Entrepreneur's Handbook

AUGUST 2, 2021

Photo Credit: Fortune Adding to the lack of female representation in the industry, research also shows that only 8% of the investment professionals at the top 25 VC firms are women. Open the pathway to people of different backgrounds and experiences You might think that a career in venture capital has to be driven by a background in finance.

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VC venture capital mentorship leadership 111

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

This is part of a series of advice for founders who need to raise money from venture capitalists. The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Same with VC. If in high school you got a 3.6

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VC advice entrepreneurs energy 332

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 22, 2018

This will be the post where I dangerously attempt to walk the minefield of a white male VC opining on the topic. Besides, how effective of a filter is it that someone can get coffee with a non-VC and convince them that you'd want to see the deal? That pitch has never excited any VC in the history of VC funding.

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VC pitching peer-to-peer founder 251

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. And it would well be worth your while to broaden your relationships within your VC firm.

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VC advice venture capital support 309

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.

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VC board communities pitching 365

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.

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VC peer-to-peer mix-use leadership 198

Berkonomics

AUGUST 24, 2023

Professional investors usually bring “smart money” to the table, defined as money that comes along with good advice and great relationships for corporate growth. In a number of cases, these VC partners have made the difference between success and failure or at least growth vs. stagnation. Now we explore the other side of that coin.

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investing investment VC advice 118

TechCrunch

AUGUST 6, 2021

His initial advice? 5 factors founders must consider before choosing their VC. 5 factors founders must consider before choosing their VC. Adkins offers a framework he calls “SPIFS” — for strategy, people, image, finance and systems for compliance — to aid founders in setting up a board. Not today.”.

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board VC frameworks mix-use 144

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.

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advice VC pitching angel investing 291

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.

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VC peer-to-peer advice consulting 337

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

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

StartupNation

MAY 24, 2021

All was not rosy, however, as first-time financings comprised only a fraction of that funding and decreased at points during the year. While we’ve been strongly supported by our VC backers during the pandemic, the same can’t be said for every startup. But you’ll never know which VCs to target until you do your research.

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VC pitching networking venture capital 76

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. I always tell entrepreneurs, “in good times of course everybody loves their VC.

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VC advice entrepreneurs venture capital 288

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.

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financing finance ventures real estate 344

TechCrunch

MARCH 10, 2023

I’m not a market watcher or a financial expert, but here’s some advice: Panic is a luxury. billion in common stock to shore up its finances after the bank acknowledged that a reduced pace of deal-making and “elevated client cash burn pressuring balance of fund flows” were impacting its performance. Talk to some friends.

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VC SaaS pitching ventures 91

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

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?

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financing finance venture capital disruption 74

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

As a VC you want to feel like you have “proprietary sources” of deal flow. ” I love businesses that don’t lend themselves well to VC Panels at conferences or Demo Days. I would gladly work with you on a $50 million late-stage, complex financing. Advice to VCs Startup Advice'

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VC advice pitching entrepreneurs 347

Gust

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

It’s like we need a finance 101 course for entrepreneurs. In finance they call it “terminal value” but the truth is the price is as arbitrary at your A round as it is at your seed round. Could be a VC seed lead, a VC lead an angel lead. This is why Party Rounds in VC suck.”. There were no metrics. Last year ….

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VC financing finance entrepreneurs 153

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.

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VC advice venture capital entrepreneurs 298

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. Most early-stage entrepreneurs who have worked with me (either as an angel or as a seed VC) know that I don’t rely at all on the social proof of other investors.

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financing finance advice VC 286

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 7, 2014

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 There weren’t a lot of seed funds in 2007 so this was often done by angels, funding consortia or sometimes early-stage funds that existed then (First Round Capital, True Ventures, SoftTech VC, etc.).

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VC advice financing finance 399

Hunter Walk

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

The common VC passes are pretty cliche. And while I passed on leading their seed, I did contribute a smaller amount into the financing, along with three subsequent pro rata/super pro rata investments. Checks I’ve Written The Company Since Saying “No,” Never Bought Me As Much As Saying “YES!” Would Have In The First Place.

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VC SaaS culture advice 81

TechCrunch

JANUARY 29, 2021

Also, we’re adding a new feature to Extra Crunch Live — our guests will offer advice and feedback on pitch decks submitted by Extra Crunch members in the audience! 10 VCs say interactivity, regulation and independent creators will reshape digital media in 2021. February 17: Steve Loughlin (Accel) + Jason Boehmig (Ironclad).

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VC founder media education 107

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

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. If you believe you’ve punched through all the risks and points of failure, then just take the money at the highest possible valuation and be happy.

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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

TechCrunch

AUGUST 3, 2021

After interviewing Draper Esprit co-founder Stuart Chapman, Alex Wilhelm and Anna Heim took a look at the trend of European VCs floating themselves. Image Credits: Nigel Sussman (opens in a new window).

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advice transportation construction venture capital 98

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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capital advice consulting VC 52

TechCrunch

MARCH 28, 2023

After a founder takes the quiz, the Funding Finder algorithm points them to what could be their best bets: debt financing, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), banks, bootstrapping, family and friend rounds, or even crowdfunding.

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capital founder education startup ecosystem 94

AsiaTechDaily

APRIL 16, 2023

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. The idea was to learn as much as possible in fund management, especially in VC and Growth. And when did you first think about starting a fund? Can I trust this person?

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investing investment advice VC 77

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

I would argue that the shut-down of September 2009 was equally severe yet there are signs that this “VC Ice Age” has begun to thaw. They should heed the age old advice that raising slightly more money while you can is always better than trying to optimize future valuations. Why did the VC markets freeze so quickly?

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VC board investing investment 263

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.

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founder mentorship peer-to-peer pitching 144

David Teten VC

AUGUST 19, 2019

Does the traditional VC financing model make sense for all companies? VC Josh Kopelman makes the analogy of jet fuel vs. motorcycle fuel. VCs sell jet fuel which works well for jets; motorcycles are more common but need a different type of fuel. . Absolutely not. So what is Revenue Based Investing?

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investing investment founder VC 99

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

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. With the right investor relationships, fundraising becomes a byproduct of building something great.

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