Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2013

I spent countless hours with VC firms, startups & LPs (the people who invest in VC firms). On my first real day back the first thought I have is that most entrepreneurs don’t manage their VC relationships as well as they could. It’s best to think of your VC partnership as a customer.

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VC advice venture capital support 309

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

In the VC insider baseball world a discussion has gone on about “VC platforms” over the past 5 or so years. While firms define platforms differently, let’s just say they are the services that a VC offers outside of investment capital and partner time on boards or providing intros.

VC 198

VC peer-to-peer mix-use leadership 198

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. It would be easier in terms of getting access to angels, VCs, the media, whatever. It’s a goal to help you understand the life of a VC.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Between 2006–2008 I sold both companies that I had started and became a VC. SEEING THINGS FROM THE VC SIDE OF THE TABLE While I was a VC in 2007 & 2008 those were dead years because the market again evaporated due the the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). THE VC VALUATION GOD Valuation obsession wasn’t restricted to startups.

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VC culture sustainability capital 466

TechCrunch

AUGUST 6, 2021

ThoughtSpot CEO Sudheesh Nair shared some of his thoughts about building a sturdy leadership team and drafted a thorough checklist for entrepreneurs who are putting a crew together. His initial advice? 5 factors founders must consider before choosing their VC. 5 factors founders must consider before choosing their VC.

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board VC frameworks mix-use 144

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 8, 2010

You’re tied at the hip to your VC. So my first advice is not to rush in the fund raising process. Get to know VCs over a long period of time so that when you’re ready to get engaged you feel you know their character. Good recruiters never stop at the official list and neither do VCs. Don’t stop there.

VC 288

VC advice entrepreneurs venture capital 288

David Teten VC

AUGUST 21, 2019

Most founders who are raising capital look first to traditional equity VCs. Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) is a new form of VC financing, distinct from the preferred equity structure most VCs use. Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

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VC investing investment venture capital 69

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 24, 2015

It will make follow-on financings much harder and people will have to consider whether or not to do inside rounds. These are all normal things but in this big run since 2009 we’ve all gotten used to nearly 100% follow-on financing rates, valuations only moving up, deals clearly the convertible note caps and low mortality rates.

financing 344

financing finance ventures real estate 344

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Pitching a VC. I recently wrote a post on angel financing covering the topic of convertible notes but I realized I was thinking about the issue more from investor perspective and a very narrow topic of how to price the round. They have advice to share. They know all the VCs for intros.

advice 291

advice VC pitching angel investing 291

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

As a VC you want to feel like you have “proprietary sources” of deal flow. Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. I attended events.

VC 347

VC advice pitching entrepreneurs 347

Gust

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

Me: Raising convertible notes as a seed round is one of the biggest disservices our industry has done to entrepreneurs since 2001-2003 when there were “full ratchets” and “multiple liquidation preferences” – the most hostile terms anybody found in term sheets 10 years ago. It’s like we need a finance 101 course for entrepreneurs.

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VC financing finance entrepreneurs 153

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 7, 2014

This is something I think entrepreneurs don’t totally understand and it’s worthwhile they do. No VC will be so naive as not to see straight through it. When I first became a VC, seed rounds were typically $500k – $1.5 If you''re newer to VC math here''s a great primer]. Nobody cares. Why the latter?

VC 399

VC advice financing finance 399

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

I came across this blog post about getting a computer science degree as the best degree for getting into venture capital or working at a VC-backed start up. I just completed an exercise where I went out to hire a new associate for my VC firm, GRP Partners. I had to laugh a bit reading it. I installed Windows 3.1 THE FIVE C’S.

VC 337

VC peer-to-peer advice consulting 337

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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VC incubation angel investing investing 80

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2010

They had received a term sheet from a VC and were wondering whether to work with this firm. You’re tied at the hip to your VC. So my first advice is not to rush in the fund raising process. Get to know VCs over a long period of time so that when you’re ready to get engaged you feel you know their character.

VC 298

VC advice venture capital entrepreneurs 298

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur. It represents the great majority of entrepreneurship and eschews the fairytale rags-to-VC-riches stories we so often read about in the press. She found non-traditional financing. But Tracy did what entrepreneurs do. More on that later. That may soon change. She never gave up.

peer-to-peer 363

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs startup entrepreneurship 363

Startup Blogpost

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

How to Balance Retirement Savings With Other Financial Goals as an Entrepreneur Balancing retirement savings with other financial goals is a common challenge for entrepreneurs. This safety cushion ensures that you can navigate with confidence even in tough times, knowing your finances are secure.

entrepreneurs 52

entrepreneurs real estate strategy financing 52

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

Yesterday I saw a Tweet from Chris Sacca fly by that prompted me to want to write a blog post helping entrepreneurs understand why they should push back against VCs asking for “super pro-rata” rights. They might own 8% of your company after the first funding but demand up to 33-50% of your next round of financing.

entrepreneurs 310

entrepreneurs VC financing finance 310

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

I thought I’d try to look at it from a different lens, that of the entrepreneur. Asked to respond to the topic, “What collusion happens with AngelList, if any&# I wrote the following: “Um, let’s not be naive here and not think that a “form of collusion&# doesn’t happen on virtually any financing round.

entrepreneurs 292

entrepreneurs advice VC financing 292

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2010

When I first read Paul Graham’s blog post on “High Resolution&# Financing I read it as a treatise arguing that convertible notes are better than equity. Not that they’re “such a bad idea&# but more that there are inherent problems for entrepreneurs in the process of raising angel money that need to be addressed.

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financing finance advice VC 286

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I’m enjoying being a VC. I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#.

entrepreneurs 384

entrepreneurs startup VC real estate 384

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 1, 2021

In conversation with reporter Taylor Hatmaker, Rubin said NFTs show that individuals can benefit from Web3 adoption, while decentralized finance and cryptocurrency trading are more commercialized forms. It’s hard to find actionable, proven advice for scaling startups. Dear Sophie: Any advice for getting media coverage for my startup?

financing 74

financing finance venture capital disruption 74

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

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Evaluate investors thoroughly, not just based on the size of their check, but whether they can provide strategic advice and introductions that support your vision. Seek investor advice to strengthen your business model. For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc.

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pitching consulting advice communities 219

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. In the United Kingdom and Europe, government innovation programs have helped entrepreneurs close higher numbers of Series A and B rounds.

VC 107

VC founder media education 107

TechCrunch

MARCH 28, 2023

Laurie Fabiano, the president of the Tory Burch Foundation , said the foundation decided to launch the tool after realizing that women entrepreneurs are often unaware of their funding options or how to navigate the form of capital that might best suits their needs.

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capital founder education startup ecosystem 94

David Teten VC

JULY 27, 2021

We have collected a wide range of freebies, contests, accelerators, online communities, and VCs designed for student tech founders. I have been researching this both to support Versatile VC ’s portfolio companies and also as part of research for my new book, To University and Beyond: Launch Your Career in High Gear. 1) Your school.

founder 144

founder mentorship peer-to-peer pitching 144

AsiaTechDaily

APRIL 16, 2023

In an interview with AsiaTechDaily, Mun warns against investing in the business rather than the people and advises entrepreneurs to be realistic in their funding requests. I spent the first seven years of my career in corporate finance and advisory, helping entrepreneurs in either raising capital (through IPO) or growth through M&A.

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investing investment advice VC 77

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

I had previously raised VC in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005. In case VC’s haven’t figured this out yet, shit rolls downhill. My blog linked to Brad Feld’s blog because I was so grateful for his series on term sheets and he was one of the biggest reasons that as a VC I felt compelled to blog. And covered we did.

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VC venture capital pitching capital 274

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

So, where does this put you — the startup founder, entrepreneur or company executive? A pure asset play can buy you a little bit more time, but fundamentally you need to have talent in the management team, and a VC firm can help you there. It’s a great time to be a founder.

advice 85

advice founder venture capital board 85

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In my previous post, The VC Ice Age is Thawing (for now) I wrote about the reasons why the VC market came to a screeching halt in September 2008 and remained largely shut until at least April 2009. There are now signs the VC market has gathered pace meaning it’s a great time to be fund raising.

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VC venture capital networking innovation 255

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2016

Gregg Johnson, CEO of Invoca For the first 5 years or so after I became a VC I didn’t talk much about what I thought a VC should be excellent at since frankly I wasn’t sure. The number one advice I give is “stop trying to be too smart”. That’s why I often say The role of VC is “chief psychologist.”

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venture capital capital ventures VC 363

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

There has been little movement in the amount of VC dollars going to women-founded companies since 2012. This should come as no surprise, given that fintech combines two sectors traditionally dominated by men: finance and technology. VC funds must look at ways they can bring in more women decision-makers, all the way up to the top.

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VC startup leadership communities 123

AsiaTechDaily

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

From Filmmaker to Entrepreneur: A Unique Path Unfolds Jeshua’s journey kicked off in Singapore, where he defied the norms of traditional education, dropping out of a top Junior college at 17 with nothing more than a PSLE certificate (primary school education).

venture capital 82

venture capital peer-to-peer capital ventures 82

Entrepreneur's Handbook

OCTOBER 18, 2022

You’ll receive the best practical startup advice straight to your inbox every week. In this week’s edition, we share: How VCs choose which startups to fund. How you can sell your startup to VCs with a one-pager. You won’t believe how VCs decide which startups to fund Aaron Dinin, PhD teaches entrepreneurship at Duke.

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startup pitching entrepreneurship strategy 78

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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advice ventures sustainability investing 110

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. Rather than tapping traditional VC funding, emerging venture stage companies went public at early stage (e.g. Build trust.

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ventures startup VC strategy 71