Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2014

Not so long ago, training to meet the press and television reporters was a realm reserved for top business executives only. Most entrepreneurs I know admit to a poor first media interaction, and many are still waiting for the instant replay. Why do many entrepreneurs think they can “wing it” and get the same results?

Press 105

Press Social Media Startup Training 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Every investor expects to see some business traction, both before and after a funding event. I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Funding 112

Funding Entrepreneur Startup CTO Hire 112

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

university, the California Institute of Technology has received a massive, $750M pledge from entrepreneurs Stewart and Lynda Resnick, to go to environmental sustainability research. Part of the funds will go towards the construction of a new, 75,000-square-foot building which will be named the Resnick Sustainability Resource Center.

CalTech 113

CalTech Research Press Resource 113

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

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

We are often asked how companies get funded, why VCs make the decisions we make and what we’re looking for in entrepreneurs. At Upfront we’re totally fine funding entrepreneurs who have done multiple businesses in the past – in fact we like it. But I’m guessing the narrative is similar elsewhere.

Funding 373

Funding Technical Review Startup Screening 373

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. One of the most important aims of a fund-raising process is to keep similar firms at the same stage of your process. Why 8–10 and not just 3–4?

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

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. Of these 19 have received funding (10 have received significant amounts of VC funding) and 5 have been acquired (2 for more than $30 million).

Venture Capital 287

Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 10, 2013

It’s only 12 minutes long and if you’re a first-time entrepreneur (or second time, frankly) I encourage you to watch it if for nothing else than to get a sense that your struggles are universal. Stop reading their press releases or hearing their founder talk about he is crushing it. You psyche each other out.

Startup 412

Startup Press Course Entrepreneur 412

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

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

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

“Hi [entrepreneur], I hope all is well. I’m an investor at [Big Name, Large Fund VC] and recently came across [Your Company]. I know the firm well and I know the entrepreneur & his business well. But if that’s all that they’re after then entrepreneurs should definitely be wary of taking these calls.

Venture Capital 294

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Email Equity 294

InfoChachkie

MAY 6, 2013

I was in a board meeting recently at Connexity when Dave Gross, the company''s Co-Founder and CEO, made an insightful observation regarding the shortage of Series A funds. The other primary factor contributing to the Series A shortfall is the concentration of venture capital funds in the hands of a shrinking number of large firms.

Entrepreneur 246

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Technical Review Capital 246

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

It seemed like the perfect match: A scientist founder from a top-tier academic institution; A technological innovation based on years and millions of dollars of federally-funded research in a university lab; And a successful entrepreneur and industry veteran named as the CEO of the startup that would take the work forward.

Tips 105

Tips Press Research Entrepreneur 105

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 27, 2013

The start of this series was, Should Your Startup Announce Funding ? It’s also important for recruiting, fund raising, business development and even company morale. I mostly like to have coverage in the tech press where most of my customers (entrepreneurs) and business partners (other VCs) are.

Blogging 309

Blogging Journal Press Startup 309

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2023

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. On the other hand, spending your entire startup budget on market research won’t improve your odds of success or funding.

Statistics 120

Statistics Research Report Newsletter 120

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2011

Never Blame the Press. The most tempting thing for inexperienced entrepreneurs to do is to attack the press. But don’t pick a fight with the press. It’s the job of the press to hold us all to account and question our conduct, our performance, our accuracy our businesses. We live in a free society.

Startup 329

Startup Press Training Media 329

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Of course these are great places to network with other investors, meet great entrepreneurs and keep your connections strong with senior execs at larger companies like Yahoo!, And when the press releases and the attaboys wear off it still comes down to real work. And there’s conferences. Oh, the conferences. Web Summit.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2014

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market-research data. On the other hand, spending your entire startup budget on market research won’t improve your odds of success or funding.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Statistics Research 97

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2013

And a few teams of super talented, educated and bright entrepreneurs make a few mill. It has even gone so far that we now have evocative headlines in the tech press such as “ Buy or Die ,” which is what got me thinking about this post. The numbers you see announced in the press for deals are hardly ever right.

Press 357

Press Startup Yahoo Venture Capital 357

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

socalTECH

OCTOBER 21, 2010

KPCB announced its new sFund, a $250M fund which will invest in entrepreneurs in the social space, specifically highlighting Facebook as "the best place to build the next generation" of social businesses. KPCB said its new sFund will focus on the next generation of social entrepreneurs.

Social Network 201

Social Network Press Conference Networking 201

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

OCTOBER 7, 2013

Entrepreneurs need to listen to constructive criticism, but ignore negative vibes and complainers at all costs. If you are a complainer, and you are thinking of becoming an entrepreneur, think again. The world of an entrepreneur is tough, unpredictable, and fraught with risk. entrepreneur startup self-aware positive business'

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Press Coach 100

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2016

I even prefer to fund entrepreneurs who have experience some level of set-backs in their careers or startups because I think it brings a humility to decision-making that I find healthy. In London when founders failed they were ostracized in the press and culturally I believe it became harder to raise capital.

Startup 261

Startup Press Blogging .Net 261

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2022

Not so long ago, training to meet the press and television reporters was a realm reserved for top business executives only. Most entrepreneurs I know admit to a poor first media interaction, and many are still waiting for the instant replay. Why do many entrepreneurs think they can “wing it” and get the same results?

Media 118

Media Tips Social Media Startup 118

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

That company was Invoca, which just announced a $20 million fund raise led by Accel. So I think it’s now fair to rate me at 9/10 on follow-on fundings. “I think the best VCs help drive exits alongside their entrepreneurs. I am closing 3 new fundings in April (2 new, 1 follow-on). 5 years ago.

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2012

I had a very enjoyable day in Cincinnati meeting many local entrepreneurs, angels and accelerators. I was here to see one of our LPs (limited partners are the people who invest money in VC funds) called Fort Washington. You need to press the flesh. I went even further when I was an entrepreneur. All of that matters.

Press 364

Press Course Startup Email 364

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2012

Not so long ago, training to meet the press and television reporters was a realm reserved for top business executives only. Most entrepreneurs I know admit to a poor first media interaction, and many are still waiting for the instant replay. Why do many entrepreneurs think they can “wing it” and get the same results?

Training 93

Training Media Entrepreneur Social Media 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2014

Concentrate elsewhere on the near-term marketing activities (which are also expensive) for this round of funding. Put out regular press releases for search purposes and general visibility. business entrepreneur funding marketing budget mission startup' Use social media and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) to start.

Marketing 102

Marketing Funding Social Media SEM 102

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

We all know that funding markets have changed for startups. The trends are well understood: more angels, more seed funds, more crowdsourcing and so forth. They asked LPs to rush to get into their next side-car fund to have access to this great deal plus the LPs also get the “benefit” of investing in their next fund.

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Consistent with the statistics cited in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs , the large majority of John and Kyle''s classmates accepted positions at investment banks and consulting firms upon graduation. Dear Friends, We have no income and no venture capital funding. So naturally, we started getting all this product awareness, right?

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

The first check I wrote was just over 10 years ago into a company called Invoca who just announced a new $56 million in funding led by Scott Hilleboe at HIG Growth Partners. We not only have our Series A funds that can write $500k?—?$15 15 million first checks but we also have three growth funds.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 5, 2022

A few minutes away from downtown Atlanta, Collab Studio ATL describes itself as “a tech-based one-stop shop for content creators, HBCU students and young entrepreneurs to achieve their business goals.” Black Founders Matter presses VCs to pledge commitment to diversity. A post shared by Collab Studios (@collabstudiosatl).

Platform 210

Platform Social Media Netflix Content 210

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2012

Entrepreneurs need to listen to constructive criticism, but ignore negative vibes and complainers at all costs. If you are a complainer, and you are thinking of becoming an entrepreneur, think again. The world of an entrepreneur is tough, unpredictable, and fraught with risk. Redirect the conversation. Transfer responsibility.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Press Coach 104

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 13, 2012

A new venture fund had been launched, not because it was her husband’s but it was a totally unique and different fund and a timely move. The Thursday launch of Data Collective demonstrates the increasing uptake of Big Data and signals a new door for entrepreneurs building Big Data companies. Founded Two Years Ago.

Technical Review 74

Technical Review Entrepreneur Oracle Software Review 74

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. On the other hand, spending your entire startup budget on market research won’t improve your odds of success or funding.

Marketing 157

Marketing Statistics Research Report 157