Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

Nowhere is the politics more difficult than with co-founders, which is why for years I’ve spoken publicly about “ the co-founder mythology.” ” Of course we all go into businesses expecting to be aligned with our co-founders but over time life changes. Equity for the future? I see it all the time.

founder 340

founder board culture advice 340

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 5, 2015

So I asked a few founders that I've worked with and they mentioned a word that struck me--because I've never heard any of the hordes of people in my inbox asking for internships, VC job recommendations and advice, etc. I think of venture capital as a service business. mention about themselves. Generosity.

venture capital 363

venture capital capital pitching ventures 363

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

If you haven’t yet heard about Female Founder Office Hours it is an initiative you should be aware of whether you’re male, female or any other gender identify. Female Founder Office Hours gives founders the mentorship and the role models to see that it is in not only possible but also to have a plan to make it a reality.

founder 256

founder peer-to-peer VC mentorship 256

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 24, 2021

In the beginning of my venture career, I knew of a firm that was involved in a highly competitive funding round that they ultimately failed to win. For years, he went on to advise other founders about how to generate VC interest, which really could have amounted to, “Be a warm body with a pulse in a sector that firm got shut out of a deal in.”

founder 317

founder pitching VC advice 317

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

People often ask me for advice on fundraising, generating deal flow, hiring, increasing visibility , triathlons, babies, etc.--a As the person giving the advice, doing a half-assed job of getting someone all the information they need is pretty unsatisfying—so that becomes a barrier to wanting to do it at all.

advice 243

advice ventures investing investment 243

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 17, 2018

One thing that comes with being a venture capitalist is you see hundreds and hundreds of businesses. You get to have interesting conversations with founders and review business plans and then see how these businesses evolve over the years. Since I know not everybody reads Twitter I thought I’d collect them here in a blog post.

founder 242

founder advice energy venture capital 242

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 3, 2016

That was a question posed to me by a new analyst at a venture capital fund. While there are lots and lots of really kind, generous people working in venture capital--the recently retired Howard Morgan, Hunter Walk, Brad Feld, and Karin Klein for example--it's really tough to argue that there isn't widespread jerkery. We're not jerks.

VC 390

VC venture capital entrepreneurship advice 390

Revolution

MARCH 1, 2023

By Revolution Ventures Managing Partner David Golden and VP Alex Shtarkman Given the tumultuous year in tech and overall market uncertainty, a hot topic among institutional investors right now is the magnitude of potential markdowns in the coming year or two. So what does this mean for venture capitalists? since 2011.

advice 147

advice founder finance financing 147

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 6, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are reliant on outside funding, whether angel investors, venture capitalists or strategic investors , to keep the venture going. Here is advice I collected for dealing with the stress of running a startup: 1. It’s important to enlist the ideas of others that are invested in your venture.

peer-to-peer 321

peer-to-peer startup advice entrepreneurs 321

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. The Kauffman Foundation found 47% of US tech founders held degrees in STEM while 34% held degrees in business, finance, and accounting. 1) Freebies for Student Tech Founders. Right here.

founder 144

founder mentorship peer-to-peer pitching 144

American Entrepreneurship

MAY 29, 2024

The most successful entrepreneurs are those who take the approach of seeking out those who can give the best advice when dealing with the challenges of growing their small business or startup. The Importance of Seeking Out Expert Advice Seeking out expert advice is crucial for small business owners for several reasons.

advice 98

advice construction board entrepreneurs 98

Dream It

AUGUST 10, 2020

Adam Dakin , Managing Director of Dreamit Healthtech, sees founders make the same common pitch mistakes over and over. Luckily, he’s a pro when it comes to pitching investors and distills the advice so it’s easy to avoid. Perhaps worse, Adam points out that unfounded superlatives point to a lack of self-awareness in founders.

pitching 341

pitching disruption startup advice 341

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

Changes in the Software World & in Venture Capital. This meant: Less capital to start a company thus the rise of “micro VCs” Younger, more technical founders (not as big of a leap to take a risk on a 24-year-old when it’s $250k and not $5 million. And then the world changed. Changes in the Startup Ecosystem.

startup 390

startup communities venture capital capital 390

TechCrunch

MARCH 6, 2023

Serial entrepreneur and seasoned investor Vinod Khosla has some strong, contrarian advice for the venture capital industry: don’t sit on your founders’ boards. Khosla says that by avoiding six-hour board meetings, he spends “more time doing decks for presentations for our founders than almost anybody I know.”

board 100

board advice founder VC 100

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

By spending more time educating your board on your business you get more valuable advice from them. It consists of a highly intelligent and opinionated founder – Nick Halstead. Quiet-as-a-mouse Roger Ehrenberg of IA Ventures. True-to-his-heritage Rory O’Driscoll from Scale Ventures. Startup Advice'

board 365

board VC advice pitching 365

StartupNation

MARCH 30, 2021

Dear Founder: Congratulations for taking the plunge—for committing to work full-time on that startup concept you’ve been pursuing. I’ll share some advice based on work on entrepreneurial failure that I’ve done as a Harvard Business School professor. So, you should follow the conventional advice—most of the time.

founder 144

founder startup entrepreneurs advice 144

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

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.) Nothing blows up great opportunities faster than founders who are constantly fighting. And so is venture capital.

VC 364

VC advice board leadership 364

Revolution

MAY 23, 2023

To shed additional light on this issue and its ultimate impact on startups, I partnered with the Center for Real Estate Technology & Innovation to ask proptech founders about their capital and strategic partners. So, what does this mean for a proptech founder with a heavy strategic investor base?

real estate 278

real estate venture capital VC innovation 278

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

JANUARY 23, 2024

The YLAI Network team spoke with Jonathan to gain some insight into his social ventures, thoughts on the rise of artificial intelligence, and any advice for fellow network members looking to jump into entrepreneurship. Jonathan’s advice to fellow young leaders and network members is to trust the process and trust the journey.

entrepreneurship 246

entrepreneurship innovation advice communities 246

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

I suppose it can be different for every founder and for different VCs but I’d like to offer you some context on what I think it is and it isn’t. I see this on a regular basis like the founders – Josh Mangel & Aaron Peck – at Skurt who are asking the obvious question of why renting a car an airport sucks so badly.

VC 353

VC advice consulting frameworks 353

American Entrepreneurship

JANUARY 3, 2025

Other investors that participated in this funding round include Rethink Impact, Collab Capital, Collide Capital, Vamos Ventures, Tensility Venture Partners, Cake Ventures, and GW Ventures. This statistic highlights a pressing need for accessible, clinically rigorous nutrition care.

health 98

health leadership culture sustainability 98

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Contributed by Kym Huynh, an EO Melbourne member, EO Global Communications Committee member, and co-founder of WeTeachMe. My first entrepreneurial venture happened during childhood when my mom used to take us skiing in the United States. I can only assume that the Headmaster understood my intent behind this venture.

entrepreneurship 263

entrepreneurship consulting entrepreneurs opportunity 263

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

It got me thinking about the advice that I often give to new VCs. So the advice I’ve been giving many VCs from my experiences is that “in VC it’s important to play offense, not defense.” It’s exhausting. Perhaps unsustainable. And so forth. ” What do I mean? Defense is when you react to others.

peer-to-peer 317

peer-to-peer pitching VC accelerator 317

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I was having dinner with a friend last night and we were chatting about venture capital and a bit about what I’ve learned. Co-founder discontent. And why my advice to newer VCs would be not to feel bad if you’re missing out on what is perceived as a few hot deals. You have to deal with CEOs who resign.

VC 374

VC investment investing entrepreneurs 374

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

Just ask the people of Portland, Seattle, Boulder, Iowa, Princeton, Dallas or countless other cities that don’t have enough venture capital. If you don’t live in a major VC zone, I have some tips for how to make it easier to raise Venture Capital. “ Startup Advice' Ask SuperCell. Or UrbanAirship.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

And there’s none that makes me happier than to announce that Jordan Hudson has been promoted to a Principal at Upfront Ventures. What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? Smart founders use this extra resource to their advantage. Startup Advice' Just ask Rob Bailey.

investment 365

investment investing VC board 365

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 27, 2023

We summarize these pearls of wisdom in our new book, Smart Startups: What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know — Advice from 18 Harvard Business School Founders. The book is full of insights and advice for every stage of your entrepreneurial journey. Here are three key pieces of wisdom to get you started.

entrepreneurs 251

entrepreneurs startup advice angel investing 251

Startup Blogpost

OCTOBER 14, 2024

This interview is with Swayam Doshi , Founder at Suspire. Swayam Doshi, Founder, Suspire Swayam, welcome to Startup Blog Post! I’m Swayam Doshi, the founder of Suspire. After years of working in strategy and marketing, I realized that I wanted to channel my skills into a venture that aligned with my values.

founder 40

founder sustainability collaboration communities 40

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 7, 2014

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.). Equally silly were people insisting that founders use convertible notes but we funded a few of those, too. Startup Lessons'

VC 399

VC advice finance financing 399

Dream It

MARCH 28, 2020

Contact Founder. Contact Founder. Contact Founder. Contact Founder. Contact Founder. Contact Founder. Testing & Diagnostics Biomeme tests air samples and swabs, serving as a mobile diagnostic lab for COVID-19. Biomeme has democratized molecular testing with its real-time PCR technology.

hospitality 377

hospitality transportation health startup 377

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 11, 2016

Over the weekend, Rent the Runway held an event for its Project Entrepreneur initiative, which brought together over 100 female entrepreneurs looking to get education and advice on how to take their businesses to the next step. I know that white males get a majority of the venture capital funding.

pitching 285

pitching finance financing entrepreneurship 285

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

JANUARY 29, 2020

Tamara Isch, a 2018 YLAI Fellow and a co-founder and COO of EcX Labs, has been breaking boundaries in her country, in her field of work, and in the world. Finding a female mentor with the same background was difficult, as was procuring venture capital funds in a male-dominated field. By Elise Kemp.

collaboration 246

collaboration innovation communities advice 246

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

I wonder sometimes if founders even know about the hours their lawyers or advisers put in on evenings, weekends, vacations. And they will offer you some of the best business advice you will ever receive if you’re open to it. I had dinner with my friend Brooke Hammerling , founder of Brew PR recently. VENTURE CAPITAL.

startup 363

startup real estate VC venture capital 363

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

When I was new at Venture Capital I was trying to figure out the business. Should I trust my instincts for founders and products or should I be more focused on the market size or business plan? They are venture bankers not investment bankers. And I listen to the reasons their co-founders quit their well-payed job to join them.

advice 361

advice VC pitching entrepreneurs 361

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

I surveyed six seed- and early-stage investors to get their tactical advice for laid-off tech workers who are thinking about starting up. “If you want to have a compelling story, go deep into an area you’re excited about and are uniquely suited to tackle,” says Rex Salisbury, partner at Cambrian Ventures.

advice 91

advice pitching startup ventures 91

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 14, 2024

Over a decade ago, when I was working for First Round Capital, we opened our doors for “Open Office Hours”—a series of open meetings where any founder could come in and chat with us for 20 minutes each. I’m not sure we backed any of the founders—but that wasn’t the point. We met quite a few smart folks. We had 70 investors sign up!

communities 339

communities consulting creativity advice 339

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

This is certainly the case when I met Nick Halstead , the founder of DataSift which is why I invested in their A round despite the company being based in England (a long way from home). True Ventures with hardware startups. Startup Advice' The Lehrers for content and commerce. Po Beabody with content businesses.

peer-to-peer 373

peer-to-peer VC pitching entrepreneurs 373