David Teten VC

AUGUST 19, 2019

Does the traditional VC financing model make sense for all companies? VC Josh Kopelman makes the analogy of jet fuel vs. motorcycle fuel. VCs sell jet fuel which works well for jets; motorcycles are more common but need a different type of fuel. . 2018 also had the fewest number of angel-led financing rounds since before 2010.

investing 99

investing investment founder VC 99

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 20, 2018

Every entrepreneur wants to hear “yes” during the fund-raising process but I would argue that being too risk averse and not pushing hard enough and be willing to hear a “no” is what holds back many people from “yes.” Possibly offend and entrepreneur leading to reputation risk amongst other entrepreneurs.

peer-to-peer 189

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs VC investing 189

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

This is the second article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). I like to invest where I have a personally strong connection with the entrepreneur and/or a strong intuition on the market from prior experience. Part 1 – Access to Great Deal Flow – is here.

angel investing 288

angel investing investing investment advice 288

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). After that it’s domain experience, access to VCs and deep pockets. I wonder what this company would look like in 2010 as an independent? Tags: Startup Advice Tech Market Analysis VC Industry.

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angel investing investing investment VC 280

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 24, 2015

If market slumps persist the woes will extend into LPs who will take a wait-and-see approach to investing in VC funds making 2016 an unpleasant year to be raising. The impact hits VCs in an immediate way that most entrepreneurs don’t realize. Watch the market closely. So I’ll come full circle.

financing 344

financing finance ventures real estate 344

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 21, 2011

Will you get the TechCrunch bump, the tier-1 VC anointment, followed by great PR firm support and then the NY Times or WSJ story that follows? So as I get around the country speaking at college campus in 2010 & 2011 I have been preaching the same theme. Not every problem has to be a huge VC-fundable business.

transportation 309

transportation VC networking energy 309

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

This is an updated post from my ongoing series on Startup Advice that I learned from founding two companies. . I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. Entrepreneurs are neurotic about it. On Losing in VC. I HATE LOSING.

consulting 328

consulting advice collaboration VC 328

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

I’ve written about the topic of convertible debt at length before specifically about how angels & entrepreneurs should think about pricing. Clearly this is is a trend and a topic that is interesting entrepreneurs. In fact, in some ways can be worse for the entrepreneur. a priced/valued preferred stock financing)?

financing 319

financing finance entrepreneurs advice 319

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

This is an updated post from my ongoing series on Startup Advice that I learned from founding two companies. . I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. Entrepreneurs are neurotic about it. On Losing in VC. I HATE LOSING.

consulting 333

consulting advice collaboration VC 333

Entrepreneur's Handbook

APRIL 24, 2021

Founders from outside a tech-ecosystem are surrounded by bad advice, since building a startup is different from other kinds of businesses. 1) Don’t hoard your idea, share it freely The 2010 drama, the Social Network , depicted every entrepreneur’s worst fears. I found that the opposite is true. Let’s dive in. (1)

startup 106

startup entrepreneurship advice pitching 106

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 15, 2016

Defy Ventures runs business plan competitions and has people like us who attend and give business advice and feedback. I know because I went back a second time with 75 or so tech executives and VCs and my inbox is flooded this morning. Catherine (Cat) Hoke founded the program in 2010 and launched the business plan competition in 2012.

education 392

education ventures hospitality advice 392

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

So why are so many diverse entrepreneurs shortchanging themselves? Right this very minute, I'm also working hard to secure my spot in an oversubscribed round for a pre-product company led by a female entrepreneur, while simultaneously wrapping up a seed round in a founder of color who didn't have a problem raising at all.

advice 414

advice founder pitching VC 414

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

I recently read a blog post by Beezer Clarkson, Managing Director of Sapphire Ventures about why entrepreneurs should care about from whom their VC funds raise their capital. There are a lot of things I think entrepreneurs should care about when raising from a VC: How big or small their fund is? I’m still not sure.

entrepreneurs 237

entrepreneurs VC mentorship strategy 237

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

A great recent example of this was a successful group of entrepreneurs who had created a company that will do $10-12 million in revenue at their system integration business (read: services business) in 2011 after having done $5 million or so in 2010 and $2-3 million in 2009. They wanted advice. And probably some money.

VC 332

VC advice financing finance 332

Founders Coop

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Just two years later, in 2009, we worked out a deal to create the Techstars Seattle program, with our first program running in 2010. What did we owe our sponsors, and did that put us in conflict with our commitments to give founders the best possible advice, and to never waste their time?

startup ecosystem 195

startup ecosystem accelerator communities support 195

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

It’s always fun chatting with Jason because he’s knowledgeable about the market, quick on topics and pushes me to talk more about VC / entrepreneur issues. We’re staring to get the hang of how to divide the show up into talking about deals but also talking about issues for entrepreneurs during funding.

VC 285

VC financing finance advice 285

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2010

Let me assume for this discussion it’s a garden variety 2010 IT or Internet business (as opposed to something requiring capital equipment or a life sciences project). It also takes options off the table if you eventually find out that this isn’t a VC backable business. It’s a tricky question with no clear answer.

startup 319

startup advice venture capital VC 319

Entrepreneur's Handbook

APRIL 25, 2022

Here’s the advice I wish someone told me when I started. you don’t want to be the guy who sold 10,000 bitcoin to purchase two pizzas in 2010. Kevin Rose ( @kevinrose ): partner at VC firm True Ventures , host of the Modern Finance and Proof podcasts. But it wasn’t always this way. Trust me?—?you So, why is crypto revolutionary?

networking 52

networking advice investing investment 52

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 28, 2012

Fred Wilson wrote two posts in 2010 that were very influential with the startup community. Kind of like a law firm (or VC firm) with four partners but shortened to just two, people dropped off his second two words. The titles were: Mobile First, Web Second. Mobile First, Web Second (continued).

real estate 334

real estate strategy development enablement 334

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2010

TechCrunch Europe ran an article in November of last year that European startups need to work as hard as those in Silicon Valley and I echoed the sentiment in my post about the need for entrepreneurs to be maniacal about their businesses if one wants to work in the hyper competitive tech world. We were based in London.

entrepreneurs 308

entrepreneurs advice real estate venture capital 308

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

This is part of my series on Startup Advice. I know because many entrepreneurs I spend time with I can tell are in their own brains when we’re meeting rather than trying to understand what my position is. You’re in sales mode. VC’s have a crocodile aversion as much as the next guy.

advice 314

advice pitching VC support 314

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2018

This post has some basic advice on how to plan your raise before you hit the road. Many points will seem obvious but since I observe many fund-raising processes as a VC I can tell you that most people get even the basics wrong. In 2010 I didn’t know a single thing about LPs (the people who invest in VC funds).

board 215

board VC entrepreneurs education 215

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series “ Start Up Advice &# but I’d really like to call this post, “VC Advice.&#. A friend of mine is a serial entrepreneur and is running a high-profile, early stage company in NorCal. VC’s who don’t get this are naive. That’s when the VC has lost.

founder 329

founder VC advice pitching 329

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 14, 2015

How do you have time for all your entrepreneurs? As I’ve said before, “ You’d Have to be a Really Big Baby to Complain About Being a VC.” I called in the Y0 Yo Life of an Entrepreneur but it really applies to me as a VC as well. I wrote this in January 2010. How are you everywhere at once?

VC 347

VC entrepreneurs creativity advice 347

TechCrunch

DECEMBER 8, 2020

“We did hear that and I think it’s very poor advice,” he says. There is every likelihood that Zennström’s Atomico would have joined Klarna’s cap table in 2010 if it weren’t for a single line of text published on the VC firm’s website, which read something like, “don’t contact us, we’ll contact you.”

investing 143

investing investment mix-use media 143

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 13, 2010

And coming to the end of 2010 I feel a sense of reminiscence of some of the trends from a decade ago. I was reminded of all this this when I read a blog post by one of my favorite thinkers on the VC market, Bryce Roberts, who talked about “ unfundable companies.&#. Bryce is a bit like the entrepreneurs I search for.

consulting 302

consulting leadership entrepreneurs advice 302

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

One year ago I predicted that in 2010/11 the economy, far from being on the path of permanent recovery was on a temporary resurgence and there was a strong possibility of a “double dip” recession. My advice to entrepreneurs was and is “ when the hors d’oeuvres tray is being passed take two ” (e.g.

entrepreneurs 298

entrepreneurs real estate VC advice 298

TechCrunch

DECEMBER 8, 2020

“We did hear that and I think it’s very poor advice,” he says. There is every likelihood that Zennström’s Atomico would have joined Klarna’s cap table in 2010 if it weren’t for a single line of text published on the VC firm’s website, which read something like, “don’t contact us, we’ll contact you.”

investing 82

investing investment mix-use media 82

Unvalidated Learnings

OCTOBER 5, 2016

and yet so familiar to every contemporary entrepreneur. Johnson, the company’s first employee, built an epistolary community of fellow runners (a forum of sorts), who, in exchange for his expert advice, would provide him with invaluable product feedback: “ Unlike me, however, most customers came to depend on Johnson’s letters.

startup 40

startup entrepreneurship culture communities 40

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 9, 2011

I spent my days meeting companies, figuring out what areas of the market interested me and trying to get a sense for how VCs thought about fair valuations. I thought about things I never had to as an entrepreneur: check size, ownership percentage, deal stage, portfolio construction and risk. But I guess you could say the same about VC.

VC 305

VC disruption entrepreneurs venture capital 305

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 6, 2012

It all started in 2010 with Klout. From this debate about Klout John and I have had a series of in person meetings and debates about our industry (both VC & tech) and what is changing. 2:00 Why don’t you like the term VC? 7:00 80% of the VC funds last year went to a small handful of funds. SHOW NOTES.

venture capital 303

venture capital VC ventures capital 303

TechCrunch

MARCH 9, 2021

That said, Norway’s VC community has been somewhat dormant for a while. Not a bad thing, but as a result, there are few “hungry” tech entrepreneurs. What is your advice to startups in your portfolio right now? What is your advice to startups in your portfolio right now?

opportunity 115

opportunity mix-use advice investing 115

David Teten VC

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Here’s what I said: In your career in tech and VC, how has your focus on ESG responsibility changed over time? When we launched in 2010, I saw a white space: a burgeoning NY tech ecosystem, but only one angel group regularly writing checks. How do you leverage your VC expertise in politics? Are you politically active?

venture capital 52

venture capital VC capital ventures 52

David Teten VC

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Here’s what I said: In your career in tech and VC, how has your focus on ESG responsibility changed over time? When we launched in 2010, I saw a white space: a burgeoning NY tech ecosystem, but only one angel group regularly writing checks. How do you leverage your VC expertise in politics? Are you politically active?

venture capital 40

venture capital VC capital ventures 40