Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

Yesterday I saw a Tweet from Chris Sacca fly by that prompted me to want to write a blog post helping entrepreneurs understand why they should push back against VCs asking for “super pro-rata” rights. These investors often have internal policies that dictate that they own a minimum percentage of a company in which they invest.

Entrepreneur 310

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Writing Invest 310

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2021

When an entrepreneur first incorporates a business, they may find themselves the proud owner of 10 million shares of common stock, commonly called founder’s shares. every entrepreneur should incorporate early and file an 83(b) election with the IRS within 30 days of founding the company. In the U.S., In the U.S.,

Startup 119

Startup Entrepreneur Acquisition Demand 119

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

I use George Bush vs. Al Gore as allegory and I’ve been using it with entrepreneurs for years to sink in a simple point about how to communicate with the market. Most Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs I know are more like Al Gore. And I think this is a mistake. It is election season. They want a simple deck that sells.

Entrepreneur 370

Entrepreneur Startup Press Venture Capital 370

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 29, 2010

This is part of my series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. I started the series talking about what I consider the most important attribute of an entrepreneur : Tenacity. Entrepreneurs play to win and they take losing seriously.

Competition 296

Competition Entrepreneur Startup GRP Partners 296

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

If you truly believe that you, your company and your products are exceptional and your company will be valuable then you’re actually doing them a FAVOR by helping them invest in your startup. If you don’t believe in your bones that you’re amazing then it’s no wonder you don’t want to sell them on making the investment.”

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

This is the third article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). I’d rather be Roger Ehrenberg with a thesis around data-centric companies and base my investment decisions on my background. Part 1 – Access to Great Deal Flow – is here.

Invest 152

Invest Angel Venture Capital Startup 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2013

Seed investments” are early stage financings (typically less than $1.5 Of course, there are still qualms, cautions, and risks highlighted by these reports that every entrepreneur needs to understand, to optimize their own chances of getting the funding they want: A “Series A Crunch” could orphan 1000+ startups. This is nothing new.

Startup 99

Startup Invest Venture Capital Seed Funding 99

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2015

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2014

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 114

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 114

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2014

Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young. As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cashflow personally every day. You will make mistakes.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

With the current volatile economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. This approach is thus not viable for entrepreneurs already out of money. Increased jeopardy and less fun for the entrepreneur. Yet reverse mergers are not all bad.

Funding 104

Funding Summary Entrepreneur Acquisition 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young. As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day. You will make mistakes.

Search Engine Optimization 103

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2022

The next thing that entrepreneurs need to realize is that the process and framework for making social media marketing work are different from traditional marketing, and trial and error certainly doesn’t work. Measuring is all about return-on-investment (ROI). See some recent examples in the 10 of the Top Social Media Campaigns of 2021.

Social Media 135

Social Media Framework Media Metrics 135

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2016

I was reminded of this yesterday watching my friend Justin Kan on Snapchat with this 10-second reminder, “No matter how much you raise at your company you’ll end up spending it in 12–24 months” https://medium.com/media/8594cb16d022a083932b0f3d60b79ebd/href I would probably amend it to say 12–18 months.

Startup 292

Startup Software Review Pricing Entrepreneur 292

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2017

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 56

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 56

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. In the early 80’s he left academia to work on venture capital investing with Jim Simons, Renaissance Technologies. Investing Strategy. and Half.com.

Capital 284

Capital Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 284

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 12, 2010

Join us for a discussion about female entrepreneurs, the types of companies they start, why they start them and whether VC is right for them. Learn the top 10 things that VCs look for in a potential investment and some common mistakes made by companies seeking venture financing. See [link] (more).

Funding 100

Funding Santa Monica Venture Capital Entrepreneur 100

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. I''m not talking about one or two people responding, we get 10, 15, 20 responses for a particular problem. crawl(ing) up.".

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2019

With the current strong economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. This approach is thus not viable for entrepreneurs already out of money. Increased jeopardy and less fun for the entrepreneur. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

Summary 121

Summary Startup Entrepreneur Funding 121

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young. As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day. You will make mistakes.

Search Engine Optimization 124

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 124

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 9, 2013

In a similar vein, a 2012 study by the Kauffman Foundation noted that women account for only 10% of all the founders of high-tech startups. At Rincon Venture Partners , we have invested in several female entrepreneurs(so far), including Tracy DiNunzio, Founder and CEO of Tradesy. What Gives? Sara Blakely of Spanx, Oprah, etc.),

Customer 185

Customer Custom Study Metrics 185

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2019

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Resource 97

Resource Entrepreneur Social Network SpaceX 97

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

This has led VC & entrepreneur bloggers alike to similar conclusions: start raising capital early and be careful about having too high of a burn rate because that lessens the amount of runway you have until you need more cash. I’m surprised how few entrepreneurs have this open conversation with their investors.

Startup 150

Startup Capital Funding Invest 150

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

Every investment so far in this YC batch (and there have been a lot) has been done on a convertible note.&#. I’ve written about the topic of convertible debt at length before specifically about how angels & entrepreneurs should think about pricing. Clearly this is is a trend and a topic that is interesting entrepreneurs.

Equity 319

Equity Pricing Venture Capital Entrepreneur 319

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

However, they seldom acknowledge their mistakes. What’s The Worst Mistake? Mistakes can be categorized as “false positives” or “false negatives.” In the startup world, the former happens when a VC makes a bad investment, and the latter occurs when they miss a great opportunity. VC's love to talk about their successes.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

“Learn from the mistakes of others. As an entrepreneur and startup investor, I have helped create companies which achieved two IPOs which collectively raised over $100 million, as well as two acquisitions which totaled $385 million. During those same 25-years, I also made innumerable mistakes. 8 ) Grant Exclusivity.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 22, 2011

By early 2010, I found my stylistic voice and identified my audience of emerging entrepreneurs and thus dropped my penname. In addition, my role as Partner at Rincon Venture Partners provided me with a business reason to invest additional time and effort into my humble blog. 10 Rookie Mistakes You Won’t Make.

Newsletter 205

Newsletter Blogging Santa Barbara Content 205

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. I''m not talking about one or two people responding, we get 10, 15, 20 responses for a particular problem. crawl(ing) up.".

Newsletter 133

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2015

When an entrepreneur first incorporates his or her business, he or she may find him or herself the proud owner of 10 million shares of common stock, commonly called founder’s shares. every entrepreneur should incorporate early and file an 83(b) election with the IRS within 30 days of founding the company. In the U.S.,

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Acquisition Demand 99

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

The reason one would accept losses is when they are investments in fueling faster growth. Perhaps the most misused terms I see these days from entrepreneurs involve CAC (customer acquisition costs) and LTV (life time value) and a lack of understanding these critical components is driving many companies to premature failure.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young. As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day. You will make mistakes.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

Entrepreneurs always walk away with new relationships, knowledge, deal discussions and enthusiasm. And it’s his mantra for successful entrepreneurs, “you need to be extremely focused on the details.” The Greycroft event was a 10 out of 10 so I’ve diligently taken notes. He says this is a mistake.

Startup 279

Startup Venture Capital Tips Custom Development 279

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 8, 2014

Back in January, at the annual TechZulu Startup Forecast , our panel of industry leaders and investors spent a healthy dose of time discussing the ongoing JOBS Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) and the investing sphere at large. Chance is a local grown entrepreneur with a 15 year track record. Creating Crowdfunder.

Invest 83

Invest Platform Entrepreneur Paramount 83

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2019

The first thing that entrepreneurs need to realize is that the process and framework for making social media marketing work are different from traditional marketing, and trial and error certainly doesn’t work. Measuring is all about return-on-investment (ROI). See some recent examples in the The 10 Best Social Media Campaigns of 2018.

Social Media 96

Social Media Media Marketing Metrics 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2018

With the current strong economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. This approach is not for entrepreneurs already out of money. Increased jeopardy and less fun for the entrepreneur. Being a public company isn’t cheap or easy.

Summary 79

Summary Startup Entrepreneur Funding 79

InfoChachkie

MARCH 1, 2012

Despite the book’s shortcomings, it contains a number of insightful lessons for budding entrepreneurs. Of the 100 business “lessons” articulated in the book, I highlight a few below that I feel are the most relevant and impactful for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs can learn from their achievements as well as their failures.

Tips 259

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Product 259

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young. As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day. You will make mistakes.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 108