Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2022

In the old days, every entrepreneur planned on taking their startup public, and making it big. Today the rate of startups going public (IPO – Initial Public Offering) is finally up from the dead zone of the last two decades, and is now double the rate back in 1999. Constant pressure to increase earnings.

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IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 245

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2015

The visibility of Google, Facebook and a few others continues to propagate the myth that the ultimate objective of every entrepreneur should be to take their startups public via an initial public offering at the earliest opportunity. All strategy and operational moves become public.

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IPO Initial Public Offering Entrepreneur Private Equity 120

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 29, 2021

We can trace the Midwest’s renaissance to Sprout Social’s successful initial public offering (IPO) , which saw the company debut on public markets at a price of $17 per share and rise to over $120 per share today. Today, Sprout is a $6.6 billion company and has built up this valuation outside the Silicon Valley scene.

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Up and Running

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

An exit strategy is a method by which entrepreneurs and investors, especially those that have invested large sums of money in startup companies, transfer ownership of their business to a third party, or by which they recoup money invested in the business. See Also 3 Things Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know About Exit Strategies.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2012

Six years later, he managed to land a contract with IBM to provide their IBM PC base operating system. Even still, it was another five years before Microsoft went public in 1986, making him an overnight success worth $350 million. had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 In April, 1996, Yahoo!

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Entrepreneur Initial Public Offering California .Net 263

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. Even though the Initial Public Offering (IPO) alternative for a successful startup seems to be coming back into vogue, it is relatively rare. Consider the recent example of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg.

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Exit Strategy IPO Investment Bankers Entrepreneur 239

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2019

Six years later, he managed to land a contract with IBM to provide their IBM PC base operating system. Even still, it was another five years before Microsoft went public in 1986, making him an overnight success worth $350 million. had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 In April, 1996, Yahoo!

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2011

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. Even though the Initial Public Offering (IPO) alternative for a successful startup seems to be coming back into vogue, it is still extremely rare. Pressures to maintain growth pattern.

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Exit Strategy IPO Investment Bankers Entrepreneur 235

YoungUpstarts

MAY 31, 2016

Oliver, author of “ Mantra Design ” and “ Mantra Leadership “ Successful businesses are not a result of chance, but are the by-product of an effective and evolving strategic plan, complimented by an equally effective operating infrastructure, and supported by exceptional human talent. Think narrowly.

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Technical Review Leadership Early Stage Initial Public Offering 100

The Startup Magazine

MAY 4, 2018

Thus far, he has managed and operated multiple companies that attained enough success to serve as conversation-starting topics for other entrepreneurs. These entities are based on “members” who share in the profits as well as the risk associated with the operations. The Involved Parties.

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Limited Liability Company Initial Public Offering LLC Salary 112

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2013

Six years later, he managed to land a contract with IBM to provide their IBM PC base operating system. Even still, it was another five years before Microsoft went public in 1986, making him an overnight success worth $350 million. had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 In April, 1996, Yahoo! Marty Zwilling.

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Initial Public Offering Startup California .Net 297

The Next Web

JANUARY 16, 2014

He is co-founder of international start-up community event organisation 3beards and founder and director of Albion Drive , a fully integrated communicaitons agency for entrepreneurs and challenger brands. Australia Entrepreneur Analysis and Opinion Investigations Lists Roundups'

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Australia San Francisco IPO Cofounder 146

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of someday taking their startup public, and making it a multi-national powerhouse. In my view, the key reasons that IPOs have lost their luster from an entrepreneur and investor perspective include the following: The US IPO process seems broken. Constant pressure to increase earnings.

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IPO SEC Prospectus Startup 242

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2013

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. Even though the Initial Public Offering (IPO) alternative for a successful startup seems to be coming back, it is relatively rare. business entrepreneur exit founder IPO startup' Marty Zwilling.

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IPO Founder Exit Strategy Investment Bankers 224

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2012

Entrepreneurs love the art of the start. The job changes from creating a “work of art” to operating a “cookie cutter.” Initial Public Offering (IPO). The ideal buyer is someone who has more skills and interest on the operational side of the business, and can scale it. Make it your cash cow.

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Exit Strategy Initial Public Offering IPO Startup 241

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 31, 2016

Six years later, he managed to land a contract with IBM to provide their IBM PC base operating system. Even still, it was another five years before Microsoft went public in 1986, making him an overnight success worth $350 million. had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 In April, 1996, Yahoo!

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Initial Public Offering California .Net Business Plan 148

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

So unless your business is well established, and ready to sell or go public (Initial Public Offering - IPO), you should steer clear of investment banks. Yet every business needs to have a good relationship with a bank, for day to day operations. investment bank entrepreneur startup funding IPO'

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2011

Entrepreneurs love the art of the start. The job changes from creating a “work of art” to operating a “cookie cutter.” Initial Public Offering (IPO). The ideal buyer is someone who has more skills and interest on the operational side of the business, and can scale it. Make it your cash cow.

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Exit Strategy Initial Public Offering Startup IPO 231

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2011

Six years later, he managed to land a contract with IBM to provide their IBM PC base operating system. Even still, it was another five years before Microsoft went public in 1986, making him an overnight success worth $350 million. had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 In April, 1996, Yahoo!

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Initial Public Offering California .Net Business Plan 295

Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Due diligence on an investor is where you validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of your new potential partner. Network with other entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are optimists by nature, so I definitely recommend the involvement of your favorite attorney (usually the pessimist). Be vigilant and ask questions.

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Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Those were CEOs of public companies and founders or executives of some of the fastest-growing and most successful tech companies in Austin and tech. Those were teachers, accountants, consultants, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. Are there amazing Silicon Valley VCs out there with whom entrepreneurs should work to partner?

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Silicon Valley Technical Review Venture Capital San Francisco 48

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 4, 2018

I’ve been involved with well over twenty successful exits and four initial public offerings over the years, some of them with monstrous gains, some more modest. The entrepreneur, whether remaining to the end as CEO or not, is celebrated for his or her prescient timing, great vision and excellent execution of the plan.

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Sales Investment Bankers Initial Public Offering Early Stage 54

Berkonomics

JULY 8, 2021

How do roundtables operate? Years ago, a young entrepreneur joined one of the roundtables, and we followed his progress with his issues, many of them directly related to fundraising, as he grew his company from a raw start-up to an initial public offering on the NASDAQ exchange, followed by continued growth in revenues and stock price.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2010

Six years later, he managed to land a contract with IBM to provide their IBM PC base operating system. Even still, it was another five years before Microsoft went public in 1986, making him an overnight success worth $350 million. had its initial public offering, raising $33.8 In April, 1996, Yahoo!

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Initial Public Offering Startup California .Net 221

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2011

So unless your business is well established, and ready to sell or go public (Initial Public Offering - IPO), you should steer clear of investment banks. Yet every business needs to have a good relationship with a bank, for day to day operations. Their message and mission is confusing, even to professionals.

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Silicon Valley Private Equity Initial Public Offering Startup 211

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 14, 2012

IPO stands for Initial Public Offering, and is the first sale of a private stock to the public. Net Operating Profit After Tax, or NOPAT, is a performance measure that reveals a company’s after-tax profit. What You Thought It Meant: Giant Awesome Animatronic Porcupine. Maybe double-check that contract.

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Non-disclosure Agreement NDA IPO Covenant 202

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2020

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to stay low, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. Yet I believe the trend will continue at least flat as entrepreneurs become more aware of other considerations that make the IPO route less and less attractive.

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Cost IPO Exit Strategy Initial Public Offering 319

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 11, 2015

With the daily demands of running a business along with the financial pressures and challenges inherent in early-stage companies, a business valuation may not be the first thing an entrepreneur thinks of when he awakes each morning. Valuations for startup entities are often highly complex due to the uncertain nature of early-stage operations.

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Steve Blank

MARCH 18, 2011

VC’s worked with entrepreneurs to build profitable and scalable businesses, with increasing revenue and consistent profitability – quarter after quarter. The reward for doing so was a liquidity event via an Initial Public Offering. For VC’s and entrepreneurs the gold rush to liquidity was on.

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Reid Hoffman

MARCH 19, 2019

Tim O’Reilly’s recent article, “ The fundamental problem with Silicon Valley’s favorite growth strategy ,” makes an impassioned argument that the ideas in our book, Blitzscaling , encourage entrepreneurs to behave in ways that are irresponsible or even dangerous in the pursuit of what he characterizes as “runaway growth.”

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

Without profit, there is no longevity to any business, so I’m always surprised when sincere young entrepreneurs avoid using the term, as if “profit” is a bad word. Every entrepreneur, and every investor, needs targets and a conviction that your business will be sustainable, and will provide a return-on-investment (ROI) to all constituents.

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Intellectual Property Initial Public Offering Merger Acquisition 48

Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

I’ve been involved with well over a dozen successful exits and four initial public offerings over the years, some of them with monstrous gains, some more modest. Then in addition, there are the exits that returned some portion of capital, but nothing more. It is an exhilarating ending to a great journey.

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Investment Bankers Initial Public Offering Early Stage Cofounder 63

Growthink Blog

MAY 23, 2011

An entrepreneur starts a company in classic " bootstrap " fashion - with a combination of sweat equity and their own financial resources. The angel then introduces the entrepreneur to his or her wealthy friends and business connections who, based on the good reputation of the referring angel, also invest. All live happily ever after.

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Growthink Blog

MAY 10, 2012

Many entrepreneurs end up taking their company in a different direction after some time spent testing your initial business model. The average Series A round is between $2 million and $5 million, with the expressed goals of funding early stage business operations.

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Version One Ventures

JULY 20, 2015

Bessemer offers a good overview of current valuations for different business models: SaaS, marketplaces, consumer, and ecommerce. You can see in their chart below that marketplaces get some of the highest revenue multiples because of their operational leverage and high defensibility at scale. So what about early-stage marketplaces?

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Valuation Early Stage IPO eCommerce 60

online.wsj.com

JULY 11, 2012

Andreessen Horowitz is telling entrepreneurs it prefers situations where the founders have controlling stakes, reckoning that theyll be better able to resist outside distraction and focus on making great products. and Groupon Inc., —has naturally won support from entrepreneurs. At stake: Power itself. Enlarge Image Close.

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Silicon Valley Founder Software Review Technical Review 42

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2014

With the recent apparent successes of several startups in taking their company public (initial public offering) and raising billions of dollars, I’m hearing a groundswell of enthusiasm from new entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps to fund their companies and become billionaires overnight.

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