Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2018

VC firms see thousands of deals and have a refined sense of how the market is valuing deals because they get price signals across all of these deals. It’s not uncommon for a VC to ask you how much capital you’ve raised and what the post-money valuation was on your last round. So why does a VC ask you?

VC 324

VC investment investing entrepreneurs 324

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. In particular I tried to do most of the “entrepreneur advice on VC” up front so that if you don’t want to watch our views on the deals you don’t have to. OTHER DEALS: 1.

VC 214

VC founder advice ventures 214

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

This is part of a series of advice for founders who need to raise money from venture capitalists. The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Same with VC. If in high school you got a 3.6

VC 332

VC advice entrepreneurs energy 332

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2010

It’s a shame because the ability to nail these presentations at key conferences can be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to influence journalists, business partners, potential employees, customers and VCs. This was evident at the Twiistup pre-event company pitch last week at UCLA. But seriously her book is spot on.

advice 362

advice VC entrepreneurs education 362

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2010

Let me start by saying two things: Events like this are invaluable to startups because the significant value comes from building the network across portfolio companies and the discussion one can have with your peer group. I’ve been to similar events with First Round Capital and True Ventures. View more presentations from steve blank.

peer-to-peer 279

peer-to-peer advice VC board 279

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

This is part of my Startup Advice series. Most of them are completely mundane such as choosing which: bank, office space, 1-year lease vs. 2-year lease, logo, URL, pricing structure or which VC. There’s a guy in Los Angeles that I met at several tech networking events. Your head of sales thinks she should fire somebody.

entrepreneurs 414

entrepreneurs board advice consulting 414

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? ” Associates have different functions at different VCs. VC firm admin. VC firm policy or fund analysis. Helping be the VC “presence” at key events. inside insight into VC decision-making. Industry reviews.

investing 365

investing investment VC board 365

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

In the VC insider baseball world a discussion has gone on about “VC platforms” over the past 5 or so years. While firms define platforms differently, let’s just say they are the services that a VC offers outside of investment capital and partner time on boards or providing intros.

VC 198

VC peer-to-peer mix-use leadership 198

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2009

One of the questions I’m most often asked as a VC is what I’m looking for in an investment. I once had a debate with a prominent VC on a panel. The moderator asked the question, “if an entrepreneur writes an email to a VC and doesn’t hear back what should they do?&# This VC responded, “Move on.

entrepreneurs 338

entrepreneurs peer-to-peer advice VC 338

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

It got me thinking about the advice that I often give to new VCs. For years I saw myself as the new guy in VC but then you wake up one day and realize that 50% of your peers have been doing it for less time than you and time has moved on. Run your own events. VC Industry' It’s exhausting. Lines, Not Dots.

peer-to-peer 317

peer-to-peer pitching VC accelerator 317

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2010

This is where VC comes in and why it’s needed in the industry no matter how much populist sentiment exists against the VC industry. got picked up early without raising a lot of VC. That is why I find it curious when angels start shouting that VC’s are dinosaurs, evil, money-grubbing and non-value-add.

angel investing 284

angel investing investing investment VC 284

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

I hope to be asked back for next year’s event. We spoke about the disruption of VC through crowd funding. VC can’t don’t invest in these kinds of companies because they can’t get out (no liquidity event). Liquidity is a process not an event. So they could monetize and people would pay.

education 403

education disruption entrepreneurship venture capital 403

Hunter Walk

FEBRUARY 22, 2025

Ok, back to the VC content marketing. As a result I’ve seen hundreds of VC decks, all certain they will be among the top performers. People who can invest with the firms money at arms length, bounties for sourcing a startup, small investments in other VCs that are upstream from your firm.

startup 97

startup VC strategy leadership 97

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

By spending more time educating your board on your business you get more valuable advice from them. Your goal should be to turn your VCs into extended members of your team to get real value from them. He did it yesterday, “Mark, I’m going to write a blog post following on from your VC’s aren’t dumb.

board 365

board VC advice pitching 365

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 15, 2010

Last night I attended the inaugural Open Angel Forum event started by Jason Calacanis , a fellow LA resident. Jason started the Open Angel Forum in response to his frustration that entrepreneurs were being charged by some angel organizations to present at their events. The event last night in Los Angeles was great.

advice 254

advice angel investing entrepreneurs pitching 254

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

I was meeting with a first-time CEO of a very promising young startup recently and offering my advice on what his priorities should be. I gave him the same advice I give nearly all over-worked, control-freak, do-everything-yourself startup founders: “Your number one priority isn’t any of these things. Me: “Bullshit.

communities 317

communities VC innovation entrepreneurs 317

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 11, 2010

I’ve written about the topic before when I wrote the post “ I emailed a VC but never heard back.&# As in, what do you do now that you’ve written them. Are all VC’s just a-hole’s? Not all VC’s feel this way in my experience. Should you bug them? Is it normal to not hear back?

advice 265

advice VC entrepreneurs creativity 265

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

You can watch the video above for a very brief overview of why we rebranded and where we see our place in the VC ecosystem along with what has changed in our industry. Relaunching our brand is part of our larger initiative to build a VC firm of the future. Startup Advice' Nearly four months ago we rebranded at Upfront Ventures.

ventures 324

ventures VC strategy advice 324

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. There are too many pulls & tugs at our elbows for time, for coffee meetings, for advice or speaking engagements or cocktail parties or dinners.

advice 398

advice VC entrepreneurs transportation 398

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 6, 2010

But in my experience as an entrepreneur and now spending my time amongst investors I can generalize that almost all VC investments in early stage technology & Internet investments come down to just four key factors. But if you identify investors with whom you’d like to work here’s my advice: 1. I do understand.

startup 360

startup VC advice entrepreneurs 360

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

As a VC you want to feel like you have “proprietary sources” of deal flow. I attended events. There is one source I never liked and no early-stage VC should – investment bankers. ” I love businesses that don’t lend themselves well to VC Panels at conferences or Demo Days. I hustled.

advice 361

advice VC pitching entrepreneurs 361

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 21, 2009

I know you think a VC would take for granted that all entrepreneurs work hard but you can tell the difference between those that see this as merely a slightly longer version of their last big job and those that are maniacal about what they’re doing. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Start-up Advice Startup Advice.

entrepreneurs 290

entrepreneurs advice VC startup 290

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2010

It surprising how few people actually follow through this this advice. One of the most practical pieces of early career advice I got was “don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions.&# The message was clear. Heck, even VC’s have bosses (our investors). Tags: Startup Advice. Everybody says that.

advice 342

advice board consulting development 342

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2010

I’ve known Chamillionaire for a couple of years and I’ve never been at a tech event where he HASN’T upstaged everybody with his marketing insights. So it was my great pleasure to host Chamillionaire on This Week in VC this week talking marketing, entrepreneurship, old media and, of course, music.

entrepreneurs 356

entrepreneurs media creativity VC 356

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 9, 2011

It was many events that led to the crash but perhaps this was the pin that pricked the market. But I guess you could say the same about VC. Stock market declines would bring back dog days of VC. VC Ice Age Part 2 – Why the Market Started Moving Again? VC Ice Age Part 3 – What The Future Holds.

VC 305

VC disruption entrepreneurs venture capital 305

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

The idea is simple enough: several female VC partners at top funds will hold 1-hour meetings with 40 promising female entrepreneurs looking to get advice on their business and pitch in a friendly, non-judgmental, safe environment. 8% of VC partnerships, for example). Now 33% of Supreme Court Justices are women (vs.

founder 256

founder peer-to-peer VC mentorship 256

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 20, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series, “ Pitching a VC.&# Getting a meeting with a prominent angel or VC is difficult enough. Some advice on how to do that was covered in this link – Getting Access to a VC. If you haven’t read how to build VC relationships and demonstrate traction make sure to read it.

VC 277

VC pitching advice strategy 277

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

I knew him well before he became a VC. I knew his as he considered becoming a VC and we talked a lot about how it was going for me in my early years. This Dave knew I was running an event on “the future of television” that was important to me. I don’t know an entrepreneur or a VC who wouldn’t cut him in on any deal.”

VC 309

VC data analysis incubation health 309

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

Getting involved with political events and fund raisers. And still able to make it out to LA networking events. Unsurprisingly for Kara is was the VC connections. Startup Advice' Somehow she was always on a flight up to Seattle or San Francisco. Always meeting her product ship dates. Now ladies, get back to work.

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

Elect 1-2 representatives and even invite a local VC to invest personally and sit on the investment committee or be an advisor. ” And if aspiring investment teams are looking to get together the SBIC has come back with a new VC focused program to help non-Silicon Valley communities fund companies beyond their initial angel money.

communities 378

communities startup venture capital capital 378

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

I will even take to emailing people I don’t know offering small bits of advice. If I have an event in the evening or am traveling for work then I can easily get through 2 days without sending any non-essential email. Can you please intro me to XYZ VC? If you do randomly write me I have advice. I try to be helpful.

advice 314

advice culture board VC 314

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

I’m enjoying being a VC. I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. VC meetings going well. 2 million in VC. I swore never to do that as a VC. What do VC’s Experience?

entrepreneurs 384

entrepreneurs startup VC real estate 384

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

My friend and fellow SoCal venture capitalist Peter Lee wrote a post about the different roles within a VC and spent much time on the role of an associate. These are the permanent members of a VC. The process for raising money from a VC is a sales process and as such much of what is taught in enterprise sales can be applied.

VC 308

VC pitching entrepreneurs advice 308

Revolution

MARCH 1, 2023

VC dollars are at risk, we conducted a historical analysis of top quartile fund managers over the past quarter century (as far back as we could access reliable Cambridge Associates data). For a VC, if a fund has valued its portfolio appropriately, there is not much to worry about. But what could that look like?

advice 147

advice founder finance financing 147

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2012

I had this ethical dilemma pop up on one of the first deals I even did as a VC. ” I was learning which VCs I wanted to work with, what stage & check size I wanted to commit do and what teams would be a good fit for me. .” The call from a fellow VC to “look harder” made me decide to request a site visit.

VC 356

VC financing finance investment 356

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 4, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. Incidentally, VC’s hate when they hear companies pitching who say, “ I don’t have real competitors &# as I outlined point three in the linked post). You need to qualify VCs the same way you qualify sales leads. Tags: Start-up Advice. I know I didn’t.

startup 319

startup advice entrepreneurs networking 319

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

They have totally changed the way you run a VC firm, investing heavily in systems & events for their founders that are pushing the boundaries of the way our industry works. It is clear that he is simply passionate about being a VC and participating in this industry. Howard is successful enough that he doesn't need to work.

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capital board VC pitching 284