Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 5, 2014

But as I rose in my career (and post MBA) I moved into a role in which I was to advise board-level executives on topics where I was expected to rapidly become an expert. What is the right organizational strategy for a large UK conglomerate to operate more effectively? We are their sparring partners, their sounding boards.

peer-to-peer 337

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs consulting VC 337

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

Picking a VC is hard. So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Most VCs are book smart. VCs should be more of a coach than proscriptively telling you what to do. You want a VC who will spar with you but then STFU and let you get on with things.

VC 364

VC advice board leadership 364

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

I’ve written a few posts about boards recently as part of a series on the subject. I admit that I haven’t yet read it but I’ve had numerous discussions with Brad over the years about board structure & conduct and consider him a mentor on the topic.

board 325

board mentorship media advice 325

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Between 2006–2008 I sold both companies that I had started and became a VC. SEEING THINGS FROM THE VC SIDE OF THE TABLE While I was a VC in 2007 & 2008 those were dead years because the market again evaporated due the the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). THE VC VALUATION GOD Valuation obsession wasn’t restricted to startups.

VC 466

VC culture sustainability capital 466

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 25, 2009

Beware of VC Seagulls, who shit on you and then fly away (or worse yet leave you with Red Herrings). I write this post as a warning to pick your VC’s carefully. I like to say to first-time entrepreneurs, picking a VC is more permanent than marriage. I guarantee this is a bad VC. There are many great VCs.

VC 297

VC board consulting advice 297

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

And I am often approached by entrepreneurs in cities which don’t have a vibrant VC community. If you don’t live in a major VC zone, I have some tips for how to make it easier to raise Venture Capital. It’s a goal to help you understand the life of a VC. I travel the country a lot. Ask SuperCell.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Of course these are great places to network with other investors, meet great entrepreneurs and keep your connections strong with senior execs at larger companies like Yahoo!, I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal. And there’s conferences. Web Summit.

VC 374

VC investing investment entrepreneurs 374

Berkonomics

JANUARY 10, 2019

And because you need their money, the temptation is to listen a bit too well, and take all of the advice thrown at you during your presentations and during due diligence and finally from the vantage point of a board seat. Some board members may show dismay. After several months on the board, he spoke up. “I And push back.

board 54

board strategy VC advice 54

TechCrunch

DECEMBER 3, 2021

Bret Taylor is on a roll: On Monday, he became the chair of Twitter’s board, and a day later, Salesforce made him its co-CEO and co-chair. How to execute an amplified marketing strategy. How to execute an amplified marketing strategy. yourprotagonist. 4 analysts break down Bret Taylor’s pretty sweet week.

SaaS 77

SaaS strategy education entrepreneurship 77

This is going to be BIG.

JULY 8, 2013

I usually direct people to this post --still hanging atop the search rankings for " How to be a VC analyst" years later. I know what it''s like being an entrepreneur trying to get people to care about what I cared about--you feel so desperate and as if you were just one big break or random intro away from success.

venture capital 419

venture capital VC advice capital 419

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

One of the questions I’m most often asked is, “what’s it like being a VC?&# I’ve been a VC for nearly 3 years now. I always start my answer to this question with, “you’d have to be a pretty big baby to complain about being a VC.&# At least for the best entrepreneurs. That’s true.

VC 312

VC consulting entrepreneurs creativity 312

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 8, 2011

Any success as an entrepreneur? How about as a VC? He hasn't founded or built either a successful, let alone innovative company, and he hasn't raised $ to invest in those entrepreneurs. Fred has basically always been a VC, Mike was a reporter, and Jim worked in product marketing and management consulting. What did I do?

VC 275

VC peer-to-peer board advice 275

Berkonomics

JANUARY 10, 2019

And because you need their money, the temptation is to listen a bit too well, and take all of the advice thrown at you during your presentations and during due diligence and finally from the vantage point of a board seat. Some board members may show dismay. After several months on the board, he spoke up. “I And push back.

board 48

board strategy VC advice 48

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

(In case it’s not obvious it’s a play on the Nike slogan, “Just Do It.&# ) I believe that being successful as an entrepreneur requires you to get lots of things done. Entrepreneurs make fast decisions and move forward knowing that at best 70% of their decisions are going to be right. This paralyzes most people.

entrepreneurs 414

entrepreneurs board advice consulting 414

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

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2009

Many startup companies hire advisory boards. It’s mostly done by first-time entrepreneurs who want to persuade (bribe?) So do advisory boards really add value? In my experience most advisory boards under deliver relative to expectations. Ok, next advisory board meeting in 60-90 days. Not enough time.

board 306

board startup advice VC 306

David Teten VC

AUGUST 21, 2019

Most founders who are raising capital look first to traditional equity VCs. Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) is a new form of VC financing, distinct from the preferred equity structure most VCs use. Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing? Optionality.

VC 69

VC investing investment venture capital 69

Gust

JULY 15, 2012

I recommend that every early-stage startup find three Advisory Board members. For this, you should expect participation in monthly strategy and review meetings, and unlimited access via phone or email for questions, mentoring, and advice. Sharing of their experience with next generation of entrepreneurs. Let’s talk specifics.

board 178

board startup mentorship strategy 178

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur. It represents the great majority of entrepreneurship and eschews the fairytale rags-to-VC-riches stories we so often read about in the press. But Tracy did what entrepreneurs do. Sam is the managing director of Launchpad LA and we were about to pick our 2012 class of entrepreneurs.

peer-to-peer 363

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs startup entrepreneurship 363

Revolution

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

According to PitchBook , VC investments were down 30% in Q2 2022 compared with 2021, and IPOs hit a 50-year low. While a few iconic brands including Uber, Airbnb, and Square emerged successfully from the last downturn, most venture-backed companies struggled during this period, and many ended up pursuing M&A strategies.

startup 130

startup board VC venture capital 130

TechCrunch

JANUARY 21, 2022

I’ve worked at early-stage startups where we relied on our best guesses to shape product pipelines and develop marketing strategies. In this seven-step guide, you’ll find strategies and tactics for identifying key members and influencers, streamlining the communication process, and creating “a little FOMO.”

VC 80

VC incubation angel investing investing 80

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 14, 2009

I wrote recently about the role of Advisory Boards in startups , which I expected to be a bit controversial. It’s just that many companies waste equity on advisory boards, pick the wrong advisers or set up advisory boards with the wrong expectations. If they’re so great, why are they not just Board Members?

board 215

board VC advice entrepreneurs 215

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2018

This is a very common scenario when entrepreneurs pitch VCs and frankly is a very common scenario when VCs try to raise money from LPs. I left the meeting and had to attend a 3-hour board meeting where two founders have been fighting and each want the other one fired. What do I do now? New York, Chicago, Boston, etc.

pitching 381

pitching funders board entrepreneurs 381

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

David Teten VC

JANUARY 19, 2021

His work on VC and small communities can be found at greatercolorado.vc/blog. raised money from VCs and 7.7% More and more startups are pursuing Revenue-Based VCs , but “RBI” doesn’t fit everyone. A new category of VCs have emerged offering a hybrid between VC and RBI, which we call “Flexible VC”. .

VC 45

VC venture capital funders capital 45

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

Most founders consider two possibilities when thinking about their exit strategy: IPO or acquisition. When considering a possible acquisition of your company, try to figure out where you could add value to a prospective acquirers strategy. The VC you're bringing on board should consist of people who you want to work with.

board 195

board VC strategy construction 195

David Teten VC

JANUARY 19, 2021

His work on VC and small communities can be found at greatercolorado.vc/blog. This essay is part of a series on alternative VC: I: Revenue-Based Investing: a new option for founders who care about control. II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

VC 45

VC venture capital funders capital 45

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I’m enjoying being a VC. I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#.

entrepreneurs 384

entrepreneurs startup VC real estate 384

Innovation 2 Enterprise

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Another way is to increase the number of female venture capitalists—making the deal flow process, from start to finish, more inclusive and welcoming to female entrepreneurs and innovators. VC firms are all male. Our strategy at i2E is different. By 2021, the bank will look for two diverse board members. is a woman. .

board 40

board venture capital leadership ventures 40

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

“You have to wonder if every VC worth a damn in the future will have their own raft of SPAC offerings,” says Alex. From dorm rooms to board rooms: How universities are promoting entrepreneurship. ” From dorm rooms to board rooms: How universities are promoting entrepreneurship. I, II and III. Fifteen U.S.-based

SaaS 73

SaaS VC transportation pitching 73

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

I would argue that the shut-down of September 2009 was equally severe yet there are signs that this “VC Ice Age” has begun to thaw. But any entrepreneurs raising capital should keep in mind that this opening of the markets could possibly be temporary. Why did the VC markets freeze so quickly? Short answer – yes.

VC 263

VC board investing investment 263

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2016

Gregg Johnson, CEO of Invoca For the first 5 years or so after I became a VC I didn’t talk much about what I thought a VC should be excellent at since frankly I wasn’t sure. It’s easy to think the role of a VC is to have strong opinions about markets, trends, tech dynamics and so forth. The role of VC is sparring partner.

venture capital 363

venture capital capital ventures VC 363

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

You will have more control over strategy and execution than with an outside board overseeing planning and performance. Money from these sources is relatively easy to come by, and most often comes with no strings as to oversight by a formal board composed of these investors and management.

accelerator 118

accelerator mix-use financing finance 118

David Teten VC

MARCH 14, 2018

Managers of VC funds typically want to grow their business aggressively, just like the founders we back. But, we normally have a clear ceiling on how high we can grow AUM, before hitting practical limits to deploying capital within the traditional VC model. . I suggest there are a number of ways to scale a VC fund.

VC 45

VC venture capital board capital 45

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 3, 2021

Contributed by Hao Lam, an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member in Seattle, Washington, and founder and CEO of Best in Class Education. Members of EO have access to multiple programmes and events to help entrepreneurs grow both personally and professionally. And if you don’t find an established group that suits your needs?

education 310

education VC pitching support 310

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

She worked for 5 years as a VC at Battery Ventures and co-headed M&A at IAC working with Barry Diller. The core of the investing job of course is investing dollars into startup companies and helping as a mentor, advisor and board member on the companies in which you’ve invested. I promise you, he really said this out loud.)

ventures 361

ventures leadership mentorship venture capital 361

AsiaTechDaily

DECEMBER 4, 2023

Entrepreneurs are drawn to Singapore’s comprehensive support system, which has business-incubating infrastructure, tax incentives, substantial government subsidies, and strong international connections. This article serves as a resource for aspiring entrepreneurs eyeing Singapore as their business launchpad.

startup ecosystem 95

startup ecosystem startup mentorship innovation 95