Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

We both wanted to build a practice that would make Los Angeles proud but where we would travel tirelessly to other locations to make investments in the best entrepreneurs wherever they were. I made some reference calls. And there was instant chemistry and where we both saw our respective futures. So we talked about his joining.

VC 360

VC communities investment investing 360

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 3, 2009

This is part of my ongoing Raising Venture Capital (VC) series. Yesterday I had lunch with a really interesting and capable serial entrepreneur who is raising his A round. Many serial entrepreneurs who have been burned would use something less kind than quotes. The topic of &# strategic&# investors came up.

advice 279

advice venture capital frameworks entrepreneurs 279

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

But a couple of people replied with responses of such lack of comprehension that I thought it was worth expanding on for first-time entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs achieve much through their personal leadership traits that inspire others to do great things with them – sure. VENTURE CAPITAL. Not possible.

startup 363

startup real estate VC venture capital 363

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

MARCH 28, 2022

So I am reposting it below: The venture capital business is highly competitive. It is also true that there are good deals and good entrepreneurs that can’t find anyone to invest in them. Here are my rules: 1) Do your very best to connect with the entrepreneur. Don’t make the entrepreneur do all the work.

VC 261

VC entrepreneurs venture capital strategy 261

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

And so is venture capital. If I were looking at which VCs to choose I would reference strongly for which ones are supportive in good times and bad. The best way – of course – is to reference check. Here’s how you reference check a VC (link to post with longer version). Commitment.

VC 364

VC advice board leadership 364

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 7, 2013

a) The entrepreneur is distracted from doing what they need to do--i.e. The same goes for vetting the entrepreneur. In many cases, I got to know the entrepreneur before they were pitching or even had a deck. The fact that most entrepreneurs don''t focus on fundraising enough can drag this whole thing out a lot.

investment 322

investment investing construction venture capital 322

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 25, 2013

Back in 2006, when I started working on putting together some community groups for entrepreneurs and tech people, I looked for a better name to reference this collection of people. Anyone who was doing something new and cutting edge should feel connected to each other--whether or not they are building a venture backed startup.

communities 290

communities innovation creativity real estate 290

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

Greycroft is Alan’s venture capital firm that recently raised its second fund ($130 million) with offices in both New York and LA. My favorite two quotes of the weekend were: “Never trade your cat for somebody else’s dog” (referring to selling your company for stock to another privately held company – quote was from Alan.

peer-to-peer 279

peer-to-peer advice VC board 279

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

There are real changes in the venture capital industry and it would have been fun to talk about them. These days that’s not the case and it’s a great outcome for entrepreneurs and for innovation. A: Only because it’s a nicer branding for entrepreneurs. Answer: Not much. It’s a shame.

disruption 308

disruption VC entrepreneurs finance 308

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 23, 2016

Kobie Fuller, Partner at Upfront Ventures We set out to build a venture capital firm that would not only be a beacon for the rapidly growing LA tech ecosystem but also one that would compete and collaborate nationally with the best firms in the country.

ventures 260

ventures culture venture capital SaaS 260

Revolution

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

At first, we primarily played an advocacy and convening role, working with policymakers and administrations , organizing bus tours, and telling the stories of the entrepreneurs we met along the way. For investors, expanding horizons beyond traditional tech hubs can uncover promising opportunities that capitalize on regional strengths.

founder 246

founder transportation innovation education 246

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2010

But I use this all of the time as a metaphor when talking with entrepreneurs in person and I’ve found it to be a useful way of explaining to entrepreneurs what is going in in the VC’s life. I have no idea why, but that’s always how it always felt to me when I was an entrepreneur raising money.

VC 275

VC venture capital pitching board 275

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 6, 2010

But in my experience as an entrepreneur and now spending my time amongst investors I can generalize that almost all VC investments in early stage technology & Internet investments come down to just four key factors. This post was prompted by an email exchange I had with a young entrepreneur. I was interested in learning more.

startup 360

startup VC advice entrepreneurs 360

Gust

DECEMBER 6, 2011

The resources required to start a company vary significantly , depending on the type of company and growth rate anticipated by the entrepreneur. An experienced software engineer, for example, can develop a new mobile app with his or her own resources and market the product on the web with very little capital. Venture Capital. $20

angel investing 179

angel investing entrepreneurs venture capital investment 179

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

In case you don’t know – as VCs we have have 2 sets of customers: LPs (limited partners) who invest money in our funds and entrepreneurs (who we in turn give money to and help support them in building businesses we hope will be valuable). Who else is going to tell a VC if he got a bad reference from an entrepreneur or fellow VC?

peer-to-peer 341

peer-to-peer VC entrepreneurs support 341

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 28, 2020

The American venture capital world has staged an impressive comeback from the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those tailwinds helped the venture capital world get back into its own game in a big way, leading to Q3 being an outsized quarter for domestic venture capital activity.

venture capital 95

venture capital ventures capital financing 95

Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Network with other entrepreneurs. Ask the investor for “references,” meaning contacts at companies where previous investments were made. Entrepreneurs are optimists by nature, so I definitely recommend the involvement of your favorite attorney (usually the pessimist). Don’t just call, but personally visit these contacts.

entrepreneurs 119

entrepreneurs peer-to-peer networking investment 119

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 19, 2010

Despite the fact that I'm a blackbelt in Tae Kwan Do (haven't practiced in a few years though), what I'm referring to has nothing to do with kicks or punches. Would you stay on the venture capital side? Sounds like a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie doesn't it? Plus, it's something I really love doing.

education 225

education incubation innovation communities 225

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

Often when startups who have raised venture capital need another round of financing they will turn to their existing investors to give them money before raising from outsiders. But I used to jokingly refer to bridge loans as “pier&# loans. So my view is that VCs and entrepreneurs need to make tougher choices.

startup 290

startup advice finance financing 290

Revolution

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Having the opportunity to learn from the founders you back is by far one of the most rewarding parts of being a venture capital investor. After all, entrepreneurs are the realistic optimists who are brave enough to reimagine the future and crazy enough to believe they can make it happen. But in reality –and without jest?—?the

venture capital 173

venture capital economic development sustainability capital 173

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 4, 2009

Many entrepreneurs who start technology companies are product people, technologists or savvy business people who worked previously for a larger company. Most start-up entrepreneurs have little or no sales experience. This is the easiest one for most entrepreneurs. But most good entrepreneurs do this naturally.

startup 319

startup advice entrepreneurs networking 319

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

I recently sat down with Troy Carter to talk about what he does and why he believes it is applicable to venture capital. Influencers are inundated with requests for their time and have to develop filters of whom they trust and therefore who can refer them deals. And he said it so elequently.

venture capital 228

venture capital communities VC entrepreneurs 228

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 11, 2015

In this capacity I can tell any entrepreneurs raising early-stage capital that I would have Matt on my short list if I were raising. He’s been working in one of the top firms in venture capital in the Valley for many years and with that comes an enviable Rolodex. Conclusions?

ventures 291

ventures board VC culture 291

Ian Hathaway

MARCH 31, 2020

Senators led by Amy Klobuchar introduced the New Business Preservation Act to incentivize venture capital formation around the country. It avoids two well-known traps for government-sponsored venture programs by requiring that public funds are matched with private dollars and that capital is deployed by professional investors.

venture capital 75

venture capital entrepreneurship support capital 75

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

I was meeting regularly with entrepreneurs and offering (for better or for worse) advice on how to run a startup and how to raise venture capital from my experience in doing so at two companies. Or “I’m a new entrepreneur, why would I offer advice on how to run a startup?&#. It really started simply enough.

startup 373

startup advice communities VC 373

StartupNation

JUNE 1, 2021

Oftentimes, I read articles offering tips for entrepreneurs that revolve around generic advice on getting started. However, what is often direly needed is how to appeal to investors and raise smart money — knowledge that is essential for fundraising and a master key to building, accelerating and scaling your new venture. Keep it short.

entrepreneurs 109

entrepreneurs pitching construction accelerator 109

David Teten VC

MARCH 1, 2022

This is part of a series on building your career in venture capital: Reading list for working in private equity/venture capital , including all of the major online communities, programs, and educational options for people studying VC. How to get a job in venture capital. How to find a job as a VC scout.

VC 128

VC venture capital accelerator ventures 128

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2011

If you have or are thinking about a business in the video space you’ll enjoy hearing from Gregg but even more broadly this is a great conversation for entrepreneurs, investors or industry analysts. there was no frame of reference for the value. My key take away – frame of reference in pricing is important.

mix-use 303

mix-use VC advice creativity 303

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

One of the hardest decisions entrepreneurs make when they start a company and raise outside capital is figuring out what an acceptable “burn rate” is. Usually when an investor is asking you your burn rate he or she is referring to net burn — what cash are you consuming.

startup 212

startup venture capital capital VC 212

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2010

Kinda seems like that sometimes, right—that the venture capital community seems to chase after the bright shiny object of the moment in droves and then just as quickly moves on to the next new new thing. Back when I was at Union Square Ventures, Fred started to get really excited about podcasting. Haven’t you heard?

VC 186

VC venture capital media board 186

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

Here are a few key things I’ve learned: While VCs work with entrepreneurs, they often need reminders to be entrepreneurial themselves—to strive to take on new projects that create community (and exclusive deal flow), teach them something new, or help them stand out. In fact, why wasn’t he just putting a term sheet on the table now?

VC 195

VC board venture capital communities 195

American Entrepreneurship

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Many entrepreneurs aim to create businesses that succeed in the short term but also have the growth potential to scale and thrive in the long run. A scalable business model refers to a framework that enables a company to increase revenue without a proportionate increase in operational costs. What Is a Scalable Business Model?

strategy 71

strategy startup leadership sustainability 71

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 29, 2011

I had an interesting conversation with an entrepreneur last week about how he decided which VCs he was going to pitch. At the same time, I had lunch with someone yesterday who regularly ran into early stage entrepreneurs who was surprised to hear that I didn't mind if they made intros to me.

VC 289

VC pitching entrepreneurs networking 289

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 20, 2020

Index Ventures, a London- and San Francisco-headquartered venture capital firm that primarily invests in Europe and the U.S., Gonzalez-Cadenas is a seasoned entrepreneur and operator, but has also become a prolific angel investor in the U.K. recently announced its latest partner. CEO at GoCardless], in my journey.

VC 107

VC venture capital entrepreneurs angel investing 107

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2010

As startup entrepreneurs we all want to work with them because having their name as reference clients makes it so much easier for marketing, PR, selling to other customers, fund raising and even recruiting. Unrealistic warrants – Many entrepreneurs create complicated or unrealistic warrants structures.

startup 298

startup advice entrepreneurs venture capital 298

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 2, 2010

This is part of my series on Understanding Venture Capital. I’m writing this post to explain to entrepreneurs what you should be thinking about in terms of the VC’s you approach and the size and stage of their funds. You can ask around to startup lawyers and other entrepreneurs who know these things.

VC 269

VC venture capital investment investing 269

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 2, 2010

It’s the story of persistence in entrepreneurs. As a VC I’m acutely that a “yes&# decision to support an entrepreneur can do just that, yet I only write 2-4 of them per year and maybe another 3-4 as an angel. I try not to go out to entrepreneur events in LA every night – I have work to get done and a family.

consulting 352

consulting peer-to-peer advice entrepreneurs 352