Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series called “ Start-up Lessons.&#. He writes with a great perspective and is well worth reading. I came across this blog post about getting a computer science degree as the best degree for getting into venture capital or working at a VC-backed start up. So back to MBAs.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

If you need to know how to do something, just look it up online. My message today is to avoid the consultant stigma by signing up to do the job, not just talk about it. My message today is to avoid the consultant stigma by signing up to do the job, not just talk about it. But certainly the Internet doesn’t do the job for you.

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Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 22, 2012

And in most cases I would heed Fred Wilson’s advice about the “double opt-in” email for intros – where you ask for permission before green-lighting an unsolicited introductions. At a minimum you’re obligating them to ignore the email and feel like an arse for not responding to your introduction.

Email 359

Email Venture Capital Startup Technical Review 359

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 29, 2013

A well-intentioned colleague introduced me to a stranger via email, without first confirming with me that the intro was welcomed. The Art Of The Email Matchmaking. Ideally, you will abide by all of the steps outlined herein to ensure that your email introductions are effective and meaningful. It just happened again.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I tend to see many of the same obstacles appearing in every new startup, and since I don’t want to appear to be a downer , I’m not sure how to properly warn people ahead of time to be on the alert for these challenges. Even the strongest relationships are often tested and broken by the stresses of a new startup.

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InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

You can watch/listen to how John and Kyle turned their email newsletter into an international bestseller in the following 9-minute excerpt from John''s recent talk at UC Santa Barbara. Upon graduation from Wharton, John and Kyle launched a startup based upon a simple, pedestrian product: a computer mouse shaped like the head of a golf driver.

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Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

Having read his latest op-ed on email I know why I erred towards the side of of not loving his book as much as some did. Apparently he’s an “organizational psychologist professor and thinks that it’s rude not to answer email. I also surmise that perhaps organizational psychologists don’t get as much unsolicited emails as some of us do.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2012

Badly written letters, long rambling or emotional emails, or an obvious lack of spell checking will brand you as a poor business risk before the message is even considered. No one is born with business writing skills, and everyone can learn them. Tailor writing to your audience. Develop a friendly business writing voice.

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Writing Email Tips Startup 89

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 29, 2014

I often describe “chutzpah” as being able to skate right up to the line of acceptability without crossing over it. Years ago I started using the term “politely persistent” to remind people that you still need to be likable even if you have gumption. It’s your job to persist. Nothing beats a warm intro.

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Venture Capital Email Startup Conference 389

InfoChachkie

JULY 22, 2013

In their new book Startup Life , serial entrepreneur and venture investor Brad Feld, along with his wife Amy Batchelor, describe what has, and has not, worked for them during their 22-year relationship. Brad is in the midst of writing a series of startup-oriented books. You can watch our 10-minute discussion below.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

If you’re a startup and you don’t have a close relationship with a few law firms you’re really missing one of the most important relationships that any entrepreneur can have. Many people start companies arse backwards. I write about some of the lessons in my post on Startup Mistakes.

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Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

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. I had images in my brain of all of the stresses I had placed on my wife in the heyday of my startups. A spouse’s hints for surviving an incredibly busy start-up person.

Tips 418

Tips Startup Email Blogging 418

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

I got an email recently from my friend & fellow VC, Jeff Bussgang from Flybridge Capital Partners in Boston. Her post is short & well written so definitely worth a read if you’re a startup person and want to hear some sensible views on sales. And that leads me to today’s post.

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Startup Sales Course Competition 319

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

She was leaving IAC to start a company. Somehow she was always on a flight up to Seattle or San Francisco. Didn’t I make myself clear about celebrities & startups ? Soleil returns emails at 1.30am. She helps write press releases. Turns out she’s done this startup thing before. Kara as CEO.

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Startup Design Downey Activity 398

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 7, 2013

When I first started writing this blog several years ago I had less followers than you have right now. But the realist in me knew I couldn’t write daily nor could I convince you to think to check out my blog with regularity. .” It’s like a Pachinko machine (yes, I had one in my house growing up).

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InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

You can watch/listen to how John and Kyle turned their email newsletter into an international bestseller in the following 9-minute excerpt from John''s recent talk at UC Santa Barbara. Upon graduation from Wharton, John and Kyle launched a startup based upon a simple, pedestrian product: a computer mouse shaped like the head of a golf driver.

Newsletter 133

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

Badly written letters, long rambling or emotional emails, or an obvious lack of spell checking will brand you as a poor business risk before the message is even considered. No one is born with business writing skills, and everyone can learn them. Tailor writing to your audience. Develop a friendly business writing voice.

Writing 90

Writing Content Email Tips 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2018

You race back to the office to tell everybody how well it went and you wait for the follow-up call to have a partners’ meeting or talk about term sheets or at least dip into due diligence. I raced home to put my kids to bed, say hello to my wife and then spend a grueling administrative hour doing email. What do I do now?

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Software Review Startup Email Conference 381

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

But … … was thinking about a very common BSAK error that I see committed – the “flaming email.” When I had a startup I had a method for avoiding these BSAK errors. I would write the email and be as scathing as I wanted to be. I would write the email and be as scathing as I wanted to be.

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Writing Email Startup Ideas 292

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 12, 2010

We started with our financial statements. So I changed things up and became much happier with my results. 1. Set two strategic topics per board meeting and start with them – I bet most of you feel that you have pretty talented people around the table but you get stuck talking about the minutiae of your business.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2022

Now, even the earliest stage startup can rise to visibility or be forever lost by their first media spotlight, so it behooves us all to know the rules early. These days the media formats range from email, phone, radio, television, to social media. Don’t wait for a reputation-destroying disaster to start your learning.

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Media Tips Social Media Startup 118

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 8, 2010

Don’t blog about what you think would be “cool.&# I don’t think that most startup blogs should be about how to build a startup. The new stuff: How do I get started? The advantage of the hosted version is that it’s easier to get started. Slice it up enough to do many posts.

Blogging 286

Blogging Startup Writing Summary 286

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 21, 2018

There is nothing quite as thrilling in business as igniting a startup and watching it blossom. Especially when starting a company with personal savings or money from relatives and friends, early signs of success are intoxicating. Write your own Hollywood script. But the excitement begins much earlier.

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Hollywood Writing Press Startup 120

SoCal CTO

MARCH 12, 2012

I've recently received several emails from people looking for a technical cofounder for their startup. I promised I would write this post with some thoughts and ideas on the topic. Here's an example of that kind of email. Make sure you go through the 32 Questions Developers May Have Forgot to Ask a Startup Founder.

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CTO Hire CTO Coach Startup Equity 211

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2012

As an entrepreneur, it’s never too early to start selling yourself and your idea. I hear lots of excuses from startup founders, like “I’m too busy,” concern over IP security, can’t afford an agency, and it’s too early. Start forum discussions on LinkedIn and Facebook, and send out regular tweets on your direction.

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Startup Writing Newsletter Blogging 96

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

I told him only 2 weeks ago when we were in London together that I wanted to write a blog post that has been in my head for 2 years. Dave is terrible with email. He’s so bad that his email auto-responder tells you he likely won’t email you back. And so are most startup CEOs for that matter. He doesn’t email you.

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Startup Venture Capital Email Writing 309

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2016

In 2006 I started using Facebook and most of my friends & colleagues thought I was strange. In 2007 I started using Twitter and most of my friends & colleagues wondered why people would care what I ate for lunch. In 2008 I started VC blogging. In 2011 I started using Instagram. Sometimes they’re just a bit of fun.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2019

If you want the whole deck you can find it on SlideShare but I’ve written up a short summary with commentary below. Yes, VC / Startup Funding is up Massively If you look at how much VC firms have raised from Limited Partners (LPs) over the past 2 decades you’ll see that we’ve returned to a level that we haven’t seen since 1999.

Venture Capital 292

Venture Capital Capital Startup Funding 292

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2015

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Startup 108

Startup Social Network Mentor Entrepreneur 108

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2017

As executives we’re all seemingly accessible at any moment to anybody via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Text. I have written about this before and often recommend to executives that they do less, but complete more by avoiding the shiny objects and distractions stop us from living up to our true potential.

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Activity Blogging Email Startup 297

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

I recently sat down with Matt Coffin , the founder of LowerMyBills, which sold for $400 million but was very nearly a bankruptcy only a few years early, and talked “startups.&#. Matt is one of the most transparent, focused & honest startup guys you’ll meet. Or read the quick, informative summary below the image!

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Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 16, 2011

For starting relationships today that won’t pay off for a year. It is a piece of actionable advice that if you put into practice starting next week will start paying dividends in the near future. You send them update emails. If you want to read more about hiring at a startup check out: 1. Recruiting.

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Startup Writing Press Venture Capital 410

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 7, 2015

I love how open Danielle has been throughout the development of her startup Mattermark including honest reflections of when she has changed her opinion. And from Nancy Hua … “Too many angels can also hurt a start-up and be taken as an indication that a company is not strong enough to attract any one “lead” investor, said Ms.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2011

As an entrepreneur, it’s never too early to start selling yourself and your idea. I hear lots of excuses from startup founders, like “I’m too busy,” concern over IP security, can’t afford an agency, and it’s too early. Start forum discussions on LinkedIn and Facebook, and send out regular tweets on your direction.

Startup 92

Startup Writing Newsletter Blogging 92

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2014

If you need to know how to do something, just look it up online. My message today is to avoid the consultant stigma by signing up to do the job, not just talk about it. My message today is to avoid the consultant stigma by signing up to do the job, not just talk about it. business consultant entrepreneur specialist startup'

Startup 102

Startup Slides Customer Custom 102

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Constance Curtis , the Founder and CEO of The List (www.getthelistapp.com), thinks so, and tells us about her startup's efforts to bring the world of matchmaking to the modern worldand how her own frustration with online dating let to her startup. With matchmaking, you hire someone to do everything for you, setting you up for dates.

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