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. Simply put – I’d be in search of a VC who had an intuitive sense of my product, my customers, my organizational issues, my competitors, etc. Most VCs are book smart. EQ and Team Leadership? Nail on the head.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

Or you know the other one — the one where Snapchat lost $2 billion in just one quarter. Is it one product line or multiple? For example, if you sell your product through a third-party reseller who charges 30% of any sale then your COGS will be 30% of revenue (assuming no other costs of sales). Two-f **g-billion! What a disaster!

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

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. That's anyone building a product, service, or application which can be delivered to a connected device. Where are you planning making investments? We have a very entrepreneurial LP base.

Invest 145

Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

seed and they are writing $1.25m of it you can expect them to require a board seat) The competitive landscape (If you have several sources of capital you can likely politely decline the board request or can grant them a seat but ask for it to be “common appointed” and those revokable if you need in the future). D-Rounds and on … Oh, jeez.

Startup 236

Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

” Case in point: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, SnapChat. Should I write off my $2.5 Delaying going out of business gives you way more chances at product / market fit than any other strategy I know of. The minute you try to monetize now they have metrics with which to beat you up and say you’re business has limitations.”

Venture Capital 412

Venture Capital Startup Funding Snapchat 412

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

I must admit I discuss this very frequently with portfolio companies but hadn’t thought to write about it. No carrier in their right mind wanted to cede control of the software but Apple was willing to offer its products exclusive through one carrier in exchange for not having any carrier software on the device.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Startup Custom Customer 150

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but think how excited I am about our future. The fact that Twitter built a product around the mobile phone culture right out of the gate is significant: it created a new social pipeline. Why is Twitter’s user acquisition at a standstill , and why are their ad products failing?

Platform 40

Platform Startup News Content 40

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 5, 2013

Luckily, he was able to talk to Steve Jobs, who offered to sell their product at an event. Then, I’m doing emails, accounting, HR, writing proposals, interviewing potential hires, and other random tasks until noon. I am not surprised that Snapchat is LA based. It was a success and the group made payroll.

Startup 107

Startup Los Angeles USC Southern California 107

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Brad was openly writing about this and it felt like he was giving the VC playbook away for free! We write about $40 million of first-checks into new deals / year and about $40 million of follow-on investments. Other products “elastic” meaning demand falls off quickly when prices go up. But let me be even more clear.

Startup 150

Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2016

If for some reason the meeting isn’t productive for me and I can’t see a way to make it more productive I simply begin taking notes for other tasks I need to complete. If you’re writing and looking up occasionally you’re assumed to taking notes. Plus, if you don’t you’re prone to … 7.

Tips 150

Tips Startup Help Mobile 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2016

Thus begins Snapchat and why you don’t get it. Snapchat will be used for both like the Internet (and TV) are. I just need to break you of the idea that Snapchat is for one thing – it is not. But since Snapchat uses the frequency above your hearing range it’s nearly impossible to “get” without help.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Screening Venture Capital Guide 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

In more than a decade of writing about the Internet and tech-enabled businesses I’ve learned that mobs don’t do nuance well. Of course our great technology industry did itself rise on the back of infrastructure created by telecommunications & cable infrastructure as well as decades of media production. Enter blockchain.

Course 280

Course Startup Framework Marketing 280