Entrepreneurs' Organization

AUGUST 27, 2020

Nine out of 10 entrepreneurs I know have long-term pain with their partners. The tenth entrepreneur without the headache is usually the one without a business partner. It’s because you just haven’t pitched your products or services to solve their problems. Agonise over whether or not you need business partners. Values cannot.

advice 325

advice entrepreneurs creativity culture 325

Revolution

FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Since the beginning of modern venture capital investing — a relatively nascent asset class — the industry has been biased toward funding what it knows best: founders with familiar demographics (white, male) in familiar geographies (Silicon Valley).

innovation 264

innovation investing investment pitching 264

Entrepreneurs' Organization

MARCH 17, 2021

We asked authors Cyril Bouquet, Michael Wade and Jean-Louis Barsoux how entrepreneurs can benefit from Alien Thinking: What does it mean to think like an “alien”? . Can you share those stories and the lessons for entrepreneurs? What must entrepreneurs keep in mind as they take this critical step? 2 for his age group at 12.

entrepreneurs 236

entrepreneurs frameworks innovation pitching 236

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 5, 2014

For me, after nearly a decade in the trenches of being an entrepreneur I felt I was un-brainwashed from trying to pretend I had all the answers. The more self-assured the VC is and the more impressionable the entrepreneur is the worse the outcome. And I encourage entrepreneurs to triangulate as well. It is unknowable.

peer-to-peer 337

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs consulting VC 337

Dream It

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

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. We hear startups pitch everyday and far too often founders end up joining the meeting late.

pitching 285

pitching advice health founder 285

Dream It

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

Selling a compelling vision is so critical that some investors weigh it more heavily than the pitch deck itself. Strategies for crafting a strong and compelling vision for your startup: Towards the end of your pitch, tell investors that “this is just the beginning” for your startup. It’s not about the slide deck.

pitching 286

pitching incumbents transportation strategy 286

Dream It

MAY 29, 2019

Startup pitch meetings are pretty predictable. You walk into a venture fund’s conference room or Zoom room (if they’re progressive), pitch the partners, offer to answer their questions, maybe ask them a bland question or two, and then leave the meeting to await a response. What metrics do you need to see to invest in my company?

pitching 284

pitching VC investing investment 284

Entrepreneurs' Organization

DECEMBER 15, 2021

Maximilian Fleitmann , an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member primarily based in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, is the CEO of BaseTemplates and Partner at Richmond View Ventures. He has raised venture capital for his startups, helped hundreds of founders craft their pitch decks and fundraising strategy, and invested as a business angel.

pitching 256

pitching entrepreneurs venture capital ventures 256

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 14, 2014

Last week, there was a Business Insider article measuring the percent of female founded companies that NYC seed funds invest in. The main driver of the skew towards men getting venture capital, statistically, is that far more men are pitching. Brooklyn Bridge Ventures came in first, with a whopping 61%. later in their careers.

founder 378

founder pitching venture capital mix-use 378

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2015

What Cham rarely tells people – he’s both private and humble – is that he started making some small co-investments with me in tech firms starting with Maker Studios where he was one of the earliest investors. This past year he even decided to attend burning man (photo below) to get a sense of what that was all about.

ventures 420

ventures pitching entrepreneurship advice 420

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 27, 2022

— Alberto Soto, Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) Alumnus and EO Guatemala member. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely, so surround yourself with others who have gone through this experience, or who are also starting their journeys. Plan, practice and pitch. “Start now. Don’t wait for anything.

entrepreneurs 274

entrepreneurs peer-to-peer pitching networking 274

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 23, 2014

When I turn down the opportunity to invest in a startup, I really turn it down. Sugarcoating isn''t helpful to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are sending me back notes saying "They turned it down, but I''m not sure why." It doesn''t help them improve their pitch or adjust their model.

pitching 351

pitching VC venture capital opportunity 351

American Entrepreneurship

MARCH 21, 2025

Entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the country will gather in Dallas June 12-14, 2025, for the return of the Good Soil Forum, presented by Wells Fargo. Known for igniting purpose-driven business growth, this years event will feature none other than media icon, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Oprah Winfrey , who will join T.D.

entrepreneurs 74

entrepreneurs mentorship entrepreneurial ecosystem pitching 74

Revolution

JANUARY 27, 2025

Reflections on Georgetowns 2025 pitch competition from TedLeonsis Last week, Georgetown Universitys McDonough School of Business once again became a launchpad for the next generation of bold thinkers and doers. At Revolution, Ive seen what backing entrepreneurs with big ideas can breed. startup ecosystem.

entrepreneurship 100

entrepreneurship capital pitching startup ecosystem 100

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 26, 2012

I'm way early in my career, so I won't say I've perfected anything yet, but after 8 years on the investing side and 3 in startups, I've come up at least one thing: Be open. I want your pitch to be the one I say yes to--and I want you to solve the inherent problems in your business model. We only fund top entrepreneurs." "We

VC 371

VC pitching venture capital creativity 371

Dream It

JANUARY 8, 2020

In the episode, Steve asked Ron about his “five slide pitch deck.” This is what each of the five slides may include: First Slide: The “What” The first slide answers the question that puts entrepreneurs in action: What problem does your solution solve? How much will you invest in marketing and other capital intensive resources?

pitching 195

pitching opportunity board founder 195

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

I’m very excited to be finally be able to announce that this week we’ve added Sam Rosen to our ranks at GRP Partners in the role of entrepreneurs-in-residence – EIR. It’s the first EIR that we’ve had in the years that I’ve been with the firm and I hope will be the start of our investment in this program.

pitching 372

pitching advice VC entrepreneurs 372

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

She was pitching for a pre-seed round of $400k. Founders hit the street with their pitch deck, some make it, and some don’t, but nearly all of them ascribe a lot more human influence over the process than there probably is. For all we know, white men make 99% of the pitches. I’m a female founder. I don’t have enough traction.

advice 429

advice pitching venture capital VC 429

The Seraf Compass

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Entrepreneurs fall in love with their products. How many times have you sat through an entrepreneur’s pitch and learned practically every detail about the product, but almost nothing about the business opportunity.

investing 279

investing investment pitching opportunity 279

This is going to be BIG.

OCTOBER 7, 2013

a) The entrepreneur is distracted from doing what they need to do--i.e. The same goes for vetting the entrepreneur. In many cases, I got to know the entrepreneur before they were pitching or even had a deck. In many cases, I got to know the entrepreneur before they were pitching or even had a deck.

investing 322

investing investment construction venture capital 322

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

I often talk about what I’m looking for when I meet with an entrepreneur. Above all else I’m looking for a genuine passion for what the entrepreneur is doing. You can sense when it is a “mission” for this entrepreneur to succeed and she will continue the journey even if success isn’t easy or immediate.

peer-to-peer 373

peer-to-peer VC pitching entrepreneurs 373

Entrepreneurs' Organization

AUGUST 5, 2022

The first two MyEO DealExchange conferences in 2018 and 2019 made a significant impact on the members who attended—including a 7-figure investment in Scott Mesh (EO New York)’s company. Some MyEO DX members are angel investors and serial entrepreneurs with deep knowledge about the process and strategy behind buying and selling companies.

accelerator 273

accelerator networking pitching real estate 273

Dream It

DECEMBER 19, 2019

Avoiding 5 Common Cyber Entrepreneur Pitfalls In this #DreamitLive, Ron Gula , president of Gula Tech Ventures , joins Steve Barsh to talk about the 5 most common mistakes cyber entrepreneurs make and how to avoid them. He has invested in dozens of cyber start-ups and supported multiple cyber funds. What do you look for?

entrepreneurs 195

entrepreneurs pitching venture capital investing 195

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

I can't think of a single time when a white man came to pitch me and I told him his fundraising plans weren't aggressive enough. Yet, for some reason, the goals for her pitch were incremental--despite being in an extremely hot space. So why are so many diverse entrepreneurs shortchanging themselves? Something else is at play.

advice 418

advice founder pitching VC 418

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JANUARY 4, 2023

We asked EO members to look ahead in 2023 and identify trends they see for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship overall. We asked them to share the skills, mindset or tools that entrepreneurs would be wise to adopt to meet the moment. Video pitching. I see an uptick in pitching via pre-recorded video. Temptation to regress.

ecology 252

ecology entrepreneurship pitching entrepreneurs 252

Dream It

DECEMBER 10, 2020

In this guest Dreamit Dose, Jason Calacanis (@jason), a technology entrepreneur, angel investor, and the host of the popular podcasts This Week in Startups and Angel, answers the top 5 questions he gets about angel investing. Traction and determined entrepreneurs who are constantly working to make their company better.

angel investing 221

angel investing investing investment networking 221

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

The fact is, it''s just not cool to criticize the investing side of the venture capital market. But can''t I disagree with him on an investment? Why does it seem to automatically make someone an a **e to be critical of an investment? They seemed annoyed that I said anything in the first place. What was said, who''s right, etc.,

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venture capital capital ventures entrepreneurship 396

American Entrepreneurship

DECEMBER 4, 2024

Recognizing this, The Veteran Fund announced the winner of its $100,000 Veteran Pitch Competition and the recent closing of its inaugural oversubscribed investment Fund I. The Veteran Fund was created to harness this potential, empowering veteran entrepreneurs to drive advancements in technology while securing America’s future.”

leadership 97

leadership startup accelerator mentorship entrepreneurship 97

American Entrepreneurship

MARCH 5, 2024

Three finalists received training via workshops and coaching from business advisors, fine-tuning their business plans and pitches for the showcase and pitch competition. In addition to its classroom curriculum, NFTE hosts the Founders Forum Pitch Competition.

pitching 111

pitching founder entrepreneurship education 111

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JUNE 19, 2024

Yet, as most seasoned entrepreneurs will attest, the reality is far more complex and challenging, particularly when you decide to bootstrap your business. Instead, it began with 15 years of hands-on learning in capital markets, working closely with entrepreneurs, investors, and bankers. I also did not have a business partner.

financing 255

financing finance entrepreneurship mentorship 255

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 17, 2014

Takes an hour or an hour and a half at most and everyone gets the benefit of a public conversation--versus three or four hours of pitches. So many entrepreneurs beg for just a few minutes of my time. Those kinds of requests feel desperate and not only undermine their pitch, but it''s still real time that adds up.

pitching 329

pitching financing finance incubation 329

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 7, 2015

” I found myself nodding through all of it with quotes like, “Seed investing is the status symbol of Silicon Valley,” said Sam Altman. One of my favorite entrepreneur-Twitterer weighed in, “You want to keep tapping into their collective intelligence so you keep saying ‘Thank you for the feedback’ and they keep sending it,” Ms.

startup 323

startup advice pitching VC 323

American Entrepreneurship

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

This annual gathering brings together a dynamic mix of entrepreneurs, angel investors, and venture capitalists from the surrounding states, creating a fertile ground for innovation, networking, and investment opportunities. With a rigorous selection process, only the most promising tech-enabled companies get the chance to pitch.

entrepreneurs 98

entrepreneurs ventures pitching mentorship 98

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 16, 2014

If all my deals came as intros from trusted connections that I know for years versus at founder pitch events that''s interesting data. If you meet someone at a pitch event, they''ve already got a company and they''re looking to close as quickly as possible. In fact, that''s what I tend to do--at least, what I say that I do.

VC 415

VC pitching networking venture capital 415

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Now, I’m pretty on the record that being an entrepreneur is about being great at The Do. I have written about the need for entrepreneurs to take inventory in themselves before deciding whom to hire as the rest of the team. and it forced me to spend some serious time thinking about what I really look for when I make investments.

creativity 400

creativity venture capital entrepreneurs board 400

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

We refer to people as "great entrepreneurs" in the startup community all the time--but are they? It was like someone gave him the instruction manual on how to pitch and no one else had it. Sure enough, the very next pitch sent a screamer his way. Same with investments. A lot of people have great stats.

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pitching consulting entrepreneurs communities 404

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 31, 2014

Even if you haven''t gotten offers yet, your time is valuable and you can''t pitch everyone. You feel like you have a decent shot of successfully raising, so you want to prioritize who to pitch to first. 3) Talk to entrepreneurs they''ve backed before to see who really adds value. How did you pick who to pitch?

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VC pitching venture capital capital 364