Berkonomics

MARCH 13, 2014

For example, ask yourself: “What is the inciting incident in The Godfather?” This one is tricky, because it doesn’t occur until 45 minutes into the film, when Vito Corleone is gunned down in the street. What is the inciting incident for your company? How can you get to it more quickly and with less capital?

Invest 237

Invest Examples Networking Writing 237

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. In the above example it’s why I added “Here’s Why” to the end.

Writing 326

Writing Buzzfeed Social Media Blogging 326

Berkonomics

JANUARY 13, 2022

So, as you prepare to turn over the reins to another; to separate from a business that has become a part of your being, it is time to think of nothing but the good done, the examples set, the positive company culture you leave behind. Write a book. Write a handwritten letter to someone who helped you make it to the finish line.

Writing 156

Writing Entrepreneur .Net Sales 156

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

At Upfront, our partners have been fortunate enough to be part of 18 companies that have reached north of $1 billion and the average tenure of an investment that exits at this scale is more than 10 years. 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

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

For example, both need to provide exemplary customer service, build customer loyalty, and provide real value for a competitive price. Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2020

B2C Companies We talked about how some companies saw an immediate decline in purchasing (for example if you’re in travel or hospitality). Seed deals, for example, are easier to get funded than a late-stage deal for obvious reasons. A Recent Company I Invested In : Solve. Burn through your cash quickly at your peril.

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Writing 263

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

Most business advisors I know will say that writing a business plan is the first step to starting your own business, but I believe that a better first step is to do a self-analysis of your real drivers, strengths, and assumptions before committing to this lifestyle. Assess your own resources as well as funding sources.

Social Media 105

Social Media Writing Ideas Resource 105

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2010

I’m very pleased today to announce that I invested, on behalf of GRP Partners, in Burstly alongside Rincon Venture Partners , an early stage VC in Southern California whith whom we love to work (and were our co-investors on RingRevenue ). Naturally I’m excited about this investment or I wouldn’t have done it.

Mobile 282

Mobile Invest Company Companies 282

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

For example, both need to provide exemplary customer service, build customer loyalty, and provide real value for a competitive price. Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

In addition, the discipline of producing it, like writing a business plan, will help you immensely in understanding the key elements that drive you and your business. I often hear the excuse that writing a book takes precious time away from building and running your business, which you cannot afford.

Writing 19

Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

For example, I do business mentoring at nearby Arizona State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Universities have the links you need to patent attorneys, prototyping companies, investment groups, as well as a wealth of peer talent to round out your team and share the work. Learning by doing is the only way to go.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

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

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

I only say that because after years as a VC I can always tell when my peer group invested in something because “it seemed like it would make money” versus when they invested out of passion. I have placed a much bigger emphasis on falling in love as a criterion for my making an investment. Does she live your journey?

Venture Capital 373

Venture Capital Startup Course Entrepreneur 373

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

Some examples of common objections across many companies: 1. And the only way to do that is to help them calculate the ROI (return on investment) of using your product. We’ve investing in R&D at a faster rate than the competition which is why we raised $10 million to fund extra development.&#.

Sales 289

Sales Startup Training Pricing 289

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

When should a VC invest? Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. It’s the only way forward in capitalism, and it’s worth every investment you can make. The whole point of delegating investment decisions to a GP is to empower them to organize their firm to win deals and get stuff done.

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

socalTECH

MARCH 2, 2020

If you think about it, in a multi-player game, for example, you have a very limited vocabulary for interaction. For example, if I were to have a room full of bouncing balls, we couldn't share that today because of the amount of information involved. In the real world, you pick up an object, and you can hand it to seomeone else.

Platform 168

Platform Startup Examples Web 168

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2013

What I love about writing is that you inadvertently say what many others are thinking and just knowing that somebody else is thinking something similar can be reassuring. Example: Fred Wilson writing his end of 2012 post wrote. “I’ve wanted to write a year end post for days. I hate Decembers.

Writing 313

Writing Venture Capital Blogging Startup 313

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2021

Examples that come to mind include satellite phones, the Segway PT vehicle, hydrogen fueled auto engines, and many more. You don’t really understand a new idea, until you try to write it down and succinctly communicate it to peers and critics. Be proactive in contributing business ideas and follow through.

Mentor 139

Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Networking 139

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2013

We caught up with Mark Suster , one of Upfront''s General Partners and a well known blogger and technology personality, the new fund, and how his blogging is now driving the firm''s investment activity. As you probably know, two thirds of our investments go into Los Angeles. Tell us about the new fund? Mark Suster: It''s a $200M fund.

Funding 196

Funding Venture Capital Los Angeles Social Media 196

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2011

What that did, is it helped us to expand the service to help publishers do the following: identify what content to write, how to distribute that content to various mediums, and how to monetize that content. Journalists are notorious for not wanting to write based on revenues or commercial intersts, or having anyone tell them what to write.

Marketing 232

Marketing Funding Content Writing 232

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. For example, I remember a classic book by Penina Rybak, “ The NICE Reboot ,” that does a great job of outlining problem solving steps, honed from working with special needs youngsters.

Startup 135

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review 135

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 2, 2010

I’m writing this series because if you better understand how VC firms work you can better target which firms make sense for you to speak with. I’m writing this post to explain to entrepreneurs what you should be thinking about in terms of the VC’s you approach and the size and stage of their funds.

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Funding Invest GRP Partners 269

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 27, 2014

I wrote my version here and Scott wrote an excellent write-up of his views here. We both agree that the later-stage valuations are being driven up to a point that feels irrationally priced [he uses b-round SaaS valuations as an example and I am willing to be even more broad based].

Venture Capital 309

Venture Capital SaaS Writing Funding 309

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 8, 2019

Responding to Elizabeth Warren’s call to regulate and break up some of the nation’s largest technology companies, the venture capitalists that invest in technology companies are advising the presidential hopeful to move slowly and not break anything. — Balaji S. .

Technical Review 144

Technical Review Startup Chief Technology Officer Social Media 144

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2014

Among those funds is TYLT Lab (www.tyltlab.com), which recently announced a new, $20M early stage investment fund specifically focused on companies here. We spoke with Rami Rostami and Gerard Casale , who are behind TYLT Labs, and who told us a bit about their new fund, its investment criteria, and where it sees the promise here.

Seed Funding 220

Seed Funding Santa Monica Funding Startup 220

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

For all the things he’s likely known for, he probably hasn’t yet built a strong relationship as an early stage venture investor (he invests often in later-stage deals where he is very respected). “… for any good investment, from Series A on, there is at least one firm to compete with. Competition is fierce.

Venture Capital 333

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Email 333

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

The main thrust of the post is that with YouTube taking a 45% of revenue and talent taking 70% of the remaining revenue, YouTube Networks didn’t have sustainable businesses unless they invested heavily in technology as a tool to increase margin and provide defensibility. margin range to more sustainable 50-60% margin businesses.

Company 339

Company Companies Technical Review Content 339

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2017

Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly always require an investment, sometimes large, in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. Communication and writing skills are required. Return-On-Investment metrics are not new, but the tools are different. Marty Zwilling.

Social Media 66

Social Media Media Tips Platform 66

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

Let me give you a real world example from this week. We led an investment round in a company a while ago in which we wrote a seven-figure check and have taken a board seat. We are doing what we do – writing larger checks and playing an active role at the company.

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

.” Here’s what I mean … Let’s start with what it takes for a journalist to want to write a story. Do I have an “angle” from which to write the story (first company to do X, company does biggest X, consumer behavior is doing X)? Final example. Think about Luma Partners.

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

We are in phase three of the influencer economy,” Bain Capital Ventures senior principal Jamison Hill, who led the firm’s investment in the influencer shoutout marketplace Cameo , tells TechCrunch. 2020 will be a watershed year for investment in businesses around the creator economy,” Neil Robertson tells TechCrunch.

Platform 170

Platform Marketing Tool Venture Capital 170

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 23, 2013

I’ve been writing a series on a simple methodology that we used at my first enterprise software company. If you’ve done a good job in the sales process you’ve already written out a needs document in which your wrote out what you believe the customer problems are with specific examples. Maybe they don’t?

Sales 328

Sales Customer Custom Examples 328

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

Investor and customer attention spans are short, and both will write you off quickly. A winning USP example is the FedEx lead “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” Another investment barrier is good social solutions which appeal only to people with little money.

.Net 73

.Net Examples Customer Custom 73

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

It’s the first EIR that we’ve had in the years that I’ve been with the firm and I hope will be the start of our investment in this program. 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. ” “Sam?

Startup 372

Startup Course Ideas Invest 372

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2012

But, they could not write, and did not know what to write from the travel perspective. Every one of those writers has a byline and a bio, and are paid twice a week at a pretty decent rate for that writing or assignment. They couldn't find enough people to write the content they needed, at the quality they need.

Demand 240

Demand Media eHow Content 240

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2010

Rincon is part of the new breed of Seed Stage VCs and with the leadership of Jim Andelman has charted out the most authentic early-stage investment strategy in Southern California. Nowhere is social proof more prevalent than in angel investing. From there Rob decided to make a small investment.

Guide 293

Guide Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 293

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2017

Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly require an investment to be hard hitting – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. For example, LinkedIn is attuned to business professionals, Facebook is dominated by the social and upwardly mobile crowd.

Social Media 58

Social Media Media Platform Tool 58