This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

At least, that would be the title if somebody made a kids movie out of it. It just seemed like a fitting title for a company built around narrative by a founder who used to write stories for a living. It's a story that just hit a milestone--a $4mm round of venture funding that I'm ecstatic to say Brooklyn Bridge Ventures just led. I'm joined by Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Red Sea Ventures, NucleasHG, the founders of Seamless, a host of extremely helpful angels, and a CircleUp syndicate led by my fri

venture capital 378

venture capital ventures capital consumer retail 378

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

In our industry we always talk about funding big ideas or funding things with more meaning. It’s something Yves Sisteron & I have been talking about for years at Upfront Ventures. Today we’re proud to talk more about Grove Labs – we really hope you’ll quickly check out this innovative product and we think many of you will be as impressed with Grove as we have been.

founder 363

founder ecology sustainability culture 363

For Entrepreneurs

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

This article was originally published as part of a series of posts on GigaOm. As a VC and five-time entrepreneur, I frequently see two common mistakes being made by startups: Companies spend too much attempting to grow the business when it’s not ready for such growth; or Companies don’t spend enough money when the business.

accelerator 137

accelerator startup VC entrepreneurs 137

Entrepreneurs' Organization

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

Many members of my immediate family are entrepreneurs, and several of us have a long history within EO. I, myself, have been an EO Los Angeles member for 11 years; my brother Bejan has been an EO Chicago member for six years; my brother Cameron was an EO San Francisco member for six years. Even my sister and brother-in-law are YPO members in Zurich.

creativity 130

creativity support entrepreneurs opportunity 130

Advertisement

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?

strategy

Tomasz Tunguz

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Founded in 2002, the Australian software maker Atlassian is an exceptional company in many regards. But foremost, Atlassian is one of the best examples of flywheel SaaS companies yet. Atlassian counts 1600 employees and sells five products JIRA (bug tracking software), Confluence (project management), HipChat (internal chat/collaboration), BitBucket (code repository) and JIRA Service Desk (help desk software.

SaaS 49

SaaS collaboration venture capital development 49

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

"Square, the payment technology company founded and led by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, this evening raised $243 million by pricing its initial public offering at $9 per share, which would imply an market value of around $2.9 billion. It is a major disappointment for the San Francisco-based company." Can we just all let that sink in for a second? A "major disappointment".

angel investing 408

angel investing venture capital VC media 408

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

I’m often asked about the differences between being at a VC and being an entrepreneur and whether I prefer one or the other. The biggest difference I cite is that Venture Capital often feels like an “individual sport” while startups are a “team sport.” The reason is that at a VC you have a group of partners who often have different focus areas of excellence, each pursues deals in their respective field, each makes investments and sits on boards and each spends their

culture 339

culture VC communities venture capital 339

For Entrepreneurs

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

This article was originally published as part of a series of posts on GigaOm. In my two previous blog posts, I’ve discussed the first two of three key phases in a startup life cycle: finding a product/market fit, then determining a repeatable and scalable sales model. Once you’ve determined that the sales funnel process you’ve designed.

accelerator 116

accelerator startup 116

Entrepreneurs' Organization

NOVEMBER 24, 2015

I think the biggest lie an entrepreneur can tell themselves is that work and family are separate. Trying to separate out my family from my work would be like trying to separate my spirit from my body. If I am the captain of my journey, then they are my ship. They are with me through the storms and the sunshine. My son Jacob provides insight and wisdom to me when my business is facing difficult issues – this is priceless.

collaboration 130

collaboration entrepreneurs support founder 130

Advertisement

Gearing up for 2025 annual planning? Our latest eBook from the Operators Guild is your ultimate guide. Discover real-world solutions and best practices shared by top CFOs, drawn directly from discussions within OG’s vibrant online community. Learn from senior executives at high-growth tech startups as they outline financial planning strategies, align CEO and board goals, and coordinate budgets across departments.

startup

Tomasz Tunguz

NOVEMBER 1, 2015

Last week, a friend asked me what I thought the future of software would be. At some point, all the workflow processes that still conducted on paper and pencil will be digitized, all of the tasks completed in Excel will be optimized, and the majority of limitations of traditional software will be overcome. It’s not to say that software innovation in its current form will continue to exist for decades, but what is the fundamental shift that resets the ecosystem like the cloud did in the ear

technology 45

technology SaaS coworking innovation 45

Gust

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Jason Rappaport, Founder and CEO of Squareknot, has raised $1.3 million to date — his first $500,000 round came after a single email, pitch, and lunch. We sat down with Jason as he shared what his fundraising journey was like, the startup lessons he learned, and his advice to fellow founders. Here is what he had to say: HK: Tell me a Read more >.

founder 182

founder startup advice pitching 182

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

When I first started in venture capital, back in 2001, I used to fund funds. I worked for an institutional investor that invested in both venture capital funds and later stage growth deals. My job was to figure out why certain firms were winning and why they might continue to win. Part of this, of course, involves looking into the past. Why someone did well previously is the first clue to figuring out whether or not that would be sustainable--but it isn't necessarily predictive.

sustainability 328

sustainability angel investing venture capital VC 328

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

This one is attributed to Rod Adair, the famous oil and gas fire suppressing expert. And boy, does it apply to most of us and our offerings. “Quality” products and services should not be positioned as “cheap,” or your potential customers will question your message from the start, and will be more critical of the delivered product than if offered as one or the other, but not both.

development 111

development 111

Advertisement

Mighty Financial specializes in supporting the financial aspirations of small businesses and entrepreneurs. With our comprehensive bookkeeping and precise accounting expertise with decades of experience across diverse financial roles, our team offers tailor-made services ranging from essential bookkeeping to strategic fractional CFO support, catered specifically to the unique challenges of technology companies, startups, and SMEs.

financing

For Entrepreneurs

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

This article was originally published as part of a series of posts on GigaOm. Different phases of a startup’s lifecycle require different approaches to spending. In my previous post, I talked about the first phase: finding product/market fit. I described how entrepreneurs should have a laser-like focus on finding it, and why they should conserve cash.

accelerator 96

accelerator startup entrepreneurs 96

Entrepreneurs' Organization

NOVEMBER 12, 2015

The following story was written by James Breeze, CEO of Objective Experience and an EO At-Large member in the Asia Pacific region: “Dad! I want to start a charity!”. You can imagine my surprise hearing this from my seven year old son, Ben, while he was sitting at my desk watching videos on YouTube. “I want to help poor kids in Bali.”. Not quite sure if he knew what he was saying, I asked, “What is a charity, Ben?”.

culture 130

culture opportunity support ventures 130

Tomasz Tunguz

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

As the temperament of the fundraising market shifts, particularly in the later stages, the question of how much a startup should burn will become increasingly important. We’re living in a historic period of very inexpensive venture capital. These cheap dollars have fueled spectacular companies with record-setting growth rates. In such an environment, growth at almost any cost is handsomely rewarded.

SaaS 45

SaaS startup frameworks sustainability 45

Gust

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

How to Make Your Gust Account Stand Out to Investors Before you read any further, I want you to know that I’ve personally used Gust to raise money for my first tech startup. I know a lot of other entrepreneurs who use or have used Gust to seek funds, but their profiles don’t always get attention from investors. Below are. Read more >. The post Trying to Raise Money?

startup 148

startup entrepreneurs 148

Advertisement

Lack of digitalization decreases business competitiveness. To thrive, embracing modern solutions becomes essential. The approach to digitalization often aligns with a company's business model. This shift not only boosts productivity but also automates processes and improves security. The tech market offers a wealth of technologies tailored for management, planning, and forecasting, replacing outdated pen-and-paper methods.

technology

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

On Sunday I wound up leaving my car by the office because of the NYC Marathon. Last night I took it home, so this morning I find myself on the subway in a rare occurence. It's unfortunate because today is an absolutely perfect day to bike. Luckily I have to be in the city later so I'll have a chance to ride. For now, I'm subway thumbing. Lately, I've been a little stuck for things to write about.

ventures 268

ventures 268

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

A friend of mine recently told me his story of how his very career rests on his credibility with his major supplier–partners. He stated that everything rides upon his credibility when he declares that he can produce a quality product on time, especially when his competition has faltered attempting to do so. There’s little news in that statement. Until you hear of the stories of those who destroyed a good thing with one badly executed promise, or one lie, or one slip in quality or delivery.

83

83

For Entrepreneurs

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

The competition for hiring the best top talent in startups has never been higher. The best people are almost never on the market, so it’s imperative to develop recruiting processes to find and sell passive candidates. It may take months or years of relationship building with these candidates to find the right moment when they are open.

startup 103

startup development 103

Entrepreneurs' Organization

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

— #EO24 virtual learning program offers business insights from U.S.-based and internationally recognized entrepreneurs — EO is celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week ( GEW ) by presenting EO24. This annual EO event will offer an in-depth perspective from four keynote speakers, ranging from podcast extraordinaire, John Lee Dumas, and Geek Squad founder, Robert Stephens, to merger and acquisitions expert, Andrew Sherman, and Jordan Daykin, the youngest entrepreneur to successfully wi

entrepreneurship 100

entrepreneurship entrepreneurs opportunity investing 100

Advertisement

CAPTARGET presents a masterclass in M&A deal sourcing. Learn to cast a wide net, embracing seller self-identification. Consistency is the linchpin: keep the origination process steady for a reliable flow of opportunities. Diversify your tactics, employing various tools and vendors. Tech matters! Understand DNS settings, domain authority, and brand presence for optimal outreach.

opportunity

Tomasz Tunguz

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

Just 25 months ago, Aileen Lee coined the term unicorn in her post Welcome to the Unicorn Club and last week the Economist declared these Unicorns “ Gored.” Over the span of those two years, the Unicorn press cycle has swung from euphoric apotheosis to bleak nadir. The rise and fall of unicorns in the press isn’t a unique phenomenon.

transportation 40

transportation disruption investing investment 40

Gust

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

After less than a year, Glassbreakers is now a team of 10, we have thousands of active users on our free product, we’ve expanded into enterprises with paying customers and raised over a million in seed funding. After a few of my Glassbreaker matches inquired, I started to reflect on what it’s like to build a startup. Read more >. The post Starting a startup as CTO / Head of Product appeared first on The Gust Blog.

startup 123

startup 123

Derek Sivers

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

A month ago I announced the /now page movement , where many personal websites are adding a “/now” page to answer the question, “What are you focused on now?”. At the time, only ten websites had a /now page. Now there are over 280. It’s incredible. People are saying it helps them prioritize and focus. Greg Albritton emailed to say he made a list of everyone with a /now page.

support 58

support 58

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Customer empowerment is moving so fast nowadays that many of us are running to just catch up. Yet if we don’t or can’t, it is a sure thing that someone else will. Blame the Internet for this rise in customer expectations. But don’t close your eyes to the fact that your customers have grown to expect your products or services in the form of…. ‘WHAT I want, WHEN I want, and WHERE I want.’.

media 71

media strategy technology 71

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

B2B marketing