Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2012

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). Proving the business model requires a different approach than proving the technical concept. So how do you go about proving the business model? Prove the technical concept.

Business Model 248

Business Model Advisory Board Entrepreneur Angel Investor 248

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 15, 2011

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). Proving the business model requires a different approach than proving the technical concept. So how do you go about proving the business model? Prove the technical concept.

Business Model 234

Business Model Advisory Board Startup Angel Investor 234

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

Are DEMOs days numbered? Has DEMO lost its luster and relevance in 2010? DEMO has always been one of my favorite tech conferences. You can always check out the current and prior product demos at the DEMO site. It was the 15th anniversary and they made a big deal branding the event as Demo@15. Steve Bennet.

Technical Review 38

Technical Review San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley 38

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2010

Many entrepreneurs work hard on the proof of concept (technical), but skip any proof of the business model (revenue flow). Proving the business model requires a different approach than proving the technical concept. So how do you go about proving the business model? Prove the technical concept.

Business Model 120

Business Model Advisory Board Angel Investor Channel 120

Professor VC

MAY 29, 2008

What does it take to be an Angel Investor? To the SEC, it means that you are an accredited investor and To the man (or woman) on the street, a minimum qualification would seem to be an interest and ability to invest in early stage ventures. I think this sentiment has given angel groups a bad name. ProfessorVC.

Angel Investor 28

Angel Investor Angel Groups Accredited Investor San Jose 28

YoungUpstarts

JULY 1, 2019

All you need is a steady internet connection and a good demo account. Although this isn’t the easiest investment method out there, it is incredibly rewarding and can help you raise the necessary money to jumpstart your business. Angel Investors. Getting an angel investor on board is a good way to find the money you need.

Finance 127

Finance Angel Investor Offshore Equity 127

ithacaVC

AUGUST 7, 2012

I will be joining more than 100 angels and VCs for StartFast Demo Day in Syracuse on August 16, 2012. This year’s cohort includes eight high growth startups from around the world who will present their business cases for investment. Demo Day details and online registration (free) are at [link].

Angel Investor 60

Angel Investor Community Business Model Mobile 60

Steve Blank

JULY 1, 2014

Investors sitting through Incubator or Accelerator demo days have three metrics to judge fledgling startups – 1) great looking product demos, 2) compelling PowerPoint slides, and 3) a world-class team. Other than “I’ll know it when I see it”, there’s no formal way for an investor to assess project maturity or quantify risks.

Sacramento 306

Sacramento Framework Customer Development Lean 306

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

How do you put together an investor deck? You know, could you look at my business plan? See if the business model works, all these questions. We called them founder space, round tables, and we'd meet, I'd introduce 'em to angel investors and marketing experts and lawyers, and really try to help them get off the ground.

San Francisco 97

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 97

Steve Blank

JUNE 2, 2011

Reinventing the board meeting may allow venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. Startups now understand what they should be doing in their early formative days is search for a business model. for a business model.

Silicon Valley 281

Silicon Valley Business Model Early Stage Venture Capital 281

Austin Startup

APRIL 27, 2019

this post is all about the resilience required to keep going as an entrepreneur, not as an angel investor. It had a gut-wrenching pivot as the first business model didn’t work and today is thriving with its new one. Our original investors made very little?—?unless Our pivot wasn’t a business model pivot?—?it

B2C 51

B2C Austin Cofounder IPO 51

Business Plan Blog

DECEMBER 31, 2013

Business model and financials investment requirement. Do I need to bring my product or demo? Your product or demo should be shown when you explain the problem and start explaining the solution. More often than not, you will not be making money as projected in your first business model. Competition.

Angel Investor 51

Angel Investor Cofounder Distribution Seed Capital 51

Professor VC

JANUARY 27, 2011

There are so many unknowns at this stage and the only known is that the business model is going to change at least once, or in the current most overused term in the Silicon Valley, there will be a "pivot". Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor?

Technical Review 31

Technical Review Due Diligence Silicon Valley San Jose 31

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. How Much Diligence is Due. ► 2010. (7). ► October. (2). ► September. (2). ► July. (1).

Technical Review 38

Technical Review Early Stage San Jose Angel Investor 38

Professor VC

APRIL 1, 2010

In my experience, venture investors are more focused on percentage ownership, which obviously requires a trade-off with the amount invested and valuation. I had a discussi on with another angel investor a few months ago and he was bragging about the deal he just struck that included a 3X participating liquidation preference.

Term Sheet 32

Term Sheet Angel Investor San Jose Venture Capital 32

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

Investors like $1B markets with double-digit growth rates. Business model. Offer to do a demo later, but don’t try to squeeze it in the presentation. Define the characteristics of the overall industry, market forces, market dynamics, and customer landscape. Explain how you will make money and who pays you (real customer).

Elevator Pitch 247

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 247

Up and Running

MAY 28, 2015

I’m in my seventh year now as a leader and an angel investment group where we just announced an investment last Thursday, and I’m very familiar with how this works for angel investors. Tell your angel investors a story about need. Depending on who the investors are, some want more, some want less.

Lean 60

Lean Business Plan Video Software Review 60

Professor VC

MARCH 10, 2009

In other parts of the country, this is business as usual: Identify a customer need Build a product Sell the product In the valley, the knee jerk reaction is to start with the powerpoint deck and look for the venture capital drug. Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. How Much Diligence is Due.

Bootstrapping 28

Bootstrapping San Jose Silicon Valley Software Review 28

Professor VC

APRIL 7, 2011

I thought about doing this in a top 10 format, but will limit to my top 3 reasons: Misalignment of incentives - As an angel investor I want to do everything I can to help the entrepreneur succeed. Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor?

San Jose 36

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Valuation 36

Professor VC

DECEMBER 18, 2008

At SJSU, we also have a business plan competition in the spring, which ideally allows the students to build a viable business model around their NIF projects. However, the NIF forces the students to focus on their idea and ability to communicate its need, kind of like the Demo conference is all about the product.

San Jose 28

San Jose Silicon Valley Technical Review Angel Investor 28

venturebeat.com

MARCH 8, 2011

Or it might mean you have enough customers to have “proved&# you have a viable business model, so now you can raise money with sensible terms. DEMO: On lets you present different “faces&# to the world CrowdGather raises $7.85M to roll-up the Web’s forums Deals & More: Ruckus Media grabs $3.5M

Software Review 41

Software Review Startup Technical Review Mobile 41

Professor VC

JANUARY 17, 2008

Touched by an Angel. I think the title of this post is a TV show, but fitting as there has been much debate in the venture community as to the whether angel investors are good or bad for entrepreneurs and VCs. What would the VC corollary to Touched by an Angel, be. Are DEMO's days numbered? ► 2010. (7).

Pre-Money Valuation 28

Pre-Money Valuation Angel Investor Angel Groups Valuation 28

Professor VC

JANUARY 27, 2008

In addition to the case study analysis, the students also have the opportunity to develop a business model and financial model for a new concept, which always proves a lot more challenging. As an angel investor and start-up CFO, I should have a good vantage point. Are DEMO's days numbered? Steve Bennet.

San Jose 28

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Venture Capital 28

Professor VC

NOVEMBER 13, 2008

This got me thinking about the business model that Mike Keiser has built at the resort and a lecture began to form in my head. cant wait to go back, which is clearly goal #1 in the list of critical success factors if anyone is still following the business model tangent. Labels: Bandon Dunes , business models , golf.

Oregon 28

Oregon San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Hippoland

JANUARY 29, 2016

If you are fundraising, you’ll need at least 2 decks: An email deck An in-person meeting deck If you are participating in a Demo Day with an accelerator, you’ll also need a Demo Day deck. In addition to the other slides from your email deck, include your business model, 1-2 key unit economics (LTV, CAC, churn, etc), etc.

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Angel Investor Entrepreneur Forecast 48

Professor VC

JULY 31, 2008

This whole process got me thinking about the textbook business model. Labels: business models , Grateful Dead , textbook. Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? Steve Bennet. at 7:05 PM. Email This BlogThis!

San Jose 28

San Jose Software Review Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2010

How-to learn about angel/vc term sheets - Gabriel Weinberg , June 28, 2010 I think every startup entrepreneur (and angel investor) should have a good understanding of financing term sheets. It sounds like Angel Boot Camp rocked. You can follow us all on twitter via the new hacker-angels list. Delegate and automate.

Cofounder 175

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Term Sheet Startup 175

Professor VC

APRIL 11, 2008

Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. How Much Diligence is Due. ► 2010. (7). ► October. (2). ► September. (2). ► July. (1).

San Jose 28

San Jose Angel Investor Venture Capital Balance Sheet 28

Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2012

You should know EVERYTHING about your business, product, customers and competition. You should have a crystal clear understanding of your business model and your financials. Understand what investors are looking for , what they usually invest in, and why. Your goal in all this is to try to find a lead investor.

Software Review 164

Software Review Term Sheet Technical Review Angel Investor 164

Professor VC

JUNE 6, 2008

Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. How Much Diligence is Due. ► 2010. (7). ► October. (2). ► September. (2). ► July. (1).

San Jose 28

San Jose Technical Review Norway Angel Investor 28

Professor VC

FEBRUARY 26, 2008

Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. How Much Diligence is Due. ► 2010. (7). ► October. (2). ► September. (2). ► July. (1).

Technical Review 28

Technical Review San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Professor VC

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. How Much Diligence is Due. ► 2010. (7). ► October. (2). ► September. (2). ► July. (1).

San Jose 43

San Jose Silicon Valley Las Vegas Venture Capital 43

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 16, 2008

Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. How Much Diligence is Due. ► 2010. (7). ► October. (2). ► September. (2). ► July. (1).

San Jose 28

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Professor VC

FEBRUARY 12, 2008

Are DEMO's days numbered? Negotiating an Angel Deal in your PJ's. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. How Much Diligence is Due. ► 2010. (7). ► October. (2). ► September. (2). ► July. (1).

San Jose 31

San Jose Technical Review Venture Capital Angel Investor 31

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 25, 2013

Investors sitting through Incubator or Accelerator demo days have three metrics to judge fledgling startups – 1) great looking product demos, 2) compelling PowerPoint slides, and 3) a world-class team. And we can offer investors metrics to play Moneyball – with the Investment Readiness Level. We think we can do better.

Oakland 326

Oakland Incubator Lean Metrics 326

Professor VC

DECEMBER 26, 2012

If as CBInsights posits, $1B is going to be lost by angels in seed financings, one Instagram makes most of that back and presumably there will be positive returns on a material percentage of the remaining companies. I love the accelerators and am a regular on Demo Days for 500 Startups, YC, AngelPad and others.

Finance 48

Finance Angel Investor Private Equity Preferred Stock 48

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

For a Series A round you want to prove you have built a repeatable and scalable sales/revenue model and understand all parts of the business model. Series B is about proving your net revenue model (can you be profitable?). Team, Product, Traction, Business Model and Market. Business Model.

Cofounder 429

Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation Metrics 429