Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

And that’s what I love about her narrative. Here’s what I learned about Tracy: 1. She started her business from a personal need. After some encouragement from him she decided to launch her own website – Recycled Bride. Without this money she wouldn’t have been able to finance operations.

peer-to-peer 363

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs startup entrepreneurship 363

Startup Blogpost

OCTOBER 14, 2024

My journey really began when I founded Marquet Media, where I applied strategic PR techniques to help brands build lasting, impactful narratives. Over time, I realized that my true passion lies in empowering entrepreneurs and helping them create sustainable, scalable businesses.

media 105

media financing finance founder 105

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

I recommend you read Fred Wilson’s recent blog post about the need for a well articulated business strategy before pushing a particular business model. He then brought her to board meetings so nobody could accuse him of not having a business model. I found myself in violent agreement with Fred’s blog post(s).

strategy 401

strategy startup peer-to-peer advice 401

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2010

On why you should be an entrepreneur, “A lot of people do what they have to do. Last night I co-hosted a dinner at Soho House in Los Angeles with some of the most senior people in the media industry with executives from Disney, Fox, Warner, media agencies and many promising tech & media startup CEO’s.

entrepreneurs 356

entrepreneurs media creativity VC 356

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 12, 2011

Chris Dixon is one of my favorite people in tech and writes one of the few blogs I read religiously. If you don’t read it and you care about tech & entrepreneurship, you should. I’ve also found him to not be dogmatic either. If you haven’t checked that out you really should. West Coast”).

entrepreneurship 281

entrepreneurship VC angel investing venture capital 281

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

A lot of people ask me what I think of posting to Twitter these days… (I’ll start calling it X as soon as I learn to stop saying Battery Tunnel and Triborough Bridge). Whether you want to continue to post to it is up to you—but I always tell people that creating content should be an exercise in creating value for yourself first.

peer-to-peer 344

peer-to-peer board communities leadership 344

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

One of the great joys of doing the web series This Week in VC every week is that I get to spend time with great people debating the issues of our day including how our industry is evolving as well as insights into how companies got started, got their initial traction and dealt with adversities. I’m used to that refrain.

board 286

board culture VC education 286

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 10, 2010

I get these frequently via Twitter, Facebook or email. I don’t mind. I can’t always get to them. But I do like to try and make time for some and I’ll admit I’m a bit random about it. I do it when I’m in the mood, am avoiding something else or have a bit of free time.

advice 332

advice entrepreneurs investment investing 332

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

I’m now the permanent host for TWiVC (until such time as they kick me off). The episode isn’t yet live but it should be in the morning (probably when you’re reading this) – you can find it here. Before jumping into the post I wanted to point out one thing about doing TWiVC and posting my notes here on BSOTT.

venture capital 265

venture capital peer-to-peer capital ventures 265

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JANUARY 3, 2024

Should I use AI to help with a blog? Local SEO How often have you searched stores or services near your location on Google Maps? Create a specific landing page on your website leading to your Google Maps address and targeting specific keywords related to your business. What about social media?

strategy 242

strategy media creativity education 242

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2015

I’m loving Meerkat so far. I ran a VC AMA (ask me anything) last Monday on Meerkat and had > 1,000 simultaneous people asking me questions. The energy was election so I’m going to do it again this coming week. You may have read that Twitter has now made it harder for Meerkat to operate. love Twitter.

energy 325

energy networking VC innovation 325

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 5, 2010

This blog post originally appeared in serialized form here on TechCrunch. If you came here via a direct link you might want to check out the more detailed full version on my blog, which is here. What I want to answer with this post (long though it may be) is: Why did Web 2.0 We have been using social networks for 25+ years.

networking 297

networking innovation development opportunity 297

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2009

so compelling (other than the fact that the CEO Sean Rad is a great young technology leader and his advisers – Brian Norgard , Dan Gould and Evan Rifkin - are some of the guys I respect most in the LA tech market.). Also, lost of people leaving comments on websites and having a dialog with other users.

peer-to-peer 286

peer-to-peer real estate media networking 286

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

I was reading Chris Dixon’s blog tonight. I came across this blog post about getting a computer science degree as the best degree for getting into venture capital or working at a VC-backed start up. I had to laugh a bit reading it. I listed on many databases – some MBA, some not.

VC 337

VC peer-to-peer advice consulting 337

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2011

I was hanging out the other day with my buddy Jody Sherman, founder & CEO of EcoMom. I was an angel investor in his company, made a bunch of calls on his behalf and then I personally sent it out on AngelList. I know this guy is a money maker. I just had to line up behind him. It is additive.

VC 292

VC peer-to-peer investment investing 292

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 23, 2011

One of the most frequent questions entrepreneurs ask about when they raise a little bit of money or are getting close to launching their first product is whether they should hire a PR firm. This post is a short guide to what I’ve learned: 1. This post is a short guide to what I’ve learned: 1.

startup 349

startup pitching advice consulting 349

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 19, 2009

I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. If you haven’t spent time over there you should. I started the series talking about what I consider the most important attribute of an entrepreneur : Tenacity. I then covered Street Smarts , Ability to Pivot and Resiliency.

entrepreneurs 288

entrepreneurs advice leadership angel investing 288

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 5, 2010

This blog post originally appeared in serialized form here on TechCrunch. This post has a bit more than the serialized version, but if you prefer an even shorter version I created the ADAH version , which is < 50% the length. What I want to answer with this post (long though it may be) is: Why did Web 2.0

networking 318

networking mix-use innovation development 318

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 5, 2012

VCs give out money for a living and put their email address next to it, so that should give you a sense of what their inboxes look like. Here are a few things I recommend but remember that every investor is different so there may be some disagreement. Figure out who I am and why I might like this business.

VC 319

VC pitching disruption advice 319

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2015

We recently released the video sharing app Ferris and announced that Upfront Ventures led the funding in the company in our seed round of $2 million and I personally joined the board. I’d love it if you’d take a moment to download the app and tell us what you think. Yes, we’ve only launched on iOS for now.

investment 323

investment investing media collaboration 323

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 1, 2010

It’s really difficult for me not to get into the thick of discussions about whether or not you can and/or should build a company in New York City. I grew up here, went to school here, and have worked hard over the last 5+ years to help build up the NYC innovation community. I was there, too.

startup 286

startup media ecology VC 286

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 28, 2012

If you’re in the minority that never read them – you should. I know that they really impacted an entire cohort of startups because every company that was coming to pitch me businesses was (is) saying, “I’m a ‘mobile first’ company.” People forgot that Fred also wrote “Web Second.”

real estate 334

real estate strategy development enablement 334

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 20, 2009

But I’m not one to take on the big investment banks – I’ll save that for somebody else. It made me so mad that I would dedicate 2 hours of my Sunday to publicizing it and use this platform to talk about it. I hope you’re OK with that. I was home visiting my father in Sacramento.

education 263

education advice board financing 263

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

The founders felt that having a legitimate site for content would discourage Silicon Valley VC’s from funding entrepreneurs to create the next big TV killer. I have personally always felt a sort of cognitive dissonance regarding Hulu. So what does this have to do with OPEC?

incumbents 292

incumbents innovation media disruption 292

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2010

Chris Dixon wrote a blog post last week titled, “ Techies and Normals &# in which he defined “Techies&# as people who are not just “early adopters&# but also have more of a geeky, technical, product bent. They use products because the products solve a need they have. He is both. Blah, blah, blah.

advice 348

advice entrepreneurs sustainability pitching 348

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

I have talked about this publicly a great deal – how I prefer “missionaries” over “mercenaries.” ” But lately I’m more swayed by the wise words of Reid Hoffman. I saw this first hand. I told Jonathan (and believe) that this would be the best year of his professional life.

peer-to-peer 303

peer-to-peer energy founder advice 303

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

We just had our sixth episode of #TWiVC and I felt this one was the best. Next Wednesday we’ll have Dana Settle of Greycroft Partners, a New York / LA early-stage venture capital fund. I think this episode is worth watching ( video is here ) but as always I’ll try to summarize for anybody short on time.

VC 285

VC financing finance capital 285

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2009

I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. If you haven’t spent time over there you should. I wanted to also post the series here to have it as a resource on my blog for future entrepreneurs who stop by. What attributes am I looking for during the process?

entrepreneurs 338

entrepreneurs peer-to-peer advice VC 338

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JANUARY 10, 2024

Your Brand Promise should include three things at most. These should clearly represent how you want customers to feel. Ask team members who have close relationships with customers for feedback about what customers look for in your product or service. Successful companies answer these questions with a resounding “Yes!”

collaboration 218

collaboration entrepreneurs creativity education 218

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 26, 2022

“Personal Branding” The term is fingernails on a chalkboard-level cringe for many of the best founders—mostly because it feels most of the people who spend time building their personal brand don’t actually have much there there behind it. At best it’s boasting and at worst, it’s blowing smoke. That’s just not how it works.

founder 259

founder pitching VC creativity 259

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 22, 2024

As someone who’s been in the entrepreneurial game for 43 years, I can share firsthand that running your own company takes dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures. At first, I was skeptical — wouldn’t that devalue my expertise? It’s not all champagne toasts and photo shoots.

startup 210

startup entrepreneurship mentorship entrepreneurs 210

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

Sometime around 2003/04 my technology team turned me on to “Spolsky on Software&# a periodic newsletter served up blog style from Joel Spolsky of FogCreek Software, a maker of bug-tracking software. Blogs weren’t popularized yet so it was an oddity for me to read the founder of a software company spewing out advice.

peer-to-peer 285

peer-to-peer communities development innovation 285

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Since I launched my fund , I've gotten around 50 offers to work with me. Instead of responding, I decided to sit on them. The way I figure it, how someone approaches me is indicative of how they'd approach an entrepreneur. Not a single one of them followed up with even so much as a nudge to see if I saw their note.

creativity 325

creativity VC pitching communities 325

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

One of the things I discuss the most with the portfolio companies I’m involved with is that “you manage what you measure.”. It’s a very important concept for me because in a startup you are constantly under pressure and have way too many distractions. You already know it from your personal lives. You Manage What you Measure.

startup 346

startup board networking advice 346

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2015

And every year I think about doing the same. But it’s the holidays and I usually can’t be bothered. So I thought now would be a sensible time – with six months on either side of the holidays. I’m not trying to say my picks are great and other products aren’t and I’ll certainly forget some.

communities 317

communities innovation development ventures 317

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 6, 2012

I wasn’t a believer. I had always liked and respected CEO Joe Fernandez but could never get my head around the fact that the Klout was putting up charts showing who influenced me and it didn’t map to the reality I knew in my head. I was used to this debate. It all started in 2010 with Klout.

venture capital 303

venture capital VC ventures capital 303

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 1, 2009

I was reading one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs, VentureHacks, this weekend and noticed that they are running a long piece on how to pick a co-founder. If you’ve read my blog for a while you’ll know that I’m a fan of starting businesses in a non-traditional way. You’ll be fine.

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startup advice entrepreneurs creativity 289