This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 18, 2019

Across the world, various economic development organizations, government agencies, and non-profits are putting in admirable and well-intentioned efforts to develop startup ecosystems. Take the example of goTenna , a thriving communications hardware startup located in Downtown Brooklyn that employees almost 50 people.

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Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

I have never been more optimistic about the impact that the tech startup community is having on cities in America or about the role that cities outside of San Francisco / Silicon Valley can play in our future. Changes in the Startup Ecosystem. So the startup work moves to where the startup founders live and not vice versa.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

I have been writing a series on how startup boards get selected, who sits on them and what to avoid. I started this series in part to help entrepreneurs but also to help newer investors because I’ve know with so many new companies you have so many new board members and many people are trying to figure out there respective roles.

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This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 25, 2023

It’s your job as a founder to find out the specific risk associated with that attribute and to find out if the reason given is the only reason. But if these people are willing to come on without the co-founder title, that’s between them, you and their employment contract. Let’s first talk about the definition of a co-founder.

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Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2014

Many startups now go through accelerators and have mentors passing through each day with advice – usually it’s conflicting. There are bootcamps, startup classes, video interviews – the sources are now endless. What is a founder to do? Improving startup productivity ? Startup psychology / confidence ?

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Paul G. Silva

APRIL 1, 2025

As I shared in a previous post , when I was president of Click Workspace, a startup coworking space, our board chairman delivered feedback that hit me hard: I wasn’t paying enough attention to our financials. Many founders would leave board meetings with lengthy to-do lists. Why all this corporate-seeming planning?”

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 6, 2020

Like the downturns in 2008 and 2001, this has been a very trying time for entrepreneurs running startups. While some level of stress is inevitable if you are running a startup, times like this can ramp up the stress factor considerably. Here is advice I collected for dealing with the stress of running a startup: 1.

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This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

Not in the “founder friendly” culture of tech anyway. Investors let him control the board as long as he continued to make them paper rich, and then actually rich--so they couldn’t technically force him out. It’s male founder friendly. Take the story of luggage startup Away’s CEO Steph Korey. Travis should hire her back??

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This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 5, 2016

I've heard a lot of VCs tell founders they need co-founders--and that they wouldn't look at a business at a very early stage without a co-founder. A lot of accelerators treat solo founders the same way--making it an implied requirement to participate. The same holds true for VC funds.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2015

I often speak about co-founder fighting and how this ends in lawsuits but this has become much more prevalent. I’d encourage you to watch this quick 3-minute video with some views on what I call “ The Co-Founder Mythology ” that is perpetuated in Silicon Valley. He signed a release and remained on the board.

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TechCrunch

JANUARY 27, 2023

Chroma , a startup working to build a new type of audiovisual entertainment specifically for mobile devices, is now adding a Twitter co-founder to its board. However, in 2013, Stone and the others shifted their focus to individual startups. The venture most notably incubated the blogging platform Medium. Chroma did.

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Innovate In the early years of a startup there is a lot of kinetic energy of enthusiastic innovators looking to launch a product that changes how an industry works.

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

We we backed Team Grove’s mission (Kevin sourced the deal and joined the board) and just encouraged the team not to ramp up costs like many contemporary startups because we’re going to play the long game. eliminating herbicides & pesticides. ” Enter Grove.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

When you set up a board it is often initially a combination of the founders and the early investors. It can start 2–1 founders to investors and then sometimes moves to 3–2 but sometime around the A, B or C round the idea of “independent” directors comes up. The board is where large equity investors get their representation.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 2, 2014

Many startups these days are started by young, technical or product founders who are in the idealistic phase of their lives and careers. I can assure you that move wasn’t a walk in the park for the board. I call it “ the Co-Founder mythology ” and it’s persistent in our startup mythology.

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

What person hasn’t crouched at an airport to get 18% extra on one’s battery before boarding an airplane? Could you withstand the public scrutiny every day of being a young tech founder and show up every morning filled with enthusiasm? Startup Lessons' The world needs more Meredith Perry’s, not fewer.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Fred Wilson also wrote on a similar topic in his usual more succinct manner , with a great quote being: “One thing I know for sure is that those who advise and invest in startups cannot and should not meddle in the day to day decision making. It’s harmful and hurtful to the startup and those that lead it. Startup Lessons'

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NZ Entrepreneur

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Launching a startup in New Zealand is exciting, but navigating the accounting side of things can be tricky. Choose the best business structure for you Choosing the right business structure for your startup is a crucial first step. Sue de Bievre, Beany Founder. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

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Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

He then brought her to board meetings so nobody could accuse him of not having a business model. LEAN STARTUP MOVEMENT. And finally there is the most modern spin on these concepts by two individuals who have built tech startups and have done an excellent job at describing the process. Startup Advice' The money quote.

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Both Sides of the Table

JULY 26, 2022

We remain confident in the long-term trend that software enables and the value accrued to disruptive startups; we also recognized that in a strong market it is important to ring the cash register and this doesn’t come without a concentrated effort to do so. In fact, I am still active on two boards where I first invested in 2009.

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

For starters let me use “CEO” as a proxy to include her “inner circle” which might mean co-founders or might just mean senior execs of the business. The Mind of the Founder. So as a startup CEO you constantly have to suspend disbelief. The mind of a founder is wired differently than most people.

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startup peer-to-peer VC culture 417

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

JULY 19, 2021

There is no divorce court for startups. It is unlikely that founders will be able to force investors out of their cap tables via the secondary markets, but a voluntary separation via the secondary market seems more likely to me. I also think startup boards need to evolve. USV TEAM POSTS:

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Y Combinator

APRIL 1, 2025

When Tyler applied to YC in 2012, his startup idea was an unusual one. That kind of determination and conviction is exactly what defines the very best YC founders. I can’t wait for all YC founders to benefit from his mentorship and land those crucial first customers faster. An API for schools? Welcome to YC, Tyler!

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StartupNation

JUNE 14, 2025

Running a newly acquired small startup can be highly unpredictable. You see, the biggest mistake startup owners make is tying their personal financial futures to the success of their business ventures. Income diversification can be a marvelous way to mitigate some of the financial challenges of starting or buying a new startup.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

Clearly the founders and senior executives of a company are the most valuable resources and their time should be maximized on the most valuable tasks. One area I’ve had much discussion with the companies in which I’ve invested in is bringing on board an operationally focused CFO. Great startups have budgets.

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Dream It

APRIL 12, 2020

During our recent Dreamit Kickoff week, Bullpen Capital Founder and General Partner Paul Martino ( @ahpah ) spoke with our Spring 2020 cohort about the state of the VC ecosystem in the current economic crisis. Startups should know how VCs work. startup) per month. Paul Martino, General Partner at Bullpen Capital.

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Entrepreneur's Handbook

APRIL 24, 2021

Advice for non-technical founders for finding a serious CTO for your startup Finding a co-founder is hard work. Finding a technical co-founder is even harder. Yet, the benefits of having a technical co-founder make it all worthwhile. A good co-founder will serve as a powerful force multiplier.

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Both Sides of the Table

JULY 7, 2015

I love how open Danielle has been throughout the development of her startup Mattermark including honest reflections of when she has changed her opinion. Another founder … “When I pitched the idea to Adam, he was super on board,” Mr. Sloyan said. If anything it felt like a public service to founders to me.

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American Entrepreneurship

JANUARY 21, 2025

million pre-A funding round, the FinTech startup aims to expand its regional footprint while laying the groundwork for future global growth. Notably, the round saw participation from Jason Gardner, founder and former CEO of Marqeta, who made this investment his first in the MEA region. With its just closed $5.2

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This is going to be BIG.

MAY 2, 2025

nextNYC, the startup events platform I run, produces the largest formal VC/Founder intro event at NY Tech Week. Investors can sign up for a two hour slot here to get six intro meetings to founders.) The founder barely knows who you are and you dont have a board seat. Founders talk to each otherjust as VCs do.

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Dream It

APRIL 8, 2020

Jason sat down with Steve Barsh , Managing Partner of Dreamit, to give founders relevant downturn strategies. Jason answers critical questions for founders, including: How can your company ensure survival? Your primary job as a founder is to save the business. What do investors like Jason want to see from founders?

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

I saw this Tweet recently by Scott Belsky, co-founder and CEO of Behance. Other times she comes back with even more conviction about the founders, market or products. The same is true at startups. I watch founders who want to get “air cover” for hard decisions by getting too much input from their teams or boards.

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Both Sides of the Table

JULY 17, 2018

You get to have interesting conversations with founders and review business plans and then see how these businesses evolve over the years. 1/ From vantage point of being able to see hundreds of companies, good & bad I have some advice for founders - Get to know and love "gross margin."

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Dream It

APRIL 7, 2020

Friday, April 3 was supposed to be the orderly launch of the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) providing $349B of urgently needed funding to struggling startups and small businesses. What are the immediate do’s and don’ts for startups? For instance, one of our startups applied to J.P.

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

MAY 28, 2020

Contributed by Kevin Xu , CEO of MEBO International and co-founder of the Human Heritage Project. Given these benefits, many investors take great interest in a startup’s social mission. Startups that embrace and exemplify a clear social mission from the get-go will have an easier time attracting much-needed backing.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2014

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. Specifically what is often not in the DNA of founders are sales skills. My first startup was no different. Founders think in options. This is why I tell startups that most seasoned sales execs aren’t right for startups.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 6, 2020

You need to: study the rules, make sure that you don’t violate the “affiliate rule” (more later), consult with your Company Counsel, consult with your board and investors and then make your own determination. You should discuss with your board second. Who is this program for and why does it exist? It is not “free money.” It depends.

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