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. You've seen how venture capital works from both sides--as an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist.

Lean 108

Lean Venture Capital Conversion IPO 108

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

The world of startups is a bit like a gold rush right now: there’s lots of money to be made, almost no rules regarding who will make or lose it, and only a few will actually see a sustained profit at the end of the day. The world is so saturated with seed money right now that it’s easy to lose sight of what running a business is all about.

Startup 130

Startup Revenue Cofounder Angel Investor 130

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

It’s what life was like as an entrepreneur. But this is nothing like the stress of being an entrepreneur. What’s it really like being an entrepreneur? You’d imagine that every founder was getting rich. Actually, positive outcomes for founders are quite rare. I’m reminded of this feeling.

Monaco 420

Monaco Cofounder Chicago Mexico 420

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 13, 2014

By Paul Jackson, founder of Worthworm. For new or young entrepreneurs, understanding the realities of the startup world often comes as a shock. Some entrepreneurs will choose to bootstrap their venture the best they can, while others will turn to trendier options such as crowd funding or a startup accelerator to get off the ground.

Angel Investor 217

Angel Investor Seed Money LLC Bootstrapping 217

Up and Running

MAY 12, 2015

If you’re an entrepreneur looking for funding, you know how important—and involved—the pitching process can be. Drawing on advice from our own Tim Berry, founder of Palo Alto Software and Josh Cochrane, our VP of Product Development, I’ve broken down a few of the different options for entrepreneurs looking for feedback on their pitch.

Angel Investor 60

Angel Investor Software Review Technical Cofounder Due Diligence 60

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

The world of startups is a bit like a gold rush right now: there’s lots of money to be made, almost no rules regarding who will make or lose it, and only a few will actually see a sustained profit at the end of the day. The world is so saturated with seed money right now that it’s easy to lose sight of what running a business is all about.

Startup 78

Startup Revenue Cofounder Angel Investor 78

cdixon.org

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

A frequent question entrepreneurs have when they are just starting their company is: how secretive should I be about my idea? This includes investors, entrepreneurs, people who work in similar areas, friends, people on the street, the bartender, etc. (I Why you shouldn’t keep your startup idea secret. link] Nivi.

Stealth 68

Stealth Startup NDA Cofounder 68

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 18, 2014

Instead of launching another startup, however, he’s launching entrepreneurs. Founder.org founder Michael Baum. Today Baum heads up a non-profit called Founder.org , where he’s applying the lessons he learned from his own startups to help student entrepreneurs launch their companies. Were you insane?

Founder 60

Founder Entrepreneur North America Startup 60

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2010

One of the most difficult things to do as a first time entrepreneur is to get to know the investors you might be working with if you accept money. He got into the industry through the same traits required for entrepreneurs – persistence & resiliency. Founded 2007 in Boulder, CO. So how did Mike get into VC?

San Francisco 230

San Francisco Los Angeles Cofounder SMS 230

Feld Thoughts

JULY 14, 2015

A company raises $1m of seed money from angels in a convertible note with a $6m cap. Assuming equity is raised at or above that cap, the total dilution, before the new money, is 16.6% (equivalent to an equity financing of $1m at a $6m post money valuation. But in this cycle, I hadn’t seen it in a seed round.

Recapitalization 70

Recapitalization Pre-Money Valuation Post-Money Valuation Angel Investor 70

crowdSPRING Blog

APRIL 23, 2018

Staying real, and separating fact from fiction can help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of starting a new business while staying grounded. A challenge that some entrepreneurs don’t consider is that innovative, never-before-seen products and services often stand alone. It’s already difficult to get a new business off the ground.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Seattle Social Media 69

Steve Blank

APRIL 8, 2010

He and his co-founder were both PhD’s in applied math who believe they can make some serious inroads on next generation search. We thought we’d take our plan and go raise seed money. We can’t raise money knowing our plan is wrong.”. Entrepreneurs treat a business plan, once written as a final collection of facts.

Business Model 332

Business Model Business Plan Customer Cap Table 332

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2010

I know many super experienced entrepreneurs who don’t understand the basics of how fund size and age can affect them so I thought it was worth establishing a baseline. In a world of The Funded, VentureHacks and entrepreneur blogs this kind of informations spreads like wildfire. Why are VC’s really doing seed deals?

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Term Sheet Early Stage Silicon Valley 265

Scott Edward Walker

OCTOBER 28, 2014

To Our Clients & Friends: Welcome to our weekly series “ Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed.” Each week, we share our favorite video of successful entrepreneurs, investors or business leaders on a variety of topics. So you raise seed money to peel away the first two or three risks.” Helping Entrepreneurs Succeed'

Cap Table 67

Cap Table Cofounder Silicon Valley Venture Capital 67

Gust

OCTOBER 2, 2014

It’s what life was like as an entrepreneur. But this is nothing like the stress of being an entrepreneur. What’s it really like being an entrepreneur? You’d imagine that every founder was getting rich. Actually, positive outcomes for founders are quite rare. I’m reminded of this feeling. It’s all too familiar.

Monaco 122

Monaco Cofounder Chicago Mexico 122

crowdSPRING Blog

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

That is why it is imperative for entrepreneurs to critically examine all advice and “truths” about startups. Fortunately, many startup myths revolve around three common topics (business plans, money, and unnatural hustle). Entrepreneurs must be nimble, and will be more apt to stick with a flawed concept they spent months drafting.

Washington 48

Washington Incubator Cofounder Angel Investor 48

Up and Running

APRIL 18, 2014

With my adolescent dreams up in flames, I decided to get back at my unsupportive mom and dad the only way I knew how: I became an entrepreneur. David sold his recording equipment for $50,000 and they borrowed the rest of their seed money from a bank. says HourlyNerd co-founder and co-CEO, Rob Biederman. “So

Detroit 156

Detroit Technical Review Cofounder North America 156

techcrunch.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

It is the first in a series of posts he’s writing about the decisions a young entrepreneur needs to make when she/he is first starting a business. One of the things I do as a founder of a later stage startup is to meet with early stage entrepreneurs to help them get their companies going. and Google.

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Cofounder Technical Cofounder Software Review 84

pandodaily.com

NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Essentially, we got here by entrepreneurs having too much of a good thing. The number of seed and angel investors has exploded in recent years, buoyed up by a number of factors. At each turn, these market changes were heralded as wonderful developments for entrepreneurs. A name like 500 Startups says it all.

Technical Review 93

Technical Review Silicon Valley Incubator Syria 93