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How to Be a VC: Being Open

This is going to be BIG.

I always get asked how to get into VC and so I think a lot about what it takes to do the job well. Practicing the word no as many times as a VC does means you have to fight not to have your mind close on you. For some, VC is about the picking rather than the fostering and growing. In venture capital, you say "no" a lot.

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How to Make Sense of the PPP Loan Program for VC-Backed Startups

Both Sides of the Table

But I have been in close contact with the NVCA, many of the major law firms and many of the major VC firms. If your US-based business is adversely affected by Covid-19 such that you would need to lay off employees imminently and having access to capital would enable you to keep more employees on the payroll then you might be eligible.

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You Can’t Rely on a VC for Your Hardest Decisions

Both Sides of the Table

*. What is the role of a VC for entrepreneurs? I suppose it can be different for every founder and for different VCs but I’d like to offer you some context on what I think it is and it isn’t. VCs have the safety of not being that person. They are unique to you and not to each other situation that VC has faced.

VC 353
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How the Seed-Stage VC Trend Began, The Downsides of Unicorns & Much More

Both Sides of the Table

If you want to understand the software trend that drove the creation of the seed-stage VC phenomenon I wrote about it that linked blog post but in short: cloud computing drove down the cost to create startups enabling a new category of investor. Some quick highlights include: The Role of a Seed Stage VC. Startup Lessons'

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The Importance of Proprietary Deal Flow in Early-Stage VC

Both Sides of the Table

As a VC you want to feel like you have “proprietary sources” of deal flow. The sheer number of relationships I’ve built through being public, transparent and being willing to engage in comments and through social media has enabled me to get to know entrepreneurs even before they launch their next company.

VC 347
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Let's Talk About Anxiety, Fear of Failure, and Why I Didn't Go to The Dentist for 27 Years

This is going to be BIG.

I cant tell you how many times I got announced as a successful VC when I was introduced on a panel or sat across the room from a potential limited partner telling them I was. You dont owe them success, but you do owe them honesty, transparency, and a willingness to share enough information with others to enable them to help you.

VC 268
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What Did I Learn From the First VC Check I Ever Wrote?

Both Sides of the Table

I became a VC 12 years ago in 2007 when the pace of deals was much slower. As I was trying to figure out the role I wanted to play in the VC world I decided I wanted to focus on businesses that were building deeply technical products to solve problems for business users. What Did I Learn From the First VC Check I Ever Wrote?

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