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Why it’s Critical That you Reference Check Your VC

Both Sides of the Table

I personally had three separate data points from entrepreneurs who took money from the firm that said “never again.&# I really try to stay out of the middle of these things so I softly said to the team, “maybe you should contact these companies and see how their experience went? Not so in venture capital.

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Outbound VC Dialing Programs – Total Disrespect for Entrepreneurs

Both Sides of the Table

“Hi [entrepreneur], I hope all is well. I know the firm well and I know the entrepreneur & his business well. But if that’s all that they’re after then entrepreneurs should definitely be wary of taking these calls. So I have to imagine many other entrepreneurs felt the same. They’re flattered.

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What entrepreneurs need to know about unconscious bias

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

Unconscious, or implicit, bias refers to the underlying attitudes or beliefs about other individuals or groups, based on identity traits, outside our own conscious awareness. It is vital for entrepreneurs and aspiring leaders to understand unconscious biases that may be present in their journey to growing their business or organization.

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Invest in Lines, not Dots

Both Sides of the Table

This sometimes frustrates entrepreneurs who just want to “get back to running the business.&# But if you understand it you’ll see that it is perfectly rational and it should also influence how you form relationships with investors. For this reason I tell entrepreneurs the following: Meet your potential investors early.

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Avoid Decision by Indecision

Both Sides of the Table

I recently wrote a piece about how Entrepreneurs Should be Respected, Not Loved. The corollary to this rule is “decision by indecision.&# This is one of my favorite lines to remind entrepreneurs because it is the sort of garden variety mistake that is so common in everyday life. So you make four more reference calls.

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Steven Blank Kills It at Greycroft CEO Summit

Both Sides of the Table

My favorite two quotes of the weekend were: “Never trade your cat for somebody else’s dog” (referring to selling your company for stock to another privately held company – quote was from Alan. Entrepreneurs always walk away with new relationships, knowledge, deal discussions and enthusiasm. View more presentations from steve blank.

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What I Would Look for When Choosing a VC – Knowing What I Know Now?

Both Sides of the Table

I had an enjoyable conversation this morning with a young team straight out of college this morning and they were calling to ask advice on how to approach fund raising (angels vs. VCs, how to select a VC, etc.) If I were looking at which VCs to choose I would reference strongly for which ones are supportive in good times and bad.

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