This is going to be BIG.

MAY 11, 2012

The laws are written seemingly with the view that it's worse to lose your money from fraud than it is from your run of the mill poorly exacuted bad idea. Trust me, if you lose all your money on your brother-in-law's Arizona tanning salon, it's not going to hurt any less than if you lose it in his seed fund.

ventures 314

ventures incubation VC venture capital 314

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 12, 2011

I'm sorry that I missed yesterday's Glamour Magazine panel on women in tech --if nothing else because it featured two of my favorite women in technology, Hilary Mason and Kara Swisher. Kara helped foster my interest in the business of technology. That's how you win out in the venture and startup world.

data analysis 298

data analysis venture capital communities entrepreneurs 298

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2010

Last night I co-hosted a dinner at Soho House in Los Angeles with some of the most senior people in the media industry with executives from Disney, Fox, Warner, media agencies and many promising tech & media startup CEO’s. On why you should be an entrepreneur, “A lot of people do what they have to do. He was riveting.

entrepreneurs 356

entrepreneurs media VC creativity 356

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

Many observers of the venture capital industry have questioned whether its best days are behind it. I have been close to the tech & startup sectors for more than 20 years and I can’t think of a period in which I felt more optimistic about the innovation and value creation I see in front of us.

venture capital 347

venture capital capital ventures VC 347

Founder Bounty

DECEMBER 17, 2022

Building a company is damn hard. The chances of you getting venture funding in 2023 are close to zero. In venture capital, you get paid a management fee whatever happens plus a carry of its one of your investable company exits. Its a great life and its work trying to get into.

venture capital 98

venture capital capital ventures startup 98

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

I recently sat down with Matt Coffin , the founder of LowerMyBills, which sold for $400 million but was very nearly a bankruptcy only a few years early, and talked “startups.&#. Matt is one of the most transparent, focused & honest startup guys you’ll meet. Or read the quick, informative summary below the image!

startup 304

startup entrepreneurship mix-use ventures 304

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

If you want the full SlideShare deck with many slides not in either post it’s in this link –> The LA Tech Market. ” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. Is it true that the ecosystem has changed? Is it true that the ecosystem has changed?

entrepreneurs 376

entrepreneurs creativity technology capital 376

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 29, 2012

We sat down for an hour to talk about why what GaiKai built was able to overcome its much better funded rival and to dispel the myth that great engineering teams don’t exist in Southern California. GaiKai had 50 such engineers, which was a large part of its success. Both companies were in Los Angeles.

VC 279

VC culture incubation venture capital 279

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 23, 2012

I'm often the last one to leave an event, held back by the most persistant of entrepreneurs trying to squeeze as much advice as they can out of me. It's totally fine--except when I really really have to go (as opposed to when I just said I really had to go, ten minutes ago). It doesn't stop anyone else. I mean, what do I know?

advice 417

advice startup VC strategy 417

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

You’ll notice that Harvard lost 30% of the entire value of its portfolio. Oh yes it will. Lots of discussion these days about the changes in the VC industry. Here’s my take: 1. So as of 2008 total LP commitments were still at nearly $250 billion. So as of 2008 total LP commitments were still at nearly $250 billion.

VC 311

VC startup real estate finance 311

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

I cannot recommend it enough for people in the technology or media sectors. Reading it felt like read a university book for an economics class and no wonder since he’s a professor at Harvard Business School. It is not a beach novel to be sure. I’ve characterized it in a chart below.

incumbents 376

incumbents disruption frameworks innovation 376

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

It is with great pleasure that I can finally announce that we have added Greg Bettinelli as a partner at GRP Partners. You won’t regret it. It is the first time in 6 years that we’ve expanded the partnership. I instantly hit it off with Greg because we was a fountain of knowledge. The guy has knowledge.

VC 360

VC communities investing investment 360

Hunter Walk

OCTOBER 14, 2024

The order is important because I fell in love with the product before I even knew about the company, and the hustle of its founder/CEO Sandro Roco. Tell us a bit about Sanzo and how it was founded? A lot of consumer goods entrepreneurs either worked at Procter & Gamble or Coca-Cola or Unilever. I’m a Sanzo drinker.

culture 96

culture collaboration startup finance 96

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Launchpad LA today announces it will accept applications for its third class of Los Angeles-based tech startups. To give visibility to these companies to: Sources of funding (angels / VCs), business development partners, mentors who have themselves built successful companies, the press and potential employees to hire.

VC 287

VC mentorship incubation startup 287

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2016

I was mostly doing my job and trying to figure out how to be better every day. The number one advice I give is “stop trying to be too smart”. Most VCs did well academically and had enough career success that a venture firm was willing to give them an investment role or they were able to raise their own fund.

venture capital 363

venture capital capital ventures VC 363

Revolution

MAY 11, 2023

Insights and soundbites from our second Beyond Silicon Valley Summit This year, we had more than 150 investors from 31 states join us for our second Beyond Silicon Valley Summit. Consequently, the Bay Area experienced a surge, capturing over one-third of all early-stage venture funding in the U.S., marking its highest level since 2017.

real estate 296

real estate energy innovation VC 296

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 21, 2013

I recently wrote a blog post in which I pointed out that many investors & advisors discourage enterprise startups from having a professional services (PS) business and I think this is a big mistake. I think it’s important for enterprise startups to layer in professional services into your revenue stream.

support 321

support strategy venture capital accelerator 321

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

But should you actually write one if you’re a startup, an industry figure (lawyer, banker) or VC? It really started simply enough. 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.

startup 373

startup advice communities VC 373

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

But alas I must scale with businesses and make money. It’s such a tricky balance between being cost-focused & scrappy versus being impractical with how you spend your time. ” At some point a shitty office becomes more of a nuisance than a badge of honor. .” And so must you.

board 338

board energy finance financing 338

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

I spoke about how Amazon Web Services deserves far more credit for the last 5 years of innovation than it gets credit for and how I believe they spawned the micro-VC category. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. People get too worked up over the word.

real estate 309

real estate entrepreneurs finance financing 309

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

Yesterday I wrote a post about The Silent Benefits of PR in which I pointed out that most young companies I encounter don’t fully grasp the benefits of PR because they are less measurable than product milestones or customer acquisition analyses (like CAC/LTV). It super charges a business that is closer to product delivery.

pitching 319

pitching media advice venture capital 319

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

Where do you want to build your community, your relationships, your family?” If their commitment to staying local is weak I normally say, “Well, it certainly would be easier on you to be in a larger community. It would be easier in terms of getting access to angels, VCs, the media, whatever. Ask SuperCell.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

I find it amusing when a journalist writes an article about a prominent startup (either privately held or preparing for an IPO) and decries that, “They’re not even profitable!” To grow faster businesses need resources in today’s financial period to fund growth that may not come for 6 months to a year.

startup 418

startup VC venture capital investing 418

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Venture Capital is a tricky industry. When Fred Wilson funded Twitter I guarantee you it wasn’t obvious that it was a billion dollar idea. Far from it. Lots of it. It was an early and smart bet. I know – I was there when the first people debating funding it at less than a $5m valuation.

funders 362

funders culture incumbents technology 362

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 23, 2015

At first, it sounded ridiculous. Actually, it still sounds ridiculous to me. At Brooklyn Bridge Ventures , I want to be part of the first money to go into a company, no matter what you call it. At Brooklyn Bridge Ventures , I want to be part of the first money to go into a company, no matter what you call it.

entrepreneurs 402

entrepreneurs capital investing investment 402

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I rarely talk to any startup entrepreneur or VC who doesn’t feel it and somehow long for simpler times despite the benefits we all enjoy from increased enthusiasm for our sector. We always look like it’s only fun in our Instagram photos, don’t we? The best of the best in our industry are feeling it, too.

advice 398

advice VC entrepreneurs transportation 398

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 5, 2010

This post has a bit more than the serialized version, but if you prefer an even shorter version I created the ADAH version , which is < 50% the length. What I want to answer with this post (long though it may be) is: Why did Web 2.0 And so it goes with social networking. And so it goes with social networking.

networking 318

networking mix-use innovation development 318

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 28, 2011

There's nothing that used to make me feel more like a pompous VC than when I would respond to an entrepreneur by saying their idea isn't big enough--that a success for them would likely be too small for what our firm was looking for. It's not about what our fund return criteria is. It's your days off that are going to disappear.

incubation 385

incubation entrepreneurs pitching opportunity 385

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Understanding how your company will change as you move through these phases is critical if you hope to scale to a large business one day.

innovation 286

innovation startup board leadership 286

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

Blogs weren’t popularized yet so it was an oddity for me to read the founder of a software company spewing out advice. So it was a thrill for me last month to be able to have dinner with Joel and shoot the breeze. So it was a thrill for me last month to be able to have dinner with Joel and shoot the breeze.

peer-to-peer 285

peer-to-peer communities development innovation 285

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 26, 2022

I spent 14 years building and scaling my business, International Nomads. We crafted digital strategies for brands and built apps, games, marketing campaigns, and story-driven experiences long before it was popular in the region. In 2019, I exited the business and relocated to Canada. What should I be doing next?

real estate 238

real estate creativity entrepreneurs culture 238

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

Today is a day I’ve waited patiently for for 5 years but more earnestly for more than 1 year. I am thrilled to announce that we have added Hamet Watt as a Partner at Upfront Ventures. This is a big news day at Upfront Ventures. Startup DNA. I’ve known Hamet for 5 years. The idea immediately resonated.

ventures 340

ventures investing investment board 340

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. It’s common cocktail party chatter to hear people confidently pronounce that some well known startup is sure to blow up because, “How could they succeed when they’re not even profitable!” Two-f **g-billion!

startup 227

startup venture capital VC capital 227

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

If you’re a non-technical founder, while your team is building and refining your product, you’ve got to figure out what to do with your time. Product management is a fulltime job and if your product needs work before you want to throw people at it, it’s worth the time investment and focus.

development 345

development pitching startup venture capital 345

Dream It

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Via TechCrunch by Arman Tabatabai: Venture capital has been flooding the various subverticals under the robotics umbrella in recent years, and the construction space is one of the largest beneficiaries. One of the most common areas of attention respondents highlighted were startups focused on construction and manufacturing.

construction 259

construction investing investment opportunity 259

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

When I was new at Venture Capital I was trying to figure out the business. It was a fun period for me because everything was new and I was curious. Should I trust my instincts for founders and products or should I be more focused on the market size or business plan? What kind of deals should I be doing?

VC 347

VC advice pitching entrepreneurs 347

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 13, 2011

It’s great to see so many first time entrepreneurs out there taking the big leap. It’s exciting to work with them and incredibly rewarding to help them succeed. You know that they won’t have all the answers, or a complete team, and often they’ll still be working on the product.

startup 275

startup networking disruption enablement 275