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A Founder's Guide: Essential Management Advice for Startups

Tomasz Tunguz

After analyzing hundreds of posts on startup management, I’ve distilled the key pieces of advice that founders and leaders should keep in mind. Team Building Anatomy of a Reference Check : Then get out of their way. As startups scale, effective management becomes the difference between chaotic growth and sustainable success.

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Why it’s Critical That you Reference Check Your VC

Both Sides of the Table

So my first advice is not to rush in the fund raising process. How do you then reference check your VC to be sure that you’ve chosen a good firm and partner? Get a reference list - Most entrepreneurs do almost no reference checks or at least do them very informally. Not so in venture capital.

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Trust But Verify: The Importance of Reference Checking

The Seraf Compass

At Launchpad, we like to follow this advice when it becomes clear that we like what we are hearing, and we believe there is solid investment opportunity with the company. When talking about the Cold War adversaries, Reagan always liked to say we should “Trust, but Verify.”

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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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Avoid Decision by Indecision

Both Sides of the Table

You make too many reference calls or want to see three more candidates before you decide. So you make four more reference calls. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Start-up Advice Startup Advice. Let me give you some obvious examples. You’re thinking about hiring an employee but you sit on the fence too long.

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Invest in Lines, not Dots

Both Sides of the Table

I have no reference point from which to judge whether you were higher on the y-axis 3 months ago or lower. Tags: Startup Advice Tech Market Analysis VC Industry. .&# But if you understand it you’ll see that it is perfectly rational and it should also influence how you form relationships with investors.

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Asking Questions More Effectively

Both Sides of the Table

doing a reference call on a prospective employee. THE REFERENCE CALL: Reference calls are hard. We’ve obviously had a great experience interviewing him or we wouldn’t be doing reference calls. One thing we picked up from another reference call was that Bob has at times fought with co-workers.

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