This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 16, 2014

How long does it take from first meeting a VC to getting cash in the bank? If all my deals came as intros from trusted connections that I know for years versus at founder pitch events that''s interesting data. If you meet someone at a pitch event, they''ve already got a company and they''re looking to close as quickly as possible.

VC 418

VC pitching networking venture capital 418

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 5, 2012

What is it about me that makes you want to pitch me? When you're pitching for a million bucks "I've never heard of them" is not an acceptable answer for when I ask about the team that tried to do the same thing as you just two years ago. 5) Aim for me to hear about you before you pitch. 4) Do your homework. Getting quoted?

VC 360

VC pitching disruption advice 360

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

And I am often approached by entrepreneurs in cities which don’t have a vibrant VC community. If you don’t live in a major VC zone, I have some tips for how to make it easier to raise Venture Capital. ” Most VCs view it as their responsibility to mentor, debate, cajole and generally assist with investments they make.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 24, 2014

These days, there are a ton of options for you if you''re a startup seeking guidence. We''ve done a lot to make sure startups get all the help we can get--and it''s leading to higher companies getting off the ground. Not every potentially good VC previously worked for Fred Wilson and Josh Kopelman. But what about investors?

accelerator 388

accelerator mentorship VC incubation 388

Dream It

MAY 29, 2019

Startup pitch meetings are pretty predictable. You walk into a venture fund’s conference room or Zoom room (if they’re progressive), pitch the partners, offer to answer their questions, maybe ask them a bland question or two, and then leave the meeting to await a response. Steve Barsh.

pitching 284

pitching VC investment investing 284

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

She was pitching for a pre-seed round of $400k. The startup ecosystem is a terrific manufacturer of bad fundraising advice. Founders hit the street with their pitch deck, some make it, and some don’t, but nearly all of them ascribe a lot more human influence over the process than there probably is. I’m a female founder.

advice 476

advice pitching venture capital VC 476

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 23, 2012

I have one failed attempt at a startup under my belt as a founder and I don't have any particularly usable skills that anyone would pay for like selling, designing, building, etc. Conferences, startup blogs, meetups--they're all filled with people telling you how to build your company. Most startups fail.

advice 417

advice startup VC strategy 417

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2014

Many startups now go through accelerators and have mentors passing through each day with advice – usually it’s conflicting. There are bootcamps, startup classes, video interviews – the sources are now endless. Improving startup productivity ? Startup psychology / confidence ? What is a founder to do?

advice 407

advice frameworks startup mix-use 407

StartupNation

JUNE 4, 2025

Discover the secrets to transforming pitch decks into compelling investor magnets, courtesy of seasoned industry professionals. I’ll never forget presenting to a particularly skeptical VC who kept questioning our projections. That order carried more weight than traditional pitch sequencing. That was no coincidence.

pitching 66

pitching innovation energy founder 66

Dream It

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

We did a previous dose on 5 things investors wish startups knew. Managing Partner, Steve Barsh , sat down to give us 5 MORE things investors wish startups knew. Keep reading for some more of the most common mistakes startups make when pitching and for Steve’s tips on how to fix them. Go here if you missed it. co-founder).

startup founder 397

startup founder founder startup pitching 397

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

As a VC you want to feel like you have “proprietary sources” of deal flow. I think the issue I have always had with investment bank pitches was best summed up in this article about Y Combinator in which Paul Graham apparently made the following quotes. And I’m seeing this even at some really well run startups.

VC 347

VC advice pitching entrepreneurs 347

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

OCTOBER 14, 2020

The NVCA and Pitch Book are out with their Q3 report on the VC industry and what they report is that the VC industry continues to be very active throughout the pandemic. The startup economy is alive and well during the pandemic. Deal counts and deal values are stable to up over last year. Valuations continue to rise.

ventures 362

ventures VC pitching innovation 362

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 23, 2014

When I turn down the opportunity to invest in a startup, I really turn it down. It doesn''t help them improve their pitch or adjust their model. It just feels like the VC wasn''t that interested in the first place and so they''re not sure what the interest was in the first place. Venture Capital & Technology'

pitching 385

pitching VC venture capital opportunity 385

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 14, 2014

The main driver of the skew towards men getting venture capital, statistically, is that far more men are pitching. That means you actually have a *better* shot, statistically, of getting VC investment at these firms, statistically, once you actually pitch. Once again, that''s all stats and doesn''t really explain anything.

founder 400

founder pitching venture capital mix-use 400

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 17, 2016

Now that they have to go back into the market next year to pitch their own fund, they're going to have to answer some tough questions about valuations. It's not that they're concerned that the world will implode and that startups won't still be a good bet over the long term. Thing of it as a VC hangover. They're just.

VC 253

VC pitching board capital 253

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 5, 2015

So I asked a few founders that I've worked with and they mentioned a word that struck me--because I've never heard any of the hordes of people in my inbox asking for internships, VC job recommendations and advice, etc. People always tell me how smart they are or how much experience they have--or why they have a passion for startups.

venture capital 393

venture capital capital pitching ventures 393

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

One thing that was clear across all three was that their startups didn''t start the day that they signed some legal docs. Right now, whether you have an idea or not, you are in the process of working on a startup. If you were to have to pitch a VC right now on a concept, the part about why you is already known--you''ve been living it.

startup 349

startup venture capital pitching VC 349

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 13, 2018

As a VC and former entrepreneur let me offer you some advice. The short answer is that you should have multiple versions of your “pitch deck” (a short, visual presentation in Keynote, PPT or similar and shared as a PDF) and each occasion has a specific goal. The VC will smile, thank you, and later pass. The key is WHAT you send.

VC 261

VC pitching advice entrepreneurs 261

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

I have sat through countless pitches with Ivy League grads spewing off intellectual descriptions of the details of their product or service and why it will win in the market. In a VC pitch this type of messaging will do just fine. These messages need to pass the cocktail party pitch. And I think this is a mistake.

entrepreneurs 370

entrepreneurs pitching startup education 370

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2015

Try to imagine if you *didn’t* already know Amazon and the company walking into VC meetings telling people they were going to disrupt the selling of all goods starting with books but then extending into electronics, apparel, toys and so forth. ” Let’s start with some basics. And here’s the thing. Of course they are.

real estate 364

real estate startup disruption incumbents 364

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

If I had to put a number on it I’d say 1 in 20 pitches – maybe 1 in 30 – are by an entrepreneur who comes across as truly passionate about her project. On reflection of the role that I want to play as a VC it is clearly in the camp of passion. I’m a VC. But the two can of course go hand-in-hand.

peer-to-peer 373

peer-to-peer VC pitching entrepreneurs 373

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

It got me thinking about the advice that I often give to new VCs. 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. Building Startups for Basecamp. I don’t want any formal pitches. And so forth.

peer-to-peer 317

peer-to-peer pitching VC accelerator 317

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 7, 2015

I love how open Danielle has been throughout the development of her startup Mattermark including honest reflections of when she has changed her opinion. They now have a strong VC lead from Foundry Group and from experience when you get advice from Foundry it comes with authority, experience, empathy and the right amount of straight talk.

startup 323

startup advice pitching VC 323

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

” Your VC friends have been egging you on. So as a startup CEO you constantly have to suspend disbelief. ” A startup CEO’s job is to absorb stress so the team doesn’t have to. The don’t understand VC liquidation preferences or multiple return expectations. ” “True.

startup 417

startup peer-to-peer VC culture 417

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? ” Associates have different functions at different VCs. VC firm admin. VC firm policy or fund analysis. Helping be the VC “presence” at key events. inside insight into VC decision-making. Industry reviews.

investing 365

investing investment VC board 365

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

They pitched on a Wednesday. Didn’t I make myself clear about celebrities & startups ? Turns out she’s done this startup thing before. And they’re both full time committed to their startup – Moonfrye. Unsurprisingly for Kara is was the VC connections. Startup Advice' Kara as CEO.

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

He pinged me that he was thinking about joining a startup based in LA with the CEO in NYC and would I be willing to meet him and give him advice on this process. I looked up his bio, “UVA, banking analyst, doing some early startup work” and thought – sure – come meet me for a coffee. But I loved his hustle.

pitching 372

pitching advice VC entrepreneurs 372

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 17, 2014

Here are two contrasting startup stories I''ve seen firsthand. The second startup came to me from a founder of a company that I only found out later wasn''t fulltime. The first pitch I got was from someone who didn''t intend on staying with the business as an employee. You could think of it as a spin on Thrillist.

pitching 375

pitching consulting VC venture capital 375

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 22, 2014

I''m not going to do too much of a victory lap, though, because it bugs me a little when startups do it, and I''m a startup, too. These are things that other VCs think about, but founders who come to pitch don''t think about too much. as a VC, sometimes your own website becomes an afterthought.

pitching 413

pitching board VC opportunity 413

Dream It

MAY 19, 2021

In this Dreamit Dose, Managing Director Adam Dakin presents his view on the right way to answer it after hearing hundreds, if not thousands, of founder pitches. Make the specific amount you are raising and corresponding milestones clear at the beginning of the pitch, and do not give a range. The amount you're raising is your ask.

pitching 393

pitching board health VC 393

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

Your goal should be to turn your VCs into extended members of your team to get real value from them. Understanding where your VC partner sits in their respective fund and where their fund is in the cycle of its investment lifecycle will help you understand your VCs behavior. Ask your VC to send a critical email to a contact.

board 365

board VC advice pitching 365

TechCrunch

JULY 2, 2021

Founder of Unicorn Capital and Minimal Capital, Evan Fisher 's pitching and investor strategy has helped startups raise more than $2.5 Not even a senior VC. Even if the only benefit was that other investment committee members heard the story direct from the founder, that alone would make your video pitch worth it.

pitching 122

pitching VC venture capital capital 122

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2017

When you run a startup you’re always on borrowed time. I remember my VCs telling me they would be supportive yet I knew the ultimate decision would only come if I were truly out of cash and needed more money. But if you work your entrepreneur network, talk with lawyers who do a ton of startup deals, ask existing investors, etc.

pitching 238

pitching VC mix-use entrepreneurs 238

StartupNation

JANUARY 6, 2022

In this post, I’ll cover six realistic ways startups and entrepreneurs can fund their business , including: Incubators or accelerators. Venture capital or VC. A business incubator or accelerator is an organization that provides resources, mentorship, and connections to startups. Get angel investment for your startup.

VC 128

VC incubation business incubator angel investing 128

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

Over the last two and a half months in the hospital, I’ve actually been fairly productive—no doubt setting the record for VC term sheets offered literally from inside the NICU (three). She’s even been on several board calls already and last week showed up on her first pitch call. Home is a different story.

hospitality 480

hospitality board energy pitching 480

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 23, 2023

One of my favorite startups to have backed was a travel company called Noken. you know there would be VCs lining up to fund it. I’m sure he could get a seed round for a travel startup without any issue. So how did I get other VCs to take a look? So how did I get other VCs to take a look?

incumbents 370

incumbents VC pitching investment 370

Revolution

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Case in point: only 1% of 2022 VC dollars went to Black founders, a marked decrease year over year. We sourced and received applications from hundreds of Black, high-growth startup founders from all over the country and held workshops and discussions about the challenges they face, all of which culminated in a virtual pitch competition.

innovation 264

innovation investing investment pitching 264