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Customer Development in Japan: a History Lesson

Steve Blank

The book has been shepherded and edited by a great Japanese VC at Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, Takashi Tsutsumi, with help from Masato Iino. In 2004, Googling terms like “high tech marketing” and “startup” I discovered “ The Four Steps to The Epiphany ” at Cafépress.com. ————-.

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Congratulations to Upwork

A Crowded Space

I remember when I made that first flight out to San Francisco from Boston to meet the team in 2004, the company was down to its last $20K in the bank. My first role was in sales and the buyers on the platform absolutely loved the access to global freelancers, the low hourly rates, and the full transparency and flexibility in the system.

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VC Evolution: Physician, Scale Thyself.

500hats.com

TL:DR : This post aims to recap significant changes in the venture capital industry over the past ten years, and then make some [biased] predictions as to major forces at play in the next five years. However, all three shifts are related and can be summed up simply as: Geeks are Taking Over Venture Capital.

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This Week in VC: Michael Montgomery (President, Montgomery & Co.)

Both Sides of the Table

This episode of This Week in Venture Capital featured Michael Montgomery, president of Montgomery & Co. You have to be selected to present and it is typically reserved for companies that have already raised early-stage capital and are well into revenue growth. Should you use investment banks to raise venture capital?

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Seizing the Moment: Why Experts Believe Now is the Golden Opportunity for Investing in Israel

VC Cafe

Since I’ve started writing about Israeli startups in 2004, there has never been any event like October 7 and the war that followed. Israeli startups deliver #NoMatterWhat I’ve started VC Cafe in December of 2004. Now, 150 days after October 7th, the Israeli startup ecosystem is once again in a tough spot.

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How to Avoid Being Part of 90% of Failed Companies

ReadWriteStart

According to a study by CB Insights (2017), a software that gathers essential data from investors, companies and industries, more than 70% of startups do not exceed the first stage of venture capital investment. The rounds were conducted from 2008 to 2010, starting from seed capital. Data Says Otherwise.

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April 4-Innovation in Private Company Liquidity-Online Merger Markets, Social Media, Secondary Markets, Non-US Markets, Private Equity, and the Disappearing IPO

David Teten

Prior to AxialMarket, Peter held positions in private equity at SFW Capital Partners and was part of the founding team at Gerson Lehrman Group, where he helped build the firm’s dominant global marketplace for on-demand business expertise. He serves as a Managing Partner of both funds. Among his pathbreaking books are Yen!