Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 26, 2010

This is part of my series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. I started the series talking about what I consider the most important attribute of an entrepreneur : Tenacity. The best entrepreneurs focus on details.

entrepreneurs 286

entrepreneurs advice pitching VC 286

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MAY 3, 2016

I’ve been an EO member for 15 years, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I became involved with the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA). I had served many roles previously on the BC Children’s Hospital Board, but I wanted to transition into something that engaged young entrepreneurs – and I found one. We also scoured newsfeeds.

peer-to-peer 130

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs hospitality incubation 130

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

MARCH 24, 2020

2018 YLAI Fellow and co-founder of L3G’s & Associates, Fatima Chi, is empowering businesses in her community in Belize to take control of their finances. From very young, I was inspired to be an entrepreneur and to do great things. What is it like to be a female entrepreneur in Belize? I owe it to my female community.

hospitality 189

hospitality entrepreneurship communities financing 189

David Teten VC

JULY 27, 2021

The Kauffman Foundation found 47% of US tech founders held degrees in STEM while 34% held degrees in business, finance, and accounting. The GitHub Student Developer Pack offers more than $200k in developer tools/training for student entrepreneurs or any students. Student teams pitch and compete for more than $1.5

founder 144

founder mentorship peer-to-peer pitching 144

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

In a post for TC+, entrepreneur and angel investor Kuan Wei (Greg) Soh shared his top suggestions for managing distributed engineering teams, which includes mandatory standups and at least three hours each day when everyone is available to chat. Revenue-based financing: A new playbook for startup fundraising.

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pitching advice financing finance 79

Entrepreneur's Handbook

OCTOBER 18, 2022

You’ll receive the best practical startup advice straight to your inbox every week. Our failures are what turn us into better entrepreneurs. ?? Read here: A Venture Capitalist Told Me How He Decides Which Startups to Fund, and I Couldn’t Believe It Stop sending VCs pitch decks?—?start Is this person finance focused?

startup 78

startup pitching entrepreneurship strategy 78

StartupNation

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Pursuing a second career after leaving the military can be challenging, which is why a growing number of veterans choose to become entrepreneurs. Before you can pitch your idea to investors or apply for a loan from a financial institution, you should draft a business plan. Seek advice from experts. and overall, 6.8

entrepreneurship 123

entrepreneurship networking mentorship financing 123

TechCrunch

MARCH 7, 2023

Plus, they were gracious enough to share some of the advice they’re giving to their portfolio companies. However, many entrepreneurs have opted to remain heads down and build more efficiently instead of testing this new valuation environment. What advice are you giving to your portfolio companies?

advice 110

advice ventures sustainability investing 110

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 17, 2018

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) ’s Accelerator program empowers early-stage entrepreneurs with the tools, community and accountability necessary to aggressively grow and master their businesses. What, in your opinion, went right with your pitch to help secure their investment?

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pitching accelerator energy investing 130

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

So many questions, so little time to search out reliable, actionable advice. Enter TechCrunch Early Stage 2021 — two distinct, virtual bootcamps designed specifically for early-stage founders and open to entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts. Learn from folks like Alexa von Tobel as she leads a discussion on Finance for Founders.

pitching 73

pitching advice startup ecosystem opportunity 73

TechCrunch

JULY 29, 2022

Blair Silverberg, CEO and co-founder of Hum Capital, says entrepreneurs need to resist the urge to become defensive in these sessions. “In Pitch Deck Teardown: Alto Pharmacy’s $200M Series E deck. Pitch Deck Teardown: Alto Pharmacy’s $200M Series E deck. “There is no time to test the waters and get early feedback.

SaaS 99

SaaS pitching strategy capital 99

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I asked for intro’s from entrepreneur friends. I spent time on college campuses.

advice 361

advice VC pitching entrepreneurs 361

Smart Hustle Magazine

JULY 17, 2019

Being a female entrepreneur is looking better each and every day. According to Entrepreneur , “Women are also raising smaller rounds than men -- averages of $5 million and $12 million, respectively. Find the Right Investors - don’t throw your pitch to just anybody. But, women entrepreneurs are taking the economy by storm.

venture capital 95

venture capital capital ventures peer-to-peer 95

Smart Hustle Magazine

MAY 11, 2022

Exposure to industry giants can bring entrepreneurs new opportunities to create and sell to different markets. Advice is worth its weight in gold in the business industry. It is invaluable to be able to get advice from industry giants who have experienced pitfalls and can make sure your company doesn’t make the same mistakes. .

collaboration 100

collaboration networking mentorship advice 100

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

This should come as no surprise, given that fintech combines two sectors traditionally dominated by men: finance and technology. In the long term, there needs to be foundational change to level the playing field for women entrepreneurs. It’s essential to make sure your sales, pitch and negotiation skills are on point.

VC 123

VC startup leadership communities 123

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

And I am often approached by entrepreneurs in cities which don’t have a vibrant VC community. They often ask whether they have to move to SF, NY or LA to get financed. If these people work for reputable firms and have the right industry knowledge they ought to be on your pitch list. “ Startup Advice'

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

TechCrunch

AUGUST 31, 2021

Fundraising is a huge part of building a successful startup, and whether you’re looking for information about the latest trends, alternative funding or how to fine-tune your pitch to attract investors, you’ll find that and a whole lot more at TechCrunch Disrupt 2021 on September 21-23. Crafting a Pitch Deck that Can’t Be Ignored.

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disruption startup pitching advice 90

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 28, 2018

There’s a quick litmus-test conversation any early-stage VC will have with the founder and it’s one that you should be as prepared for as your elevator pitch. One entrepreneur refrain I sometimes hear is “We want to raise some extra money for M&A activities.” It goes something like this … VC: “How much money are you raising?”

VC 247

VC capital incumbents financing 247

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I asked for intro’s from entrepreneur friends. I spent time on college campuses.

VC 347

VC advice pitching entrepreneurs 347

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 2, 2010

The other day, Ron Conway said at an event that “ he hopes that any entrepreneur that has “the guts” to start a company gets funded.” First off all, not every company is right for equity financing—and many other companies would be better off starting without it. Step one: Ask for money.

startup 253

startup entrepreneurship mentorship venture capital 253

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Many of you entrepreneurs know that feeling. Two Sigma is a technology and finance company in Soho filled with incredibly bright engineers and developers, so I’m really excited about leveraging that partnership in a number of cool ways. VCs pitch for money, too. It wouldn't be the last time I had to call on that approach.

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ventures pitching VC startup ecosystem 280

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

It was 2009 and it was terribly difficult to get any financing (if you can remember a time like that!) and I thought if we brought the community together for common purpose we could create more of a sense of community to help new entrepreneurs get funded, assemble teams, raise profiles and help with biz dev, product, etc.

accelerator 290

accelerator mentorship peer-to-peer VC 290

AsiaTechDaily

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

It partners with entrepreneurs in funding their growth stories through innovative market access and public venture capital strategies. I was mainly educated in accounting and finance. We pitch to investors without requiring them to commit to a blind pool. Edited excerpts below : What background and domain expertise do you have?

ventures 71

ventures startup VC strategy 71

TechCrunch

JANUARY 3, 2023

In a TC+ column, Spaht encourages entrepreneurs to revisit the operational and fundraising tactics they leaned on in the bygone era of cheap money. Most investors won’t sign a non-disclosure agreement before reviewing your pitch because your idea is probably not worth stealing. Six climate tech trends to watch for in 2023.

funders 82

funders pitching startup ecosystem financing 82

TechCrunch

APRIL 12, 2022

Arvind Gupta, an investor at Mayfield Fund and founder of accelerator IndieBio, reviews several hundred pitch decks each year. “In Technology startup valuations are robust, so it’s only natural that entrepreneurs and investors would want to position firms as a straight tech play, regardless of the underlying business they’re in.

startup 81

startup mix-use investing investment 81

Andreessen Horowitz

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

The mission is the elevator pitch. And we know that the chief people officer role, CHRO—unlike maybe finance or sales—entrepreneurs have a harder time understanding what that role is, right? Kelli Dragovich: It’s so funny because you’ve sent a bunch of those entrepreneurs to me over the years, which I’ve loved.

energy 88

energy entrepreneurs leadership advice 88

StartupNation

JANUARY 20, 2022

As the e-commerce industry continues to boom and work from home remains a trend amongst the corporate sector, more entrepreneurs are using their funds to create new digital startups in a number of niches. Must-Read: 5 Terms That are Killing Your Startup’s Pitch. This can pose a tough call for young entrepreneurs.

venture capital 89

venture capital capital ventures startup 89

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2013

The one word the best entrepreneurs never accept. I’ve been pitched by hundreds of entrepreneurs who never actually asked me whether I would invest. Hold interviews with tech people, marking people, ops people, finance people – whatever. It’s a skill you’re going to need as an entrepreneur.

advice 416

advice entrepreneurship entrepreneurs leadership 416

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2010

It’s meant to be a bit provocative but the reality is that I give this advice to entrepreneurs all the the time and I usually leave the “e&# off of the end. I normally offer this advice in the capacity of really wanting to help entrepreneurs so please bear with me. It is 2010. The list goes on.

venture capital 289

venture capital capital ventures advice 289

TechCrunch

JULY 20, 2021

It’s also a useful overview for early employees and co-founders who may be new to startup financing. Topics covered: How financing works: SAFEs versus equity rounds. Founders: How well do you really understand seed-stage financing? How much to raise. How to arrive at your valuation. I hope you have a great week.

SaaS 53

SaaS VC financing finance 53

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. With a love for visiting new places and only student loans for financing, I always wanted to know which destinations were affordable. The universe must have been tired of hearing my pitch.

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startup entrepreneurship advice pitching 106

TechCrunch

JANUARY 29, 2021

In other news: Extra Crunch Live, a series of interviews with leading investors and entrepreneurs, returns next month with a full slate of guests. This year, we’re adding a new feature: Our guests will analyze pitch decks submitted by members of the audience to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

VC 107

VC founder media education 107

TechCrunch

MARCH 11, 2022

I haven’t launched a successful startup, but I have helped write several pitch decks. Calculating TAM, SAM and SOM sounds like an existential exercise, but there’s no need to dread it “if you approach market sizing methodically,” says Marjorie Radlo-Zandi, a veteran investor and entrepreneur. Can it be expedited?

entrepreneurs 87

entrepreneurs venture capital development disruption 87

TechCrunch

JUNE 9, 2022

It’s Thursday, which means that Haje also wrote another installment of his popular Pitch Deck Teardown series on our subscription site TechCrunch Plus. million in a new financing round as it looks to expand to the U.S. This time, he takes a look at Lunchbox’s $50 million Series B, and what startups can learn from its deck.

advice 83

advice VC education pitching 83

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

There was a lot of consumer internet activity again…resurgence of things, but it was still mysterious, venture capital was still kind of closed, 1st time entrepreneurs had a lot of questions that were unanswered, and there was still some sort of hand waiving around all the financing stuff and so we took it on….”.

venture capital 288

venture capital pitching communities entrepreneurs 288

TechCrunch

APRIL 16, 2021

But since I’ve never actually done those things, I would encourage you to ignore any advice I have to offer. Trusted advice comes from experience. Founder and investor Melissa Bradley outlines how to nail your virtual pitch meeting. At TechCrunch Early Stage, she led a session on how to nail your virtual pitch meeting.

venture capital 68

venture capital mix-use financing finance 68

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

On December 2nd, 2006 I wrote the blog post published later in this post when I was CEO of startup Koral about my experiences in pitching VCs. It included some well known firms that made me come for a team pitch and then only gave me literally 15 minutes when we’d scheduled an hour. My blog was wiped out. I wasn’t feeling it.

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VC venture capital pitching capital 274