235 Posts Found

Specific staffing choices and high investment levels can prolong the lifespan of corporate venture capital units.

Content: Article | Author: Vibha Gaba | Source: INSEAD Knowledge | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Venture Capital

Andy Sparks and Joshua Levy have assembled a list of reference pitch decks for founders to view when building their own. Some notable inclusions: YouTube, LinkedIn, Mint, BuzzFeed, AirBnB, Tinder, Foursquare, Moz, and Buffer.

Content: Online Resource | Authors: Andy Sparks, Joshua Levy | Source: Medium | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

In the abstract, economic sense, a 30% chance of making $3M is as good as a 3% chance of making $30M is as good as a 0.3% chance at making $300M. But in the concrete sense, you generally have to make your pick: Which coupon is the one for you?

The strategies employed to pursue the 30% for $3M are often in direct opposition to the … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: David Heinemeier Hansson | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

People who make lots of little bets on many potential unicorns have christened themselves angels. Angels? Really? You’ve plucked your self-serving moniker from the parables of a religion that specifically and explicitly had its head honcho throw the money men out of the temple and proclaim a rich man less likely to make it into heaven than a camel through a needle’s eye. Okay then!

[…]

Angels … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: David Heinemeier Hansson | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Ultimately, fundraising success requires:

fundraising execution + a compelling story/vision + evidence of traction + sheer determination + good fortune (luck)

This article focuses on the first of these five variables: fundraising execution. Below I lay out a 7 step framework to guide you through your fundraising process, and share some lessons learned having now successfully raised money for three separate ventures (and made plenty of mistakes … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Adam Healey | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

The first part of fundraising is getting the meeting and 90% of startups fail at this point. Here’s how to make sure you get meetings with the right investors.

Content: Article | Author: Ash Rust | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Scott Kupor of Andreessen Horowitz attempts to clear some of the opacity of how the VC industry works, by defining some basic terms, beginning with a bit of history.

Content: Article | Author: Scott Kupor | Source: Andreessen Horowitz | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

There’s a lot of advice on the web about what to do once you’ve raised money, but not when to do it. This is unfortunate, because poor timing can kill a company. This post will describe some common timing issues, as well as a framework for avoiding them.

Content: Article | Author: Leo Polovets | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Rafe Furst of Quantitative VC uses data analysis and poker references to try to understand if VCs are good at investing in startups or if it is all just luck.

Content: Article | Author: Rafe Furst | Source: Medium | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

In his conversation with YC Partner and COO Qasar Younis, Marc outlined two tests investors run on entrepreneurs before working with them. Later in the conversation Qasar asked Marc who he looks up to.

Content: Multimedia Content | Author: Marc Andreessen | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Since many of a startups’ earliest advisers come from the fundraising world, they’re likely to offer advice from one particular perspective. Traditional VCs have a playbook that they run across their companies, and their business model works for them. Their goal is to place strategic bets in a handful of companies. Founders, though, aren’t managing a portfolio. They need to base their decisions on the … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Wade Foster | Source: First Round Review | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

The WSJ wrote a story on venture capital returns that claims “Andreessen Horowitz’s Returns Trail Venture-Capital Elite.” Andreessen Horowitz’s Scott Kupor offers a rebuttal by explaining how arcane and obtuse venture capital valuations can be.

Content: Article | Author: Scott Kupor | Source: Andreessen Horowitz | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

We often get emails from startups saying “we’re running out of money, so we’re going to raise a series A now.” As if it were like making a second trip to the ATM. And when we ask how they’re doing, the answer is usually a combination of slow growth and high expenses. We have to tell them they have no hope of raising a series … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Jessica Livingston | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

How to improve your fundraising with investor segmentation, storytelling and specific follow-up.

Content: Article | Author: Edith Yeung | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

I’ve heard thousands of investors ask tens of thousands of questions. I’ve also learned that startups’ answers to these questions can be far more insightful than a rehearsed pitch. This is a list of the most frequently asked investor questions.

Content: Article | Author: Elizabeth Kraus | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Investors write checks when the idea they hear is compelling, when they are persuaded that the team of founders can realize its vision, and that the opportunity described is real and sufficiently large. When founders are ready to tell this story, they can raise money. And usually when you can raise money, you should.

Content: Quotation | Author: Geoff Ralston | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

You should raise money when you need it or when it’s available on good terms. Be careful not to lose your sense of frugality or to start solving problems by throwing money at them. Not having enough money can be bad, but having too much money is almost always bad.

Content: Quotation | Author: Sam Altman | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

It is incredibly important to understand the incentives of investors when you are raising money. This used to be fairly easy – you raised money from Venture Capitalists who wanted to see a big return on their investment. The best of these investors were incredibly focused on doing the one thing they did well: investing in technology companies.

The world looks different now. There are a … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Aaron Harris | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

Every entrepreneur can expect their venture investors to bring seven main benefits to the table. If you already have venture investors, you can use this article as-is. If you are currently considering fundraising, reverse it and ask prospective investors if they are able to support you in these key areas. If not, ask yourself if you’re talking to the right people.

Content: Article | Author: Suranga Chandratillake | Source: Techstars | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital

I believe firmly in capital efficiency in the early days of a startup. It forces innovation. It forces the founder to spend time in front of customers. It forces teams not to expand too quickly. I know it’s easier said than done when capital is floating around and feels like it will ease up everything. I don’t blame you for taking more than you need. … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Mark Suster | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital