Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2015

After seeing Chamillionaire interact with several entrepreneurs both at events and as an investor I started introducing him to startups in an advisory capacity. And after one meeting they started asking for his advice about marketing, customer engagement, product design, monetization – whatever.

ventures 420

ventures pitching entrepreneurship advice 420

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

It spoke to me because it so resonates with my nearly daily advice to entrepreneurs and VCs alike. I went as far as to call it the best Tweet of 2015 so far because it encapsulated my advice so succinctly. I am often asked how we make decisions on investments at Upfront Ventures. He took two words where I take 1,000!

advice 332

advice peer-to-peer startup frameworks 332

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2015

In November of 2013 Aileen Lee of Cowboy Ventures coined the term “ Unicorn Club ” as it relates to billion-dollar startup companies. So here’s advice I give people all the time when they’re raising money. Many entrepreneurs pitching err on the side of too much information. Show me your unicorn.

advice 360

advice pitching disruption VC 360

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

So why are so many diverse entrepreneurs shortchanging themselves? First off, the vast majority of venture dollars goes to white men. So, while 98% of entrepreneurs never get funded, white guys generally feel like the problem is with the investor, and female founders or founders of color feel like the problem is with them.

advice 419

advice founder pitching VC 419

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Nearly four months ago we rebranded at Upfront Ventures. Give direct feedback to entrepreneurs on their businesses or if we’re not investing why it’s not a fit for us. We felt nothing embodied these attributes more than the name Upfront Ventures. Hamet is a 3x entrepreneur and also former EIR with True Ventures.

ventures 324

ventures VC strategy advice 324

Paul G. Silva

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Practice Your Pitch and Save Your Social Capital Entrepreneurs benefit tremendously from practicing their pitch and Q&A. For instance, when I fed it the executive summary of my last venture, I expected generic questions like: “Who is your competition?” and “What are your management team’s qualifications?”

pitching 246

pitching advice sustainability entrepreneurs 246

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 16, 2014

We’ve been dying to tell you all for a while that we had raised a new venture capital fund and of course given SEC filing requirements the story was somewhat already scooped by the always-in-the-know Dan Primack a few weeks ago. Why do they invest in venture capital? We raised $280 million. Was it hard to raise the fund?

ventures 396

ventures VC venture capital real estate 396

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She hasn’t raised any venture capital. She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur. But Tracy did what entrepreneurs do. Sam is the managing director of Launchpad LA and we were about to pick our 2012 class of entrepreneurs. In the first 5 minutes you’ll realize that she’s a classic entrepreneur.

peer-to-peer 363

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs startup entrepreneurship 363

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 27, 2023

We both went on to have successful careers as consultants and entrepreneurs, and had a passion for working with and investing in younger entrepreneurs. So when Jim floated the idea of a book targeting entrepreneurs to help more of them succeed, we gave it serious thought. Here are three key pieces of wisdom to get you started.

entrepreneurs 251

entrepreneurs startup advice angel investing 251

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Heidi Zak , Elon Musk, Oprah, Warren Buffet, Kendra Scott , Sara Blakely and Bill Gates—entrepreneurs may appear quite diverse, but they typically share a few key qualities. What makes an entrepreneur? The adage couldn’t be more true than in the context of successful entrepreneurs. A passion for connection.

entrepreneurs 236

entrepreneurs peer-to-peer creativity networking 236

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.

venture capital 363

venture capital capital ventures VC 363

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

How entrepreneurs are building resilience in their communities. Learn how other #YLAIStrong entrepreneurs are building their resilience and strengthening their businesses in the face of adversity. The post How entrepreneurs are building resilience in their communities appeared first on Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative.

communities 246

communities entrepreneurs peer-to-peer entrepreneurship 246

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MAY 28, 2021

During an online business workshop in December 2020, the presenter asked me whether our venture was a hobby or a business. After 25 years of self-employment, I felt ready to make the shift from freelancer to entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs, however, usually call themselves founders or CEOs. What’s in a title? The first two are easy.

entrepreneurs 306

entrepreneurs strategy sustainability finance 306

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

I use George Bush vs. Al Gore as allegory and I’ve been using it with entrepreneurs for years to sink in a simple point about how to communicate with the market. Most Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs I know are more like Al Gore. It was a journalist who covered Venture Capital. It is election season.

entrepreneurs 370

entrepreneurs pitching startup education 370

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 6, 2020

Like the downturns in 2008 and 2001, this has been a very trying time for entrepreneurs running startups. Many entrepreneurs are reliant on outside funding, whether angel investors, venture capitalists or strategic investors , to keep the venture going. The pandemic of 2020 has tested most sectors of the economy.

peer-to-peer 321

peer-to-peer startup advice entrepreneurs 321

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 24, 2015

But I do have some insight into how this will affect venture markets. When many venture investors are seeing their personal public portfolios tank it creeps into their business lives and creates an emotion that is less risk tolerant whether they’re aware of it or not. I caution people from thinking this is necessarily a bottom.

financing 344

financing finance ventures real estate 344

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. So what gives?

VC 399

VC venture capital entrepreneurship ventures 399

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

I recently read a blog post by Beezer Clarkson, Managing Director of Sapphire Ventures about why entrepreneurs should care about from whom their VC funds raise their capital. I spent a bunch of time thinking about this position — especially since Beezer is an investor in Upfront Ventures. I could go on for a long time.

entrepreneurs 237

entrepreneurs VC mentorship strategy 237

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

Viewing the article through the lens of a venture capitalist there’s much to agree with under the mantra of “growth!” He also nails the reason why venture capital is still necessary to grow large businesses quickly in a world where the costs of running startups have fallen dramatically. So I like that bit, too.

startup 390

startup VC venture capital entrepreneurs 390

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 7, 2014

This is something I think entrepreneurs don’t totally understand and it’s worthwhile they do. There weren’t a lot of seed funds in 2007 so this was often done by angels, funding consortia or sometimes early-stage funds that existed then (First Round Capital, True Ventures, SoftTech VC, etc.). Why the latter?

VC 399

VC advice finance financing 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? And we’ve begun relaunching our “platform services” for entrepreneurs.

investing 365

investing investment VC board 365

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

I often talk about what I’m looking for when I meet with an entrepreneur. Above all else I’m looking for a genuine passion for what the entrepreneur is doing. You can sense when it is a “mission” for this entrepreneur to succeed and she will continue the journey even if success isn’t easy or immediate.

peer-to-peer 373

peer-to-peer VC pitching entrepreneurs 373

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Now, I’m pretty on the record that being an entrepreneur is about being great at The Do. Frankly, I think venture capital is that way, too. How does the world in Los Angeles intersect differently with venture capital? And I get flooded with legal docs, end-of-quarter financial administration, recruiting, whatever.

creativity 400

creativity venture capital entrepreneurs board 400

Entrepreneurs' Organization

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Kym is fascinated by entrepreneurs and their journeys, so he asked EO members from various chapters to share their experiences. My first entrepreneurial venture happened during childhood when my mom used to take us skiing in the United States. I can only assume that the Headmaster understood my intent behind this venture.

entrepreneurship 263

entrepreneurship consulting entrepreneurs leadership 263

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2013

And a few teams of super talented, educated and bright entrepreneurs make a few mill. If you don’t know venture economics – there is an overview here.). Acquihires and Venture Capital. But that’s not how you make money in the venture capital business. Startup Advice' in their 20′s.

strategy 357

strategy venture capital advice entrepreneurs 357

American Entrepreneurship

MAY 29, 2024

Update of Article dated July 7, 2019 Entrepreneurs too often work alone, missing opportunities to accelerate their pathway to success When starting or growing a new business the small business owner or entrepreneur should keep in mind that they are entering a lifelong pursuit of professional and personal growth.

advice 98

advice construction board entrepreneurs 98

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I was having dinner with a friend last night and we were chatting about venture capital and a bit about what I’ve learned. Of course these are great places to network with other investors, meet great entrepreneurs and keep your connections strong with senior execs at larger companies like Yahoo!, And there’s conferences.

VC 374

VC investing investment entrepreneurs 374

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Avena, a 2017 YLAI Fellow, also offers advice for future entrepreneurs. The central aim of this business venture is to improve the lives of people by equipping them with skills to be self-sufficient or self-employed. Advice for YLAI Network members. Another tip that Avena has for aspiring entrepreneurs is to persevere.

entrepreneurs 130

entrepreneurs advice communities creativity 130

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

*. What is the role of a VC for entrepreneurs? I was recently contacted by an entrepreneur who was consider a few different business models for his company. My job isn’t to predict markets but rather to find entrepreneurs who want to create markets through insight and conviction.” ” I responded. And special.

VC 353

VC advice consulting frameworks 353

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.

financing 255

financing finance entrepreneurship mentorship 255

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.

startup 390

startup communities venture capital angel capital 390

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

Ex Venture Capitalist with Battery Ventures. She was everything I was looking for in an entrepreneur to back. So we have the pleasure of working with Dana Settle at Greycroft, whom I have a blanket offer with that any entrepreneur that wants to create room for Dana in a deal that I’m involved with has a free pass.

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

When I was new at Venture Capital I was trying to figure out the business. Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. What stage?

advice 361

advice VC pitching entrepreneurs 361

Entrepreneurs' Organization

AUGUST 16, 2024

World Entrepreneurs’ Day, celebrated each 21 August, honors the innovators, risk-takers, and trailblazers who shape industries, drive economic growth, and inspire others. At EO, we celebrate and support entrepreneurs on World Entrepreneurs’ Day—and every day! EO supports entrepreneurs at every age and stage.

peer-to-peer 227

peer-to-peer accelerator leadership entrepreneurs 227

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I rarely talk to any startup entrepreneur or VC who doesn’t feel it and somehow long for simpler times despite the benefits we all enjoy from increased enthusiasm for our sector. For entrepreneurs there’s too much money sloshing around. My general advice is to do less. We are experiencing a frenetic time.

advice 398

advice VC entrepreneurs transportation 398

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

A few months ago I wrote about an entrepreneur, Sam Rosen, whom we brought on as an EIR at Upfront Ventures. Now remember that Sam is an entrepreneur. Startup Advice' If you Can’t Make Time, MakeSpace. Today we announced our launch. Here’s the deal. I felt bad. I enquired what he was going to do. Life sucks. Now you know.

advice 340

advice VC entrepreneurs ventures 340

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

But a couple of people replied with responses of such lack of comprehension that I thought it was worth expanding on for first-time entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs achieve much through their personal leadership traits that inspire others to do great things with them – sure. VENTURE CAPITAL. Not possible.

startup 363

startup real estate VC venture capital 363