The Seraf Compass

AUGUST 11, 2021

In our experience, it takes a certain temperament and set of people skills to lead a bunch of peer volunteers. The good news is that early stage investing seems to attract a lot of people who are motivated, take-charge people who are looking to help out and give back. Not everyone is cut out to lead a deal.

peer-to-peer 305

peer-to-peer investment investing 305

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 1, 2014

Orchard is helping more and more institutions everyday build and gain insight into portfolios of peer to peer loans with cutting edge tools. Orchard is helping more and more institutions everyday build and gain insight into portfolios of peer to peer loans with cutting edge tools. Well, that''s part of it.

peer-to-peer 303

peer-to-peer ventures venture capital accelerator 303

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 5, 2014

This weekend was Yom Kippur, holiest of the Jewish holidays and the day of atonement. It’s also the day when most Jewish minds are least focused since one needs to fast for 24 hours. But our rabbi captivated me this year and reminded me of one of the most important lessons I learned myself 15 years ago.

peer-to-peer 337

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs consulting VC 337

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 26, 2024

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to join the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), the world’s largest membership network formed exclusively by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs everywhere? With nearly 19,000 members in over 80 countries, EO offers local, regional, and global experiences that support entrepreneurs beyond just business.

peer-to-peer 212

peer-to-peer leadership SaaS opportunity 212

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 16, 2016

Computer Vison Startup Nanit If you follow me on Snapchat ( msuster ) you might already know that I’ve been looking at and investing in a number of companies in the computer vision space. Today I am so excited to announce our latest investment in the category —  Nanit  — which is a smart baby monitor.

investment 208

investment investing peer-to-peer real estate 208

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2015

And to show you just how similar many of these pioneers of the industry went through a similar startup journey to you – Jeff started by investing his own personal money ($250k) for a few years – $25k at a time – until he could persuade a few institutional investors to give him some money. But not many others.

VC 348

VC peer-to-peer frameworks board 348

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

One of the least understood parts of the venture capital industry and venture capital firms is how investment decisions actually get made. The truth is that each firm is different and there isn’t one standard but over the years I’ve talked with enough of my peers to get sense of how many firms work.

venture capital 336

venture capital peer-to-peer capital ventures 336

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JANUARY 15, 2020

We asked members of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) , a global, peer-to-peer network of 14,000-plus influential business owners, what lessons they wish they’d known to ensure ongoing success before starting their companies. “If The more invested they are, the more they will give you when you need it most. Hire the best.

strategy 255

strategy entrepreneurs peer-to-peer mix-use 255

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 11, 2022

Emma Allen State Farm offers a variety of insurance services, mortgages, investment planning and 401K rollovers. Emma Allen is active in the Charlotte, NC chapter of EO Accelerator , which empowers first-stage entrepreneurs with the tools, community and accountability necessary to catapult their business to the next level.

accelerator 252

accelerator peer-to-peer culture entrepreneurs 252

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

I only say that because after years as a VC I can always tell when my peer group invested in something because “it seemed like it would make money” versus when they invested out of passion. But without a passion for what you do I am dubious about your chances for success. Does she live your journey? I’m a VC.

peer-to-peer 373

peer-to-peer VC pitching entrepreneurs 373

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. Twenty-five of them have at least one female co-founder. Fifteen had co-founders over 40. Five have LGBTQ+ founders. Three teams have African-American founders. I don’t require warm intros.

venture capital 413

venture capital capital ventures peer-to-peer 413

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 23, 2024

After all, our companies were the results of our ideas, our investment in time and capital, and our sweat equity. In hindsight, the difference back then was that I lacked a strong network of peers and mentors to call me on my misunderstandings and mistakes. There is so much more to leadership that builds community and creates impact.

leadership 217

leadership entrepreneurs peer-to-peer board 217

Entrepreneurs' Organization

AUGUST 2, 2023

Peer-reviewed studies find clear associations between longer commuting times and lower job satisfaction, increased stress, and poorer mental health. That means using data-driven methods to determine what endeavors offer the best return-on-investment for in-office work to make them worth the commute.

peer-to-peer 36

peer-to-peer collaboration consulting leadership 36

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

AngelList 101 : As you know, AngelList is a platform where angels can invest in semi-screened tech deals. As an angel you can look for the social proof in deals “Dave Morin is investing …” to make your decision. AngelList Syndicate leads don’t take any fees on the investment, which should help with returns.

VC 356

VC peer-to-peer board entrepreneurs 356

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2014

They invest in a company with an idea that doesn''t go anywhere, the company pivots, and you wind up in the next big thing. In hindsight, an investor will tell you that they knew they had backed a great team and that was the key to the investment. Sometimes, an investor gets lucky. It''s never luck. Is greatness innate?

peer-to-peer 364

peer-to-peer culture venture capital entrepreneurs 364

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JUNE 14, 2019

It is mind-boggling how much time and money is invested in “strategy” at many companies—with some larger organizations even hiring a full-time person or team to oversee “strategy and innovation.” While commendable, this effort to invest in strategy doesn’t work unless the company also focuses on culture. Does everyone know that BHAG?

culture 245

culture strategy peer-to-peer energy 245

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2014

In short his argument seems to boil down to, “Look at me and my peers. There’s an article making the rounds in tech circles titled “ Growth Hacking is Bull ” written by Muhammad Saleem. I’d like to make the case that the article is wrong. I’d strongly encourage you to read it. We were here first.”

peer-to-peer 384

peer-to-peer strategy culture advice 384

Hunter Walk

MARCH 3, 2025

Could be pinning their thesis on a category of technology or type of founder that isn’t yet understood by the investment community. Or contrarian in the number of companies and/or dollars invested per company compared to their peers. of them, often as their first or second largest investor.

peer-to-peer 88

peer-to-peer VC investment investing 88

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2013

By now many of you know the Harlem Shake but what you may not appreciate is the broader trend behind the video and it has mirrored my general views on how TV will work in the future. 200 million views. Suck it traditional TV. TV of the future will not always have linear stories. Why would it? Gangnam Style Meets Torso TV. think Apple.

peer-to-peer 380

peer-to-peer media creativity disruption 380

Revolution

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Our team evaluates each potential investment opportunity through lenses familiar to many of our venture peers: market, product, team, and traction. Our team evaluates each potential investment opportunity through lenses familiar to many of our venture peers: market, product, team, and traction. Place Matters”?—?Rise

peer-to-peer 49

peer-to-peer entrepreneurial ecosystem strategy communities 49

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2014

In my Twitter bio is says that I’m “ looking to invest in passionate entrepreneurs ,” which almost sounds like I was just looking for a cliché soundbite to describe myself. Yet along with “authenticity” they are two of the key attributes I look for when I meet with companies I may consider funding one day.

startup 419

startup peer-to-peer entrepreneurs education 419

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 2, 2015

I say that, but I''m not entirely sure all my peers understand that. Also, if none of the investments you made first looked like random crap at the beginning, and you have a great track record, I''ll buy you lunch. That''s, well, a big chunk of the job. Great, so you went to coffee with someone I know or maybe even funded once.

pitching 327

pitching peer-to-peer venture capital creativity 327

TechCrunch

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

CRED plans to invest about $10 million in its lending partner LiquiLoans as the Indian fintech startup broadens its ownership in financial services, TechCrunch has learned and confirmed. “Our long-term relationship with CRED and this investment will accelerate our goal of creating efficiencies for seamless borrowing and investments.”

peer-to-peer 98

peer-to-peer investment investing accelerator 98

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

The investment comes barely six months after Chipper Cash closed its first Series C round of $100 million, led by SVB Capital , the corporate venture capital arm of SVB Financial Group. Serunjogi founded Chipper Cash with Maijid Moujaled in 2018 to offer a no-fee peer-to-peer cross-border payment service in Africa via its app.

peer-to-peer 128

peer-to-peer capital investment investing 128

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2016

MakeSpace , the leading provider of next-generation storage for consumers, today announced an additional $17.5 million in funding on TechCrunch led by Harmony Partners and Upfront Ventures to double its footprint of 3 cities (New York, Chicago & Washington DC) to 6 in 2016. And where they see stability we saw a sitting duck. Little old us.

strategy 282

strategy peer-to-peer incumbents real estate 282

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2013

This followed an investment late last year by Time Warner in the company in a round totaling $36 million , led by Rachel Lam , head of their investment group. Dana Settle (Greycroft) & I had led the first round of investment in the company in 2010 and we were looking for smart media investors to join us as investors in the company.

peer-to-peer 320

peer-to-peer media networking board 320

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

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. Somehow the world seems to be spinning faster these days than just a few years ago. It’s exhausting. Perhaps unsustainable. Lines, Not Dots. Attitude over Aptitude.

peer-to-peer 317

peer-to-peer pitching VC accelerator 317

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 29, 2020

He is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Montreal chapter. . “If If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” Nikola Tesla. Life is busy, and focus is hard to come by. We have a plethora of responsibilities, and it’s often hard to choose where to focus our efforts.

energy 313

energy peer-to-peer leadership support 313

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

We also are dependent on money, advice and support of many of our friends & colleagues in the venture industry who co-invest with us in nearly every deal we do. For this year’s analysis we turned to our peers to gather their points-of-view on the state of the market. Of course we fund companies in good markets and bad.

peer-to-peer 277

peer-to-peer VC advice ventures 277

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 6, 2020

There is so much confusion and misinformation out there about the government sponsored “payroll protection plan” loans to companies that the heads of every small business CEO in the country must be spinning. We have been advising a lot of entrepreneurs so I thought I’d “open source” some of the advice I have been sharing. payroll protection.

VC 279

VC peer-to-peer startup advice 279

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 20, 2019

If just the thought of speaking in front of a crowd gives you heart palpitations and sweaty palms, it’s probably worth investing time in improving your public speaking abilities. EO helps leading entrepreneurs learn and grow through peer-to-peer learning, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and connections to experts. .

peer-to-peer 213

peer-to-peer pitching entrepreneurs networking 213

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 22, 2021

These ups and downs impact us deeply because we are so close to and personally invested in our businesses. I am an avid entrepreneur and have now been in the events industry for 15 years. In March 2020 when the pandemic hit and the US shut down, the events industry was completely disrupted. The entire industry ground to a halt. Leaning In.

peer-to-peer 266

peer-to-peer disruption entrepreneurs innovation 266

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 26, 2022

And while over the past few years we have been laser-focused on cash returns, we are equally planting seeds for our next 10–15 years of returns by actively investing in today’s market. We are excited to share the news that we have raised $650 million across three vehicles to allow us to continue making investments for many years ahead.

ventures 408

ventures startup peer-to-peer venture capital 408

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

I am often asked how we make decisions on investments at Upfront Ventures. A typical investment discussion is not a bed of roses. ” In other words, just because you liked my last investment is no reason for me to be nice now. . — Scott Belsky (@scottbelsky) April 29, 2015. He took two words where I take 1,000!

advice 332

advice peer-to-peer startup frameworks 332

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

APRIL 20, 2020

But our focus has not moved dramatically away from looking at and investing in new companies and we don’t see a dramatic change in that regard among many of our peers in the venture community. I don’t think new investment activity has shrunk from 40% of the industry’s time to just above 20%.

peer-to-peer 236

peer-to-peer VC financing finance 236

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

I had dinner this week with a top new customer at one of our enterprise software investments. I wish I did more enterprise software investing because when I attend meetings like this I realize that this is my core DNA – rolling out business software solutions to customers. If they want to invest that’s great.

peer-to-peer 341

peer-to-peer VC entrepreneurs support 341

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

Put simply – you need enough users in a segment who care about what you’re doing to dictate investing further in the product or in sales & marketing resources. .” He then brought her to board meetings so nobody could accuse him of not having a business model. My take on his argument is this: 1. ” True.

strategy 401

strategy startup peer-to-peer advice 401