This is going to be BIG.

JULY 8, 2013

On top of that, anytime I talk to anyone who wants to get involved in startups but isn''t sure what they want to do, inevitably, I hear, "And then I was thinking maybe I should look into venture capital, too.". 2) People pitch you. I probably get around a dozen e-mails a week asking me how to get into venture capital.

venture capital 419

venture capital VC advice capital 419

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

Among them, VCs and startups are forced to interact remotely and make deals without ever shaking hands. Many of these new red flags that occur during virtual pitching are easy to fix. In this Dreamit Dose, Healthtech MD Adam Dakin provides 5 simple rules to avoid giving investors the wrong impression when pitching remotely.

pitching 285

pitching advice health founder 285

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 30, 2020

The problem is that your pitch is a combination of a bunch of individual components, each of whom an investor is going to have particular reactions to and sometimes a great reaction to one is enough to push you over the top—or sink your pitch. What gives?

strategy 404

strategy real estate pitching startup 404

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 7, 2015

I love how open Danielle has been throughout the development of her startup Mattermark including honest reflections of when she has changed her opinion. They now have a strong VC lead from Foundry Group and from experience when you get advice from Foundry it comes with authority, experience, empathy and the right amount of straight talk.

startup 323

startup advice pitching VC 323

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 5, 2015

So I asked a few founders that I've worked with and they mentioned a word that struck me--because I've never heard any of the hordes of people in my inbox asking for internships, VC job recommendations and advice, etc. People always tell me how smart they are or how much experience they have--or why they have a passion for startups.

venture capital 376

venture capital capital pitching ventures 376

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. Startup Lessons'

ventures 420

ventures pitching entrepreneurship advice 420

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

the most counter-intuitive fund-raising advice you’ll ever get I’m about to offer you some fund-raising advice that flies directly in the face of what most conventional wisdom will tell you. I never thought of this until I became the Founder & CEO of my first startup company. Why you should never have a data room?—?the

advice 336

advice VC entrepreneurs investing 336

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

But should you actually write one if you’re a startup, an industry figure (lawyer, banker) or VC? 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. By definition, you read blogs.

startup 373

startup advice communities VC 373

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

They pitched on a Wednesday. Didn’t I make myself clear about celebrities & startups ? Turns out she’s done this startup thing before. And they’re both full time committed to their startup – Moonfrye. Startup Advice' Turns out Punky was a childhood hero for Tasha. Well, sort of.

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

As a VC with scores of startups in our portfolio we have ringside seats to many, many fund raising processes plus I had to raise money across about 5 different rounds of capital as an entrepreneur so I’ve developed some thought on the process that I hope can be helpful to some of you before you start. Just remind yourself of lemons.

advice 236

advice VC entrepreneurs SaaS 236

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

I have sat through countless pitches with Ivy League grads spewing off intellectual descriptions of the details of their product or service and why it will win in the market. In a VC pitch this type of messaging will do just fine. These messages need to pass the cocktail party pitch. And I think this is a mistake.

entrepreneurs 370

entrepreneurs pitching startup education 370

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

He pinged me that he was thinking about joining a startup based in LA with the CEO in NYC and would I be willing to meet him and give him advice on this process. I looked up his bio, “UVA, banking analyst, doing some early startup work” and thought – sure – come meet me for a coffee. A year or so passed.

pitching 372

pitching advice VC entrepreneurs 372

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

So as a startup CEO you constantly have to suspend disbelief. ” A startup CEO’s job is to absorb stress so the team doesn’t have to. Startups have to be optimists because no rational person would actually believe you could build Uber into the amazing company that it is today. We just need your $500,000!!”

startup 417

startup peer-to-peer VC culture 417

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

It got me thinking about the advice that I often give to new VCs. Building Startups for Basecamp. So the advice I’ve been giving many VCs from my experiences is that “in VC it’s important to play offense, not defense.” I don’t want any formal pitches. It’s exhausting. Lines, Not Dots.

peer-to-peer 317

peer-to-peer pitching VC accelerator 317

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2013

One of my favorite events last year was attending Startup Grind where I got to interview Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma. And of course we talked about many of my views of building startups. You didn’t join startups then. You joined a startup if you couldn’t get a real job.

startup 337

startup entrepreneurs consulting board 337

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

If I had to put a number on it I’d say 1 in 20 pitches – maybe 1 in 30 – are by an entrepreneur who comes across as truly passionate about her project. Whenever somebody has a car startup I send it straight his way. True Ventures with hardware startups. Startup Advice'

peer-to-peer 373

peer-to-peer VC pitching entrepreneurs 373

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. Presenting at Meetings without Going Down a Rathole (this was written for VC pitches but many lessons apply). Meeting Dynamics (also for VC pitches but also some practical tips for board meetings). Startup Advice'

board 365

board VC advice pitching 365

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

So my simple advice is to start PR as early as possible (and certainly earlier than most of your investors will advise) when you have your head around your product plans and are well into execution (or ready to launch) precisely because your recruiting, seed funding and initial user base may depend on it. In a startup this is a mistake.

pitching 319

pitching media advice venture capital 319

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

Her post is short & well written so definitely worth a read if you’re a startup person and want to hear some sensible views on sales. Erin’s main points: “As a former tech sales executive, I agree with many of [Mark's] lessons — when applied to later-stage, post-traction point startups.

startup 319

startup consulting pitching support 319

Y Combinator

AUGUST 6, 2020

We’re excited to announce the launch of the YC Startup Library, found at ycombinator.com/library. The library consolidates the knowledge and advice we’ve previously published and provides a central location for new content.

startup 145

startup entrepreneurship advice pitching 145

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 5, 2012

Most conversations don't end in funding or even a follow up meeting, so your aim should be to get specific, helpful advice that moves you forward. What is it about me that makes you want to pitch me? 5) Aim for me to hear about you before you pitch. I'm sorry is this a startup or are you a Scientologist? Getting quoted?

VC 330

VC pitching disruption advice 330

Hunter Walk

AUGUST 1, 2022

Hopefully every startup finds the right investors! Some entrepreneurs are born salespeople, others find it more awkward but ultimately realize getting comfortable pitching — to investors, to the team, to potential employees, and so on — is part of the job. As with all advice, Your Mileage Might Vary.

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pitching ventures startup culture 114

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

As of this writing, 103,767 workers have been laid off from 345 startups so far in 2023. Slashing your personal spending and polishing your LinkedIn profile is the right move, but investors tell me that now is still a good time to launch a startup. Tell us how you’d like to be approached by a founder with their initial pitch.

advice 91

advice pitching startup ventures 91

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2011

In the past I’ve given some tips for handling meetings effectively, covering topics like: - How not to let your meeting go down a rat hole ; - Dealing with the elephant in the room ; - Dealing with skeletons in your closet ; - How to make meetings discussions, not “pitches&#. - Tactical advice for meetings.

pitching 392

pitching advice culture VC 392

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

I think my mentality to banker pitches was best summed up in this article about Y Combinator in which Paul Graham apparently made the following quotes. They know how to build pitch decks. Might there even be some selection bias in the companies in which you’re pitching me? Advice to VCs Startup Advice'

advice 361

advice VC pitching entrepreneurs 361

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

a really wide angle view of the tech industry since you see so many concepts / so many pitches and REAL data points on how startups perform financially. a top-down view on HR challenges at startups; and, obviously: a great network. Startup Advice' inside insight into VC decision-making. Congratulations, Jordan.

investing 365

investing investment VC board 365

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

Creating awareness for your brand and products is one of the lifebloods of technology startups yet in a world where so many companies are being created it becomes difficult to rise above the noise. We provide strategic advice to digital media companies in a manner that reflects how corporate development is actually done.

mix-use 389

mix-use advice VC technology 389

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 29, 2013

Funnily enough – yesterday I had a pitch from a Brit (with a fairly “fick” accent despite his years in the States) and a Finn (where I got to test drive my all time favorite swear world – Perkele. Startup Advice' And as it happens foreign-born Americans can be some of our most patriotic citizens as well.

innovation 391

innovation culture advice education 391

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

I think his advice is this op-ed is bananas. I have even had to get physical security advice from some of the crazy. I try to speak at universities, high schools, startup accelerators?—?as He has a startup you’re going to love. I’m sure he’s way more versed on the research in corporate psychology than I.

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advice board pitching startup accelerator 250

Startup Blogpost

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

20 Tips for Pitching New Business Ideas to Potential Investors To provide you with the best advice on pitching new business ideas to investors, we asked twenty CEOs, Founders, and other professionals for their top tips. You should highlight the potential future earnings while pitching your proposal. Balance is key!

pitching 105

pitching strategy investing investment 105

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

I think the issue I have always had with investment bank pitches was best summed up in this article about Y Combinator in which Paul Graham apparently made the following quotes. But I think there is a down side that I see in startups that raise artificially at prices above what a normal market might value. International money.

VC 347

VC advice pitching entrepreneurs 347

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

If these people work for reputable firms and have the right industry knowledge they ought to be on your pitch list. Importantly … I would pitch investors in SF, NY, Boston, LA, etc. “ Startup Advice' and say the following. “I live and work in Kansas City.

VC 365

VC board communities pitching 365

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. And even this can’t stop their employees from fleeing after two years of vesting to move on to the next hot startup. Easier said than done.

advice 398

advice VC entrepreneurs transportation 398

TechCrunch

APRIL 25, 2023

But dealmaking is idiosyncratic: a few investors might be content to make a deal over coffee, but early-stage teams still need a sturdy pitch deck or memo they can leave behind. I’m going to save you some time: many (if not most) of you are not yet ready to pitch an investor. Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to respond!

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pitching incubation board opportunity 98

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 17, 2011

Before this remark generates too much controversy, let’s be clear: It is absolutely true that a huge percentage of startup teams are young, technical white dudes. In large part, that is a result of who pitches to VCs, not surprisingly. 4) You get one shot at pitching. Or, ask a question and get some advice.

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venture capital capital ventures pitching 343

Tomasz Tunguz

MARCH 27, 2025

As startups scale, effective sales implementation becomes the difference between stagnation and sustainable growth. After analyzing hundreds of sales organizations across startups, I’ve distilled the key pieces of advice that founders and leaders should keep in mind.

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advice founder startup enablement 67

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 15, 2013

I’ve been pitched by hundreds of entrepreneurs who never actually asked me whether I would invest. Startup Advice' .” I know first hand just how chicken people are about hearing it. I’ve sat through so many meetings where sales reps didn’t ask for the order. Very few people do.

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advice entrepreneurs entrepreneurship leadership 416