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How Startups Can Use Metrics to Drive Success

Both Sides of the Table

Having a set of metrics that you watch & that you feel are the key drivers of your success helps keep clarity. And the more public you can make your goals for these key metrics the better. You will likely have multiple sets of metrics you keep depending on the company’s stage, one’s function in the company and level.

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LinkedIn: The Series A Fundraising Story ? AGILEVC

Agile VC

A lot of people ask me what it was like raising the Series A round for LinkedIn back in 2003. I thought I’d revisit it and share the story… First, you have to rewind mentally to early 2003. Ok, now you have the context for early 2003. He provided our initial seed funding to launch the website publicly on May 5, 2003.

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The Subscription Economy May Be Revolutionary—But It’s Not Without Risks

Up and Running

When I started in the financial services industry in 2003, getting to meetings when I was on the road was pretty straightforward—I took a cab. The business model implies predictable monthly revenues and consistently excellent service for clients—but it’s not without its risks. Just like executives had for more than seventy-five years.

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Can You Trust Any vc's Under 40?

Steve Blank

Five Quarters of Profitability During the 1980’s and through the mid 1990’s startups going public had to do something that most companies today never heard of – they had to show a track record of increasing revenue and consistent profitability. There was now a public market for companies with no revenue, no profit and big claims.

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Why Startups Should Raise Money at the Top End of Normal

Both Sides of the Table

2007, 2011) and for the hottest of companies and in bad markets for fund raising (2003, 2008) prices test the bottom end of the range. million post-money valuation with no revenue. We had companies pitching us that had almost no revenue at all and they were raising $10-15 million in capital at a $40-50 million pre-money valuation.

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LinkedIn's Series B Pitch to Greylock: Pitch Advice for Entrepreneurs

reidhoffman.org

Friendster was at its height, strongly battling MySpace after raising its premium round from Benchmark and Kleiner in the fall of 2003. we had no revenue. Friendster raised a big round in 2003; MySpace started gaining traction. To show potential revenue streams, we listed three products: ads, listings, and subscriptions.

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Why You Need to Ring the Freaking Cash Register

Both Sides of the Table

I remember just a decade ago in 2003 when we all laughed at how dumb people in the 90′s were talking about the race to “capture as many eyeballs as possible” before your competition. The minute you try to monetize now they have metrics with which to beat you up and say you’re business has limitations.”

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