View from Seed

APRIL 14, 2020

This led to a number of repercussions that most VC’s have lamented during this time, including higher prices, larger rounds, shoddy due diligence, and many companies raising large sums of venture capital that probably aren’t suited to VC funding. VCs are always founder focused no matter the market environment.

Early Stage 374

Early Stage Software Review Technical Review Due Diligence 374

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2014

So today I’m excited to announce that Upfront Ventures is leading an $8 million round with some amazing co-investors including Founder’s Fund, OATV, Lowercase, High Peaks, Collaborative Fund and many great angel investors. After 9 months it was time to raise seed capital and go test drive our new software and processes.

Technical Review 380

Technical Review Software Review Cofounder CTO Hire 380

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 6, 2020

To stay competitive in our digital world, small and medium-sized businesses need to be equipped with and proficient in the latest technologies. Along with lack of oversight, outdated software or hardware, inadequate cybersecurity, or one bad tech investment could seal the demise of a small enterprise. Tech Debt 2.0

Technical Review 246

Technical Review Small Business Software Review Security 246

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

The press around the raise & company was fantastic and the promise of their technology – wireless charging that works as easily as WiFi – would positively affect many of our lives. uBeam’s tech does work and I have safely seen it demo’d in the real life many times. Working on it. And being ambitious.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review South Korea San Francisco Software Review 417

View from Seed

APRIL 6, 2021

You are a native of NYC tech with a strong network. You have 4-6 years of professional experience as a technology operator, founder, or investor in New York. You have unbounded curiosity for emerging trends, a love for experimentation, and you’re always eager to dive into new products and technologies before others do.

Technical Review 317

Technical Review Software Review Seed Stage Cofounder 317

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2020

If you have a software development background like mine, I’m sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. If your software or your manufacturing process is your “secret sauce,” you need to keep the work in-house. The same applies to manufacturing and almost any process these days.

Intellectual Property 306

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Technical Review 306

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different.

Technical Review 399

Technical Review Product Advisory Board Business Model 399

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 4, 2019

by Peter Johnston , founder and CEO of Kalo. Tech That Helps You Grow (And Grows With You). There’s a genuine need for technology that can provide insights and automation in the freelance economy, especially as it relates to collecting the right tax forms and adhering to the right employment laws. But what about freelancers?

Technical Review 228

Technical Review Software Review San Francisco Due Diligence 228

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

A version of this article is in the Harvard Business Review. Why do these founders get to stay around? Because the balance of power has dramatically shifted from investors to founders. Technology cycles have become a treadmill, and for startups to survive they need to be on a continuous innovation cycle.

Founder 281

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 281

View from Seed

JULY 6, 2020

You are a native of NYC tech with a strong network. You have 4-6 years of professional experience as a technology operator, founder, or investor in New York. You have unbounded curiosity for emerging trends, a love for experimentation, and you’re always eager to dive into new products and technologies before others do.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Software Review Hiring Seed Stage 257

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

It’s only been a bit over a month since the start of 2025 past year has witnessed seismic shifts in technology, from breakthroughs in generative AI to emerging solutions in climate tech and healthcare. You can find the 2024 RFS list here.

Software Review 78

Software Review Technical Review Startup Software Engineering 78

TechEmpower

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

When speaking with founders and CEOs, we often hear concerns like this: My project manager is losing confidence in the development team. The team’s technical skills are solid, but they’re undermined by poor communication, especially around requirements and expectations. This is where a technical review can be useful!)

Development Team Review 260

Development Team Review Developer Software Review Technical Review 260

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

If you have a software development background like mine, Im sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. If your software or your manufacturing process is your secret sauce, you need to keep the work in-house. The same applies to manufacturing and almost any process these days.

Intellectual Property 238

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Offshore 238

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

by Tim Handorf, Co-Founder and President of G2 Crowd. Many of these tasks – accounting, billing/invoicing, marketing – can be streamlined and, in many cases, automated with the right software. CRM and e-Signature software), and is not an “apples to apples” comparison. This got us thinking.

Software Review 209

Software Review Small Business Software Technical Review 209

The Startup Magazine

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

It is not always a financial transaction; sometimes it comes in the form of managerial or technical expertise. They often invest in the technology industry and in other areas with great potential for growth. They may be interested in consumer products, software, fintech, AI, or green technologies.

Venture Capital 179

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Security 179

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 17, 2018

You get to have interesting conversations with founders and review business plans and then see how these businesses evolve over the years. 1/ From vantage point of being able to see hundreds of companies, good & bad I have some advice for founders - Get to know and love "gross margin."

Founder 242

Founder Dilution Software Review Later Stage 242

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

If you are the hot-shot technical innovator that invented your solution, make sure you have an equally adept business and marketing expert to complement your skills. “If Bill Gates was the technical genius, but Steve Ballmer, from Procter & Gamble, ran the business side of the equation.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Merger Software Review Acquisition 329

VC Cafe

MARCH 16, 2025

Mention that you do “Consumer tech” as a startup founder and you’d be limiting your funding options to one third of the venture capital funds (in Israel that figure is probably closer to 10%). Until now, consumer tech was perceived as a risky binary investment. But don’t just take it from me.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review B2C Generative AI IPO 78

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 12, 2017

Connell-Tombs stresses that any concern that intends to provide services to clients, directly or as a supplier to financial institutions, must be aware of due diligence questions and related activities. How do you view this new category of tech innovators and their ultimate role when it comes to compliance?

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence Founder 138

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2019

For example, I come from a software background, and back in the early PC days, it could easily cost half a million dollars for a team of professionals to produce a commercial product. Now, with powerful high-level tools and open source software, winning smartphone apps can be built by a good hacker for a few thousand dollars.

Cost 264

Cost Founder Software Review Startup 264

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

APRIL 25, 2011

As a maven of the Macintosh API and still willing to admit it, I landed lots of small contracting jobs fixing up code that other developers wouldn’t touch. These are folks with big requirements — tens of millions of monthly page-views, traffic spikes, custom code, perfect up-time, and 24/7 support.

Java 311

Java Software Review Technical Review Salary 311

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 29, 2019

by Manish Dudharejia, President and Founder of E2M Solutions Inc. This is why having a robust library of honest customer reviews is so essential for building trust and confidence with new customers. Furthermore, nine out of ten consumers report they trust a customer review just as much as a personal recommendation from a friend.

Software Review 127

Software Review Technical Review Conversion Customer 127

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 27, 2012

By now you probably know that David Sacks , co-founder of PayPal and founder of both Geni & Yammer made some observations on Facebook that Silicon Valley “as we know it” was coming to an end. We once thought Microsoft was a monopoly on the Internet due to IE. Where David is Totally Right. Laughable now.

Silicon Valley 299

Silicon Valley Technical Review Early Stage Cofounder 299

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 14, 2023

Yet, we know tech startups will weather the storm. For startups that sell to businesses, however, this pain creates new opportunities as forward-thinking companies look for permanent, technical solutions to these cyclical problems. An odd feature of the current downturn is the persistently tight labor market.

Technical Review 148

Technical Review Ukraine Software Review ChatGPT 148

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2021

I was with IBM in the early PC days when Bill worked with us to provide PC DOS and other software. Serious investors expect founders to have their homework done before the first interaction – documented executive summary, business plan, and financial model. Great entrepreneurs, like Bill Gates, are great at both. Investor negotiations.

Technical Review 333

Technical Review Startup Software Review Retention 333

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

They couldn’t possibly understand the new social media culture, new technologies, or have the determination to beat their younger counterparts in the market. In fact, they are well-qualified overall, having worked with high technology and computers for at least 20 years, are highly educated, and highly motivated.

Advisory Board 368

Advisory Board Dividend Angel Investor Cofounder 368

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. Sam began drawing out plans for a new way to provide storage after he had horrific experiences with traditional storage after the storm.

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

View from Seed

JULY 31, 2014

And since we will continue to look proactively at new seed-stage tech startups over the next few years, the question becomes: What, then, will these companies look like? This is hardly a unique investment category, but that’s because the shift in how software is purchased and delivered has been so fundamentally transforming.

Seed Stage 272

Seed Stage B2C Technical Review Disintermediation 272

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 11, 2022

On the other side of the spectrum, the idea of finding a unicorn has attracted many investors toward the much riskier venture capital and emerging technologies. Over the past decade, advancing technologies and social consciousness have been causing unprecedented and exciting shifts in every sector of the economy, not just the tertiary.

Private Equity 165

Private Equity Equity Technical Review Software Review 165

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. Most experienced VCs won’t push you to give up founder control at this stage of the business nor should they. Reviewing financial & operational performance. Founder’s perspective.

Technical Review 325

Technical Review Early Stage Software Review Los Angeles 325

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 30, 2022

Modern technologies may be a real blessing for small companies lacking resources and having to promptly produce tangible outputs. Even the best software product may cause more harm than good if you use it improperly or do not take into account its limitations. Software Choices. Remote Work. Scaling Up.

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Technology Software Review Startup 158

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

NOVEMBER 29, 2014

The first 90 percent of the code accounts for the first 10 percent of the development time. The remaining 10 percent of the code accounts for the other 90 percent of the development time. — This is due to the very definition of “average” — you’ll spend half your time before the half-way point, and half after.

Software Review 300

Software Review Technical Review Startup Channel 300

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

So I organized a team dinner with all four of my partners and all three of their founders. China is indelibly an important part of the future of the global technology system. As the founder & CEO I personally went and met with as many people at Thames Water as I could. They hired a consultant to help them with the review.

China 333

China Silicon Valley Software Review Technical Review 333

The Startup Magazine

NOVEMBER 28, 2018

I work in technology where the dress code is relaxed, but an executive woman my age can wear neither a hoodie nor a stuffy suit.). The technology is finally catching up to the need, and the next few years will bring big changes. I love being a pioneer, and I love tech – I even have a patent! If so, how?

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Software Review Illinois Due Diligence 158

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

So I organized a team dinner with all four of my partners and all three of their founders. China is indelibly an important part of the future of the global technology system. As the founder & CEO I personally went and met with as many people at Thames Water as I could. They hired a consultant to help them with the review.

China 328

China Silicon Valley Software Review Technical Review 328

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

Seattle should be the envy of any non Silicon Valley tech community in the country. It really wouldn’t take much to turn a great technology ecosystem into a truly electric one. There’s you and your killer CTO co-founder. It’s a very cool vibe at Founder’s Coop. The ingredients are all here.

Seattle 317

Seattle Silicon Valley Technical Review Los Angeles 317

VC Cafe

MARCH 1, 2024

Most startups equate the process of fundraising to dating – founders have to typically kiss a lot of frogs until the find the right fit. It’s been a while since they’ve updated their RFS list and it captures all the buzzword’s of today’s tech world: AI, defence tech, climate, spatial computing, etc.

Artificial Inteligence 176

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Generative AI 176