Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2012

Understand your business. It sounds obvious, but the majority of entrepreneurs who pitch me have obviously never thought through many of the major issues surrounding their companies. You should know EVERYTHING about your business, product, customers and competition. Your goal in all this is to try to find a lead investor.

Software Review 164

Software Review Term Sheet Technical Review Angel Investor 164

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

I have often been asked about Startup Funding by entrepreneurs. Here is Startup Funding, a Comprehensive Guide for Entrepreneurs. In very few specific cases, depending on the nature of the business, the business model might demand a considerable gestation period or extensive research and development.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Offshore 120

Mucker Lab

AUGUST 27, 2014

As an entrepreneur himself, founding and operating printed circuit board factories in Taiwan, my father was debating between two places to immigrate to and build his next new venture: Los Angeles (“The Valley” aka San Fernando Valley) and Santa Clara (“Silicon Valley”).

Los Angeles 138

Los Angeles Southern California Silicon Valley Technical Review 138

View from Seed

APRIL 30, 2015

From a company milestones perspective, entrepreneurs who take on venture debt are almost always thinking about raising that next round of capital from other institutions. GM: The model is more about the relationship with the entrepreneurs, the investors, and us as the bank, as opposed to cash flow or fixed assets to lend on.

Term Sheet 120

Term Sheet Equity Startup Seed Stage 120

K9 Ventures

APRIL 27, 2011

Their business model was to provide retailers with a new interface for shopping for soft goods — something that hasn’t changed a whole lot since Web 1.0. The day before we were supposed to sign the term sheet for the investment, Like.com sued Ugmode (the parent company of Modista.com) for patent infringement.

Software Review 134

Software Review Technical Review IP Finance 134

The Next Web

AUGUST 26, 2012

We are currently in the middle of a restart and would like to share our seven lessons learned in the hopes that other entrepreneurs can benefit from our experiences and increase their chances for success. Make sure you check and understand the term sheet and overall deal. Think big, start small and stay focused.

Bankruptcy 121

Bankruptcy Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence 121

Life Beyond Code

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

One Million by One Million is a global initiative that aims to nurture a million entrepreneurs reach a million dollars each in annual revenue and beyond by 2020, thereby creating a trillion dollars in global GDP and ten million jobs. SM: In September 2008, when the first Entrepreneur Journeys book was released, D.D.

Programming 116

Programming Silicon Valley Bootstrapping Technical Review 116

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. Though RBI will displace some traditional equity VC, its much bigger impact will be to expand the pool of capital available for early-stage entrepreneurs. . All term sheets are a negotiation.

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

See Why Are Revenue-Based Investors Investing in Women & Diverse Entrepreneurs? Zack Mueller, Attorney, Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC , points that almost “no one, from LPs to entrepreneurs to attorneys, has much experience with these instruments. Less established regulatory framework. . Emily Campbell, Esq.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

Up and Running

MAY 18, 2016

Reading lists are dime a dozen, but reading lists that focus on rapid-growth startup businesses? Below, you will find a list of books recommended by serial entrepreneur David S. If you’re planning to start and build a scalable, high-growth business, get ready to fill your bookshelves. Not so much. B y Eric Ries.

Startup 80

Startup Venture Capital Angel Investor Lean 80

Steve Blank

JANUARY 4, 2010

A lot of entrepreneurs think that their startup is the next big thing when in reality they’re just building a small business. Staring at us in the board meeting were three term-sheets from brand name VC’s and an unexpected buy-out offer from Google. The word entrepreneur covers a lot of ground. Daniel Burnham.

Hockey Stick 304

Hockey Stick Venture Capital Startup Cofounder 304

Sophia Perl of Wisdom

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Use the 10-5-3-1 formula for raising money: Have 10 great meetings with investors, 5 of those do detailed due diligience on your company, get 3 term sheets, and 1 transfer into your bank account! Raise more money than you need because your business model may change. Kenya is the most advanced for mobile payment.

CTO Hire 49

CTO Hire Cofounder Fractional CTO San Francisco 49

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

As I discussed last week in the Greymatter podcast with my friend and Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh , I believe that a knowledge of philosophy is actually a great asset for entrepreneurs. This week, we discuss how a philosophy degree compares to a much more conventional business background: the masters in business administration or MBA.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

As I discussed last week in the Greymatter podcast with my friend and Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh , I believe that a knowledge of philosophy is actually a great asset for entrepreneurs. To say categorically that MBA equals “not entrepreneur” is a foolish assumption, just like saying Masters in Philosophy equals “not entrepreneur.”

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 31, 2019

The reality today is that capital is more available than ever and entrepreneurs have become more sophisticated, so founders are looking for more than just cash from their venture backers. They’re looking for guidance on building the company, the ability to tap into a VC’s network, and help with potential business opportunities.

Lean 108

Lean Venture Capital Conversion IPO 108

Sophia Perl of Wisdom

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Use the 10-5-3-1 formula for raising money: Have 10 great meetings with investors, 5 of those do detailed due diligience on your company, get 3 term sheets, and 1 transfer into your bank account! Raise more money than you need because your business model may change. Kenya is the most advanced for mobile payment.

CTO Hire 40

CTO Hire Cofounder Fractional CTO San Francisco 40

Tim Keane

MAY 16, 2010

A philosophy of valuations and term-sheets. Several months ago, I'd posted an article about term-sheets.    Based on a lot of feedback, I've added some new comments about put rights and made more explicit my philosophy about working together with entrepreneurs to achieve mutually satisfactory results. 

Term Sheet 60

Term Sheet Valuation Wisconsin Angel Investor 60

Professor VC

APRIL 1, 2010

was part of a Dow Jones VentureWire webinar last week titled Negotiating An Angel Deal: What Angels, Entrepreneurs & VCs Need to Know. I let him know that he just accomplished two things - left a bad taste with the entrepreneur and opened the door for the next investor to ask for a multiple preference that is senior to yours.

Term Sheet 32

Term Sheet Angel Investor San Jose Venture Capital 32

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 20, 2009

I like to tell entrepreneurs to treat it like a sales campaign. I am really surprised how many entrepreneurs pitch me and then I never hear from them again. ENTREPRENEUR NEXT STEPS. We don’t have a term sheet yet but seem close. They aren’t sure about your business model?

Campaign 277

Campaign Email Venture Capital Term Sheet 277

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. We make fast, data-driven credit decisions for these types of businesses and show Founders how the math/ROI works. Each year, Founders First Capital Partners works with hundreds of entrepreneurs.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Small investment firms often have interns and entrepreneurs in residence passing through, each of which is a security risk. Chris Dixon, Partner, A16Z, observes , “Success in VC is probably 10% about picking, and 90% about sourcing the right deals and having entrepreneurs choose your firm as a partner”. 2) Market .

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Professor VC

APRIL 7, 2011

This will also serve as a good pointer for all the entrepreneurs who ask why I am not interested in their company led convertible note financing round. Ive seen a number of entrepreneurs, angels and VCs fall into the trap of providing debt in small pieces. In a convertible note structure, Im penalized for increasing your valuation.

San Jose 36

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Valuation 36

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 24, 2021

Well, the very next company they saw in that space got a term sheet from the firm that missed out. The problem is even worse when it comes to turn downs, for two big reasons: VCs don’t like giving flat out “no” because entrepreneurs have a nasty habit of pivoting and eventually figuring things out. You’re kind of a jerk.

Founder 127

Founder Term Sheet Early Stage Business Model 127

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2009

This is part of my new series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. Ability to Pivot – I don’t like to invest in people that I’ve never met before who come through my office wanting to have a term sheet within 30 days.

Entrepreneur 291

Entrepreneur Term Sheet Early Stage Affiliate 291

The Entrepreneurial Mind

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Now we have a post at the Economist blog, Free Exchange, that examines the role of small business as an engine of jobs in the U.S. They start with this graph: They explain the graph this way: "Entrepreneurs boost the economy by exploiting new ideas and business. models in order to turn a profit. create jobs.

Small Business 71

Small Business Term Sheet Business Model Engineer 71

Tim Keane

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

« Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations | Main. |   Do the same exercise for market #2 Entrepreneurs that can do this build an understandable environment that is friendly to investors and welcomes discussion and feedback from experts. Startups and angels: Along the way to success.

Marketing 116

Marketing Wisconsin Startup Angel Investor 116

Up and Running

JULY 26, 2013

In a recent webinar, serial entrepreneur Caroline Cummings answered some commonly-asked questions on how to pitch and get funding. A: Just focus on the market need, your business model, your team, what you’ve accomplished to date that is relevant to the investment, and your funding needs.

Elevator Pitch 79

Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Term Sheet Business Model 79

Tim Keane

OCTOBER 11, 2006

  Telling a customer you are busy--when you aren't 2.    Telling a VC you have another term sheet -- when you don't 3.    Telling a potential business partner you are close to signing with his competitor -- when you aren't 5.  The Sound of One Hand Clapping.

Term Sheet 60

Term Sheet Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 60

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

My blog linked to Brad Feld’s blog because I was so grateful for his series on term sheets and he was one of the biggest reasons that as a VC I felt compelled to blog. Experienced and serial entrepreneurs in the content management space. Consumer approach to software for business users. Page 4: Business Model.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Term Sheet San Diego Viral 274

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Most venture capitalists who have been in this business for a long time foresaw this correction and have been talking about it privately for the better part of the last year or two. ” “This will be great for VCs and bad for entrepreneurs.” What is the True Sentiment of VCs? ” “Sure, prices are dropping.

Valuation 150

Valuation Down Round Startup Later Stage 150

Tim Keane

MARCH 8, 2010

A philosophy of valuations and term-sheets » March 08, 2010. " Entrepreneurs looking for investors know about "accredited investor" status and the myriad benefits it provides.  Greg Gianforte: Bootstrapping Your Business: Start And Grow a Successful Company With Almost No Money.

Accredited Investor 60

Accredited Investor Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 60

Tim Keane

MAY 20, 2010

« A philosophy of valuations and term-sheets | Main. So stay strong all you brave entrepreneurs because, as you already know, sharks can smell fear." So stay strong all you brave entrepreneurs because, as you already know, sharks can smell fear." Startups and angels: Along the way to success.

Wisconsin 60

Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping Term Sheet 60

Tim Keane

JANUARY 5, 2010

Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations » January 05, 2010. Greg Gianforte: Bootstrapping Your Business: Start And Grow a Successful Company With Almost No Money. John Mullins: Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model. Startups and angels: Along the way to success.

Milwaukee 60

Milwaukee Wisconsin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 60

reidhoffman.org

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

. × At Greylock , my partners and I are driven by one guiding mission: always help entrepreneurs. It doesn’t matter whether an entrepreneur is in our portfolio, whether we’re considering an investment, or whether we’re casually meeting for the first time. Entrepreneurs often ask me for help with their pitch decks.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Viral Revenue Networking 111

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. Entrepreneurs put together their funding presentation by extracting the key ideas from their business plan, putting them on PowerPoint/Keynote and pitching the company – until they get funded or exhausted.

Customer Development 270

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 270

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

After you have successfully attracted angels or venture capital with your business case, your million dollar product idea, and you have a signed term sheet, there is still one more hurdle to overcome before investors write the check. This is the dreaded “due diligence” process.

Technical Review 237

Technical Review Due Diligence Intellectual Property Private Equity 237