Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

And so do entrepreneurs who are quick to pivot to new businesses or to sell in an acquihire. It’s been high tide since 2009 so an entire batch of entrepreneurs don’t know what low tide even looks like. And the “stay lean” argument isn’t only good for entrepreneurs, it can be good for VCs, too.

startup 390

startup VC venture capital entrepreneurs 390

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2014

In my Twitter bio is says that I’m “ looking to invest in passionate entrepreneurs ,” which almost sounds like I was just looking for a cliché soundbite to describe myself. Passion is also the featured heavily in nearly every presentation I give to entrepreneurs or on college campuses or in talks with MBA students.

startup 419

startup peer-to-peer entrepreneurs education 419

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JUNE 19, 2024

Yet, as most seasoned entrepreneurs will attest, the reality is far more complex and challenging, particularly when you decide to bootstrap your business. Instead, it began with 15 years of hands-on learning in capital markets, working closely with entrepreneurs, investors, and bankers. The early years were grueling.

finance 255

finance financing entrepreneurship mentorship 255

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

What I wish for every single entrepreneur out there is to be so majorly disappointed in their lives. I'm proud to say that I was dollars number 476 and 477 to be swiped on the platform after Jack demoed the very first prototype to me on a bench in Washington Square Park in late summer 2009. A "major disappointment".

angel investing 407

angel investing venture capital VC media 407

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2010

It’s always fun chatting with Jason because he’s knowledgeable about the market, quick on topics and pushes me to talk more about VC / entrepreneur issues. We’re staring to get the hang of how to divide the show up into talking about deals but also talking about issues for entrepreneurs during funding.

VC 285

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Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 30, 2021

Many entrepreneurs are now experiencing a second wave of Covid-fueled anxiety and depression as we realize that we’re no longer in survival mode. but entrepreneurs are too proud, stubborn, or used to figuring it all out themselves to raise their hands for help. Especially now. Often, help is just one email, text or phone call away?but

health 300

health entrepreneurs entrepreneurship leadership 300

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 16, 2014

Our 3rd fund began investing in March 2009 (raised in 2008) and our 4th fund started in April 2012 so this fund will naturally begin investing around March / April 2015. As I like to say when asked, “For entrepreneurs you generally need to go to 2-3 cities max and probably pitch 5-15 investors. Was it hard to raise the fund?

ventures 396

ventures VC venture capital real estate 396

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Starting in 2009 I began writing checks consistently, year-in and year-out. I was in it for the love of working with entrepreneurs on business problems and marveling at technology they had built. During this era, from 2009–2015, most founders I knew were in it for building great & sustainable companies.

VC 466

VC culture sustainability capital 466

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In the first post in this three part series I described why I believe the VC market froze between September 2008 – April 2009. Unemployment continues to rise – Unemployment as of September 2009 is 9.7% but the truer number of underemployed is a whopping 16.8%! That’s around 1 out of 7 working-age Americans. I disagree.

VC 269

VC startup advice innovation 269

Entrepreneurs' Organization

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

“I say no, because my life has been so enriched by the immense gratitude for life I experience each day, the special moments that are sweeter because of the journey, and the impact I am able to make for the greater good of the world through my learnings as an entrepreneur and through EO.” and more articles from the EO blog.

entrepreneurs 286

entrepreneurs networking education board 286

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 7, 2014

This is something I think entrepreneurs don’t totally understand and it’s worthwhile they do. Entrepreneurs started demanding that VCs call their first-round financings “seed” rounds even if they were $3 million. Why the latter? and there''s always a but]. I saw this myself a few times in a row.

VC 399

VC advice finance financing 399

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 3, 2010

This was really a fun week at TWiVC because we decided to have an entrepreneur come and talk about raising capital rather than having a VC come on. It’s always such a pleasure for me to spend time with Farb because he has all of the enthusiasm and energy you love to see in entrepreneurs. He’s also candid, humble and helpful.

VC 214

VC founder advice ventures 214

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

It was 2009 and it was terribly difficult to get any financing (if you can remember a time like that!) and I thought if we brought the community together for common purpose we could create more of a sense of community to help new entrepreneurs get funded, assemble teams, raise profiles and help with biz dev, product, etc.

accelerator 290

accelerator mentorship peer-to-peer VC 290

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 15, 2012

From 2005 to 2009, I was fortunate enough to be part of a small group of New York City innovation community leaders that sowed some of the seeds of the thriving tech hub we have today. At the time, though, we didn't know what we know now. There's a ton of enthusiasm out there, but now it's time to get to work.

communities 253

communities innovation real estate creativity 253

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 21, 2012

It was even earlier when I talked to Jason at Shopkeep--December of 2009 by my records. I try to involve lots of people in my circle to be accessable, but I can honestly say that I don't do as good of a job with that when it comes to entrepreneurs I've passed on. Good for him--I'm happy to see him get resourced to built out his vision.

VC 252

VC education entrepreneurs development 252

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

But I’ll judge the angel class of 2009/2010 on a 7-10 year time horizon. Yet nearly any entrepreneur who has an idea that other people aren’t doing will tell you that it’s hard to get investors excited. in 2009 the market was completely constipated as investors focused on triage. I avoided much of this.

angel investing 299

angel investing investing investment real estate 299

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JANUARY 25, 2021

Kent Gregoire is an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member and founder of Symphony Advantage, which helps CEOs achieve ongoing success through strategic thinking, advice and planning. EO asked Kent how entrepreneurs can embrace the tenets of Conscious Capitalism. Contributed to EO by Kent Gregoire.

capital 278

capital culture sustainability leadership 278

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 24, 2015

These are all normal things but in this big run since 2009 we’ve all gotten used to nearly 100% follow-on financing rates, valuations only moving up, deals clearly the convertible note caps and low mortality rates. The impact hits VCs in an immediate way that most entrepreneurs don’t realize. Watch the market closely.

finance 344

finance financing ventures real estate 344

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 5, 2010

Two weeks after Brad’s post I was at the 140 Conference in LA and I held open office hours for any entrepreneur who wanted to spend 15 minutes talking with a VC about their business. But it turns out I met a bunch of really interesting entrepreneurs. But TWTFelipe is an entrepreneur. Crazy, huh? Her response?

education 282

education creativity innovation entrepreneurs 282

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur. By 2009 had reduced to around $15 billion in capital from LPs. The best VCs don’t try to help entrepreneurs. But VC is like congress. hours / day.

VC 374

VC peer-to-peer entrepreneurs investment 374

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

Our investment in Kickstarter back in 2009 is an excellent example of that. Serial entrepreneur @G0rd0n_ is looking to scale blue ocean and marine biodiversity markets using #web3 and #DeSci. Here’s a great example : Introducing @NewAtlantisDAO —an ocean regeneration project built on an open metagenomics protocol.

finance 226

finance financing creativity innovation 226

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

The other entrepreneur quoted in the story is from a guy pitching a Pinterest clone. The last closed market we had was from about September 2008 until June 2009--10 months. David's firm most recently participated in the $77 million second round financing of SoFi, a one year old startup focusing on student loans.

ventures 299

ventures venture capital disruption pitching 299

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

These days that’s not the case and it’s a great outcome for entrepreneurs and for innovation. A: Only because it’s a nicer branding for entrepreneurs. I totally agree and have been arguing this to entrepreneurs for years. I always counsel young entrepreneurs to start on the local train.

disruption 308

disruption VC entrepreneurs financing 308

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2010

I first met him there and knew he was a talented entrepreneur that I wanted to work with some day. Gyroscope is in double-dog secret stealth mode right now so I’ll focus more on the entrepreneur. . • Circle Street – Circle Street was founded by Alex Nocifera who’s first company was Ripple TV.

startup 276

startup VC media networking 276

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 17, 2010

First, I’d like to quote (paraphrase) Brad Feld speaking at Twiistup in LA in 2009, “I keep hearing people in LA talking with a chip on their shoulders about building a tech business here relative to Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs in LA spend a lot of time commuting up to the Valley. For some, it’s a nightmare.

technology 290

technology advice entrepreneurs innovation 290

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

Gogii came in my office in 2009 with three of the most talented founders I had seen. As you can see – they bring both executive & domain knowledge - which I’m on record as saying gives entrepreneurs “an unfair advantage.&#. I have to love both – but it’s in that proportion.

investment 310

investment investing VC board 310

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

Since 2009 we’ve been in an unequivocal bull market. I’d like to do a few posts on what life looks like on the way up and perhaps how to keep your head on straight and avoid drinking your own Kool Aid because as I often advise entrepreneurs on irrational exuberance, “ In a strong wind even turkeys can fly.”

incubation 354

incubation board VC innovation 354

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Ashoka is a partner of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Enter the entrepreneurs. The post Why Young Entrepreneurs Are Crucial to Growing the Economy appeared first on THE BLOG. This article was originally published in Ashoka’s column on Forbes.com. It has been reprinted here with their permission. By Alex Amari.

entrepreneurs 100

entrepreneurs transportation accelerator entrepreneurship 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2010

This is the third article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). I should say that I agree that naive optimism in entrepreneurs can produce higher beta (upside or flops) and that’s good from an investment standpoint if you’re looking for big returns.

angel investing 284

angel investing investment investing VC 284

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 7, 2012

That's what will attract the best entrepreneurs here--an opportunity to push limits and explore the future of innovation. I don't think the Valley really took New York seriously until Foursquare rose up in 2009. How can we unleash their potential further--to make sure the next big startup idea that gets exported comes from here?

creativity 268

creativity opportunity culture communities 268

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2015

This was until about 2009 because most the investments in companies came from one, maybe two, sources. What I’ve found over the years is that this forces way more clarity on the entrepreneurs at fund raising time. Pre-money ($8m) + investment ($2m) = Post-money ($10m) and the investors now own 20% of your company $2m / $10m.

VC 364

VC finance financing board 364

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

As more consumers were skipping commercials the idea of authentically integrating brands into media seemed obvious to me and ended up informing a lot of my investments in 2009 and 2010. At every entrepreneur event I through between 2008-2012 I invite Hamet because he was a great mentor for entrepreneurs. I stayed close.

ventures 340

ventures investment investing board 340

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In my previous post, The VC Ice Age is Thawing (for now) I wrote about the reasons why the VC market came to a screeching halt in September 2008 and remained largely shut until at least April 2009. This post highlights some of the reasons why the market is moving again and what entrepreneurs should do about this.

VC 255

VC venture capital networking innovation 255

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

As a result I didn’t write my first venture capital check until March 2009 – exactly 5 years ago. “I think the best VCs help drive exits alongside their entrepreneurs. That company was Invoca, which just announced a $20 million fund raise led by Accel. 5 years ago. None have exited. That’s normal.

VC 387

VC venture capital financing finance 387

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 12, 2011

Ironically enough, the second nudge she gave my career also had to do with AOL--ten years later when in 2009, she introduced me to Jon Brod who was forming AOL Ventures. Does that make it a viable strategy for every new entrepreneur? My first article for the monthly edition was on AOL. Are there examples of that? Not in the slightest.

data analysis 285

data analysis venture capital communities entrepreneurs 285

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Fewer and fewer tech entrepreneurs who obviously believe in science are going to want to be in a place where you have to debate with sitting governors, let alone your neighbors, the obvious value of a mask during a pandemic, or how female reproductive organs work. They’re less impactful on a year to year basis.

communities 434

communities startup real estate mentorship 434

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

If one entered between 2009-2015 he or she is no doubt in the “hazard” phase where one need to be careful about thinking he know more about the industry than perhaps he do. The funny thing about “too much money” is that it doesn’t just come from entrepreneurs. I see it in many young pups. Same as I felt.

ventures 419

ventures VC capital SaaS 419