Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I Know Everybody Told You to Send Your Fund-Raising Decks as a Link. Here’s Why You Should Just Send the Deck I know you have your document sending tool to send your fund-raising deck to VCs and track who read your deck, which pages they read and how much time they spend on each page. after all you aren’t presenting this at TED.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Competition 239

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2016

The funding environment for tech startups is an ever shifting ground as we go through predictable shifts that go hand-in-hand with the slowing of the overall market. Explosion in Seed Funds. Now seed funding is conventional wisdom. Here is a brief history first to put the changes into context. Rise of Seed. I Leaderless Rounds.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Capital Funding Seed Funding 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

So what are some of the key points that you should highlight in your investor slides to convince investors that you indeed do have a long-term competitive advantage over other alternatives in the marketplace? Non-specific terms, like better usability and low cost don’t incite customers to action these days.

Competition 166

Competition Funding Startup Patents 166

SoCal Tech Calendar

JULY 30, 2020

Join JJ Richa in a fireside chat with Scott Fox, CEO of the OC Startup Council, for a discussion of the top mistakes that early stage entrepreneurs make when pitching their startups for funding.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Slides Venture Capital 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2013

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. If you have ten minutes, that means no more than ten slides. I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. entrepreneur startup funding angel investors presentation business' Marty Zwilling.

Angel 102

Angel Slides Funding Technical Review 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2020

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. If you have ten minutes, that means no more than ten slides. I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation.

Startup 118

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 118

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2020

Avoid PowerPoint and graphic slide presentations. He, like Steve Jobs, believes the process of generating a short written narrative forces a clarity of thinking not found in visual slide presentations. As a side benefit, Amazon has ranked as #1 for customer satisfaction for many years in a row.

Slides 137

Slides Custom Customer Satisfaction 137

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 1, 2010

There has been much discussion about VCs doing seed funding in the past year. I’ve written about it myself (Is VC Seed Funding Dead?) and (Is There Really a Signaling Problem with VC Seed Funding?). Knowing What the Seed Funding Policy of your VC is. million of our $200 million fund for seed funding.

Seed Funding 298

Seed Funding Funding Venture Capital GRP Partners 298

Berkonomics

APRIL 11, 2019

An entrepreneur pitches using a deck with no slide for competition. If you are raising funds, list “do nothing” as a viable competitor in your slide deck. We investors see this all the time. When asked (as we always do,) the response is “This is new. We have no competition.”.

Competition 120

Competition Slides Sales Research 120

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2011

I am a big believer in VC pitches that the bio slide should come up front. I wanted to write a quick post on a pet peeve that I have when teams present “who they are” whether in a bio slide or just in the up front introductions. Actually, I think the advice in this post applies to any sales meeting also. I hate this.

Slides 296

Slides GRP Partners Venture Capital Writing 296

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Alelo--which originally spun out of USC--said they have been partially funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, to build a project called VRP (Virtual role-playing) Builder, which is aimed at helping to make it easier to develop virtual role playing-based learning courses. READ MORE>>.

USC 100

USC Technology Slides Training 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2018

Co-mingling personal and business funds and accounts creates legal risk and tax liability, and makes your efforts look like a hobby. Advisors and investors need to see your whole story in as few as ten slides. I suggest the following sequence of startup preparation steps: Create a business entity early to isolate business efforts.

Funding 73

Funding Social Media Slides Platform 73

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Yes, VC / Startup Funding is up Massively If you look at how much VC firms have raised from Limited Partners (LPs) over the past 2 decades you’ll see that we’ve returned to a level that we haven’t seen since 1999. Taken together these “mega rounds” represent nearly half of the funding in 2018. More on that later.

Venture Capital 292

Venture Capital Capital Startup Funding 292

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

I believe in this so much that, despite my post advising you to be prepared for the *norm* in VC, I wrote a post about a company that came in for a presentation and never even got the slides out or presented a demo. I funded them 8 weeks later. I get too bored with abstract slides. The best policy is to ask. Call an audible.

Venture Capital 299

Venture Capital Slides Technical Advisors Startup 299

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

My rationale is simple: everything goes wrong and only great teams can respond to competitors, markets, funding environments, staff departures, PR disasters and the like. Ok, well not that pretty since I do my own slides and often at 1am. But my slides are linked above and you can also download from SlideShare.

Startup 388

Startup Slides Outsource Development Sales 388

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 9, 2011

Let’s help get their funding get finalized or the company sold if it’s already in play. And VCs scrambled to raise their own funds. So I encouraged entrepreneurs to think about raising their funds as quickly as they could because. Fundings boomed. Let’s review all of our existing investments. Depressing.

Marketing 305

Marketing Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 305

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 25, 2009

This involves a person who leads a PowerPoint presentation in which the presenter feels more comfortable racing through pre-practiced slides and rattling off charts & bullet points than having a discussion. The VC might have tried a few times to prompt a discussion and you didn’t take the queue but in stead reverted back to slides.

Venture Capital 275

Venture Capital Sales Slides Startup 275

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2017

Every year Upfront Ventures surveys Limited Partners (LPs) who are the main source of capital that invests in VC funds and thus the main source of capital that goes to startups to get an early-warning sense of the year ahead, leaving aside any Black Swans. link] So here are some details (please thank & follow! Will it last?

Startup 286

Startup Venture Capital Seed Funding Capital 286

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 22, 2019

We had met previously when Trevor was a product manager at YouTube and Upfront had funded the largest video producer on YouTube, Maker Studios. We were of course there to work with incarcerated men on developing entrepreneurial skills on behalf of Defy Ventures.

Startup 191

Startup Social Media Slides Design 191

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 12, 2010

We led off with a discussion about Slide being acquired by Google, which was breaking news in the time slot where we filmed this episode. Specifically we talked about Slide having gotten a $550 million valuation before being sold to Google for $182 million. This could happen if every VC fund continues to launch a seed fund.

Venture Capital 232

Venture Capital Slides Seed Funding Google 232

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 2, 2013

Users explore their future plans by either spinning the Ribbon Reel or sliding an intuitive time bar. The post Future Focused Mobile App Ribbon Launches With Funding appeared first on TechZulu. Apps & Software iOS iPhone Mobile Startups SXSW 2013 App funding iPad Ribbon SXSW' Show as slideshow].

Mobile 76

Mobile Funding Slides Class 76

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 17, 2020

In most cases, these applicants for equity funding must be rooted in technology to apply to this limited discussion. Angel investment groups or funds. First, angel investment groups and organized angel funds come in all sizes from a few organized angels to large groups of four hundred or more. Friends and family investors.

Equity 156

Equity Technical Review Class Organization 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2016

I recommend making friends the first formal test of your elevator pitch, your investor slide deck, and your business plan, and earnestly ask for their advice (not money) early. Carefully explain how you intend to use the funds requested. Sell your idea in simple terms with both logic and passion.

Funding 60

Funding Startup Ideas Slides 60

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2010

First, no matter what anybody tells you (people don’t want to believe that we’re influenced by the crowd), social proof is hugely important in fund raising. So even if you’re not getting funded by everybody you’re instantly on the who’s who radar of the investment world. So how does this apply to you?

Guide 293

Guide Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 293

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

They would use that funding to help them accelerate the development and manufacturing of the next generation of Bluetooth headsets. With nearly 60 backers already, Deka has raised $12,619 of its $100,000 goal of its flexible funding ending October 28, 2013 and wants you to be part of the campaign too. January 2014 launch.

Customer 89

Customer Custom Slides Design 89

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 16, 2010

For extroverted people I recommend that entrepreneurs have an “executive summary&# slide up front that cuts to the chase. Don’t dwell on this slide for ever. If I have an hour with you I want to maximise the time we have a discussion so I want to get through the slides quickly. It’s in their personality type.

Slides 358

Slides Venture Capital Startup Summary 358

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2017

Lead with your two-page executive summary, be prepared to give a ten-slide investor presentation. Fully prepare for the assault. Don’t try to talk and demo your way up the hill. Talk bounces off and won’t stop any bullets. Keep your big guns, the business plan and financial model, in your holster but visible for backup.

Funding 60

Funding Slides Outsource Summary 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2015

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. If you have ten minutes, that means no more than ten slides. I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation.

Slides 105

Slides Technical Review Startup Research 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

The size of the document should be based on your style, but 10-20 pages or slides are usually more than adequate to outline even a complex business. Most of these scenarios involve attracting outside investors, strategic partners, or key team members: You are the team and you don’t need outside funding.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 126

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

The rise of “micro VCs” or seed-stage funds. The rise of alternative sources of capital (crowd funding and the like). Lower costs to start a business (95% reduction), many more companies created & funded by angels / seed. ” Stated simply – if you seed funded Uber at $4.5m Why is this?

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2011

If they say yes you get a term sheet and once this is signed it is usually 3-6 weeks until your legal docs get signed and you’re funded. Remember that most people are visual thinkers and Powerpoint slides simply help frame the conversations. If you don’t, make sure you follow up and ask for feedback.

Venture Capital 340

Venture Capital Slides Doc Startup 340

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from AngelSoft , only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Line up an experienced team.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

Don’t let your passion convince you that word-of-mouth and viral marketing will suffice against well-funded competitors and ever more demanding customers. Target income and expense by year, including funding. Here I recommend a 5-year projection of revenues, expenses, and funding requirements. Budget time and dollars for each.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2019

Even if it’s only a few PowerPoint slides or typed paragraphs, writing something down is the first step toward making it real. Before you know it, you will have a ten-slide pitch that you can use to gauge interest from potential customers, as well as friends, family, and early investors.

Ideas 99

Ideas Slides Writing Startup 99

Xconomy

MARCH 30, 2017

In a phone interview this afternoon, founder Eugene Cho (the E.Cho in Echo) tells me the three-year-old startup will use the funding to significantly increase production of its Revolve hybrid microscope. Read more » Reprints | Share: UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS.

Tech Coast Angels 40

Tech Coast Angels Slides San Diego Sample 40

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. If you have ten minutes, that means no more than ten slides. I’ve seen several presentations that never moved past the first slide before running out of time. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation.

Startup 64

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 64

Tech.Co

MAY 22, 2018

Truth be told, your only path to some serious funding is perseverance and diligence in getting meetings and being prepared. While it might be tempting to put everything you can into a slide presentation and tell the whole story, too much information could distract the investor and potentially lose your momentum.

Tips 70

Tips Help Slides Technical Review 70