article thumbnail

The Twenty Year Itch: My Last VC Investment Out of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures

This is going to be BIG.

Sometime in the next few weeks, I’ll complete my next investment. Last August, I passed the point at which I had spent literally half my entire life working in this asset class, having started at the General Motors pension fund doing institutional investments in venture funds and late-stage directs back in February of 2001.

ventures 545
article thumbnail

Both Things Can Be True: Bias and Bad Fundraising Advice

This is going to be BIG.

The startup ecosystem is a terrific manufacturer of bad fundraising advice. Any VC will tell you that the ones they said yes to, they mostly got there right away—and that there are very few “maybe” deals that get tipped over the fence. Was she just an anomaly or is there something else going on here? First is network bias.

advice 407
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Some Reflections on VC Investment Decisions

Both Sides of the Table

I started in 2007 with a thesis that my primary investment decision would be about the team (70%) and only afterward about the market opportunity (30%). But they are also a tax on your time with portfolio companies, looking for new investments, running your shop and honestly they are a tax on your family life. I don’t.

VC 374
article thumbnail

Take only “smart money” investments

Berkonomics

Professional investors usually bring “smart money” to the table, defined as money that comes along with good advice and great relationships for corporate growth. Each of these companies needed more cash than professional angel investors were willing or able to provide, and we turned to the venture community for larger investments.

investing 118
article thumbnail

Advice to Rising VCs and Founders Navigating The Correction

Revolution

VC dollars are at risk, we conducted a historical analysis of top quartile fund managers over the past quarter century (as far back as we could access reliable Cambridge Associates data). for every dollar invested (net of fees and carried interest). But what could that look like? To determine approximately how many U.S. since 2011.

advice 147
article thumbnail

Here is How to Make Sense of Conflicting Startup Advice

Both Sides of the Table

Everybody has a blog these days and there is much advice to be had. Many startups now go through accelerators and have mentors passing through each day with advice – usually it’s conflicting. Because I’ve asked more than 100 VCs similar questions I start to notice patterns in thinking. What is a founder to do?

advice 407
article thumbnail

My Thoughts on the Current Market: on 20-Minute VC

Both Sides of the Table

Several years ago I made an appearance in a burgeoning new podcast called “20 Minute VC,” which by now needs no introduction. Biggest Advice I Give to Portfolio Founders? There are large sums of money to be invested and if investors can get comfortable with “downside protections” they’ll still write checks. Picking great talent.

VC 263