Growthink Blog

AUGUST 29, 2010

stock market performance and the drumbeat of negativity that passes as business reporting these days has been the massive growth in U.S. By way of anecdote, from the time Dave Lavinsky and I founded Growthink in 1999 through 2008, more than 95% of our firm’s clients and investors were U.S. entrepreneurs targeting U.S.

Small Business 81

Small Business South Korea South Africa Uruguay 81

Pascal's View

AUGUST 12, 2009

In Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, and other innovation centers across the country, entrepreneurs and their backers (who are not limited to venture capitalists) are all keenly aware that Washington’s addiction to enacting hasty, one-size-fits–all financial regulation will continue to have far-reaching unintended negative consequences for the U.S.

IPO 28

IPO Silicon Valley Merger Sweat Equity 28

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

There are obvious reasons the industry has had less-than-desirable returns, including: massive over-funding of the sector, huge increases in inexperienced venture capitalists that took a decade to peter out, and the massive correction in the value of the public stock markets that closed many exit opportunities for half a decade.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Mobile 347

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 13, 2010

By 1999 we had grown into the largest independent consulting firm in the world. By 1999 it seemed like everybody was growing, though. I left Andersen Consulting in 1999 at the height of the market. The size of magazines seems to be expanding, marketing seems to be up and the number of tech announcements per day is dizzying.

Turkey 302

Turkey Differentiation IP Technical Review 302

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 25, 2010

A reminder that it is important for all entrepreneurs is to remember to be careful about “deal drift.” When I was raising money for my first company we had closed a seed round in 1999 and were working on our A round. We had many term sheets (it was 1999 and we had a pulse) and we were deciding which one to take.

Technical Review 301

Technical Review Term Sheet Due Diligence Venture Capital 301

Scalable Startup

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

These are good things to think about and companies to study as we move back from consumer to Enterprise in the tech cycle. And so we think that the model flipped to a model where, today, where the most interesting and advanced new technology now comes out for the consumer first. Security, Cloud, NoSQL databases, etc.

Software Review 22

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Stock 22

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2010

I was paid less in salary in 2004 than I was paid at the job I quit in 1999 (a job I had held 8+ years). I learned how to retain employees when stock options were no longer a real currency. I learned how to do a pipeline review with sales people without getting bullshitted to. I learned about revenue recognition.

Venture Capital 285

Venture Capital Hiring Software Review Stock Options 285

abovethecrowd.com

APRIL 20, 2016

In late 2015, many public technology companies saw a significant retrenchment in their share prices primarily as a result of a reduction in valuation multiples. The same thing happened to many Internet stocks. In 1999, record valuations coexisted with record IPOs and shareholder liquidity. Entrepreneurs/Founders/CEOs.

IPO 40

IPO Term Sheet Silicon Valley Valuation 40

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 9, 2011

I thought about things I never had to as an entrepreneur: check size, ownership percentage, deal stage, portfolio construction and risk. Let’s review all of our existing investments. So when the market started showing good signs (iPhone, Facebook, Zynga, Twitter, stock market growth) it was happy days again.

Stock 305

Stock Technical Review Marketing Greece 305

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

My advice to entrepreneurs was and is “ when the hors d’oeuvres tray is being passed take two ” (e.g. So I agreed to offer my current thinking on the economy and what it portends for the VC industry & fund raising for entrepreneurs. While not 1999 all over again but I am observing first-hand the signs of funding frenzy.

Entrepreneur 298

Entrepreneur Technical Review Balance Sheet Government 298