This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 29, 2011

I had an interesting conversation with an entrepreneur last week about how he decided which VCs he was going to pitch. 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. The Cold Intro. If I don't.

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VC pitching entrepreneurs networking 303

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 3, 2011

But last week I noticed a blog post by a woman, Tara Tiger Brown, that asked the question, “ Why Aren’t More Women Commenting on VC Blog Posts? She has a quote from literally every major VC from whom you’d want to hear. My guess is that probably only 2-3 out of every hundred pitches I receive are from women.

entrepreneurs 341

entrepreneurs entrepreneurship VC pitching 341

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2011

When this first ran on TechCrunch I got the greatest comment in the world that I had to repeat here, “VC’s are like martinis: the first is good, the second one great, and the third is a headache.&# I understand the appeal of having many VC firms on your cap table. In my second company I had only 1 investor. I love that.

VC 314

VC advice pitching investing 314

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

JUNE 22, 2021

and even though by definition that means the majority of our dollars are invested outside the area, that still makes us meaningfully different from the ten other Sand Hill Road funds this LP might be speaking with. We’re definitely not a “regional investor” but we do have some comparative advantage in a good portion of our deals.

investing 375

investing investment ventures pitching 375

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 22, 2017

There was a time not too long ago when VC bios read "Fab investor", "Quirky investor", and "Gilt investor". VCs can provide a useful piece of advice at a key moment--or help make a key hire, but the day in and day out grind is done by the work of the founder and the team, and they deserve 99.999999% of the credit. No one is perfect.

VC 333

VC advice pitching opportunity 333

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. Every consultant was pitching a process for reinventing your organization through BI. Poorly implemented this category was the definition of shelfware. It’s when the game slows. ” The Lessons of Shelfware.

incubation 354

incubation board VC innovation 354

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2010

I remember one day last summer when Dennis Crowley and I both went to pitch the same biz dev partner—me with Path 101 and him with Foursquare. Luckily, we didn’t pull the trigger on anything—but we were certainly early to thinking about it. Momentum at the right time paves the way for startup success.

VC 186

VC venture capital media board 186

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

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. Everyone has their own definition of momentum (user numbers, revenue, channel partners, biz dev deals, whatever).

startup 360

startup VC advice entrepreneurs 360

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 25, 2013

The definitive article about 33 Flatbush--the kind of commercial building you would drive by a million times without thinking twice-- was written in the NY Times a few years ago. It's the kind of place you just don't find in Manhattan, and definitely don't find in Silicon Valley. 33 Flatbush. 10 Jay Street. via Brownstoner.

communities 315

communities innovation creativity real estate 315

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

I know that “mission driven” sounds nebulous or some convenient definition of anything we want to fund. Truly, in many ways, my concern was the inverse of normal business pitches. Mission Driven I also am looking for founders that are on a personal mission to solve a big problem. But really it’s something I look for.

incumbents 270

incumbents entrepreneurs education pitching 270

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 28, 2010

That’s the classic definition of Grin Fucking. I found that most VC’s never gave me any feedback when I was pitching. Unsurprisingly, this one way best. The title IS the post. Don’t be a grin fucker. You know our employees are our most important asset.&#. I’m OK with that.

frameworks 378

frameworks consulting advice strategy 378

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 27, 2010

I remember one day last summer when Dennis Crowley and I both went to pitch the same biz dev partner—me with Path 101 and him with Foursquare. Luckily, we didn’t pull the trigger on anything—but we were certainly early to thinking about it. Momentum at the right time paves the way for startup success. Maybe… maybe not.

VC 150

VC venture capital media board 150

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

They pitched on a Wednesday. In the most perfect sense of the definition. Unsurprisingly for Kara is was the VC connections. It’s not much different than having Dave Morin, Dick Costolo or Sheryl Sandberg sitting next to you at lunch. Turns out Punky was a childhood hero for Tasha. That’s cute. That happens, right?

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Startup Grind

AUGUST 13, 2018

Pitch your startup for an opportunity to meet with Floodgate. Nancy Lublin, CEO of Loris.ai, is definitely a founder to watch. Pitch your startup for an opportunity to meet with Floodgate. She has a BSEE from Yale and a PhD from Stanford in math modeling of computer security. Q&A: What is your / your fund's mission?

VC 111

VC entrepreneurship pitching strategy 111

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

Prices have definitely gone up in 2011 as depicted in the anecdotal chart below. So in 2011 as a startup company if you can generate lots of demand you can definitely raise an A round of capital (say $3 million) at a $7 or 8 million pre-money valuation or slightly higher whereas just two years ago you would have struggled.

startup 336

startup advice pitching investing 336

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. It definitely is an IQ test thing for me.

advice 362

advice VC entrepreneurs education 362

TechCrunch

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

The crew here at TechCrunch has done a lot of writing about making amazing pitch decks over the years, and I figured it was time that I put together a collection of all of it in one handy spot. Perhaps I’m just a teensy bit biased over here, but I’d say it’s definitely worth subscribing to get access to all of this content.

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pitching startup venture capital ventures 102

TechCrunch

JULY 15, 2021

The overlapping in job roles is uncanny: The best investors and founders have to find focus through the noise, understand the weight of due diligence and pitch others with conviction. Pitch deck or pitch blurb? While the format definitely works, the influx of pitch decks in a hot deal environment makes it harder to stand out.

VC 102

VC pitching advice ventures 102

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 12, 2020

We started talking about cycling and electronic shifters (which I definitely couldn’t afford) when he mentioned this new company. I was there for the first Etsy VC pitch meeting in a Fort Greene apartment. I’ve had to start muting libertarian VC Twitter. That’s also why we do educational classes on VC best practices.

VC 367

VC hospitality investing investment 367

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

It definitely has a “d” in it, as in it’s really not fun, raising. As a VC I also have to fund raise every three years and these posts 100% apply to VCs raising money, too. Sure, you need to learn what the common theme of the no’s are and be willing to make adjustments to your pitch. Fund raising.

advice 236

advice VC entrepreneurs SaaS 236

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

And yes, VC’s, too. Negotiate directly with your VC or acquirer with lawyers present in the room. VCs : VCs are often on your side and usually act in an ethical manner. You can sometimes leverage your VC in a “bad cop&# negotiation with a buyer. What might the VC do against your interest?

real estate 319

real estate VC pitching entrepreneurs 319

Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2012

It sounds obvious, but the majority of entrepreneurs who pitch me have obviously never thought through many of the major issues surrounding their companies. A good beginning would be Bill Payne’s The Definitive Guide to Raising Money from Angels, available as a free download from [link]. Understand your business.

investing 164

investing investment pitching mix-use 164

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

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

I got an email recently from my friend & fellow VC, Jeff Bussgang from Flybridge Capital Partners in Boston. 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. And that leads me to today’s post.

startup 319

startup consulting pitching support 319

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 3, 2019

If there’s any one thing I’ve focused on in my VC career, it’s trying to give real, actionable feedback to founders. I’ve made a bet that if a founder pitches me, whether or not I fund them, if I make the process worthwhile by telling them exactly why I couldn’t get there, they’re likely to recommend that other founders do the same.

pitching 170

pitching communities VC founder 170

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 10, 2018

Sure, you need to learn what the common theme of the no’s are and be willing to make adjustments to your pitch. The “sure, let’s continue the process” by definition are not yeses so the no’s rack up and the yeses stay stuck at zero. It is CRITICAL that you not let this get inside your head. Just remind yourself of lemons.

pitching 232

pitching VC consulting creativity 232

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Of every 100 deals a VC firm considers, about a quarter get a meeting, and only one ends up securing investment. Visualizing and communicating this data can definitively power up a pitch deck. If you haven’t been thinking about product-market fit, you don’t have a pitch. Europe, and Latin America.

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pitching SaaS sustainability VC 87

TechCrunch

APRIL 9, 2021

But Levine saw the kernel of something with huge potential, and despite being a relative unknown in VC at the time, didn’t want to let the opportunity pass him, or Wang, by. If you’d like your pitch deck reviewed by experienced founders and investors on a future episode, you can submit your deck here.

VC 96

VC pitching financing finance 96

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 3, 2019

You hear this from VC’s a lot: “We need to own X% of your company to make our returns.” They back it up with sensible math—owning 20% of a billion dollar outcome returns a $200mm VC fund, and, of course, you’re trying to at least return the fund. So, no one really questions the ownership model. That’s not what seed funds are doing.

mix-use 276

mix-use pitching investing investment 276

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 5, 2019

It’s not actually surprising that investors bought into it, considering that for a long time, VCs have focused on one particular archtype of leader as being more worthy of venture investment than others—the bold, confident visionary who will talk big in the pitch meeting. you ever heard.

founder 170

founder pitching leadership culture 170

David Teten VC

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

Q: What is CISA and how does it compare to other alternative VC models? Oftentimes our investments are in companies with little revenue or traction, making them more difficult to finance from a traditional VC/angel perspective. These may indicate room for Versatile VC to build or invest in a startup addressing that need.

VC 59

VC finance financing peer-to-peer 59

TechCrunch

MAY 11, 2021

As the company’s CEO and co-founder Shail Mehta explained in a TC Early Stage pitch-off earlier this year, The Last Gameboard is a 16-inch square touchscreen device with a custom OS and a sophisticated method of tracking game pieces and hand movements. If the pitch sounds familiar… it’s been attempted once or twice before.

social gaming 136

social gaming pitching VC innovation 136

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.

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ventures startup capital board 334

TechCrunch

JANUARY 21, 2022

500 Global’s Christine Tsai shares her 2022 VC predictions. 500 Global’s Christine Tsai shares her 2022 VC predictions. Will quantum computing remain the domain of the specialist VC? Will quantum computing remain the domain of the specialist VC? If you want startup funding, don’t make VCs feel ignorant.

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VC incubation angel investing investing 80

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. Shame about that pesky FAS 157 ruling. When we want to sell or IPO companies they’re there again.

startup 318

startup advice entrepreneurs VC 318