Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

I’ve raised in boom markets and when everybody thought the Internet was a fraud. I raised money as an entrepreneur, like you, in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005 for two different companies. I now observes the fund raising process as a profession. This is the fund raising perspective from both sides of the table.

Develop 366

Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

My advice to entrepreneurs was and is “ when the hors d’oeuvres tray is being passed take two ” (e.g. So I agreed to offer my current thinking on the economy and what it portends for the VC industry & fund raising for entrepreneurs. While not 1999 all over again but I am observing first-hand the signs of funding frenzy.

Entrepreneur 298

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 298

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. Amount of funding provided is usually not enough. Many fail spectacularly after exceeding their funding objectives.

Funding 101

Funding Equity Entrepreneur Invest 101

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 3, 2012

Coincident has created a platform that will allow storytellers and producers to create robust second screen stories on the fly that incorporate video, images and other web content. What is coming is Internet-enabled televisions, content streaming with built-in social media interactions in real time and multiple screen activities.

Screening 109

Screening Content CTO Hire Platform 109

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

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? 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.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 384

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2022

These days, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, pitching their latest and greatest new idea, and looking for someone to give them money. Talk is cheap, but entrepreneurs who show you a working model of their idea know how to execute. Give yourself time to pivot without dire consequences. Proceed with your wits about you.

Outsource Development 110

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2013

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. Amount of funding provided is usually not enough. Crowd sample size and makeup not representative of market.

Funding 106

Funding Equity Entrepreneur Sample 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

Others, like Guy Kawasaki , have irreverently called some of these “entrepreneur lies,” but I prefer to think of them as innocent enhancements or omissions that can kill your deal. Target market sizing higher than $10 billion. Sales projections are less than one percent market penetration. Skip the hype.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In the first post in this three part series I described why I believe the VC market froze between September 2008 – April 2009. So we loaded up on flat screen TVs, multiple generations of iPods and trips to Hawaii. Unemployment coupled with a stock market drop will stop this spending cold IMHO. So why the ’09 bounce?

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Startup Funding Technical Review 269

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Now they are coming back, and the best even provide networking, technical leadership, and seed funding, as well as investors waving money at graduates. The incubation period is very short and intense, usually intending to drive entrepreneurs from ideas to marketable products in a matter of months.

Entrepreneur 86

Entrepreneur Incubator Startup Seed Funding 86

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2013

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. The first words out of your mouth should be “Can everyone hear me, and read the screen?” entrepreneur startup funding angel investors presentation business'

Angel 102

Angel Funding Slides Technical Review 102

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

million in funding from Rebecca Minkoff and other unnamed investors. Influencers and creators are small businesses and if you think about all the things that small businesses need these days to succeed, they will be repurposed for the influencer marketing space.”. Last month, the product launched with $1.2

Platform 170

Platform Marketing Tool Venture Capital 170

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from AngelSoft , only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” are eliminated during due diligence.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2011

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? 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.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 176

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 176

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2011

One of the hot new approaches I have seen around the country for assisting startups looking for funding has been “crowd-sourcing” sites ( Kickstarter ) or “crowd-pitching” events ( Funding Universe ). These are variations on a “crowd-funding” theme to raise money for a startup through social networks and voting at public events.

Funding 92

Funding Startup Social Media Sample 92

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

These days, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, pitching their latest and greatest new idea, and looking for someone to give them money. Talk is cheap, but entrepreneurs who show you a working model of their idea know how to execute. Give yourself time to pivot without dire consequences. Proceed with your wits about you.

Outsource Development 124

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 124

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2010

Any SoCal entrepreneur raising early-stage money should put Rincon on their short list. No cookies for guessing which reason they use to market to us. First, no matter what anybody tells you (people don’t want to believe that we’re influenced by the crowd), social proof is hugely important in fund raising.

Guide 293

Guide Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 293

socalTECH

MARCH 21, 2014

For Friday''s interview, we spoke with Terry Kay ithe new Chairman of the Pasadena Angels (www.pasadenaangels.com) on the group, and its relevance in the technology funding world today. Terry Kay: We have always been about helping the entrepreneurs succeed, first, and then, we figure out how we get our fair share from that success.

Pasadena Angels 162

Pasadena Angels Pasadena Angel Startup 162

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2021

How do you reinvent your startup-focused on in-person, grass roots marketing-in the face of a global pandemic? We have the data where those universities are, we have the human resources and curated marketing labor. No different than Uber has drivers, Field Day has marketers. Talk about your financial backing?

Marketing 113

Marketing Los Angeles Zag Startup 113

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 8, 2009

Your friends and advisers tell you that this means you need revenue because in this economy VC’s will only fund businesses with revenue. The “more traction&# feedback is a very typical scenario is a down market economy like the one we’re in. Fund raising is an ongoing process and not an event on a workplan.

Venture Capital 309

Venture Capital Guide Startup Technical Review 309

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. The importance of screening this film is to raise the awareness of bias within men!”

Venture Capital 256

Venture Capital Examples Screening Help 256

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

I’m very excited to be finally be able to announce that this week we’ve added Sam Rosen to our ranks at GRP Partners in the role of entrepreneurs-in-residence – EIR. We’re excited to continue to grow our investment professional staff and will continue to do so over the course of 2013 & 2014 with our new fund.

Startup 372

Startup Course Ideas Invest 372

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Most of these investors are members of Angel groups that have a rigorous filtering and screening process, to select the top 3% and most fundable proposals. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.”

Angel 104

Angel Screening Summary Startup 104

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

In a bid to change that, there are a few groups working on helping women entrepreneurs, investors, and others, including the Pipeline Fellowship (www.pipelinefellowship.com), which recently launched itself into the Los Angeles market. It''s not only an education program, but it''s also a source of funding.

Angel 276

Angel Invest Mentor Technical Review 276

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2010

One of the hot new approaches I have seen around the country for assisting startups looking for funding has been “crowd-sourcing” tools ( ProFounder ) or “crowd-pitching” events ( Funding Universe ). These are variations on a “crowd-funding” theme to raise money for a startup through social networks and voting at public events.

Funding 59

Funding Startup Social Media Sample 59

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

” And even the venerable Fred Wilson weighed in with how people “ leading vs. following ” in funding rounds play different roles and have different skills. AngelList 101 : As you know, AngelList is a platform where angels can invest in semi-screened tech deals. So there you have it. Must be doing something right!

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

Deal screening. VC firm policy or fund analysis. Great networking skills, which are critical when you want to be about to reference entrepreneurs & concepts and bounce your ideas off of other people in the industry. And we had to then build out new marketing materials and a website. Portfolio community building.

Help 365

Help Invest Venture Capital Technical Review 365

Tech Coast Venture Network

MARCH 9, 2011

Investors and entrepreneurs who won at the fundraising game during and after the Great Recession offer advice on landing equity money. But as the stock market edges ever higher and the wealthier feel healthier, there’s a good chance that American startups will also get their moment in the sun. By Monica Mehta. million in 2010.

Tips 100

Tips Capital Tech Coast Angels Screening 100

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Should I trust my instincts for founders and products or should I be more focused on the market size or business plan? Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. They are likely taking losses on their first project with the entrepreneur so they select carefully.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 14, 2014

It’s why the first company I ever invested in as a VC – Invoca – just announced a $20 million funding by Accel Partners. It’s why opt-in marketing databases can be so incredibly valuable for companies like Gilt Groupe, One King’s Lane and AdoreMe. Much more data in the full post. THE FULL STORY.

Email 339

Email SaaS Venture Capital Google 339

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2011

We were talking about a company, Factual (disclosure my firm is an investor), which was founded by one of LA’s most talented Internet entrepreneurs, Gil Elbaz , who as co-founder of Applied Semantics (purchased by pre-IPO Google for $102 million and now Google AdSense) is responsible for a large portion of the Internet’s monetization.

Venture Capital 313

Venture Capital Southern California Google Startup 313

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2020

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. The first words out of your mouth should be “Can everyone hear me, and read the screen?” Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation.

Startup 118

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 118

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2016

I do regular (almost daily) “Snapstorms” of content around one topic for entrepreneurs and VCs. The starting screen every time is the camera. Look at the top of your screen in the middle and you’ll see the Snapchat ghost. If you look at the bottom of your screen you’ll see buttons in each bottom corner.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Screening Venture Capital Guide 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2015

These days, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, pitching their latest and greatest new idea, and looking for someone to give them money. Talk is cheap, but entrepreneurs who show you a working model of their idea know how to execute. Give yourself time to pivot without dire consequences. Proceed with your wits about you.

Ideas 107

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Tool 107

socalTECH

JULY 14, 2009

The bulk of all professional Venture Capital is managed out of offices based in Silicon Valley and most of these fund managers like to invest close to home. So how does an entrepreneur based in SoCal get the attention of VC funds today? So how does an entrepreneur based in SoCal get the attention of VC funds today?

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Southern California Invest Tech Coast Angels 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from Gust (formerly AngelSoft), only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Line up an experienced team.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

Then there is the EIR (entrepreneur in residence) who is usually at a VC for a temporary period of time and other individuals such as venture partners or operating partners. While this post is written about raising venture capital (which I always remind entrepreneurs IS a sales process) the lessons can be applied to any sale or biz dev deal.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Sales Entrepreneur Startup 308