Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

The news blogs will cover the what, how and how much but I want to focus on the “why” and try to be instructive of what I think makes for a great A-round startup. I know that “mission driven” sounds nebulous or some convenient definition of anything we want to fund. But really it’s something I look for.

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incumbents entrepreneurs education pitching 270

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2011

All of this is covered in more detail on the TWiVC video above (and much of it is covered in text on this blog on the “ Raising VC &# tab). The best ones are visual, high-level, have a narrative, move swiftly, are designed to prompt questions as much as “pitch&# your company and importantly have a narrative.

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VC venture capital leadership pitching 340

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

I don’t feel like canceling LinkedIn just because occasionally a well-meaning but slightly not-clued-in person from a faraway place wants me to be their personal mentor, answer 3-questions for their high-school entrepreneurship project or take a sales pitch for their recruiting services. By the way, I don’t spell check my blog posts either.

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advice board pitching startup accelerator 250

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

Jeff (also an HBS alum) co-teaches the LTV course with Professor Eisenmann about a student of theirs who had written a blog post about sales taking on some of my previous assertions. Her post is short & well written so definitely worth a read if you’re a startup person and want to hear some sensible views on sales.

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startup consulting pitching support 319

Gust

JULY 22, 2012

I’m definitely not lobbying here for promising things you can’t deliver, or hiring a publicist before your first programmer. I’m talking about doing some real networking to test your elevator pitch, and get to know some potential investors before you ask them for money. Comment on other people’s blogs, as well as writing your own.

startup 158

startup pitching networking entrepreneurs 158

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 29, 2011

I had an interesting conversation with an entrepreneur last week about how he decided which VCs he was going to pitch. No matter how much I or any of the team here at First Round made themselves accessable through Office Hours, LinkedIn, Twitter, speaking, blogging, etc., I try and respond to pitches right away. If I don't.

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VC pitching entrepreneurs networking 289

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 3, 2019

We do the work of sorting through the pitch decks of everyone and their mother, finding the diamonds in the rough, helping them turn an idea into something that looks like a company—and we do it for a fraction of the management fees of our later stage counterparts. That’s not what seed funds are doing.

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mix-use pitching investing investment 276

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

It definitely has a “d” in it, as in it’s really not fun, raising. Sure, you need to learn what the common theme of the no’s are and be willing to make adjustments to your pitch. How to get your Series A mojo back The rest of the outline I’ll write as a series to come back to this blog if you want to read more. … Fund raising.

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advice VC entrepreneurs SaaS 236

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2010

I remember one day last summer when Dennis Crowley and I both went to pitch the same biz dev partner—me with Path 101 and him with Foursquare. I just had just written about Foursquare on my blog, so I was actually invited to his biz dev meeting, too. Momentum at the right time paves the way for startup success.

VC 186

VC venture capital media board 186

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2010

I remember one day last summer when Dennis Crowley and I both went to pitch the same biz dev partner—me with Path 101 and him with Foursquare. I just had just written about Foursquare on my blog, so I was actually invited to his biz dev meeting, too. Momentum at the right time paves the way for startup success. Maybe… maybe not.

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VC venture capital media board 150

Entrepreneurs' Organization

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

I think the lab has definitely changed my life. Specifically, we learn things like pitch decks, focus groups, financial profit and loss statements, legal work and so much more that goes into getting a business started and off the ground. I came after being a student for six years, unsure of what I wanted to do.

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support entrepreneurs incubation business incubator 130

Gust

SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

With that background, here are 30 tips to help you make the most of Gust: Subscribe to the Gust Blog , and go back and read the past posts. Take the time to read, cover to cover, The Definitive Guide to Raising Money from Angels , by the legendary Bill Payne. Remember that you will have total control over who can see this material.

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VC angel investing pitching entrepreneurs 159

Startup Grind

AUGUST 13, 2018

Pitch your startup for an opportunity to meet with Floodgate. Nancy Lublin, CEO of Loris.ai, is definitely a founder to watch. Favorite business book, blog, podcast? Pitch your startup for an opportunity to meet with Floodgate. She has a BSEE from Yale and a PhD from Stanford in math modeling of computer security.

VC 111

VC entrepreneurship pitching strategy 111

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 20, 2018

She’s learned a sales pitch from her brothers and actually closes at a much higher rate?it JG/ I definitely appreciate my EO membership even more now, because it doesn’t just benefit me: It benefits my wife and our four children. Read more on raising entrepreneurial kids from the Octane blog. 1 value in EO.

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entrepreneurship education entrepreneurs health 130

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

I recently read a post over on VentureHacks titled, “ Top Ten Reasons Entrepreneurs Hate Lawyers &# written by Scott Walker (who blogs on legal issues for entrepreneurs ). I know that people have an allergy to lawyers out of fear of being screwed. Much of this is unfounded – some is not. Get to know them.

startup 318

startup advice entrepreneurs VC 318

Entrepreneur's Handbook

FEBRUARY 4, 2021

Source: DocSend’s VC Fundraising Report If expanding your network and practicing your pitch are important to you, you may benefit from pitching a larger pool of investors. The graph above shows a definite point of diminishing returns when contacting LPs, somewhere around 60–70. Contact us at research@docsend.com to learn more.

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peer-to-peer pitching VC strategy 114

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 7, 2017

There are a number of great examples of publicly available pitch materials, so draw from ones that you like the most. Share definitive documentation with investors, including a capitalization table. The post 10 Steps to Increase the Odds of a Successful Angel or Seed Fundraising Round appeared first on THE BLOG.

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TechCrunch

AUGUST 18, 2022

Hiring your first employees into a startup is storytelling: You are spinning a story that contrasts their steady, reliable job at an established company, pitching it against taking a chance on your startup. Oh boy — definitely an exercise in storytelling. Advertising? Raising investment? Want more examples of folks who do it well?

startup 109

startup culture education pitching 109

Gust

JANUARY 4, 2012

Many thanks to David Rose , Ilana Grossman , Justin Stanwix , and the whole Gust team for making the Gust Blog such a valuable platform and resource for entrepreneurs and angel investors. I’m proud to contribute to the effort and always enjoy reading what the other authors have to say.

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startup entrepreneurs development media 143

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

I’m also writing on my personal blog, if you’d like to follow along with the 1,835 other people who come to hang and be too wordy. Here’s why it’s important, Hall tells me: “ There wasn’t a definitive yes or no about pushing the gas pedal on [alternative egg startups] getting more product out there.

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VC construction consulting creativity 125

Gust

MAY 22, 2012

That’s worked out very well for us, which is part of the reason I blog on this site regularly. . I enjoy the weekly meetings when we spend evenings listening to pitches or sharing the results of our exploration of specific startups. I say yes definitely. The activity and the group are part of the benefit.

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angel investing investing investment pitching 111

Hunter Walk

JANUARY 16, 2022

I had a blog and did a bunch of freelance work while bartending at night in Jersey, and in 2010ish accidentally fell into the media world by applying for a job on Craigslist at a blog called the Huffington Post. But seriously… Music is definitely the best representation of me. JD: I think it’s definitely a little bit of both.

creativity 90

creativity media communities development 90

Ecosystem Builder Hub

JULY 1, 2020

The project will comprise a desk research stage focusing on global best practice of impact measurement tools followed by a study targeting enterprise educators which will aim to develop an understanding of individuals’ definitions, practices, goals and measurements. My needs-to-be-updated blog is at www.bit.ly/NKblog2a ESHIPprojects.

entrepreneurial ecosystem 111

entrepreneurial ecosystem entrepreneurship education incubation 111

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 13, 2016

ME/ “When we started out in 2010, we were the definition of bootstrapping entrepreneurs. Above all, we only pitch people on the companies we would personally interview for.”. The post Project Octane: Hustle & Heart appeared first on THE BLOG. Before long, another baby was born— Pronexia.”.

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culture entrepreneurship peer-to-peer energy 130

David Teten VC

APRIL 13, 2021

Similarly, Elizabeth Yin of Hustle Fund highlights in her blog how she personally completed 345 meetings in a nine-month period for the firm’s first $11.5 We’ve been much more successful in pitching old rather than new relationships. By definition, placement agents only introduce a fund to new relationships. . Opaque industry.

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peer-to-peer venture capital VC networking 98

David Teten VC

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Price was definitely a consideration. We are setting up the following process: every time a company mails us their pitch or further information, we send to a special email, e.g., inbound(@)versatilevc.com. And I definitely want to hear from those companies when they’re raising capital! Some firms (e.g., Affinity) automate this.

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venture capital capital ventures VC 123

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

I must have pitched 40-50 VCs over the years. As I talked about on many occasions when I was an entrepreneur – and blogged publicly about - I learned a lot about my business and myself in these meetings. Best line: “we’re a definite maybe.&# I was an entrepreneur for years. Possibly more.

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VC pitching entrepreneurs advice 292

Entrepreneur's Handbook

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Snippets of advice, tactics, and tools I used to raise an oversubscribed round during an economic downturn Image: Author I’m writing this blog post on the heels of closing our oversubscribed round during what’s been described as the worst time in history to raise capital. Equity: Yeah, but is that venture backable?

peer-to-peer 59

peer-to-peer pitching advice economic growth 59

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

And last but definitely not least, the latest extension — which closed in December but is only now being publicly announced — effectively doubles Human Interest’s valuation from its financing a few months prior. . Last year, that number dropped to about 50%.

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finance financing incumbents capital 88

Haystack

APRIL 10, 2018

3/ Investors across seed and larger venture firms all hold slightly different definitions of various “seed” stages and are positioned to invest in them at any time. Ask 101 seed investors for their definition of “pre-seed” or the various phases in seed and you’ll get 101 answers.

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investing investment financing finance 60

Feedough

MARCH 15, 2021

The platform is a true definition of business social networking. Explain your offering to over thousands of potential investors, customers, and top blogs. Startup reviews are custom written posts by our experienced team, who’ll work closely with your team to create the best pitch possible. LinkedIn has resources for all.

startup 98

startup peer-to-peer SaaS disruption 98

Entrepreneur's Handbook

JULY 1, 2021

If these numbers seem too small, definitely check out this article on the power of compounding : a few highly enthusiastic, committed early customers often have an outsize impact on startup growth at this stage. Blogs/media outlets? The narrower the focus is in the beginning, the better. Quality matters more than quantity.

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startup strategy creativity communities 53

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 13, 2011

And if you think this blog post was specifically targeting YOU because you asked me to lunch – it isn’t. Let’s say it’s for biz dev purposes, or you’re pitching investors, recruiting, or it’s a sales meeting – whatever. enough I value every night with my family. I have nobody in mind.

peer-to-peer 397

peer-to-peer advice VC networking 397

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 24, 2010

I’m not talking about having a great pitch—because sometimes a pitch isn’t what a particular style of meeting really calls for. It also means that you don’t make jokes at their expense to lighten the mood—and you definitely don’t spend the first 10 minutes of a meeting joking around at their expense. Sound silly?

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peer-to-peer pitching entrepreneurs venture capital 260

OurCrowd

JANUARY 10, 2021

SPACS are definitely a space to watch, but doesn’t it also make you wish you could invest in great startups before they go public or merge with a SPAC? More than 5,000 people tuned in and pitched some fascinating questions via Twitter and Facebook for the event hosted by Tel Aviv International Salon and UAE-based Sharaka.

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incubation hospitality technology media 41

David Teten VC

APRIL 13, 2021

Similarly, Elizabeth Yin of Hustle Fund highlights in her blog how she personally completed 345 meetings in a nine-month period for the firm’s first $11.5 We’ve been much more successful in pitching old rather than new relationships. By definition, placement agents only introduce a fund to new relationships. . Opaque industry.

peer-to-peer 45

peer-to-peer venture capital VC networking 45

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MAY 25, 2016

Whether you’re building a brand, pitching your business, or just developing a relationship with an individual customer, be authentic. Mycoskie definitely wasn’t the only one to emphasize the importance of authenticity – the theme was just taking off. The post GROWCO 2016: A Recap from the Field appeared first on THE BLOG.

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