TechCrunch

JANUARY 8, 2022

Signaling risk happens when a VC chooses to not do pro rata, or follow-on investing, in an existing portfolio company. In this instance, we failed to follow our own advice.”. The earliest investors are rethinking signaling risk, dilution and, most surprisingly, the worth of a traditional demo day.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I told my friend that I felt that in 2014 too many new VCs feel the pressure to chase deals, to be a part of syndicates with other brand names and to pounce on top of every startup whose numbers are trending up quickly. I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal.

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Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Pitching a VC. Quick caveats: having fewer investors (3-5) is better than many investors (10-15) and PLEASE make sure you hire a great lawyer who has experience in doing start-ups to avoid pitfalls that will make VC harder down the line. They have advice to share. They exist in every town.

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advice VC pitching angel investing 291

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 8, 2011

How about as a VC? Fred has basically always been a VC, Mike was a reporter, and Jim worked in product marketing and management consulting. Surely--but then I realize how difficult it is to be an early stage VC in NYC. At least then you'd imagine that your advice isn't *that* bad because at least you've got some experience.

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Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. If the large VC doesn’t agree to do your A round then you’re in a bit of trouble. But I’m no longer an entrepreneur – I’m a VC at a $200 million fund called GRP Ventures , the largest active fund in Southern California.

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TechCrunch

JULY 15, 2021

While the format definitely works, the influx of pitch decks in a hot deal environment makes it harder to stand out. Wu gave some pointers on how she reacts to cold pitch decks, and why founders may want to take some unconventional advice. Don’t send VC a cold deck ever again: Start sending video pitches. And, it’s worked.

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VC pitching advice ventures 102

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

I recently got an email from a friend who had been approached by a well known VC. I’m an investor at [Big Name, Large Fund VC] and recently came across [Your Company]. But if that’s all that they’re after then entrepreneurs should definitely be wary of taking these calls. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice.

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TechCrunch

JANUARY 21, 2022

500 Global’s Christine Tsai shares her 2022 VC predictions. 500 Global’s Christine Tsai shares her 2022 VC predictions. Will quantum computing remain the domain of the specialist VC? Will quantum computing remain the domain of the specialist VC? If you want startup funding, don’t make VCs feel ignorant.

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TechCrunch

DECEMBER 16, 2022

Similarly, “everyone needs 18-24 months of runway” is a nice motto, but when it takes three times longer to raise a round than it used to, it may no longer be useful advice. The rules of VC are changing: Here’s what founders should be considering in the new era. Definitely don’t chase trends,” advises Liparteliani.

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VC pitching frameworks health 86

Startup Grind

AUGUST 13, 2018

Nancy Lublin, CEO of Loris.ai, is definitely a founder to watch. What is one piece of advice you’d give every founder? While I have yet to find a company that truly addresses this theme, you can imagine a world in which each individual is able to control all of their personal data and only reveal what they want to who they want.

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TechCrunch

MAY 15, 2023

Pure-play financial VCs are falling out of favor with startups compared to investors who bring building experience alongside their cash. If a VC has experience in a different field, it may not translate well — if at all — to a startup, and advice around certain business decisions could quickly become outdated.

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founder VC venture capital advice 98

Hunter Walk

AUGUST 23, 2023

Specifically I’ve had the chance to spend meaningful time over the years with Michael Mignano as he went from startup CEO to Executive/Angel Investor and now VC Partner at Lightspeed. I can vouch for his genuine optimism Hunter Walk: You got to work with a number of different VCs on your cap table for Anchor.

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This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 3, 2012

Age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc are all topics that are deeply emotional for people--and, by definition, personal. 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.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2011

If you want a very quick primer on all the stuff nobody ever tells you about raising venture capital check out this video where Mark Jeffrey & I break it down on This Week in VC. All of this is covered in more detail on the TWiVC video above (and much of it is covered in text on this blog on the “ Raising VC &# tab).

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This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 22, 2017

There was a time not too long ago when VC bios read "Fab investor", "Quirky investor", and "Gilt investor". VCs can provide a useful piece of advice at a key moment--or help make a key hire, but the day in and day out grind is done by the work of the founder and the team, and they deserve 99.999999% of the credit.

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This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

I was having a conversation last night with another VC who was suggesting I monetize the pro-ratas that I don't take by creating SPVs. It's definitely not the kind of relationship I want to have as an investor. But you could charge fees or at least carry for that. You're leaving money on the table!"

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David Teten VC

MARCH 21, 2024

My Partner Winter Mead, Founder & CEO of Coolwater Capital , the accelerator for emerging VC fund managers, said: “Fewer than 5 of the 180 emerging managers we’ve worked with are raising via 506c, in order to get in front of more retail LPs, who are generally already following the GP, e.g., through the GP’s newsletter or community.

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Hunter Walk

DECEMBER 30, 2022

We still see a ton of collaboration with the funds we’re closest with, but others have definitely taken us off their list with our model change. As now a non-lead investor we have to simultaneously remind the founders (and lead VC) that we can be quite useful to them, while also not creating additional management overhead.

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

I spoke about this more in depth in these two posts: 4 things I look for in an investment & how to manage VC relationships. Note that “performance&# on my chart is a loose term for my definition of perceived progress that can take the form of product, customer adoption, employees, investors, press or whatever.

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investing investment VC advice 411

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2011

When this first ran on TechCrunch I got the greatest comment in the world that I had to repeat here, “VC’s are like martinis: the first is good, the second one great, and the third is a headache.&# I understand the appeal of having many VC firms on your cap table. In my second company I had only 1 investor. I love that.

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AsiaTechDaily

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

As the team is not from a VC background, the typical investment strategy for seed or early-stage fund on diversifying into a portfolio of companies and then follow-on investments into potential winners is simply not in our DNA who came from corporate finance and business advisory background. Build trust. front seat now to drive the valuation.

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ventures startup VC strategy 71

Andreessen Horowitz

APRIL 23, 2024

René: If you go back to what accountants were 60 years ago, before I was born, before technology came in, accountants actually were the trusted partner that was adding advice, because they did everything. No VC, no employer, nobody wants to think about firing, but if it enters your mind, you probably should do it.

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TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 18, 2022

Several months later, we’ve since learned that cutting marketing budgets doesn’t make early-stage startups healthier, but it is a great way for VCs to reduce burn rates across their entire portfolio. As Rebecca Szkutak reported this week, SaaS startups that ignored this advice outperformed the ones that followed it.

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TechCrunch

JANUARY 28, 2023

All to say, there’s definitely an opportunity to find talent if you are hiring. My big question is if VCs are taking the same advice that they’re dishing. Don’t forget VCs, you have VCs too. ( At least most of you do! Smart, and common. Wouldn’t that be a story? Book your pass ASAP!

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Entrepreneur's Handbook

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

Perhaps unsurprisingly, for every £1 of VC investment in the UK, 89p goes to all-male founding teams. Similarly, only around 13% of ethnic minority-led businesses are able to secure VC or Angel funding. but that won’t stop the almost daily influx of unsolicited advice and second-guessing you’ll receive. Oh, most definitely.

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Hunter Walk

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

As Our Colleague Kate Stern Departs Homebrew To Go Back to Company Building, Here’s Her Advice. VC is a relatively opaque industry, and it was hard to know what to expect. Of course I knew that wasn’t the whole picture, but there were definitely some things I needed to adjust to.

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venture capital ventures capital advice 70

TechCrunch

MARCH 7, 2023

However, it appears that even though VCs are proceeding more cautiously than before and taking their time with due diligence, they are still investing. CB Insights recently found that two of the largest global VC firms, Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, actually backed more fintech companies in 2022 than any other category.

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Hunter Walk

JUNE 26, 2023

Chris Neumann: I’ve been lucky to have been a part of 5 startups going back to the late-90s, including two that were VC-backed (DataHero and Aster Data). If you could magically give one piece of advice to every founder seeking venture capital what would it be? Hunter Walk: So why venture capital, why early stage, and why Canada?

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founder ventures culture advice 95

AsiaTechDaily

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

As a completely new fund, without any relationships or seeding from established VC firms, makes things really difficult. Additionally, do you have any other advice for anyone looking to start a fund? Definitely best to partner. What’s your advice to entrepreneurs who have a chance to meet investors like you?

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founder investing investment advice 96

Entrepreneur's Handbook

AUGUST 16, 2023

What advice would you give your past self? The question I asked them was this: If you could go back in time and give your younger self some advice just as you were starting your founder journey, what would you say? 2) I wish I had better understood the VC model and incentive structure when fundraising. And I do remember them.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

There is all sorts of advice on the Internet about how to raise capital. And of course I’ve sat on the other side of the table: As a VC. I’ve tried to make this advice as well-rounded and biased free as I can. This is not just the perspective of a VC although I can’t say I have zero VC bias.

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TechCrunch

MAY 7, 2022

For more thoughts, read a round-up of all the tech layoffs this past week , and then head to TechCrunch+ for some advice on how to navigate the market. Need advice on navigating a tough startup market? Early-stage founders, it’s definitely a stressful time to be in your seat – but also clearly a pivotal one. Start here.

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

This is part of my Startup Advice series of posts. I definitely don’t rule out first timers – I just invested in one to be announced soon who I am really excited about – but I greatly prefer experience. They do what VC’s like to call “pivot.&# Boy did I pivot. I’ve been a VC for 2.5

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David Teten VC

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

One of the first decisions we had to make in setting up our new VC fund, Versatile Venture Capital , was our CRM and marketing technology infrastructure. . I’m very interested in the tech stack of private equity/VC firms , both to improve the efficiency of Versatile VC and also as a focus area for our investing.

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venture capital capital ventures VC 123

Y Combinator

MARCH 6, 2024

Before that, there were dozens of rejections from VCs. Years before that, when studying to become an investment banker, she emailed thousands of bankers just to ultimately get career advice from a fraction of them. ” So she turned collecting VC rejections into a game. Most, understandably, said no. I truly believe that.

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health founder pitching advice 85

TechCrunch

AUGUST 31, 2022

Asked whether he is routinely seeing co-investors showing up less frequently or canceling board meetings altogether, he says, “I’ve definitely seen that. For sure I’ve seen other venture firms where participation is definitely reduced.” Are they giving you advice?” They stopped having them.”

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TechCrunch

JANUARY 6, 2023

A definitive founder’s guide would have to include chapters like, “So you’ve hired the wrong person,” or, “Five ways to tell if an investor is lying to you.” Money is power, and VCs know it. It’s impossible to plan for everything that can go wrong while building a startup.

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