Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

Every VC firm works differently but when asked about our process I always reply the same way, We’re a “high conviction” shop. A company presents. If you pound the table on deals over a period of time and you’re consistently wrong it’s clear you won’t make a great long-term VC.

advice 332

advice peer-to-peer startup frameworks 332

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

I can’t help feel a bit of rear-view mirror analysis in all of “VC model is broken” bears in our industry. I have been close to the tech & startup sectors for more than 20 years and I can’t think of a period in which I felt more optimistic about the innovation and value creation I see in front of us. Thank you, Aaron Sorkin!

venture capital 347

venture capital capital ventures VC 347

TechCrunch

MARCH 11, 2021

David Teten is founder of Versatile VC and writes periodically at teten.com and @dteten. 15 steps to fundraising a new VC or private equity fund. Stéphane Nasser is co-founder of OpenVC , an open-source initiative to collect and analyze all VC theses. VC websites by David Teten and Sam Sabin , co-founder of Hireblue.

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VC investing investment venture capital 136

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

In a VC pitch this type of messaging will do just fine. Even the VC who invested in your deal struggles to properly position why you’re going to be huge when they’re calling big tech companies or other VCs on your behalf. It’s about presentations in front of large audiences. Simplify Your Message.

entrepreneurs 370

entrepreneurs pitching startup education 370

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Innovate In the early years of a startup there is a lot of kinetic energy of enthusiastic innovators looking to launch a product that changes how an industry works.

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. Startups should know how VCs work. startup) per month.

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ventures startup capital board 334

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 22, 2019

A Startup I’ve Been Excited to Tell You About for Years A few years ago I spent time in prison with Trevor O’Brien , the founder of Projector. When we got out of prison Trevor began describing the startup he and his co-founder, Jeremy Gordon , wanted to build. This is certainly true in how startups raise money from VCs.

startup 191

startup collaboration creativity media 191

TechCrunch

JUNE 22, 2022

Lev Kerzhner leads Saragus Agency, which provides corporate storytelling services to startups, companies, entrepreneurs and investor groups. Over the past two years, I’ve designed dozens of presentations for a variety of companies at various stages of fundraising — from startup SAFE rounds, to VC rounds and IPOs.

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pitching VC opportunity entrepreneurs 91

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 6, 2013

” I wrote about this movement in the link to the left and also published this widely read presentation on the topic. We got along and shared stories about the startup market. Monitor had a little internal VC group so he got some experience there. Companies like DogVacay solve a real need in the market. I saw it as win-win.

collaboration 344

collaboration VC accelerator consulting 344

Revolution

MAY 23, 2023

Part of the antidote for startups: employing a more prudent approach to raising capital and curating a diverse investor base. To shed additional light on this issue and its ultimate impact on startups, I partnered with the Center for Real Estate Technology & Innovation to ask proptech founders about their capital and strategic partners.

real estate 278

real estate venture capital VC innovation 278

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

MARCH 28, 2022

So I saw this tweet by Semil Shah yesterday: A friend who works in an industry far from tech startups & VC asked what would be the single article I’d share to read on each topic. It is about how a VC can compete and win a deal that many others want. That is a failure of the system. But this post is not about that.

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VC entrepreneurs venture capital strategy 261

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 14, 2014

That means you actually have a *better* shot, statistically, of getting VC investment at these firms, statistically, once you actually pitch. That''s because if you''re funding 21 year olds, there tends to be less industry insight present so what makes up for it is a build.

founder 390

founder pitching venture capital mix-use 390

David Teten VC

MARCH 1, 2022

The easiest way to work with and for VC funds is to become a part-time scout, getting paid for sourcing investments. How to find a job as a VC scout. VC recruiters list and compensation data. How to negotiate a partner role at a VC or private equity firm. Syllabus for how to launch, manage, and invest a VC fund.

VC 128

VC venture capital accelerator ventures 128

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 5, 2014

If you need to introduce yourself to a VC firm, you''re probably not getting the job. VC firms are going back to being mostly partner driven shops, where dealflow and decisions stay up top. And no, analyzing startups is not a portfolio company benefit. And no, analyzing startups is not a portfolio company benefit.

venture capital 290

venture capital capital ventures peer-to-peer 290

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2014

That’s a shame because many of these people missed out on what will be a few great VC vintages. I wrote about this in a blog post last year titled “ It’s Morning in VC ” but I never made the full deck available until now. Startup Lessons' But I’ll save this data and analysis for the next post.

venture capital 362

venture capital capital ventures VC 362

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

Creating awareness for your brand and products is one of the lifebloods of technology startups yet in a world where so many companies are being created it becomes difficult to rise above the noise. Do I have data or facts to present so the story has legs? I am a VC. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch.

mix-use 389

mix-use advice VC technology 389

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2012

I had this ethical dilemma pop up on one of the first deals I even did as a VC. ” I was learning which VCs I wanted to work with, what stage & check size I wanted to commit do and what teams would be a good fit for me. .” The call from a fellow VC to “look harder” made me decide to request a site visit.

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VC financing finance investing 356

TechCrunch

JANUARY 25, 2021

In a year marred by the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that early-stage startups on the African continent are continuing to see some notable growth, both in terms of their business and from investors looking to back them. . Being entrepreneurs in the past, some of these investors know what it takes to build a startup in the U.S.

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VC accelerator venture capital startup accelerator 138

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

Your goal should be to turn your VCs into extended members of your team to get real value from them. Understanding where your VC partner sits in their respective fund and where their fund is in the cycle of its investment lifecycle will help you understand your VCs behavior. Ask your VC to send a critical email to a contact.

board 365

board VC advice pitching 365

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

I sit through a lot of presentations. These range from companies pitching me to portfolio companies presenting at board meetings. Each of these scenarios has a team presenting. Some CEO’s are masters at communicating when team members are present. Startup Advice' Some fare less well. This is really annoying.

pitching 377

pitching VC leadership advice 377

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 10, 2015

I write about sales often both because it’s the lifeblood of any organization and because in my experience it is the area in which more startups are least experienced or inclined. What is the single biggest mistake I see inexperienced startup people do in sales? So understanding the stage of a VC matters. Fund Raising.

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VC entrepreneurs investing investment 329

TechCrunch

MARCH 2, 2021

But what if you don’t have unicorn dreams – or you don’t want to pursue VC money? It requires patience and focus, but the freedom to create a meaningful product, on your terms, is worth more than even the biggest VC check. If you’re a SaaS founder who’s wary of VC funding, here are my best bootstrapping tips. Keep your day job.

SaaS 139

SaaS VC founder data collection 139

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I rarely talk to any startup entrepreneur or VC who doesn’t feel it and somehow long for simpler times despite the benefits we all enjoy from increased enthusiasm for our sector. And even this can’t stop their employees from fleeing after two years of vesting to move on to the next hot startup. Easier said than done.

advice 398

advice VC entrepreneurs transportation 398

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

Startups are hard. We tell startup stories. ” Strangely, the best I’ve ever heard this exemplified is in Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential - which is really a book about startups as told through kitchen stories. Our founder, Yves Sisteron, was my mentor and board member at my first startup.

board 320

board VC construction opportunity 320

Dream It

MAY 19, 2021

In this Dreamit Dose, Managing Director Adam Dakin presents his view on the right way to answer it after hearing hundreds, if not thousands, of founder pitches. VC funds value-creating milestones, not runway. question is a common and important component of investor Q&A. Remember, time is not a fundable milestone.

pitching 393

pitching board health VC 393

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 16, 2021

Led by Jan Heybroek, the closed, coached conversations facilitate shared experiences around one presenter’s specific business challenge in a deep-dive presentation format. VCs want to learn the total available market and see evidence that you can grow your startup into a US$1-10 million (or more) revenue business.

SaaS 294

SaaS leadership accelerator entrepreneurs 294

TechCrunch

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

But most venture-backed startups are “still overwhelmingly white, male, Ivy-League-educated and based in Silicon Valley,” according to a study conducted by RateMyInvestor and Diversity VC. Or will we have to repeat the same conversations about representation failings within VC funds? Funding for Black entrepreneurs in the U.S.

startup ecosystem 129

startup ecosystem ventures founder startup 129

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 14, 2018

I know all of this because every VC knows this because we’ve all either funded companies that have marketing technology or we’ve seen a pitch with a company that does this. If you haven’t read the other VC fund-raising posts I’ve done as part of this series you can find the whole outline and this first in the series here.]

VC 239

VC pitching strategy investment 239

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2017

When you run a startup you’re always on borrowed time. I remember my VCs telling me they would be supportive yet I knew the ultimate decision would only come if I were truly out of cash and needed more money. But if you work your entrepreneur network, talk with lawyers who do a ton of startup deals, ask existing investors, etc.

pitching 238

pitching VC mix-use entrepreneurs 238

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 16, 2022

David Teten is founder of Versatile VC and writes periodically at teten.com and @dteten. Akshat Dixit is a senior at North Carolina State University, an intern at Versatile VC , and a past intern with the HBS Alumni Angels Association and the Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Scouts help promote diversity in VC.

VC 93

VC peer-to-peer consulting board 93

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

When you begin to peel back the onion some surprising data presents itself. Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. billion in venture capital to LA’s technology startups and 2014 will shatter that figure.

entrepreneurs 376

entrepreneurs creativity technology capital 376

TechCrunch

AUGUST 1, 2022

Priyanka Srinivas is the co-founder and CEO of Live Green Co , a Chilean food tech startup that uses artificial intelligence to suggest plant-based alternatives for meat and artificial additives in food. Aiming to create a gender-equitable startup landscape? More posts by this contributor. When it rains, it pours.

funders 101

funders startup VC venture capital 101

American Entrepreneurship

MAY 31, 2024

But how does an entrepreneur know if their startup is funding-worthy and meets investor expectations? That includes angel investors, venture capitalists, and institutional funders associated with various stages of a startup’s growth. Each investor type has a distinct set of criteria for assessing a startup’s business model.

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startup pitching funders strategy 105

AsiaTechDaily

AUGUST 31, 2023

Register Indonesian digital bank Superbank , supported by Grab, Singtel, and Emtek Group, is collaborating with Singapore’s Genesis Alternative Ventures to offer a financing package of $40 million for startups in Indonesia. This initiative will primarily focus on startups in the series B and series C funding stages.

peer-to-peer 105

peer-to-peer startup collaboration venture capital 105

TechCrunch

AUGUST 11, 2021

In addition, Toni works on several digital-economy-related initiatives that support the scaling of digital businesses, stimulate startup ecosystems and accelerate the digital transformation of key industries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East. A glimpse into Singapore’s current startup ecosystem. Jamil Wyne.

startup ecosystem 98

startup ecosystem startup entrepreneurial ecosystem VC 98

TechCrunch

JULY 23, 2021

Startups developing so-called deep tech often find it challenging to raise capital for various reasons. At TechCrunch Early Stage: Marketing and Fundraising, two experienced investors spoke on the subject and advised startups facing a challenging fundraising path. When building a deep tech startup, find the right investor, they said.

startup 101

startup advice VC technology 101

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 6, 2023

Magic, a startup developing a code-generating platform similar to GitHub’s Copilot , today announced that it raised $23 million in a Series A funding round led by Alphabet’s CapitalG with participation from Elad Gil, Nat Friedman and Amplify Partners. So what’s its story? It’s been used by over 1.2 The short-term goal (i.e.,

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VC development enablement education 98