InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

From a venture capitalist’s point of view, there are no “trick” questions. However, certain questions can be tricky for an entrepreneur to answer. Below are five common questions an entrepreneur will encounter when seeking venture funding. In most cases, professional investors are not looking for a particular answer.

Entrepreneur 253

Entrepreneur Google Invest RSS 253

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

by Michael Woolf that is worth any startup founder reading to get a sense of perspective on the reality warp that is startup world during a frothy market such as 1997-1999, 2005-2007 or 2012-2014. We’re going to start aggressively spend money on marketing our product. (it is also the title of a fabulous book from Internet 1.0

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

Seth Levine of Foundry Group addresses this important topic this morning on his blog with a post, “ Has Convertible Debt Won ?&# I have to say that I didn’t take the question to mean that convertible debt had won for the entire market, but either way it’s clear that convertible debt has become an increasing trend.

Equity 319

Equity Pricing Venture Capital Entrepreneur 319

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2018

Editor's note: All this week, and into the start of next year, we'll be featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. Here, we have the thoughts of Rob Freelen , Los Angeles Market Manager for Silicon Valley Bank (www.svb.com).

Southern California 133

Southern California SoCal Culver City Venture Capital 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Every good entrepreneur needs to invest skin in the game, to show credibility and leadership to others.

Startup 109

Startup Funding Equity Invest 109

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 5, 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 are inherently risk takers.

Entrepreneur 293

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital CTO Hire 293

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. They are incredibly smart and a huge command of details of complex markets and systems.

Entrepreneur 370

Entrepreneur Startup Press Venture Capital 370

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2022

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Most entrepreneurs never forget for a moment that having investors means owing money, even if they can legally argue that equity is not debt.

Funding 107

Funding Startup Satisfaction Venture Capital 107

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 29, 2012

From a venture capitalist’s point of view, there are no “trick” questions. However, certain questions can be tricky for an entrepreneur to answer. Below are five common questions an entrepreneur will encounter when seeking venture funding. In most cases, professional investors are not looking for a particular answer.

Entrepreneur 145

Entrepreneur Google Invest RSS 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2015

Image via Flickr by Jupiter Labs Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Every good entrepreneur needs to invest skin in the game, to show credibility and leadership to others.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Invest 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2021

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Every good entrepreneur needs to invest skin in the game, to show credibility and leadership to others.

Funding 138

Funding Startup Equity Invest 138

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 25, 2019

That’s why one former Goldman Sachs banker has partnered with two entrepreneurs from the traditional agriculture industry to create Bespoke Financial. “Cannabis will become a broad, mature industry just like any other, and if that is going to happen, there needs to be a debt structure that can support that,” Mancheril says.

Capital 103

Capital Company Companies Los Angeles 103

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

In 2016, our Santa Monica office more than doubled market share of early-stage companies. we're proud to be part of one of the world's most vibrant innovation ecosystems with some of the fastest growing companies and most creative entrepreneurs. Though we bank companies large and small around the globe, here in L.A. Rob Freelen: Focus.

Santa Monica 124

Santa Monica Southern California Venture Capital SoCalTech 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2020

In their passion to succeed, too many entrepreneurs treat friends and family investments as “low-hanging” fruit, only to find out later, after a stumble, that the pain of lost relationships is greater than the loss of their beloved startup. In the interim, there is no market for the shares, and no dividends or interest.

Funding 123

Funding Startup Equity Venture Capital 123

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 29, 2020

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Most entrepreneurs never forget for a moment that having investors means owing money, even if they can legally argue that equity is not debt.

Startup 124

Startup Satisfaction Venture Capital Entrepreneur 124

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2013

Instead of equity, the company is aimed at profiting profitable small businesses with business debt funding from investors, to help those businesses grow and get to the next level. They face only two options for financing their companies with debt. Why did you decide to focus on debt, not equity? What is Dealstruck?

Startup 247

Startup Software Review Entrepreneur Equity 247

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2016

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, or an existing business, and haven’t yet sized any of these opportunities, you may be already late to the game. With US student debt at over one trillion dollars, startups like Skillshare and Udemy provide top-class vocational training for the price of a Harvard hoodie. Marty Zwilling.

Marketing 52

Marketing Commerce Social Media Entrepreneur 52

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.” A post shared by Collab Studios (@collabstudiosatl). Image Credits: Robiiiworld (Brandy Merriweather via BStarPR).

Platform 210

Platform Social Media Netflix Content 210

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2010

Not that they’re “such a bad idea&# but more that there are inherent problems for entrepreneurs in the process of raising angel money that need to be addressed. This leads to the problem of “herding cats&# for entrepreneurs raising angel money. Another mechanism is “convertible debt with a cap&# (max price).

Venture Capital 286

Venture Capital Pricing Technical Review Startup 286

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

Often when startups who have raised venture capital need another round of financing they will turn to their existing investors to give them money before raising from outsiders. It starts as a debt instrument (e.g. Maybe the market views this as not worth the price you paid?

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

This was an audience of mostly first-time entrepreneurs. They have seen one side of a market where many of us have seen the ebb and flow multiple times. Still, market amnesia by ordinarily rational actors always surprises me. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. If you are interested the Vimeo is here.

Pricing 309

Pricing Marketing Startup Venture Capital 309

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2010

I continue to see stories of really young entrepreneurs, like this article on Business Fastlane , with kids as young as 9 years old who have successful businesses. Another one is The Little Entrepreneur by Michael H. The entire family can be active in the business venture. Tags: startup young entrepreneur age business.

Entrepreneur 87

Entrepreneur Commerce Blogging Training 87

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

There are real changes in the venture capital industry and it would have been fun to talk about them. We need venture debt, factoring companies and public markets. These days that’s not the case and it’s a great outcome for entrepreneurs and for innovation. Answer: Not much. It’s a shame.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Training Startup Entrepreneur 308

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. Nearly every successful entrepreneur is offered a relatively modest amount of money for their adVenture during its early days. Long Term Value – Look at your adVenture objectively, in the same manner as a Venture Capitalist (VC).

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Acquisition Pricing 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

As an advisor to young entrepreneurs, I find that many are a bit naïve about how the investment process really works. In my first working session with this entrepreneur, I suggested ways to break this request into stages or tranches, based on showing traction, with the first amount in a more affordable range of $50 thousand or less.

Tips 86

Tips Funding Startup Entrepreneur 86

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2012

That's the idea behind a new startup, Fundable , headed by serial entrepreneur Wil Schroter , which allows you to use rewards -- product, company schwag, an even equity -- as a tool to get your startup to the next stage. All of those companies already raise capital, they just don't use the traditional venture capital and angel ecosystem.

Startup 223

Startup Equity Venture Capital Ideas 223

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2013

We caught up with CEO Simon Anderson to learn more about the big debt funding round and how it came about, the complexities of providing founder liquidity in a bootstrapped company--and how the company is looking to use those funds to take the company to the next level. Our target market is entrepreneurs, creatives, and developers.

Software Review 238

Software Review Cloud Computing Technical Review Platform 238

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2 preamble issues having read the comments on TC today: 1: I know that the prices of startup companies is much great in Silicon Valley than in smaller towns / less tech focused areas in the US and the US prices higher than many foreign markets. I can’t control the market. Private markets for stocks are the opposite.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. Nearly every successful entrepreneur is offered a relatively modest amount of money for their adVenture during its early days. Long Term Value – Look at your adVenture objectively, in the same manner as a Venture Capitalist (VC).

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Acquisition Pricing .Net 124

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

In their passion to succeed, too many entrepreneurs treat friends and family investments as “low-hanging” fruit, only to find out later, after a stumble, that the pain of lost relationships is greater than the loss of their beloved startup. In the interim, there is no market for the shares, and no dividends or interest.

Startup 97

Startup Equity Entrepreneur Venture Capital 97

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2017

The conference is run by Jamie Montgomery , one of the local industry's pioneers in venture capital and investment. We're now one of the top five tech markets in the world, along with the Bay Area, New York, the rest of Southern California, companies in India, and places like China, Berlin, and London. That's because of other areas.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Conference Silver Lake Cornerstone OnDemand 100

socalTECH

JULY 21, 2014

One of Southern California''s big success stories -- from startup, to venture funding, and a recent IPO--is Los Angeles-based TrueCar , which had its IPO in May. You''ve create success companies now quite a few times, how did this time go for you, and what kind of advice might you give entrepreneurs thinking about the public path?

Truecar 209

Truecar Entrepreneur Southern California .Net 209

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2014

In their passion to succeed, too many entrepreneurs treat friends and family investments as “low-hanging” fruit, only to find out later, after a stumble, that the pain of lost relationships is greater than the loss of their beloved startup. In the interim, there is no market for the shares, and no dividends or interest.

Funding 101

Funding Startup Equity Entrepreneur 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2018

In their passion to succeed, too many entrepreneurs treat friends and family investments as “low-hanging” fruit, only to find out later, after a stumble, that the pain of lost relationships is greater than the loss of their beloved startup. In the interim, there is no market for the shares, and no dividends or interest.

Funding 59

Funding Startup Equity Entrepreneur 59

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

The company recently raised a round of funding from Santa Barbara-based ScOps Venture Capital. However, because of our marketing and how efficient we are, we're able to make it work. We were able to boot strap the company on only $800, and scaled it to millions in revenues without investment, because of the efficiency of our marketing.

Startup 113

Startup Venture Capital Beverly Hills Acquisition 113

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

The debt market has pretty much shut down for people, though there is some money coming out of the SBAs that have been somewhat helpful. And, the equity markets are certainly a more challenging environment. The venture capitalists we look at to fund our deals are certainly tightening down, there's no question about that.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

socalTECH

JULY 13, 2009

This morning's interview is with Mark Suster , a venture capitalist at GRP Partners (www.grpvc.com). GRP has just recently closed on a new $200M fund, and Mark has been one of the more active venture capitalists in the Los Angeles area in recent months. So we think we're the right size for the market in 2009.

GRP Partners 157

GRP Partners Southern California Santa Barbara Rustic Canyon 157