999 Posts Found

There is no such thing as a “space”.

There is such a thing as a market — that’s a group of people who will directly or indirectly pay money for something.

There is such a thing as a product — that’s an offering of a new kind of good or service that is brought to a market.

There is such a thing as a company — that’s an … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Source: Pmarca | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Miscellaneous

“Rather than randomly spamming VCs, you are much better off taking a very pragmatic and methodical approach to fundraising. This method should force you to identify those VCs that are most likely to not only be interested in your start-up idea, but also to have the cash, capacity and inclination necessary to pursue it.

To that end I offer this 10 step method for getting … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Bill Burnham | Source: Burnham’s Beat | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

“Before we get too deep into this, let me clarify two things. When I say without a “plan,” I mean without a formally written business plan – not that you should be clueless about what you want to do. And, when I say startup funding, I’m talking more about early stage seed funding via angels.”

Content: Article | Author: Dharmesh Shah | Source: BNET | Subject: Entrepreneurship

In this series of blog posts Marc Andreessen walks through some of his accumulated knowledge and experience in building high-tech startups.

Editor’s Note: I especially enjoyed Parts 1 and 4.

Content: Article | Author: Marc Andreessen | Source: Pmarca | Subject: Entrepreneurship

Dick Costolo (aka Ask the Wizard) blogs about granting options or receiving an option grant.

Content: Article | Author: Dick Costolo | Source: Ask the Wizard | Subjects: Career, Entrepreneurship

Fred Wilson blogs about how VC funds distribute returns to limited partners, in particular looking at the issue of whether it is better to distribute stock or cash.

Content: Article | Author: Fred Wilson | Source: A VC | Subjects: Finance, Venture Capital

Guy Kawasaki interviews Tim Berry, president of Palo Alto Software, the principal creator of Business Plan Pro, about business plans and business planning.

Content: Article | Author: Guy Kawasaki | Source: How to Change the World | Subject: Entrepreneurship

Marc Andreessen takes a look at luck and the entrepreneur, focusing on the work of Dr. James Austin, who developed a theory of four kinds of luck (chance).

Content: Article | Author: Marc Andreessen | Source: Pmarca | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Miscellaneous

Think Small. This slogan launched the Volkswagen Beetle back when Americans drove tanks with fins and it might well be the slogan of small business today. Small businesses often look a bit insignificant next to the Hummers of the Fortune 500, but like the Beetle, small business actually has economics on its side: it’s the bugs of the business world that are creating the most … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Source: Knowledge@Emory | Subjects: Economics, Entrepreneurship

Guy Kawasaki provides a list of tips to get the attention of a venture capitalist.

Content: Article | Author: Guy Kawasaki | Source: How to Change the World | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

To deliver a knock-out pitch, an entrepreneur should have an understanding of how a potential investor’s mental model works, and frame their presentation squarely within it. This allows them to anticipate the questions that are likely to be asked. Although these mental models can vary from individual to individual, there are some basic fundamentals that apply across the board. The first step is to understand … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Josh Kopelman | Source: Redeye VC | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Even seasoned startup personnel frequently misunderstand the ins and outs of their options. This series of blog posts are intended for help employees and other people that own startup stock options. Topics to be covered include:
* How options are granted
* Vesting schedules
* Liquidation events
* Buyback rights
* Option prices & how they are set
* Early Exercise
* Multiple grants
… [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Dave Naffziger | Source: Naffziger’s Net | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Finance

Tales of groundbreaking innovation sound a lot alike. Like action-adventure movies, they have a predictable structure. Some ordinary guys, without money or power, triumph via a brilliant insight and scrappy groundwork. But what if those stories mislead us about what it takes to generate great ideas?

Content: Article | Authors: Chip Heath, Dan Heath | Source: Fast Company | Subject: Entrepreneurship

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A new playbook is helping private equity investors earn strong returns, at a time when buyouts have never been bigger or bolder. As deal prices and the cost of debt rise, private equity firms can no longer count on leverage and financial maneuvers to deliver outsized gains. To succeed in this environment, private equity firms need a different formula. As soon as a deal closes, … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Authors: Chris Bierly, Chul-Joon Park, Graham Elton | Source: Bain & Company | Subjects: Finance, Venture Capital

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Equity dilution is the curse of the startup executive. If you don’t understand how equity dilution works, you can find yourself working very hard…for very little.

Editor’s Note: nothing mind-blowing here, but it may be a good read for those who have never thought about the issue or for those who are seriously math-challenged…

Content: Article | Author: Ken Gaebler | Source: Gaebler Ventures | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

The National Venture Capital Association offers a set of model legal documents for venture capital investments put together by a group of leading venture capital attorneys. The model venture capital financing documents consist of:
* Term Sheet
* Stock Purchase Agreement
* Certificate of Incorporation
* Investor Rights Agreement
* Voting Agreement
* Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement
* Management Rights Letter
* … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Source: National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) | Subjects: Free Stuff / Tools, Venture Capital

Start-ups tend to be enormously resource constrained. Typically they are not able to devote money and time to the problems of strategic uncertainty. As a result, start-ups tend to be “bet the farm” propositions: high risk, with the potential of high reward. Such firms don’t manage strategic risk, they accept it.

The degree to which you manage risk will be a function of your ability … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Guy Kawasaki | Source: How to Change the World | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Risk Management

How one VC Firm coddles its CEOs.

Content: Article | Author: Amy Feldman | Source: Inc. Magazine | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital