Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 14, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. I wrote recently about the role of Advisory Boards in startups , which I expected to be a bit controversial. It’s just that many companies waste equity on advisory boards, pick the wrong advisers or set up advisory boards with the wrong expectations.

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board VC advice entrepreneurs 215

Gust

JULY 15, 2012

I recommend that every early-stage startup find three Advisory Board members. For this, you should expect participation in monthly strategy and review meetings, and unlimited access via phone or email for questions, mentoring, and advice. The Advisory Board’s objectives and focus. Let’s talk specifics.

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board startup mentorship strategy 178

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

When you set up a board it is often initially a combination of the founders and the early investors. This post sets out how I believe founders (and investors) should think about independent board members having worked with many of them for the past 20 years. The board is where large equity investors get their representation.

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board peer-to-peer VC funders 187

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

With all the external presenters, the ones I enjoyed the most were Dan Senor who wrote the book Startup Nation (an examination of the Israeli technology scene). He said that ineffectual leaders seek consensus or want direction or approval from the board. He says this is a mistake. View more presentations from steve blank.

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peer-to-peer advice VC board 279

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 8, 2011

I'm sure each of those guys got questioned by entrepreneurs as to why they should accept advice from them as opposed to the entrepreneurial veterans of the days who worked in VC. So how can a relatively junior VC hope to add any value to an investment and on a board--and is it enough value that you should have one on your board?

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VC peer-to-peer board advice 275

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 6, 2020

Here is advice I collected for dealing with the stress of running a startup: 1. Brad Feld, a partner at Foundry Group and investor in many successful startups, gave me this piece of advice. I interviewed a number of prominent VC’s and entrepreneurs for my recent book. Remember that you are not alone. A startup is not a lone adventure.

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peer-to-peer startup advice entrepreneurs 321

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 5, 2011

Advisors, investors and board members come in all shapes and sizes. I'm a strong believer in having a board, even at a seed stage, to report to and set strategy with. The most successful companies have strong boards and so as a good housekeeping practice, why not start acting like a great company as early as possible.

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board advice consulting angel investing 278

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2013

We also run annual CEO summits and topical discussions groups in marketing, technology, recruiting and the like. At any moment in time one of Upfront’s associates are likely to be working on: a pricing strategy, a market-expansion strategy, an M&A review, or helping build a company’s first board deck template.

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ventures venture capital advice VC 343

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 2, 2010

That’s the thing—startups in the initial stages need advice, feedback, and guidence a lot more than they need money upfront. Getting key strategy advice early on, or getting introduced to a new market can make or break a company in ways that no amount of angel capital can help. Tags: Venture Capital & Technology.

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startup entrepreneurship venture capital mentorship 253

David Teten VC

JUNE 9, 2021

You can work as a consultant, an interim executive, a board member, a deal executive partnering to buy a company, an executive in residence, or as an entrepreneur in residence. . As a next step, we recommend that you register at the major expert network websites, as well as LinkedIn and job boards, if you haven’t already.

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consulting venture capital board capital 128

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 29, 2012

You're going to want syndication partners on the deals you find and sounding boards on the thesis behind each of your potential investments. Technology slows the world down long enough to let us pay attention to move of it. Otherwise, all of your advice sounds like your best advice, until you tell someone else.

peer-to-peer 301

peer-to-peer angel investing advice entrepreneurs 301

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2010

He stood up, grabbed the mic and gave a heartfelt overview of his experiences in experimenting with new technologies to build relationships with his audience, get feedback on his product quality and to market his music all the way to the top of iTunes. He was riveting. To stay the crowed was “wowed&# was an understatement.

entrepreneurs 356

entrepreneurs media VC creativity 356

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2010

You’re not lecturing to a college class, you’re not at a cocktail party and you’re not chatting with a small group in a board meeting. Talk us through how the person using your product is benefiting through your technology. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Start-up Advice Startup Advice.

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advice VC entrepreneurs education 362

Revolution

MAY 4, 2022

providing companies with premium hospitality and the hybrid technology they need to grow. As board members, there were many hard conversations and no easy answers. We leaned in during weekly board meetings and reinvested when others left the cap table. From day one of our partnership, we believed in Ryan’s vision.

real estate 264

real estate coworking spaces coworking hospitality 264

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. . By Monday morning after their board meeting in NorCal I didn’t get a return phone call. China is indelibly an important part of the future of the global technology system. I HATE LOSING. I hate it.

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consulting advice collaboration VC 328

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

It is often the fortuitous mixture of new technologies, customer awareness and then acceptance of the technology and then the slow adoption into our daily lives that leads to markets exploding. And having too much money certainly raises board expectations that you will do big things quickly. And let’s be clear.

entrepreneurs 374

entrepreneurs incubation board VC 374

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

Fortunately I was mostly a technology consultant, which meant that I coded computers, designed databases and planned system integration projects. In 1999 I was in Japan doing a strategy project for the board of directors of Sony. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Start-up Advice Startup Advice.

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consulting data analysis advice construction 415

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. . By Monday morning after their board meeting in NorCal I didn’t get a return phone call. China is indelibly an important part of the future of the global technology system. I HATE LOSING. I hate it.

consulting 333

consulting advice collaboration VC 333

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

He wanted to know what I thought of his technology deal. And why would it make sense to bring me on board?” Startup Advice' He’s an incredibly smart investor and somebody that I actually consider to be a mentor to myself. Not from a random phone call. Not from LinkedIn. I read the pitch they had sent my friend.

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advice VC pitching investment 333

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2009

This is part of my ongoing posts on Startup Advice. My advice: don’t. I worked with the board who encouraged me to bring in heavy weights. Tags: Start-up Advice startup technology. Only Hire A+ People Who Punch Above Their Weight Class. I’m not one of those. Your solution? Bring in a heavyweight.

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startup advice SaaS consulting 327

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

He then brought her to board meetings so nobody could accuse him of not having a business model. Startup Advice' I guess this is the ultimate definition of implementing a business model when you’re not clear on strategy! INNOVATOR’S DILEMMA. Hopefully one more scalable than Gob Bluth’s.

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strategy startup peer-to-peer advice 401

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2014

And I spoke with the CTO of another great company I used to be on the board of and enlisted his support in potentially being an advisor to one company. The following post is advice I gave to my good friend Sam Teller when he was just a junior baller, “ Never Ask a Busy Person to Lunch.” ” You simply need to ask.

networking 366

networking peer-to-peer advice mentorship 366

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

It really wouldn’t take much to turn a great technology ecosystem into a truly electric one. I was meeting with a first-time CEO of a very promising young startup recently and offering my advice on what his priorities should be. As I gear up to give a keynote at the annual Seattle 2.0 The inflow of capital can be transformative.

communities 317

communities VC innovation entrepreneurs 317

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 8, 2010

Most technology startups seem to be founded by three types of people: product managers, engineers or biz dev types (MBAs and the like). But in the end they know how to put the big wins on the board. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Sales & Marketing Advice. They’re unmanageable. I’m unmanageable. LOVING Balsamiq!

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startup frameworks advice entrepreneurs 350

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

But let me put it this way – investors who have buyers’ ears are less likely to have zeros (they can bury good technology and still try to recover their investments) and are far more likely to architect winning M&A deals. didn’t buy the company but having them on board as serious potential buyer helped our ultimate sale.

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angel investing investment investing VC 280

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

After numerous discussions we held the line and all agreed as a board that profitability was much more important than chasing new markets and that perfecting our systems and methods was critical before we expanded and just increase the scope of our problems to solve. Seriously, this happens.

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innovation startup board leadership 286

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Tech teams are comprised of three distinct managements skills: people, process & technology. Be careful about board construction. Can always appoint other startup CEOs to the board to take founder seats (which you control) and/or bring in industry experts as independents. Know the difference. Some people are good at all.

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startup consulting construction board 388

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

I have sat on a board with Howard and have known him a few years. In the early 80’s he left academia to work on venture capital investing with Jim Simons, Renaissance Technologies. What is ideal board structure? How to run a board meeting? Howard is successful enough that he doesn't need to work. and Half.com.

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capital board VC pitching 284

TechCrunch

AUGUST 2, 2022

shared her advice for entrepreneurs who are focused on climate and sustainability: “If your business activities have produced desired results and repeatable cycles — like developing a new product and distributing it through local markets — then you are ready to multiply.” Build a solid deck for your quarterly board meetings.

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board startup micromobility financing 83

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

When to get a lawyer - If you plan to be a venture or angel backed technology company (what I mostly write about) the best time to start meeting and getting to know lawyers is long before you ever start your company. When we invest they are often the company counsel so we see them at board meetings. Our lives are intertwined.

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startup advice entrepreneurs VC 318

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 3, 2012

I also (as Fred describes us youngins) "work hard, put in ridiculous hours, are on top of all the latest trends, companies, technologies, etc. I think Fred was trying to offer some friendly advice to young investors that you're going to "take lumps" and that it's worth learning from those who are more experienced. I hope I never stop.

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VC board venture capital ventures 259

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. Startup Advice' Yesterday I wrote a post about “ growth hacking ” and why I thought it was wrong that people were hating on the term unnecessarily. It’s worth a quick read. My argument is pretty simple.

peer-to-peer 379

peer-to-peer mix-use consulting advice 379

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

If I’m interested I get to spend more time with them, if I’m not I don’t have to – A few companies per month come in that have fascinating business ideas that warrant my spending more time trying to understand their people, company, technology and market. Too many VCs see their entrepreneurs almost like pawns.

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VC consulting entrepreneurs creativity 312

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Bill Binch is an operating partner at global, technology-focused investment firm Battery Ventures. As a revenue leader at large and small technology companies, I’ve spent the last 15 years attending a lot of quarterly board meetings. This is all necessary because the board meeting is such a high-stakes event.

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board SaaS advice energy 87

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Lak Ananth is founding CEO and managing partner of the global venture capital firm Next47 and serves on the board of several companies that he has helped to grow beyond $1 billion valuations. Historically, the main actors in venture capital have been a specialized set of tech investors who themselves came from the technology industry.

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advice founder venture capital board 85

Smart Hustle Magazine

DECEMBER 30, 2020

You can still take advantage of all the small business advice that was shared throughout the event. You can still listen to the whole thing, but we wanted to share some of our favorite moments and pieces of small business advice. Awesome small business advice! And the technology to have automation with a human touch is key.

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advice consulting media networking 98

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 11, 2012

I'm a believer that someone needs to lead a round, sit on a board, and go to sleep at night thinking about how they can help the companies they're invested in. In fact, thanks to increased scrutiny of investment funds in a post-Madoff world, this imbalance will probably get bigger and bigger. Call me old fashioned.

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