Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

It got me thinking about the advice that I often give to new VCs. For years I saw myself as the new guy in VC but then you wake up one day and realize that 50% of your peers have been doing it for less time than you and time has moved on. I don’t want any formal pitches. VC Industry' It’s exhausting.

peer-to-peer 317

peer-to-peer pitching VC accelerator 317

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. Portfolio community building. VC firm admin. VC firm policy or fund analysis. Helping be the VC “presence” at key events. Industry reviews. Alumni activities.

investing 365

investing investment VC board 365

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 3, 2011

But last week I noticed a blog post by a woman, Tara Tiger Brown, that asked the question, “ Why Aren’t More Women Commenting on VC Blog Posts? She has a quote from literally every major VC from whom you’d want to hear. She was the dominant figure in my family and was both an entrepreneur and a community leader.

entrepreneurs 341

entrepreneurs entrepreneurship VC pitching 341

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 18, 2019

Brooklyn Bridge Ventures , the pre-seed and seed stage VC fund I run in NYC, has invested in 64 companies in the last six and a half years. Different groups communicate differently—and it’s important to find objective common ground around language, goals, and risks. Twenty-five of them have at least one female co-founder.

venture capital 413

venture capital capital ventures peer-to-peer 413

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 16, 2024

Then, they need to figure out a way to project that brand up above the venture community, like a Bat signal calling for the best founders to come and pitch them. This is something I talk about a lot with my VC coaching clients. The question is what to focus on.

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VC angel investing networking pitching 243

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

I can't think of a single time when a white man came to pitch me and I told him his fundraising plans weren't aggressive enough. Yet, for some reason, the goals for her pitch were incremental--despite being in an extremely hot space. VCs don't go later and angels don't go earlier. Everyone says they fund people in their network.

advice 418

advice founder pitching VC 418

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Back when I was pitching my previous startup to investors, it had never really dawned on me that they had experienced what I was going through--and that a VC firm was essentially a startup. VCs pitch for money, too. No one ever thinks about VCs having to pitch, who they pitch to, or how it works.

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ventures pitching VC startup ecosystem 280

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

He used the 500Startups platform to uber network in the Bay Area where he was living. Of course he pitched me the entire ride down. But … we had committed to setting up an EIR program where we would fund people to work on their ideas in our offices and also get the dual experience of working inside a VC. They loved him.

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pitching advice VC entrepreneurs 372

Hunter Walk

MARCH 3, 2025

When I’m scanning a pitch deck I’m basically looking to put it into one of two buckets – Traditional or Different. “ Different & Excellent ” equates to something that doesn’t exactly look like other VCs. of them, often as their first or second largest investor.

peer-to-peer 88

peer-to-peer VC investing investment 88

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 4, 2011

I think that the only VCs there were myself and the IA Ventures team--a stark contrast to some of the other mainstream tech conferences that are pretty densely populated with investor types. Seems that in the absence of a pitch competition or some kind of immediately obvious venture investment opportunity, people aren't used to seeing VCs.

creativity 247

creativity pitching VC opportunity 247

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 14, 2024

It’s an approach to the community that I’ve tried to emulate—to make myself available to founders wherever I can, but it’s not easy to scale. It’s easy for a VC to just stick within your own networks and filter bubbles—and hard to scale being “open” without opening the floodgates.

communities 339

communities consulting creativity advice 339

David Teten VC

JULY 27, 2021

We have collected a wide range of freebies, contests, accelerators, online communities, and VCs designed for student tech founders. I have been researching this both to support Versatile VC ’s portfolio companies and also as part of research for my new book, To University and Beyond: Launch Your Career in High Gear. Right here.

founder 144

founder mentorship peer-to-peer pitching 144

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 15, 2013

When he pitched, he was the proverbial "guy with an idea." Most VC funds wouldn''t touch a pre-product app company. The level of talent and supportive collaboration among the community at Studiomates checks both boxes and continues to ensure that everything he puts out is top notch.

creativity 274

creativity education pitching collaboration 274

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 8, 2014

Stick around long enough in a big tech community and you''ll see your share of big company evangelists come and go. They want someone who can be a friend to startups--someone with a great network, knows everyone, knows product, technical evangelist. someone who can win over the VCs, the CTOs, create content, etc. all at once.

venture capital 252

venture capital communities pitching networking 252

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 12, 2011

When someone comes in to pitch me, I always ask them to tell me the "origin story". If VC is a club--so is media, politics, the movie business--hell, any industry where the bets are on people, because people clearly work with others they like, have connections to and work well with. Are there examples of that? Not in the slightest.

data analysis 283

data analysis venture capital communities ventures 283

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 1, 2010

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. The simple fact of the matter is that most startups seeking angel or vc capital just don’t receive it—and that’s just anywhere. You know what—it’s supposed to work like that! Do you have a Bose radio at home?

startup 286

startup media ecology VC 286

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 9, 2020

If you're in a more privileged position with lots of VC connections to pitch, you’ll either do one of the following things: You'll come right back at me, tell me why and how I'm wrong—because at this point you have nothing to lose. Founders from communities of color are less likely to have personal wealth to fall back on.

founder 260

founder pitching VC opportunity 260

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

And more recently he has turned that into a fund called CrossCulture VC such that many in Silicon Valley and beyond now know Troy as well. They were playing small clubs to the gay community (her early ardent fans or “first 50”) and they were getting a warm reception so they wanted to double down on this community.

venture capital 228

venture capital communities VC entrepreneurs 228

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 15, 2023

You need a solid business plan, traction to demonstrate market fit, and the skills to pitch effectively. Yet founders often trip up when it comes to investor relations — the ongoing communication and relationship building after that first check clears. Don’t think of investor communication as a one-and-done sales job.

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pitching consulting advice communities 213

TechCrunch

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

But most venture-backed startups are “still overwhelmingly white, male, Ivy-League-educated and based in Silicon Valley,” according to a study conducted by RateMyInvestor and Diversity VC. Or will we have to repeat the same conversations about representation failings within VC funds? It is all possible, but patience is key.

startup ecosystem 129

startup ecosystem ventures founder startup 129

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

There has been little movement in the amount of VC dollars going to women-founded companies since 2012. Though by no means does this mean that women aren’t doing incredible work in the field and it’s only right that women founders receive their fair share of VC investment. Venture capital is far from a level playing field.

VC 123

VC startup leadership communities 123

TechCrunch

DECEMBER 16, 2021

I’ve sat at both sides of the table as a founder and a VC, and I understand how difficult it is to get them on the same page. I’ve participated in a number of accelerators, including Disney and Techstars, and these programs gave me a noticeable advantage when I stepped into VC. Accelerators are hubs for diversity.

accelerator 86

accelerator VC mentorship pitching 86

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 3, 2021

With 568 MyEO interest and industry groups in the EO network database, there is truly something for everyone. Monthly sessions share best practices, resources and cover everything from marketing, presentations, ghostwriting, publishing tips, pitching–any and everything related to promoting authors and speakers.

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education VC pitching support 236

American Entrepreneurship

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

This annual gathering brings together a dynamic mix of entrepreneurs, angel investors, and venture capitalists from the surrounding states, creating a fertile ground for innovation, networking, and investment opportunities. With a rigorous selection process, only the most promising tech-enabled companies get the chance to pitch.

entrepreneurs 98

entrepreneurs ventures pitching mentorship 98

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

That kicked off a story that would take them up to two consecutive Zagat #1 ice cream in NYC ratings, the Food Network calling them the #1 ice cream shop in the country, and a prime spot on Oprah's List of Favorite Things. That story actually begins about eleven or twelve years ago, with a little bit of VC mentoring.

venture capital 346

venture capital ventures capital consumer retail 346

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 29, 2023

When people describe what they hate about networking, they often use the word “transactional” in a negative way. Too many times I see people in underrepresented communities feeling like they don’t get paid their value or somehow get the short end of the stick on general inquiries within their area of expertise. Are you fundraising?

leadership 195

leadership pitching collaboration opportunity 195

TechCrunch

MARCH 17, 2023

I shy away from sharing hot takes, but here’s one: With contagion contained, the VC community feels good about writing smallish checks for pre-revenue startups, but Series A and up? If you’re an investor who wants to be included in future columns, email guestcolumns@techcrunch.com with “How to pitch me” in the subject line.

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pitching frameworks advice strategy 92

TechCrunch

APRIL 1, 2022

For decades, there were several blocks where angels and VC partners camped out at café tables, taking pitches between lattes. To cut through the noise, he recommends that founders create a “teaser trailer” to share with their network before they begin approaching angels and VCs. The pandemic put a stop to that, however.

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pitching energy VC founder 91

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 24, 2019

How do you compete against those VC-backed behemoths in Silicon Valley? As an entrepreneur and angel investor, I’ve built a network that spans dozens of countries. The flipside of Canada’s multicultural identity is that we have expat communities almost everywhere, which can be a huge leg up for expanding abroad. Pay it forward.

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startup entrepreneurs accelerator networking 162

TechCrunch

MARCH 15, 2023

My hot take: With contagion contained, the VC community feels good about writing smallish checks for pre-revenue startups, but Series A and up? If you’re an early-stage investor who wants to be included in future columns, email guestcolumns@techcrunch.com with “How to pitch me” in the subject line. Más o menos.

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pitching VC advice venture capital 97

Founders Coop

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

We also had a strong incentive to make our program successful: despite the shared branding and core values, each Techstars program was funded and owned by the mentor and investor community in the city in which it operated. It’s fair to say that the Seattle startup community would not be where it is today without Techstars.

startup ecosystem 189

startup ecosystem accelerator communities support 189

StartupNation

AUGUST 8, 2021

Pitch your business idea at a competition to earn startup funding. Plus, if you don’t win, you’ll still grow your pitching skills, hash out your business plan and potentially meet like-minded entrepreneurs (potential partners) and venture capitalists. Check out this list of pitching competitions. Accelerators.

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creativity financing finance startup 104

TechCrunch

SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

But over the years, it has forced Floodgate’s small team to sort through many thousands of pitches and identify those it thinks have the most potential. I guess our network of friends and family and founders is technically our scouts. VC Ann Miura-Ko is looking to help more students answer the question: Is this idea big enough?

VC 96

VC networking incubation investment 96

This is going to be BIG.

JULY 30, 2010

Each day, hundreds of people stuff themselves into my inbox--pitches, career advice pleas, introduction requests. It's almost as if I hand out cash for a living or if my job is to know a lot of people in the NY tech community. However, this weekend, we're way short on volunteering help, and so I'm recruiting from the NY tech community.

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opportunity networking VC pitching 244

Entrepreneur's Handbook

MARCH 30, 2023

Why You Can’t Raise VC Money Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash Many entrepreneurs have experienced the keen sting of rejection when venture capital firms refuse to invest in or otherwise respond to their exciting new startups. We had tapped our entire network for warm intros and sent dozens of eye-catching cold emails to no avail.

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VC venture capital pitching capital 59

TechCrunch

JANUARY 15, 2022

And while we’ve witnessed some impressive transformations in the developer tools space, with VC-backed funding following suit, sometimes I worry we’re at risk of conflating technological growth for the social progress we really need. Female VCs should be promoted to partnerships, where they will be able to write meaningful checks quickly.

founder 109

founder VC venture capital communities 109

This is going to be BIG.

JULY 8, 2019

But if you have to start your VC list from scratch when you’re thinking of who will fund you next and all of your PR outreach is just a bunch fo cold e-mails, you’re starting from behind the eight ball in a way you wouldn’t have had to had you just participated in the public square that is social media in small amounts daily.

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media leadership founder opportunity 270