October, 2016

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How come VCs are. jerks?

This is going to be BIG.

That was a question posed to me by a new analyst at a venture capital fund. Admittedly, I finished this person's sentence after their long pause. but the word "jerks" was agreed to as the direction they were taking the question. While there are lots and lots of really kind, generous people working in venture capital--the recently retired Howard Morgan, Hunter Walk, Brad Feld, and Karin Klein for example--it's really tough to argue that there isn't widespread jerkery.

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How I Promise You One of the Most Meaningful Days of Your Life

Both Sides of the Table

I know the title “I promise you one of the most meaningful days of your life” sounds grandiose but I mean it and I hope you’ll read through to the end and choose to take one small, totally free action, that will change your life and likely those of others. On September 10th of this year I spent an entire day in California State Prison with people who had committed felonies and worked with them on business plans to help them create legal enterprise upon their release as part of Defy Ventures 6-mo

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Flashback Friday: The Art of Engaging

Entrepreneurs' Organization

In all corners of the world, entrepreneurs are playing an integral role in the development of communities, economies and industries. And it all starts with engagement. For Rosemary Tan , a member of EO Malaysia and EO’s former Global Chairman, the art of engaging has helped her find success and significance in business and beyond. In this featured interview, Rosemary shares the highs and lows of her entrepreneurial journey, the value of EO leadership and how through engagement, she continues to

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2016 Pacific Crest SaaS Survey – Part 1

For Entrepreneurs

For the fifth year in a row, we’re proud to work with Pacific Crest Securities, a SaaS-focused investment banking firm, to share results from a survey of 336 SaaS companies. The survey represents deep benchmarking data and insights on growth and operation of SaaS companies. Many thanks to the readers of forEntrepreneurs who participated in the.

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

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?

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Channel partners can be golden for growth

Berkonomics

Dave’s note: Here comes my favorite “tell-it-like-it-is” CEO, Kim Shepherd, with another of her pieces from her experience managing a completely virtual company with over one hundred employees located through the United States and beyond. . By Kim Shepherd. In 2006, I gave a keynote speech at the Newspaper Association of America’s national conference in Chicago.

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Excited to be an Investor in The Wing

This is going to be BIG.

It means a lot to me to find financial opportunities investing in companies that I can be really proud of--education companies like Tinybop and Tinkergarten , or companies at the forefront of fair labor practices like Homer Logistics. There are others that haven't launched that I'm equally as proud and excited about--and now one more has launched. I'm thrilled to be an investor in The Wing --a Home Base for Women on Their Way.

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Venture Capital is About Human Capital

Both Sides of the Table

Gregg Johnson, CEO of Invoca For the first 5 years or so after I became a VC I didn’t talk much about what I thought a VC should be excellent at since frankly I wasn’t sure. I was mostly doing my job and trying to figure out how to be better every day. After a decade on the job I’ve started to speak more openly when newer industry colleagues now ask me what I’ve learned.

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EO and Flow

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Flow is being in the zone, the state of mind where you are effortlessly focused on what you’re doing. Everything else falls away, time stands still and all you hear is cowbell. Imagine if you could be in flow all the time? You can, and a great way to up your flow quotient is to make it part of your EO experience. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s famous book of the same name is a great intro to the subject.

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What was Nike like as a startup?

Unvalidated Learnings

And what you can learn from it Can you imagine Nike was a startup once? A lone guy in his parents’ garage hustling his way through importing cheap running shoes from Japan and selling them door to door (or rather race track to race track). Such is the company’s current scale and standing in popular culture that it’s hard to imagine it once was nothing more than a scrappy upstart with chronic cash shortages.

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How Top Tech CFOs Solve Annual Planning’s Biggest Challenges

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.

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It’s what you ask, not what you know.

Berkonomics

A friend recently told me a story that had nothing to do with business, but unintentionally had a great lesson for all of us. He had asked his arborist if he could move a mature tree from one part of his property to another – to make room for an addition to his home. “Yes,” replied the professional. “And how much would it cost?” To which the arborist responded, “We’d charge $18,000 for that.”.

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Are We Seeing the Beginning of SaaS Consolidation?

Tomasz Tunguz

The number of vendors selling to sales and marketing has exploded from 500 to more than 3000 over the last three years. Are we reaching the end of an expansionary cycle? The software pendulum tends to swing between software suites, offering a collection of different tools, and best-of-breed point solutions. But, have we reached the point where the best-of-breed, fragmented ecosystem is a permanent fixture?

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Do Androids Get Songs Stuck in Their Heads? My investment in Amper Music.

This is going to be BIG.

This weekend, Heathens by Twenty One Pilots has been stuck in my head. It has such a great sound--and I wanted to figure out what else I could listen to that sounded like it. I don't mean bands that are liked by other people who like Twenty One Pilots. I literally mean songs that sound like it. or maybe just remixed versions of it. I wanted to engage with music, but I can't, because I don't have the ability to manipulate the "source code" of the song.

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How to Help Children With Chronic Illness

Both Sides of the Table

I was asked to be the host at this year’s CoachArt Gala of Champions event on October 27th at the esteemed Beverly Hilton hotel. The goal is to raise money to help children with chronic illness get ongoing instruction in sports, art, music or whatever endeavor would help them get fulfillment in life. You can book tickets here (or make a donation if you can’t make the event) If you happen to live in LA (or in the Bay Area — we’re only an hour’s flight) I would love if you would consider attending

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Your Fractional Finance and Accounting Team

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.

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Stop Right Now and Fire Your CEO

Entrepreneurs' Organization

By Dustin Puryear, Founder and CEO of Puryear. There is nothing more nerve-racking than firing somebody. Yet, here I was doing it. “Sorry, but you just don’t fit. You were great when you started in your role here, but now things have changed and sometimes that means hard choices have to be made.”. There may have been a little quiver in my hand as I started signing the pink slip.

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This Article About Andy Dunn and Bonobos is the Blueprint for Founder Storytelling

This is going to be BIG.

I just read an article about Bonobos --or was it a press release. I'm not completely sure. If you've met Andy Dunn, you'll know why that's going to be a fine line for any reporter, because it's nearly impossible to have a conversation with him without getting wrapped up in a story optimized to share. And damn, does he have his story and the ability to perform inception with it down cold.

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How to Become a More Efficient CEO (and a Happier Human Being)

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Having a Type A personality has distinct benefits, including a competitive nature, a confident disposition and the drive to succeed – all of which are necessary for an ambitious entrepreneur and business owner. At that point, downtime wasn’t an option, but my inability to “switch off” began to beget consequences, starting with tiredness and escalating to mood swings, irritability and exhaustion.

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My Biggest Takeaways from the Forbes Under 30 Summit

Entrepreneurs' Organization

By Taylor Collison, Data Analytics Manager at the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. At this year’s Forbes Under 30 Summit, it was easy to see the impact the speakers have had in their respective areas. From US Olympic champions, such as Michael Phelps and Aly Raisman, to world-renowned chef Bobby Flay, the lineup was full of inspirational stories from varying backgrounds.

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Digitalization: 5 Tech Updates That Will Help You Survive The Recession & Thrive

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.

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A Philanthropist’s Diary: Giving Back to Get Ahead

Entrepreneurs' Organization

By Nirvana Chaudhary, an EO Nepal member and head of Chaudhary Foundation. It was noon on an ordinary Saturday when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the land of snow peaks and Sherpas, yaks and yetis, monasteries and mantras. Nepal— the beautiful Himalayan nation I call home. In a single day—25 April, 2015—the earthquake had left almost 9,000 people dead, nearly 800,000 homes destroyed and more than 30,000 classrooms damaged.

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The Story of Jeroo Billimoria, a Social Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs' Organization

This article was originally published on Ashoka’s #LeadYoung webpage. It has been reprinted here with permission. A social entrepreneur known for building huge, global coalitions, Jeroo first started in Mumbai, working with street children. She gave them her private phone number in case of emergencies. Soon every night it was ringing. From that caring and then recognition of system need came Childline.

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Your Startup's Competitive Advantage

Tomasz Tunguz

Startups fail when they run out of money. Startups run out of money when they lack focus. Without a maniacal focus on serving customer needs in a unique way, startups can flounder amidst competition. Without product market fit, the business is challenged to generate strong metrics and faces fundraising challenges. That’s why it’s critical to identify and focus on your startup’s competitive advantage. most of the time, start up competitive advantages fallen to five categories: p

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How Big is a Typical Software Company Acquisition?

Tomasz Tunguz

2016 has been a volatile year. Major capital investments fell 55% in Q3. The IPO market is a tale of two cities with some companies able to go public and catapult their valuations, but the overall number remains in the single digits. Last, M&A activity seems quite brisk with more than 30 $1B+ billion acquisitions in the last nine months alone. How do all these factors commingle to influence today’s acquisition environment?

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PE Mastery: CAPTARGET's Playbook for Quality Lead Flow

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.

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The Characteristics of the Most Attractive SMB SaaS Companies

Tomasz Tunguz

What are the attributes of the ideal SMB SaaS company, an entrepreneur asked me recently. It’s a good question. There are product, marketing, and sales attributes to that ideal company that successful SaaS business have exemplified in the past. Product. A beautifully designed, simple and elegant product is the first and most important thing. The product satisfies the top three priority for the software buyer and consequently the software buyer uses a software very frequently.

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Is Groupthink Devouring Your Team’s Decision-Making Ability?

Entrepreneurs' Organization

By Glenn Bartlett, Head of Strategy at Step Change. 28 January 1986 completely changed the way NASA operates. Here’s why: That day marked the space shuttle Challenger ’s tenth mission. But the day before, the engineers had warned the mission control centre that the cold weather forecast on launch day would pose risks: They had not tested the O-ring seals below 53 degrees Fahrenheit (a critical part of the rocket).

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5 Tips for Entrepreneurs with the Travel Bug

Entrepreneurs' Organization

This article was originally published on MinuteHack. By Richard Walton, EO Cape Town. When people ask me what it’s like being an entrepreneur, as stressful as it can be, I always find myself talking about how lucky I’ve been to travel and live around the world. I founded my first business, GVI , as a total rookie – aged 21 and fresh out of university.

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5 Tips for Learning Coding (With No Prior Experience)

Entrepreneurs' Organization

This article was originally published on Inc.com. It has been reprinted here with permission. By Samuel Edwards. At a time when certain job professions are withering away at the hands of technology and automation, there’s one skill set that continues to be more in demand than ever before: coding. Businesses and organizations are constantly looking for website developers, software developers, and computer programmers.

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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

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