start? Business groups like TiE-The Indus Entrepreneurs and EO-Entrepreneurs Organization are places to meet people you can help, as well as people who can help you. Remember it helps to give a little to get something back.

Entrepreneur 143

Entrepreneur Social Network Activity Networking 143

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 14, 2014

If you follow the tech media you would be subject to a lot of narrative biases that are completely off base – and this includes the value of email and phone calls. It’s why the first company I ever invested in as a VC – Invoca – just announced a $20 million funding by Accel Partners. billion email accounts.

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Email SaaS Venture Capital Google 339

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

He can’t help himself: He’s Dave. I told him I wanted to call it, “My Pal Dave” to explain the disconnect for me between how the public perceives Dave and the real Dave I know. I told him I wanted to call it, “My Pal Dave” to explain the disconnect for me between how the public perceives Dave and the real Dave I know.

Startup 309

Startup Venture Capital Email Writing 309

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

How founders get screwed on convertible notes. How party rounds can burn you if it takes time to find your groove. But shouldn’t an investor who has given you $50,000 of his or her hard earned money be entitled to know how you’re doing? We all know that funding markets have changed for startups.

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

Berkonomics

JANUARY 10, 2019

Investors will invariably try to tell you that they know much more about the “how to” than you do, and that you should listen to them. How to respond to “change the course” suggestions. We then sought and received a venture investment from a top tier Silicon Valley VC firm, whose partner came onto the board.

Venture Capital 136

Venture Capital Course Email Ideas 136

Berkonomics

JANUARY 10, 2019

Investors will invariably try to tell you that they know much more about the “how to” than you do, and that you should listen to them. How to respond to “change the course” suggestions. We then sought and received a venture investment from a top tier Silicon Valley VC firm, whose partner came onto the board.

Venture Capital 120

Venture Capital Course Email Ideas 120

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 29, 2009

Handling PR with VCs. This is part of my series on How to Raise VC but could equally be filed under Startup Advice more generally. Just notice how many VC emails you get after your TechCrunch article or after you were on stage at TC50. He started the call by telling me he had exciting news.

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Venture Capital Press News Startup 291

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2014

We all intuitively know how important human connections are in business but for many people it’s like exercise or eating well – one of those things you keep meaning to get around to. After my first Tweet with the Notorious mothafucka quote , I thought about my role as a VC and I Tweeted the following. How did I get here?

Networking 366

Networking Startup CTO Coach Email 366

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

But VC is like congress. They see how hard she does her job. “This essay is dedicated to the great VC’s on my board who I am lucky to work with: Sameer Gandhi from Accel, Jeremy Liew from Lightspeed, and Kirsten Green from Forerunner. .” Their data looks at tech VCs. Because they know him or her.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2011

I hope I straddled people’s points of view well enough not to have offended anybody while adding a framework for how I think about the service. I hope I straddled people’s points of view well enough not to have offended anybody while adding a framework for how I think about the service. So why I am writing it then?

Venture Capital 267

Venture Capital Writing Blogging Startup 267

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2011

I took the opportunity this past week to publish summary notes of some of the VCs and entrepreneurs I had interviewed on This Week in VC. One of my goals in doing the show was not only to educate entrepreneurs but also to put a human face on many of the VCs in our industry as VCs can be hard to get to know. 1:00 – 3:40).

Capital 265

Capital Venture Capital Veoh Startup 265

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

They have totally changed the way you run a VC firm, investing heavily in systems & events for their founders that are pushing the boundaries of the way our industry works. But now you can learn the origins first hand on this YouTube video as well as how to approach them, how they make decisions and what innovations they've introduced.

Capital 284

Capital Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 284

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

I’m enjoying being a VC. I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 384

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2019

But what if you are an introvert, or new to this game, and don’t know where or how to start? Business groups like TiE-The Indus Entrepreneurs and EO-Entrepreneurs Organization are places to meet people you can help, as well as people who can help you. Remember it helps to give a little to get something back.

Networking 90

Networking Entrepreneur Social Network Activity 90

InfoChachkie

MAY 22, 2012

You might be at Step 2 with one VC and Step 3 with another. However, the greater degree you can sequentially follow these steps and maintain your discussions with each venture capitalist (VC) at relatively the same stage, the sooner you can spend less time in the company of investors and get back to running your business. Prep Steps.

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Venture Capital Capital Research Customer 236

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2013

I recently wrote a post about how to manage relationships when you’re at a startup or are busy executive. We once took a “vacation” in Spain with Tania’s parents but we were in the midst of an M&A transaction so this photo is how my wife & her family remember me on that trip.

Tips 418

Tips Startup Email Blogging 418

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2010

How do I basically tell people “I’m sorry, I don’t have time&# in a nice way? How do I basically tell people “I’m sorry, I don’t have time&# in a nice way? How do I punt on people? I’m getting better at it, but it becomes difficult at times.&#. I feel the same way.

Startup 305

Startup Venture Capital Writing Conference 305

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Email readers, continue here…] Bootstrapping: This term describes your ability to start a business with little investment and grow it using internally-generated funds. The subject of raising money is critical to many businesses and a passing option to others, depending upon the capital efficiency of the enterprise.

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Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

We have significant VC commitments (listed below) – every entering company will get $50,000 in funding, mentorship from top VCs and successful entrepreneurs plus free office space. To provide an opportunity for VCs and senior executives to engage with the community by giving back rather than just attending more cocktail parties.

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Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

I’ve talked in the past about how I manage my own creative process. I’ve talked in the past about how I manage my own creative process. I zone out and think about how things could be different. Board Meetings. Conferences. I get sucked up in “Do” mode. Startups Are for Doers. I know it sounds obvious.

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Venture Capital Conference Ideas Entrepreneur 400

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2012

I was here to see one of our LPs (limited partners are the people who invest money in VC funds) called Fort Washington. In the age of Skype, email, cheap telephony and collaboration tools it’s all too easy to sit in your office and connect with people remotely. I felt nostalgic. It’s easy to discount Cincy – it’s a “flyover state.”

Press 364

Press Course Startup Email 364

Berkonomics

JANUARY 5, 2012

Investors will invariably try to tell you that they know much more about the “how to” than you do, and that you should listen to them. Email readers, continue here.] If you reach that point with suggestions from these people trying to help, think carefully about how to respond, whether with facts, instinct or support from others.

Entrepreneur 136

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Course Startup 136

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

VC's love to talk about their successes. Exceptions exist, such as the highly self-aware Paige Craig, who recently described how he missed out becoming Airbnb's first investor. Exceptions exist, such as the highly self-aware Paige Craig, who recently described how he missed out becoming Airbnb's first investor.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

She learns how to ship product, how to deal with merchants, how to hire product managers. Note: if you’re a parent please check out their website. Kara called me on a Tuesday. She was leaving IAC to start a company. “Tasha, clear some space on my calendar tomorrow. Does that work for you?” ” Kara came.

Startup 398

Startup Design Downey Activity 398

Berkonomics

JULY 3, 2010

If you take smart money from a good angel or venture organization, the lead investor usually becomes your board member and has a vested interest in your success. Email readers continue here.] How do you pay a coach? Business coaches come in all sizes and shapes.

Coach 179

Coach Organization Resource Equity 179

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

So I hope y’all understand (Especially the chap who sent me a private message saying how frustrating he found my typos to be. So I hope y’all understand (Especially the chap who sent me a private message saying how frustrating he found my typos to be. Thank you to anybody who sent Jason a note on Twitter on my behalf.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

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.

Venture Capital 255

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Social Network 255

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I rarely talk to any startup entrepreneur or VC who doesn’t feel it and somehow long for simpler times despite the benefits we all enjoy from increased enthusiasm for our sector. We are experiencing a frenetic time. For entrepreneurs there’s too much money sloshing around. For investors life is no different.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 10, 2010

If you’re not familiar with the term it’s basically trying to help all of us who are deluged with technology to find ways to cope with the masses of information without having it ruin our lives. A couple of years ago I read the popular book, “The Four Hour Workweek &# by Tim Ferriss. So I don’t read too many of them.

Startup 295

Startup Email Technical Review Course 295

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 11, 2011

I recently had the pleasure of spending an hour with Jon Steinberg, president of Buzzfeed , a company who focuses on helping media companies make their content go viral. We also talked about why Jon decided to leave Google to become an EIR at a VC firm (Polaris) – minute 33. That’s why people turn up to Buzzfeed.

Buzzfeed 354

Buzzfeed Content Tips Blogging 354

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2016

But what if you are an introvert, or new to this game, and don’t know where or how to start? Business groups like TiE-The Indus Entrepreneurs and EO-Entrepreneurs Organization are places to meet people you can help, as well as people who can help you. Remember it helps to give a little to get something back.

Networking 63

Networking Social Network Activity Entrepreneur 63

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

How did you start blogging? How did you start blogging? “My Brad Feld is a fountain of knowledge & wisdom. I had the chance to sit down with him for an hour and ask him loads of questions that I thought you’d enjoy hearing. Or, as always, summary notes available below. Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288