Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Pitching a VC. Quick caveats: having fewer investors (3-5) is better than many investors (10-15) and PLEASE make sure you hire a great lawyer who has experience in doing start-ups to avoid pitfalls that will make VC harder down the line. They have advice to share. They exist in every town.

advice 291

advice VC pitching angel investing 291

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

I recently got an email from a friend who had been approached by a well known VC. I’m an investor at [Big Name, Large Fund VC] and recently came across [Your Company]. So how do I work with young VC professionals? Check the management / team page of the VC to check the level of the person approaching you.

VC 294

VC entrepreneurs advice entrepreneurship 294

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

I had previously raised VC in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005. It included one firm who I asked not to call Salesforce.com as a reference (they were our largest pilot customer) and in their kindness they called Marc Benioff (the CEO) and asked his opinion. In case VC’s haven’t figured this out yet, shit rolls downhill.

VC 274

VC venture capital pitching capital 274

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

I recently filmed a show for This Week in Venture Capital in which I talked about how to prepare for a VC meeting: whom you’ll meet, who should attend from your side, what materials you should bring and how you should run the meeting. The “Triple Play&# of VC Presentations. But take prompts from the VC.

VC 299

VC board pitching venture capital 299

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? ” Associates have different functions at different VCs. VC firm admin. VC firm policy or fund analysis. Helping be the VC “presence” at key events. inside insight into VC decision-making. Industry reviews.

investing 365

investing investment VC board 365

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 18, 2024

I’m talking about what someone I know recently referred to as “dentists”. They might have a more flexible time horizon than a VC because the money doesn’t come from a fund with a limited lifespan. That’s why when you come upon someone outside the traditional ecosystem, there might be a lot of compelling reasons to take their money.

investing 221

investing investment startup real estate 221

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 28, 2012

You’re on a first date with a VC – how much should you tell them? When is it appropriate for a VC to call your customers? There is no universal answer and my discussions with various VCs on these topics have yielded many differing opinions. Having been on both sides of this sensitive topic, the following is my personal advice.

VC 316

VC strategy advice entrepreneurs 316

AsiaTechDaily

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

As the team is not from a VC background, the typical investment strategy for seed or early-stage fund on diversifying into a portfolio of companies and then follow-on investments into potential winners is simply not in our DNA who came from corporate finance and business advisory background. Build trust. front seat now to drive the valuation.

ventures 70

ventures startup VC strategy 70

David Teten VC

MARCH 8, 2022

But I also invested in a number of VC funds in parallel. VC is truly a very separate, unique and complex asset class that requires real expertise to achieve returns. For an FO looking to start making direct VC investments, investing in and forming a deeper partnership with a VC fund (or several) makes a lot of sense.

investing 105

investing investment technology VC 105

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

This was customer interaction at its finest and as a result they invited him to meet with our entire sales staff and offer advice on the sales process from a customer’s perspective. Contrast that with a VC conversation I had. I even once met with one very, very well known VC who told me, “I don’t attend LP meetings.

peer-to-peer 341

peer-to-peer VC entrepreneurs support 341

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

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. And awesome to get to spend time with Ian Sigalow “comparing notes” (VC speak ). I’m going to save that for a future blog post.

peer-to-peer 279

peer-to-peer advice VC board 279

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 11, 2010

[if you're not old enough to get the reference between this image and the title you can click on the image for a prompter]. This past December I spent a week in Boston to try to get to know some of the local VC’s and entrepreneurs a bit better. If anyone has experience, advice or dollars and wants to help please be in touch.

peer-to-peer 285

peer-to-peer incubation startup advice 285

TechCrunch

MARCH 7, 2023

However, it appears that even though VCs are proceeding more cautiously than before and taking their time with due diligence, they are still investing. CB Insights recently found that two of the largest global VC firms, Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, actually backed more fintech companies in 2022 than any other category.

advice 110

advice ventures sustainability investing 110

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

You make too many reference calls or want to see three more candidates before you decide. You’re a VC. So you make four more reference calls. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Start-up Advice Startup Advice. Let me give you some obvious examples. Your’e thinking about investing in a company.

peer-to-peer 299

peer-to-peer advice entrepreneurs leadership 299

Andreessen Horowitz

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

And one of my biggest advice to those folks is, look, presumably, we all have the technical and functional skill set for this job. And then I also think with references, founders are typically showing up with their 5 to 7 reference questions. Let’s go ahead and figure out who’s gonna be able to do the job with you.

energy 88

energy entrepreneurs leadership advice 88

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

Because my role as a VC requires me to take and endless stream of meetings I long ago decided I need to learn as much as I can from the meetings I attend so I often just ask tons of questions and assimilate knowledge. When I think about what defines us as a VC I think: Operationally knowledgeable / strong startup competence.

VC 360

VC communities investing investment 360

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 4, 2010

I’m not anti VC. But there are a lot of things that become norms in the VC industry that always drove me crazy from entrepreneur’s side of the table. One of them is when VCs say, “I’d like to ‘noodle’ on that for a while.&#. I’d love it if VCs gave more honest and direct feedback.

entrepreneurs 297

entrepreneurs VC advice strategy 297

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2013

.” In the article I discussed the downside of raising capital at a too high of a price and referred people to a previous article I had written encouraging founders to raise “ At the Top end of Normal ” as opposed to stratospheric prices. And most VCs are over-whelmed with deals. Startup Advice'

advice 302

advice investing investment VC 302

TechCrunch

APRIL 25, 2023

Similarly, one VC may encourage newly minted CEOs to eat ramen and ride the bus, while another might suggest a salary in the low six-figures, depending on geography. Please share one piece of advice that can help a first-time founder stand out from the rest. Do not be afraid to say “I do not know” when asked a question by an investor.

pitching 98

pitching incubation board opportunity 98

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2014

So perhaps his king reference was fitting. In tech circles one refers to the firm as either Kleiner Perkins, KP or Kleiner. When it comes for speaking up for venture capitalists for which you are simply not a “king” I have but one bit of advice. Tech Market Analysis VC Industry'

education 417

education real estate economic growth VC 417

Y Combinator

AUGUST 12, 2019

Some investors announce “Hey – I run a syndicate” while others leave this information hidden until the docs are being signed, at which point attentive founders notice that the signature block refers to some mysterious entity. This is a founder to whom a sleeve of funds is given by a larger VC fund. The problem is disclosure.

advice 99

advice VC investing investment 99

StartupNation

JUNE 1, 2021

Oftentimes, I read articles offering tips for entrepreneurs that revolve around generic advice on getting started. Underrepresented folks in entrepreneurship and venture capital, including women, people of color and LGBTQ individuals, are often led to believe we must be overqualified to start a business, join a VC firm or become an investor.

entrepreneurs 109

entrepreneurs pitching construction accelerator 109

TechCrunch

JANUARY 31, 2023

Its websites refers to this device as a “collection wand” — and we gather there’s a sponge involved — but details of what exactly it looks like and how it will function remain under wraps as the startup is still in the process of applying for FDA clearance, per Teal’s CEO, Kara Egan.

health 64

health VC advice pitching 64

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

But honestly there are times when being a VC can feel like that, too. And they will offer you some of the best business advice you will ever receive if you’re open to it. It’s precisely because you work so closely with your VCs for so many years that it is unbelievably important that you find the good actors from the bad.

startup 363

startup real estate VC venture capital 363

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

And yes, VC’s, too. Often recruiters want to handle the final negotiations on package and/or do the reference calls. I’m also reluctant to hand over reference calling. But I doubt they’ll dig in as deep as you will in the reference checks. Unfortunately that’s how reference checking works.

real estate 319

real estate VC pitching entrepreneurs 319

TechCrunch

JANUARY 28, 2023

With some of the ugly out of the way — my words, not hers — T2 has examples it can refer back to on how to handle tensions around virality, doxxing and more. My big question is if VCs are taking the same advice that they’re dishing. Don’t forget VCs, you have VCs too. ( At least most of you do! Smart, and common.

startup 107

startup entrepreneurship accelerator mentorship 107

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 3, 2009

This is part of my ongoing Raising Venture Capital (VC) series. When people refer to a strategic investor they are usually talking about an investor that comes from the industry you serve as opposed to an independent venture capital investor. OK, I know this is true with VC also, but to a lesser extent. Great question.

advice 279

advice venture capital frameworks VC 279

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 30, 2021

Not all money is created equal: A VC’s advice for founders. This is the investor who tells you to follow their advice because, “We used to do this when I was at Google,” or, “When I was on Airbnb’s board, we did this.” Talk to founders and dig into the references the investor gives you using your own back channels.

founder 79

founder board advice investing 79

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

I knew him well before he became a VC. I knew his as he considered becoming a VC and we talked a lot about how it was going for me in my early years. These engagements went well and he came highly referred by my friend Gary Swart who runs oDesk. I don’t know an entrepreneur or a VC who wouldn’t cut him in on any deal.”

VC 309

VC data analysis incubation health 309

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Have you reference them? I asked every VC not to call Salesforce. How did VCs respond? My advice: Do not mention the other VC firms, angels, seed funds, etc. Once you’ve asked it’s pretty tough for investors to want to disregard that advice. Did people say they want to keep VCs out of deal?

entrepreneurs 292

entrepreneurs advice VC financing 292

TechCrunch

MARCH 13, 2021

Indeed, many Canadians refer to Toronto as “east”’ despite there being 1,900 miles between Drake and The Weeknd’s hometown and St. VC firms have taken notice: notable investors in Atlantic Canadian startups include Breakthrough Energy Ventures , a fund supported by Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson.

venture capital 137

venture capital capital culture advice 137

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

VC’s money comes from mostly institutional investors called LPs (limited partners). They trust the judgment of the VCs to source, finance, help manage and then create some sort of exit for the investments that they make. They also trust VC’s to determine the right price to pay for the company securities that they buy.

startup 290

startup advice financing finance 290

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 20, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series, “ Pitching a VC.&# Getting a meeting with a prominent angel or VC is difficult enough. Some advice on how to do that was covered in this link – Getting Access to a VC. If you haven’t read how to build VC relationships and demonstrate traction make sure to read it.

VC 277

VC pitching advice strategy 277

David Teten VC

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

One of the first decisions we had to make in setting up our new VC fund, Versatile Venture Capital , was our CRM and marketing technology infrastructure. . I’m very interested in the tech stack of private equity/VC firms , both to improve the efficiency of Versatile VC and also as a focus area for our investing.

venture capital 123

venture capital capital ventures VC 123

TechCrunch

MARCH 12, 2021

The advice is to “be frugal to accommodate to the new situation and roll on.”. What is your advice to startups in your portfolio right now? What is your advice to startups in your portfolio right now? What is your advice to startups in your portfolio right now? What is your advice to startups in your portfolio right now?

opportunity 108

opportunity mix-use advice startup ecosystem 108

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 29, 2021

Dear Sophie: Any advice for living my dreams in Silicon Valley? Any advice? Dear Sophie: Any advice for living my dreams in Silicon Valley? Heavily VC-backed salad chain Sweetgreen heads toward public markets. ” Heavily VC-backed salad chain Sweetgreen heads toward public markets.

SaaS 82

SaaS pitching advice VC 82

TechCrunch

MAY 23, 2022

No, it’s super-Solana : If you’ll forgive the utterly dodgy Superman reference, Rita explores whether StepN, the latest crypto gaming craze, makes any sense. Startups and VC. Is it a nerd? Is it insane? Buoyed by a new infusion of $6.2 Is everyone checking their bank APY right now?

startup 88

startup VC networking energy 88