Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Nearly four months ago we rebranded at Upfront Ventures. We felt nothing embodied these attributes more than the name Upfront Ventures. It’s next to impossible to call yourself Upfront Ventures and not be, well, upfront. Hamet is a 3x entrepreneur and also former EIR with True Ventures. Startup Advice'

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Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2016

The number one advice I give is “stop trying to be too smart”. Most VCs did well academically and had enough career success that a venture firm was willing to give them an investment role or they were able to raise their own fund. Fundamentally venture capital is about human capital. Venture Capital is a people business.

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venture capital capital ventures VC 363

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 11, 2012

Jersey Shore Ventures anyone?). Until you realize that vetting and helping companies is actually really hard--or did you not notice all the news that venture capital as an asset class doesn't beat the market. Who wouldn't want in on the next Union Square Ventures or First Round Capital funds? tanning salon/seed fund combo.

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ventures incubation VC venture capital 288

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

One of the things that founders have the most angst about is whom they should have on their board and at what stage of the business. This is smart because amazing board members can be transformative with important advice and access and can also help attract other great board members (and team members).

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board startup venture capital financing 236

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 14, 2010

I know that the tone of the title and post will seem a bit aggressive for a post from a venture capitalist on fund raising. It’s meant to be a bit provocative but the reality is that I give this advice to entrepreneurs all the the time and I usually leave the “e&# off of the end. It is 2010.

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venture capital capital ventures advice 289

David Teten VC

JUNE 9, 2021

Would you like to work with private equity and venture capital funds? There are relatively few jobs directly inside private equity and venture capital funds, and those jobs are highly competitive. Venture capitalists often come from an operating background. Venture Capital. Asian Venture Capital Journal (free trial).

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consulting venture capital board capital 128

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 8, 2011

If* you believe that a good venture capitalist should have launched their own company and exited, then I simply don't have that track record. The point is, someone building a career in venture capital that doesn't include prior entrepreneurial success probably doesn't look like they have much to offer in the beginning.

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VC peer-to-peer board advice 275

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 3, 2016

That was a question posed to me by a new analyst at a venture capital fund. While there are lots and lots of really kind, generous people working in venture capital--the recently retired Howard Morgan, Hunter Walk, Brad Feld, and Karin Klein for example--it's really tough to argue that there isn't widespread jerkery. We're not jerks.

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VC venture capital entrepreneurship advice 399

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

And there’s none that makes me happier than to announce that Jordan Hudson has been promoted to a Principal at Upfront Ventures. What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? I think it’s great for some people because it really does give you some solid benefits: board exposure / experience.

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investing investment VC board 365

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 6, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are reliant on outside funding, whether angel investors, venture capitalists or strategic investors , to keep the venture going. Here is advice I collected for dealing with the stress of running a startup: 1. It’s important to enlist the ideas of others that are invested in your venture.

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peer-to-peer startup advice entrepreneurs 321

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 14, 2019

Taking board seats? Want to only invest in diverse boards? Because I had previously met Jack Dorsey through the Union Square Ventures network, in 2009 I was able to grab coffee with him before he launched Square. I think the results will surprise you how hard it is to be successful. For how long? Spending any time with family?

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ventures angel investing board advice 255

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

Greycroft is Alan’s venture capital firm that recently raised its second fund ($130 million) with offices in both New York and LA. I’ve been to similar events with First Round Capital and True Ventures. He said that ineffectual leaders seek consensus or want direction or approval from the board. He says this is a mistake.

peer-to-peer 279

peer-to-peer advice VC board 279

TechCrunch

MARCH 6, 2023

Serial entrepreneur and seasoned investor Vinod Khosla has some strong, contrarian advice for the venture capital industry: don’t sit on your founders’ boards. Other VCs accuse us of being very active and very engaged — but the flip side of it is they vote on boards.

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board advice founder VC 100

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

I had an enjoyable conversation this morning with a young team straight out of college this morning and they were calling to ask advice on how to approach fund raising (angels vs. VCs, how to select a VC, etc.) And so is venture capital. Startup Advice VC Industry' Deals done in your industry? It’s a bit of all of these.

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VC advice board leadership 364

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

Just ask the people of Portland, Seattle, Boulder, Iowa, Princeton, Dallas or countless other cities that don’t have enough venture capital. If you don’t live in a major VC zone, I have some tips for how to make it easier to raise Venture Capital. I will commit to traveling to NYC seven times per year for board meetings.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

Berkonomics

MARCH 28, 2024

All other board functions are secondary. Even venture capitalists who sit on boards where they have significant investments often forget this point. Actually, there are two legal duties of board members. Second is the duty of loyalty… …Loyalty to the corporate person, not to the shareholders who elected the board member.

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board advice education VC 112

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2010

You’re not lecturing to a college class, you’re not at a cocktail party and you’re not chatting with a small group in a board meeting. I spotted my fellow VC Leo Spiegel (from Mission Ventures) who had spoken previously to the same group and asked about his experiences. You’re on stage!

advice 362

advice VC entrepreneurs education 362

American Entrepreneurship

MAY 29, 2024

The most successful entrepreneurs are those who take the approach of seeking out those who can give the best advice when dealing with the challenges of growing their small business or startup. The Importance of Seeking Out Expert Advice Seeking out expert advice is crucial for small business owners for several reasons.

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advice construction board entrepreneurs 98

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

I can’t tell you how many people have thanked me for this advice and say their productivity increased exponentially. One area I’ve had much discussion with the companies in which I’ve invested in is bringing on board an operationally focused CFO. And board confidence matters in growing companies.

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board energy financing finance 338

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 22, 2010

Back in 1999 when I first raised venture capital I had zero knowledge of what a fair term sheet looked like or how to value my company. I told them that True Ventures had stuck to their brand name and submitted a totally clean term sheet. Tags: Startup Advice This Week in Venture Capital. No gotchas. No hidden terms.

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founder VC venture capital entrepreneurs 405

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 6, 2020

We have been advising a lot of entrepreneurs so I thought I’d “open source” some of the advice I have been sharing. So my only goal is to give you insights into the conversations we’ve been having in case you don’t have the same access or advice. The NVCA (National Venture Capital Association) Guidelines are below. It depends.

VC 279

VC peer-to-peer startup advice 279

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

Changes in the Software World & in Venture Capital. That didn’t make them bad – it just didn’t make them efficient at making rapid decisions of whether to fund a startup or not and the terms on which they would fund were typically not “market” for a startup company that would become venture backed one day.

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startup communities venture capital angel capital 390

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Ryan Caldbeck, co-founder and former CEO of consumer-brands-focused crowdfunding site CircleUp , recently published an email he’d written to a former director on the board of the company. The saga begged questions about what happens behind the scenes at startups and about board composition specifically.

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board construction advice ventures 99

Berkonomics

MARCH 8, 2018

Give one percent equity to each outside board member vesting over four years of service. Many early stage CEOs and board members have asked for some guidance regarding pay and time commitments for board members. Here is my best advice, based upon many boards and many years.

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board VC consulting advice 102

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Board Meetings. Frankly, I think venture capital is that way, too. How do VCs break out of group think when they are shuttling from one board meeting to the next, from one conference to the other and talking with all the same people? How does the world in Los Angeles intersect differently with venture capital?

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creativity venture capital entrepreneurs board 400

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series “ Start Up Advice &# but I’d really like to call this post, “VC Advice.&#. By then I was still on the board of my first company but it hadn’t yet sold (it ended up selling in 2007 to a publicly traded French company). It’s that simple. Many term sheets ensued.

founder 329

founder VC advice pitching 329

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 5, 2011

Advisors, investors and board members come in all shapes and sizes. I'm a strong believer in having a board, even at a seed stage, to report to and set strategy with. The most successful companies have strong boards and so as a good housekeeping practice, why not start acting like a great company as early as possible.

board 278

board advice consulting angel investing 278

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

I was meeting regularly with entrepreneurs and offering (for better or for worse) advice on how to run a startup and how to raise venture capital from my experience in doing so at two companies. Or “I’m a new entrepreneur, why would I offer advice on how to run a startup?&#. It really started simply enough.

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startup advice communities VC 373

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

And they will offer you some of the best business advice you will ever receive if you’re open to it. One day if you’re lucky you’ll be big enough to work with recruiters to hire senior members of your team or your board. VENTURE CAPITAL. And finally that brings me to obvious topic of venture capital.

startup 363

startup real estate VC venture capital 363

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

In 1999 I was in Japan doing a strategy project for the board of directors of Sony. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Start-up Advice Startup Advice. I’d rather make decisions with uncertain numbers than no numbers. But you have to understand how to interpret your numbers.

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consulting data analysis advice construction 415

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2010

I often tell people that raising venture capital is more difficult than getting married. Not so in venture capital. So my first advice is not to rush in the fund raising process. Don’t take my advice, take Eric Clapton’s. You’re going to build a board and you want people who can work well together.

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VC advice venture capital entrepreneurs 298

Revolution

MARCH 1, 2023

By Revolution Ventures Managing Partner David Golden and VP Alex Shtarkman Given the tumultuous year in tech and overall market uncertainty, a hot topic among institutional investors right now is the magnitude of potential markdowns in the coming year or two. So what does this mean for venture capitalists? since 2011.

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advice founder financing finance 147

Berkonomics

AUGUST 22, 2024

And because you need their money, the temptation is to listen a bit too well, and take all of the advice thrown at you during your presentations and during due diligence and finally from the vantage point of a board seat. Some board members may show dismay. After several months on the board, he spoke up. “I Don’t worry.

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board VC advice support 116

Source Link

JANUARY 29, 2022

The conversation introduced a new framework for inclusive community development that incorporates cultural understanding, talent development and new venture creation. Lean on advice from others who’ve been there before. What’s more, building your ecosystem upon trust and strong relationships can help your whole network thrive.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

For all the things he’s likely known for, he probably hasn’t yet built a strong relationship as an early stage venture investor (he invests often in later-stage deals where he is very respected). And why would it make sense to bring me on board?” Startup Advice' My email back to him was a version of.

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advice VC pitching investing 333

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

bang on the windows of a board meeting recently and stick his tongue out at all of us. Ex Venture Capitalist with Battery Ventures. Startup Advice' Aka Punky Brewster. We’ve had many celebrities walk through our doors including a-list film stars. Heck, I even had Robert Downey, Jr. And Tasha never screamed before?

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

I have sat on a board with Howard and have known him a few years. In the early 80’s he left academia to work on venture capital investing with Jim Simons, Renaissance Technologies. Twitter wanted to raise money for this new venture at a pre-money valuation which was quite a bit higher than First Round’s $10 million limit.

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