Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

It’s that time of year where we think about new beginnings. Most associates need some entrepreneurial experience before actually making investments. Great networking skills, which are critical when you want to be about to reference entrepreneurs & concepts and bounce your ideas off of other people in the industry.

Help 365

Help Invest Venture Capital Technical Review 365

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

I called an (ex) LP to tell him about her and my goals for her. Leadership is about recognizing your next generation of talent and helping lift them up. Or, maybe it’s just about getting out of the way and watching what they can achieve. Wait, What About Yves? She’s empathetic and brings great humor to her work as well.

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

the most counter-intuitive fund-raising advice you’ll ever get I’m about to offer you some fund-raising advice that flies directly in the face of what most conventional wisdom will tell you. These collective sets of documents form the basis of what somebody looking at investing would call “financial due diligence.” It doesn’t.

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 21, 2021

They want Netflix to address a list of demands in the categories of content investment, employee relations and safety, and harm reduction. He seemed doubtful that he would meet their demand to add a disclaimer about transphobia before Chapelle’s special. Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images).

Netflix 300

Netflix Demand Content Hollywood 300

TechEmpower

OCTOBER 9, 2023

So let’s summarize what we've already found to be different about searching with LLMs: What’s Different About Search with LLMs Search methods powered by LLMs stand out as transformative tools, offering businesses an edge in their information retrieval and customer engagement processes.

Generative AI 346

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence Tool Knowledge Base 346

Berkonomics

JANUARY 25, 2024

Everyone, even seasoned CEO’s can use a good coach who knows how to bring out the best in a person, is knowledgeable about the business process, and who has an extended list of relationships to call upon to fill needs that become obvious in the coaching process. Business coaches come in all sizes and shapes. It is worth asking.

Coach 156

Coach Organization Resource Equity 156

socalTECH

MARCH 12, 2021

For our Insights and Opinions section today, we have an article from Tony Cristiano of Pivotal Arc, talking about 3 Steps to Software Market Entry Success. Which flagship sales will you reference? You need to have a flagship sale or two before you invest too much cash too quickly, plus a laser focused approach! Let us know!

Software 113

Software Marketing SoCal Southern California 113

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 18, 2014

Why You Need to Be Sure You’re Not the Sucker ” I talked about how VCs (or other investors) get deals sent to them and how to interpret a referral. I wrote here about the importance of proprietary dealflow . I wrote here about why I avoid party rounds. In my recent post “ Why Am I So Lucky?

Venture Capital 337

Venture Capital Invest Ideas Entrepreneur 337

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 30, 2021

Several times in my investing life, as the final board member making the arrangements to dispose of remaining assets, I have literally been the one to turn out the lights, carry out the documents, books and records to my car, and become the only remaining contact between the failed business and the investors, bankruptcy court, or creditors.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Training Invest Email 156

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 21, 2010

One of the investment themes I’ve been focused on in the past 3 years has been Performance-Based Marketing. When I started investing the US advertising market was $300 billion with only 10% of it ($30 billion) of it being online and measurable. But of course Google eventually became the massive winner in this category.

Advertising 284

Advertising Invest RSS CPC 284

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. They told me about their expertise and their network of contacts, and their early customers, and the promising results so far. Story telling is often a key aspect of a great leader’s talent.

Invest 237

Invest Examples Networking Writing 237

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2021

This refers to the human tendency to select and interpret available information in a way that confirms pre-existing hopes and beliefs. This refers to our mind’s tendency to give excessive weight to the first information we receive about a topic or the first idea we think of. Investing more into a bad idea doesn’t make it good.

Startup 149

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Press 149

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2023

After you have heard a few startup success stories, like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, you may be tempted to invest some money yourself, maybe by pooling your funds with other investors who claim to have a great track record. My advice is to leave the investing in startups to the professionals (or friends and fools). By commission?

Startup 92

Startup Funding Offshore Invest 92

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

I first met Greg about 4 years ago or so. He shared tons of information about how how they were using marketing to quantitatively make marketing decisions at HauteLook and acquire customers for prices that were far cheaper than similar companies. So I began talking to him about joining the fund. So we talked about his joining.

Venture Capital 360

Venture Capital GRP Partners Startup Invest 360

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

I spend a lot of time with startups and thus hear many companies talk about their approach to sales and their interactions with customers. From these meetings you can really tell the leaders that care deeply about their customers and those the look down on them. We were talking about raising money from LPs. ” I cringed.

Customer 341

Customer Custom Venture Capital Software Review 341

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

Some firms are trickier since they artificially call everybody “partner” but they’re not all “investment partners.” Find a portfolio company or two that they’ve invested in. How does the partnership typically make its final investment decisions? It’s pretty easy since nearly every VC lists its partners on the website.

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

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. What about if elderly people never had to ask a relative or healthcare worker to change the batteries on their hearing aids? Meredith came to see me along with the CTO Marc Berte.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2013

Workships, according to workplace expert Dr. Jan Yager, refers to those workplace relationships that haven’t yet developed into full-blown friendships, but are closer than mere acquaintances. The best advocates do this because they care about you as a person, not because of personal aspirations. Workship - Advocate.

Startup 99

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Competition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

After you have heard a few startup success stories, like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, you may be tempted to invest some money yourself, maybe by pooling your funds with other investors who claim to have a great track record. My advice is to leave the investing in startups to the professionals (or friends and fools). By commission?

Invest 96

Invest Startup Offshore Tips 96

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 6, 2010

interviewing a candidate for a job you might like to ask about his / her performance at the last job. doing a reference call on a prospective employee. There were a group of us and I wanted to know more about the individual with whom we were sitting across. He couldn’t let those zingers about our industry go unanswered.

Startup 311

Startup Invest Course Research 311

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 24, 2016

The Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare,” has enacted major changes for healthcare providers since it was enacted at the start of President Obama’s first term. Full coverage dental insurance and vision insurance plans could also be an essential way to keep employees invested in employer-sponsored benefits.

Startup 49

Startup Competition Study Writing 49

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2023

Where your competitor isn't really competing with your direct market, you can refer business to each other without anyone losing customers. Think about the future. They may have the finances you need to invest in a business area they know, where you have the core competency. Benchmark your practices against a true peer.

Startup 105

Startup Outsource Competition Entrepreneur 105

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2018

We sat down with Kelly ahead of the announcement to chat about the new fund, why they think military veterans are particularly well suited as startup entrepreneurs, why the two went from organizing individual deals for funding to a formal fund, and more. Tell us about this new announcement? or $2M on a round. What's that thesis?

Capital 164

Capital Funding Startup Venture Capital 164

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. I’ve seen too many companies go off track by a VC hell bent on the team pursuing the VCs strategy which at times is about chasing the next shiny object. Most VCs are book smart. But don’t over index on brains.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

socalTECH

OCTOBER 22, 2020

Earlier this week, Good Growth Capital (www.goodgrowthvc.com) announced it has started looking at investments in Southern California, adding Krisztina Holly as West Coast Venture Partner for the firm. What kinds of areas does the fund make investments in? Can you talk about that a bit? So what else are you working on?

Southern California 124

Southern California Capital Technical Review Startup 124

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2013

Yesterday I wrote a post about “ proprietary dealflow for VCs.” ” 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.

Pricing 302

Pricing Seed Funding Invest Venture Capital 302

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2021

They wake up each day re-energized and optimistic, curious about the world around them, but always committed to getting real things done. Unpacking an idea is about taking deep dives into it; twisting and turning it to see the concept in different ways. Great entrepreneurs aren’t just dreamers, they are doers. Unpack your best ideas.

Startup 174

Startup Cloud Computing Ideas Entrepreneur 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2011

After you have heard a few startup success stories, like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, you may be tempted to invest some money yourself, maybe by pooling your funds with other investors who claim to have a great track record. My advice is to leave the investing in startups to the professionals (or friends and fools). By commission?

Invest 92

Invest Startup Offshore Tips 92

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. Be professional about it. If you are not sure on this matter, then don’t take their money.

Funding 123

Funding Startup Equity Venture Capital 123

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

I recently wrote a piece about how Entrepreneurs Should be Respected, Not Loved. You’re thinking about hiring an employee but you sit on the fence too long. You make too many reference calls or want to see three more candidates before you decide. Your’e thinking about investing in a company.

Startup 299

Startup Entrepreneur Resource Venture Capital 299

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

You’re adding unnecessary “purchase friction” If your deck is something I should open 3–4 times as I’m contemplating an investment, why add any consumption friction to the reader? Because I invest in “ lines, not dots ” it’s actually the delta that I’m investing in. Many of my colleagues do, too.

Funding 239

Funding Venture Capital IP Email 239

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

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? We are going to write checks of between $100,000 and $500,000, and we are going to invest in what we are calling first institutional capital. Where are you planning making investments?

Invest 145

Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Alex is a Silicon Valley veteran and Cisco executive, often referred to as the ‘innovation therapist,’ who details his knowledge of many real-world cases and specifics on how to keep up with change and win in the marketplace. You as a leader must be transparent about how and why you are investing in one initiative over the other.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2019

This refers to the human tendency to select and interpret available information in a way that confirms pre-existing hopes and beliefs. This refers to our mind’s tendency to give excessive weight to the first information we receive about a topic or the first idea we think of. Investing more into a bad idea doesn’t make it good.

Ideas 91

Ideas Entrepreneur Press Startup 91

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Workships, according to workplace expert Dr. Jan Yager, refers to those workplace relationships that haven’t yet developed into full-blown friendships, but are closer than mere acquaintances. The best advocates do this because they care about you as a person, not because of personal aspirations. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 91

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 91

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2014

In this article about Tom Perkins in the WSJ you would have had a clue before his recent letter. My first thought when I read this letter wasn’t so much about Nazism as it was about the French Revolution and the infamous “ let them eat cake ” comment. So perhaps his king reference was fitting.

Education 417

Education Venture Capital UCSD Class 417

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

.” Strangely, the best I’ve ever heard this exemplified is in Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential - which is really a book about startups as told through kitchen stories. When you’re hiring most reference checkers focus on the person’s former bosses. In many ways that can be way more telling.

CTO Hire 320

CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach Venture Capital 320