Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

It’s when the noise stops and you can actually get customer attention, press articles and VC meetings. Poorly implemented this category was the definition of shelfware. Make sure your board challenges you enough about long-term vision & innovation. It’s when the game slows. ” The Lessons of Shelfware.

incubation 354

incubation board VC innovation 354

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 25, 2023

Does the VC think that a designer needs to be on the team from day one if you’re going to build a better version of Instagram? Does the VC think that a machine learning engineer needs to be there to build a real version of Tony Stark’s Jarvis? Let’s first talk about the definition of a co-founder. That’s fair.

founder 368

founder VC board pitching 368

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

I became a VC 12 years ago in 2007 when the pace of deals was much slower. As I was trying to figure out the role I wanted to play in the VC world I decided I wanted to focus on businesses that were building deeply technical products to solve problems for business users. almost be definition you should be scratching your head.

VC 223

VC venture capital capital investing 223

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 29, 2011

Then I realized that it's probably not obvious what the dynamics are around how VCs tend to get introduced to companies and what works best for people, so I figured I'd blog about it. A lot of VCs ask to be introduced through someone. Talking to a VC is never a one shot deal. The Cold Intro. Multiple Touchpoints.

VC 303

VC pitching entrepreneurs networking 303

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 5, 2016

Just don't go picking someone who really doesn't compliment you just because it's some kind of VC rule. I've heard a lot of VCs tell founders they need co-founders--and that they wouldn't look at a business at a very early stage without a co-founder. The same holds true for VC funds.

founder 284

founder board VC construction 284

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Dan asked Fred about “generational change” at USV and in the VC industry more broadly. The founding partner of Upfront, Yves Sisteron, has been a mentor for me since 1999 and was on the board of my first company. And since Fred discusses economics in his video (and few VCs do) I will reciprocate.

VC 176

VC peer-to-peer board disruption 176

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2010

Sometimes it pays to jump on board before a lot of big questions have been answered—simply because you can feel the market starting to notice it and create mindshare momentum. Undaunted, he went back to work, got some great partners on board, and kept plugging away. I told him I just couldn’t get there on it.

VC 186

VC venture capital media board 186

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 11, 2014

It''s a solid exit to a company that has lots of revs, is growing, and together will form a very formidable player in the data backup space--one that can definitely be a public company in the next couple of years. We got the round done with some great names around the table--Jason Calacanis, Chris Sacca, and General Catalyst.

board 274

board venture capital creativity entrepreneurship 274

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 26, 2015

You’d be surprised how many firms are “dictator VCs” – even those that don’t formally acknowledge it internally. When you’re newer in VC many partners choose to play it safe, doing smaller investments and not trying to bet on something that a “far out” risk. ” Guys?

venture capital 336

venture capital peer-to-peer capital ventures 336

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

And we all know that Ron Conway is considered the savviest of angel investors and yet by definition not all of his investments succeed. Tags: Startup Advice Tech Market Analysis VC Industry. Just ask the people who poured money into once “hot&# companies like RazorGator or Friendster. I don’t believe these times will last.

angel investing 288

angel investing investing investment advice 288

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2011

I was saying that I was happy it was all out in the open because I felt at least everybody could now understand the issues & opportunities from the perspectives of angels, entrepreneurs and VCs. Let’s be clear: AngelList doesn’t scare a single VC I know. But it’s not cutting VCs out. It is additive.

VC 292

VC peer-to-peer investing investment 292

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2010

This is a related post that will not only help you get the results you want more effectively but will also help earn the respect of your senior people (whether management or your board). having quantification in the problem definition always helps. Heck, even VC’s have bosses (our investors). Everybody says that.

advice 342

advice board consulting development 342

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

OCTOBER 20, 2021

It has been enlightening, exciting, rewarding, but definitely not mainstream. Though I am on the board of Coinbase, I had not been aware of this partnership until I saw the tweet. We started looking at crypto ten years ago, starting investing nine years ago, and have had a front-row seat to its development ever since.

education 208

education board development investing 208

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 5, 2022

What this tech definitely does is that it expands the size of the creator market. As it is, I’m a paid Canva user and you definitely wouldn’t have counted me in that target demo as narrowly defined by Adobe’s core audience ten years ago. The best thing they can do is get on board early in the right way.

creativity 243

creativity media enablement technology 243

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

He then brought her to board meetings so nobody could accuse him of not having a business model. I guess this is the ultimate definition of implementing a business model when you’re not clear on strategy! If it’s the former your company will definitely start to top out at some point. Markets decide.

strategy 401

strategy startup peer-to-peer advice 401

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.&#. I’m sure everybody has their own definition of the attributes of an entrepreneur. VC meetings going well. 2 million in VC.

entrepreneurs 384

entrepreneurs startup VC real estate 384

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2010

Sometimes it pays to jump on board before a lot of big questions have been answered—simply because you can feel the market starting to notice it and create mindshare momentum. Undaunted, he went back to work, got some great partners on board, and kept plugging away. I told him I just couldn’t get there on it. Maybe… maybe not.

VC 150

VC venture capital media board 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

about their marathon 4-hour sessions to get to zero inbox or somebody else claiming email bankruptcy ( definition if you don’t know it already ). I had a 3-hour board meeting with another. I sent an email to another about what I thought we should cover at his next board meeting and what was missing from the deck he sent.

advice 314

advice culture board VC 314

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

I have seen it first-hand in my VC career many, many times. There were cultural challenges across the board. In many cases it’s easier if this person isn’t a board member or VC unless you have an extremely close or trusting relationship with them. And, yes, it is politics at its purest.

founder 340

founder board culture advice 340

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 10, 2015

This is the definition of “Why Buy Anything?” So understanding the stage of a VC matters. Also, you need to consider the type of investments each VC does. Finally, the same rules apply for VC firms raising money from LPs. Nothing is worse than maybe or not knowing. ” You have a problem that I can fix.

VC 329

VC entrepreneurs investing investment 329

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2015

He was also surrounded by business colleagues: Maker Studios employees, Disney leaders, YouTube leaders, VC investors and so forth. I had a board meeting for NextPlus and I heard from one of the board members that Nanea Reeves (President & COO) was losing her husband to cancer. Nanea’s response surprised me.

entrepreneurs 347

entrepreneurs peer-to-peer board leadership 347

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. In the most perfect sense of the definition. Unsurprisingly for Kara is was the VC connections. Aka Punky Brewster. We’ve had many celebrities walk through our doors including a-list film stars. Heck, I even had Robert Downey, Jr.

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

TechCrunch

AUGUST 31, 2022

Two weeks ago, longtime venture capitalist Chris Olsen, a general partner and cofounder of Drive Capital in Columbus, Ohio, settled into his seat for a portfolio company’s board meeting. ” He also says that it isn’t the first time a board meeting hasn’t happened as planned lately. They stopped having them.”

board 83

board ventures hospitality VC 83

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

If that isn’t the original definition of “angel” money I don’t know what is. Fly out to CA, NY, BOS and tell investors that you’ll willing to do the majority of board meetings there. You only want them to commit to attending 1-2 board meetings a year in your home town. CincyTech today has $28.5

startup 390

startup communities venture capital angel capital 390

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

My goal is to make Brooklyn Bridge Ventures the most accessible VC firm not just because I think it’s good business, but because I think it’s a based on good values. A co-op board is going to judge me at my next apartment. When you ask me what I think about something—I’m not juggling two hats.

investing 294

investing investment communities founder 294

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2011

By definition, you read blogs. But should you actually write one if you’re a startup, an industry figure (lawyer, banker) or VC? Within 2 years I was getting 400,000 views / month and had been voted the 2nd most respected VC in the country by an independent survey of entrepreneurs, The Funded and sentiment analysis.

startup 373

startup advice communities VC 373

TechCrunch

JANUARY 25, 2023

Even as things reopened, jobs were increasingly difficult to fill and companies across the board were in a desperate push to automate. The thing we thought was happening with robotic investments is definitely happening by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch

investing 90

investing investment accelerator board 90

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. It definitely is an IQ test thing for me.

advice 362

advice VC entrepreneurs education 362

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2010

“Yes&# was given to me by one of my favorite angel investor / seed VC’s to work with – John Greathouse of Rincon Venture Partners and author of the blog InfoChachkie that you should check out because it is filled with great info from a guy who has been a very successful operator.

strategy 293

strategy venture capital SaaS investing 293

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

In some ways it feels like a company that has gone partially remote—where you still get certain types of interaction on “office days” that you can’t get at home, but it’s definitely not what it was. Each episode would take me about 15 minutes to edit and publish after we recorded it because I wasn’t going nuts on the editing side.

peer-to-peer 359

peer-to-peer board communities leadership 359

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

As an early-stage VC I love this phase. After numerous discussions we held the line and all agreed as a board that profitability was much more important than chasing new markets and that perfecting our systems and methods was critical before we expanded and just increase the scope of our problems to solve. Startups are like families.

innovation 286

innovation startup board leadership 286

Dream It

APRIL 12, 2020

During our recent Dreamit Kickoff week, Bullpen Capital Founder and General Partner Paul Martino ( @ahpah ) spoke with our Spring 2020 cohort about the state of the VC ecosystem in the current economic crisis. It will definitely happen for some venture funds, but the question is how widespread it will be,” states Martino.

ventures 334

ventures startup capital board 334

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 17, 2011

I apply visual thinking for nearly everything I do: preparing for important phone calls (I imagine my opening lines, I imagine the responses), writing keynote presentations, deciding whether or not to invest in a company, preparing for board meetings – you name it. These are all creative processes. I had my model in hand.

creativity 356

creativity frameworks media innovation 356

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

I know because I marked the occasion with a blog post on how to have a great VC meeting. The decisions were endless, the choices not obvious and the VC involved a pain in the ass. was definitely in the bucket of amazingly talented founders with a great product that hadn’t yet proved product/market fit.

peer-to-peer 303

peer-to-peer energy founder advice 303

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

Founded it as a California LLC but your potential VC wants a Delaware C-Corp? I recently wrote a post on how to get access to VCs and angels where I outlined why lawyers are such an important tool for VC introductions. When we invest they are often the company counsel so we see them at board meetings.

startup 318

startup advice entrepreneurs VC 318

Y Combinator

JULY 15, 2019

One of the most common questions we hear from founders is “How do I manage my board?” It’s something that provokes anxiety, because this is the first time the founder/CEO is subject to external supervision, and the board has powers that include the firing of the CEO and the senior management. But first, what’s the purpose of a board?

board 96

board frameworks advice peer-to-peer 96

David Teten VC

MARCH 5, 2021

(co-written with Katherine Boe Heuck , a MBA candidate at MIT Sloan (class of 2022); past intern at Versatile VC ; and a current intern at Metaprop NYC.). We reviewed CB Insights’ global list of “40 of the Best VC Bets of all Time.” For funds with an overall return of 3-5x, which is what VC funds aim for, the overall return was 4.6x

VC 82

VC investing investment founder 82