Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

Acquiring seed-stage funding is admittedly tough, but a source that I find often overlooked is government grant funding, accessible in the U.S. The resulting delays can give your competitors an edge, or the market requirements can change before you get the funding you need. Experts are available to help, but fees are high.

Funding 90

Funding Technical Review Startup Research 90

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 21, 2021

When it comes to content, the group wants Netflix to increase its funding of trans and non-binary talent, bring employee resource groups into conversations about potentially harmful content, hire more trans and non-binary content executives, and revise internal procedures around commissioning and releasing sensitive works.

Netflix 300

Netflix Demand Content Hollywood 300

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

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined a long time ago from a funding perspective. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Funding or rollout stage.

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

Very few people fund individuals. Professional angels / former entrepreneurs / seed funds – In Silicon Valley there are people like Ron Conway, Jeff Clavier, Mike Maples and many more. The key to getting money is that the people writing the check trust you. Find out who funded them – Contact the management teams.

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

But I used to jokingly refer to bridge loans as “pier&# loans. And startup CEO’s can often suppress the anxiety that goes along with the funding uncertainty – even to themselves. He had raised about $500,000 in seed funding that lasted a long time. Better even still if there’s a way to fund 9 months.

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2013

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined before from a funding perspective. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Funding or rollout stage. Do it right and enjoy real progress in each step of the journey.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Funding Incubator Startup 102

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning. I think this is a combination of being realists as venture capitalists that outsized returns in our funds must come from taking on bigger, more impactful projects that can move markets.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2014

The only way an entrepreneur can really dodge this issue is to totally fund the startup with personal funds (bootstrapping). That means writing down and signing the terms of the agreement, after making sure everyone understands them. If you are not sure on this matter, then don’t take their money. Be professional about it.

Funding 101

Funding Startup Equity Entrepreneur 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2018

The only way an entrepreneur can really dodge this issue is to totally fund the startup with personal funds (bootstrapping). That means writing down and signing the terms of the agreement, after making sure everyone understands them. If you are not sure on this matter, then don’t take their money. Be professional about it.

Funding 59

Funding Startup Equity Entrepreneur 59

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

Earlier this week, Derek Norton , a long time advisor to the media, Internet, and technology industry in Los Angeles, announced a brand new venture capital fund called Watertower Ventures (www.watertowerventures.com). We sat down with Derek to learn more about the new $5M fund and what it's all about. Tell us about the new fund?

Invest 145

Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

You join teams that got good write-ups on TechCrunch, have great VCs, have star CEO’s, whatever. When you’re hiring most reference checkers focus on the person’s former bosses. Just literally this week I had breakfast with a guy giving a reference who said, “He’s brilliant. You REALLY know.

CTO Hire 320

CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach Venture Capital 320

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

I had an enjoyable conversation this morning with a young team straight out of college this morning and they were calling to ask advice on how to approach fund raising (angels vs. VCs, how to select a VC, etc.) So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. It’s not you.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2018

Those references drive trillions of dollars of commerce. We're really latching onto the growing trend of building products that detect product references in social messaging. We automatically add tracking and point those product references to e-commerce merchants. Who is providing the funding and backing for the company?

San Diego 159

San Diego Social Media Commerce Snapchat 159

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

That is, how much should your company be willing to lose in cash every month as you make investments in staff and equipment that funds technology, sales, marketing and management. Usually when an investor is asking you your burn rate he or she is referring to net burn — what cash are you consuming. million for 18 months.

Startup 212

Startup Venture Capital .Net Capital 212

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal. You can’t reference check your way into a “yes.” If an accelerator is writing you they’re also writing 25 other VCs. Hedge funds, other public investors, corporates, etc.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2013

” In the article I discussed the downside of raising capital at a too high of a price and referred people to a previous article I had written encouraging founders to raise “ At the Top end of Normal ” as opposed to stratospheric prices. If we count seed funds and large angels maybe that number goes up by 2x?

Pricing 302

Pricing Seed Funding Invest Venture Capital 302

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2020

If your company can help with job search, or resume writing or providing references or calling other companies to tell them you did redundancies?—?you If your head isn’t spinning you haven’t fully grasped the severity of the situation. you should do all that you can. you should do it.

Demand 215

Demand Guide Customer Custom 215

Berkonomics

MARCH 13, 2014

For example, while Steve Jobs was abusive, rude, and unappreciative, he had what his colleagues referred to a reality distortion field. None of the angels in my group is likely to write a check without hearing and believing a story about how something dramatic is about to happen. They wanted to come to pitch to my angel network.

Invest 237

Invest Examples Networking Writing 237

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined some time ago from a funding perspective. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Funding or rollout stage.

Organization 93

Organization Startup Incubator Ideas 93

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Brad and Jason have been exposing venture capitalists’ secrets since 2005, when they began writing a blog series on Term Sheets at AskTheVC. Attitude – Brad and Jason clearly exhibit an entrepreneur-centric approach to the venture funding process. If you haven’t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for. What Not To Do.

Venture Capital 205

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Writing Guide 205

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 6, 2010

doing a reference call on a prospective employee. FUND RAISING: I was once in a fund raising meeting. THE REFERENCE CALL: Reference calls are hard. We’ve obviously had a great experience interviewing him or we wouldn’t be doing reference calls. Some quick stories. Conclusion.

Startup 311

Startup Invest Course Research 311

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

I told him only 2 weeks ago when we were in London together that I wanted to write a blog post that has been in my head for 2 years. I would love for prospective investors in Dave’s fund to call me personally to learn about “the real Dave.”. These engagements went well and he came highly referred by my friend Gary Swart who runs oDesk.

Startup 309

Startup Venture Capital Email Writing 309

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 72

Services Startup Training Writing 72

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

The only way an entrepreneur can really dodge this issue is to totally fund the startup with personal funds (bootstrapping). That means writing down and signing the terms of the agreement, after making sure everyone understands them. If you are not sure on this matter, then don’t take their money. Be professional about it.

Startup 97

Startup Equity Entrepreneur Venture Capital 97

socalTECH

DECEMBER 17, 2008

In their case, people write their scripts on a web site, and when they're done, they can submit them to contests with a single click. If you're doing freelance writing, have a story you're trying to sell, there's a whole process of finding out where you're doing well, not doing well, and what responses you have received.

Writing 209

Writing Hollywood Startup Sites 209

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

If you don’t follow the image reference above or the tag line, “ You don’t need double talk; you need Bob Loblaw “ (try saying it out loud) , and if you care! I write about some of the lessons in my post on Startup Mistakes. Your contractor wrote a great V1 of the product and it helped you get angel funding.

Startup 318

Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2014

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 105

Services Startup Training Writing 105

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2013

This term refers to the penchant to add just one more feature to the product or service before first delivery, just because you can. Remember that in new product development, as in writing, addition by subtraction is the Golden Rule. entrepreneur startup funding product features business' Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 110

Technical Review Startup Software Review High Tech 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2012

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined before from a funding perspective. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Funding or rollout stage.

Resource 94

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

If your forte is a service, like consulting or web site design, it’s harder to find guidance on what will get you funded, and how you can scale your business. Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

I had seen many cycles and decided that since I was going to do it all over again I should write about it. It included one firm who I asked not to call Salesforce.com as a reference (they were our largest pilot customer) and in their kindness they called Marc Benioff (the CEO) and asked his opinion. That changed very quickly.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. I’ve started writing up some of those sales & marketing lessons and I plan to continue to build that section out over time. Customer also buy social proof because others are acting as strong references. Please call our references.

Sales 316

Sales Startup Pricing Customer 316

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2013

The only way an entrepreneur can really dodge this issue is to totally fund the startup with personal funds (bootstrapping). That means writing down and signing the terms of the agreement, after making sure everyone understands them. If you are not sure on this matter, then don’t take their money. Be professional about it.

Startup 92

Startup Equity Entrepreneur Venture Capital 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2011

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined before from a funding perspective. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Funding or rollout stage.

Startup 92

Startup Organization Incubator Ideas 92