Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Every so often I find myself caught up in a really hectic 3-4 week schedule where it seems like I float endlessly betweens meetings. Pitches. Intros. Board Meetings. Conferences. And I get flooded with legal docs, end-of-quarter financial administration, recruiting, whatever. I get sucked up in “Do” mode. Startups Are for Doers. Now, I’m pretty on the record that being an entrepreneur is about being great at The Do.

creativity 400

creativity venture capital entrepreneurs board 400

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

As we prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I think a lot about the future of the physical retail landscape. As I walk around my neighborhood in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, I count every storefront whose products or services could be better delivered over the internet. The count is unfortunately high. Pretty much anywhere you buy items that aren't food, you could probably get them cheaper on the web, with a wider selection.

real estate 352

real estate coworking spaces coworking communities 352

Gust

NOVEMBER 22, 2012

In very general terms, roughly 1,500 startups get funded by venture capitalists in the US, and 50,000 by angel investors. VCs look at around 400 companies for every one in which they invest; angels look at 40. There are several million “startups” that are formed each year, so one way of looking at it is that there are several million “great people with a good idea who give up because they just cannot get initial funding” On the other hand, those VCs and angel investors sp

VC 178

VC entrepreneurship investing investment 178

Tomasz Tunguz

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Over lunch last week, I asked a Redpoint entrepreneur, who had recently sold his company, how his board could have been more helpful to him. His answer surprised me. He wished the company had built a financial/operational plan sooner. Building an financial plan is challenging and it is often perceived as a waste of time because the plan can be so inaccurate.

startup 40

startup board accelerator financing 40

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

It’s 4.50am. Sunday morning. And I couldn’t sleep. I have much on my mind since I just returned from a week on the road. 5 days. 3 cities. Late night Mexican food. Beers. Airports. Delays. I left on a Sunday. I had to miss a full day with my family, camping in the mountains. I returned home Friday night at 10pm – too late to see my kids.

entrepreneurs 420

entrepreneurs VC founder venture capital 420

Gust

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Image via eHow.com. Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” Many entrepreneurs stumble at this point, losing the deal or most of their ownership, by having no answer, saying “make me an offer,” or quoting an exorbitant number. I’ve written about this before, but it’s a mysterious subject, and I’m always learning more.

investing 187

investing investment startup real estate 187

Tomasz Tunguz

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

When building a freemium SaaS company or an ecommerce company or any product that requires users to move through a funnel towards an objective, it’s important to track this funnel to understand where the funnel can be improved. But tracking one funnel may not be enough. The aggregated funnel may be masking conversion differences across customers segments.

SaaS 41

SaaS founder 41

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 23, 2012

I live in LA. And I’m a VC. So you can imagine I see my fair share of celebrities looking to get into the technology industry. And equal numbers of startups seeking celebrity endorsements in exchange for equity. For the most part my advice is simple, “don’t bother.” But as ever I’ve had to have this debate in numerous company pitches and board meetings.

advice 321

advice startup pitching board 321

Tomasz Tunguz

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Great products are like ducks. They are calm above the water but paddling furiously below the water. An entrepreneur told me this quip last week and I think it had great wisdom in it. In other words great products are graceful. They make something complex look effortless. Great athletes are the same. So are great dancers. And even great entrepreneurs.

entrepreneurs 40

entrepreneurs 40

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