Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

In fact, there are a few key sites to help you find angels, including AngelList and Gust , but these don’t tell you very much about how angels work, and how to find the right ones for your startup. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes.

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Venture Capital Accredited Investor Syndicate Syndication 265

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Angel investors and venture capitalists are looking for startups with real products and a proven business model, ready to scale. Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. They believe in you above all else.

Angel Investor 256

Angel Investor Early Stage Incubator Government 256

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2013

That means there are far more entrepreneurs looking for money than there are investors, and entrepreneur entitlement is not a realistic expectation. The same hold true for venture capital investors. Here are the top five, as outlined by Rice in his book, which match my own experience: Management team. Funding risk.

Cram Down 269

Cram Down Angel Investor Intellectual Property Venture Capital 269

Hunter Walker

OCTOBER 31, 2020

All of these areas require real understanding of core underlying technology, not just pattern matching against a business model applied to a vertical. Qualification #4: You have an emerging track record as a good angel investor.

North Carolina 91

North Carolina Hiring Angel Investor Technical Review 91

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

In fact, there are a few key sites to help you find angels, including AngelList and Gust , but these don’t tell you very much about how Angels work, and how to find the right ones for your startup. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Accredited Investor Venture Capital Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2021

In fact, there are a few key sites to help you find angels, including AngelList and Gust , but these don’t tell you very much about how angels work, and how to find the right ones for your startup. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes.

Search 317

Search Accredited Investor Angel Investor Venture Capital 317

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2023

As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. This must be matched with the intellectual courage to change business models multiple times to remain viable, based on real-time feedback from the market.

Angel Investor 297

Angel Investor Leadership Social Network Startup 297

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Angel investors and venture capitalists are looking for startups with real products and a proven business model, ready to scale. Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. They believe in you above all else.

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Early Stage Angel Investor Incubator Government 412

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2015

Image via Flickr by Side Wages Some entrepreneurs forget that they need an innovative business model along with an innovative solution to have a successful startup. Inventors alone, or business gurus alone, generally fail. Technologists forget that investors are buying a chunk of the business, not the product.

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Technical Review Startup Angel Investor Social Media 120

Up and Running

JANUARY 8, 2019

A sample business plan gives you an idea of how another small business or startup in your industry built their own plan. A good business plan example will have all the elements your bank or angel investor (or venture capitalist) will expect to see when you ask them for funds.

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Business Plan Lean Oregon Matching 118

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2020

Venture capitalists (VCs) have long been seen as the top of the pyramid for startup funding sources, but in fact angel investors now fund over twice as many companies, according the Crunchbase. Individual angel investors and crowdfunding have been adding to the momentum, some say exceeding VCs in total amount invested.

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Angel Investor Venture Capital Silicon Valley Startup 314

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

As an angel investor, what I’m looking for is key data from your business plan, including financial projections, how much money you are looking for and a quantification of my potential return. Investors expect to see credible third-party evidence that you are targeting a billion-dollar opportunity, with double-digit growth.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Technical Review 120

Up and Running

JULY 2, 2014

Picking the right attorney in your startup is as important as picking the right business partner. You can’t underestimate the importance of selecting an attorney who “gets” your business model, your market opportunity, and most importantly, your fundraising and exit strategy. We were on a roll.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence Dilution 118

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2017

I have found that the most successful entrepreneurs and business executives have an impressive work ethic, and they surround themselves with a team of comparable commitment. Business is more about people than product. Match their focus on work ethic, and you too can join them.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Technical Review Matching Hiring 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. This must be matched with the intellectual courage to change business models multiple times to remain viable, based on real-time feedback from the market.

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Leadership Social Network Matching 359

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2016

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. I certainly agree that starting a business is fraught with risk, and none of us get it all right the first time. Assume passion level defines business opportunity.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 120

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

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2016

Different types of investors tend to specialize in capitalizing on businesses at different stages. Venture capital firms look for the most mature companies they can find, Angel investors typically deal a tier lower, while friends and family are most likely to help you get started. Congratulations!

Matching 120

Matching Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2015

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. I certainly agree that starting a business is fraught with risk, and none of us get it all right the first time. Assume passion level defines business opportunity.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Viral Distribution 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2014

Venture capitalists (VCs) have long been seen as the top of the pyramid for startup funding sources, but in fact angel investors now fund over 60 times as many companies, according the Center for Venture Research. Individual angel investors have been filling the gap, and now match VCs in total amount invested.

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Angel Investor Silicon Valley Startup Portfolio 260

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2018

As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. This must be matched with the intellectual courage to change business models multiple times to remain viable, based on real-time feedback from the market.

Angel Investor 215

Angel Investor Leadership Social Network Matching 215

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2016

Every entrepreneur I know starts out with a strong conviction that their solution is a perfect match for their target market, and yet almost every one later admits a need to “pivot” before finding their groove. Switch to a more attractive and lucrative business model. These two objectives are not mutually exclusive.

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Angel Investor Dilution Matching Business Model 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2017

If you are proposing a merger or acquisition, or simply seeking an investor for your business, the process is the same. This may seem intuitively obvious, but as an angel investor, I have heard hundreds of new business pitches that focus heavily on the product, but don’t tell the rest of the story.

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Merger Angel Investor Social Media Audience 146

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

I’ve seen hundreds of startups pitch to angel investors and venture capitalists, and most of them—at best— are just okay. Outline your business model. Your business model tells an investor how your idea will (or does) convert into being economically viable. How much do they pay? Talk about yourself.

Sweat Equity 122

Sweat Equity Churn Rate Elevator Pitch Forecast 122

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2015

Angel investors and venture capitalists are looking for startups with real products and a proven business model, ready to scale. Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. They believe in you above all else.

Product Development 120

Product Development Developer Product Angel Investor 120

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Chasing funding versus chasing customers and a repeatable and scalable business model, is one reason startups fail. Is there a profitable business model? The Traditional VC Pitch Entrepreneurs who pursue the traditional product development model don’t have customer data to answer these questions. Can it scale?”

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Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 262

Up and Running

OCTOBER 21, 2014

‘Starting a business’ really only comes down to figuring out your business idea ; doing your paperwork; and sorting out the money. Given the number of funding resources available today, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem getting that initial start-up cash, especially if you focus on a lean business model or MVP route to market.

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Elevator Pitch Software Review SBA Business Plan 166

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2016

As an Angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. This must be matched with the intellectual courage to change business models multiple times to remain viable, based on real-time feedback from the market.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Leadership Social Network 120

mashable.com

NOVEMBER 3, 2010

Gary Vaynerchuk: Personal branding master and creator of Wine Library TV, Gary Vaynerchuk is also an angel investor with an expanding portfolio of companies. Paige Craig: Adrenaline-junkie Paige Craig is a former marine and intelligence consultant who’s now a prolific angel investor and startup advisor based out of Los Angeles.

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Angel Investor Startup San Francisco Social Media 80

Up and Running

OCTOBER 30, 2017

This article is part of our “ Business Startup Guide ”—a curated list of our articles that will get you up and running in no time! People often ask us for a list of steps they can use to start their own business. From business type to business model to physical location, there are so many variables! Tim Berry.

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Venture Capital Business Plan Limited Liability Company Finance 166

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2016

As an active angel investor, here are some key ones I have seen, with some guidance on how to improve your odds. Poorly written or missing business plan. If you recently sold your last startup for $800 million, you probably don’t need a business plan at all to get money for your next startup.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Angel Investor Reputation 120

YoungUpstarts

JULY 18, 2012

These five companies — some of them well-known, some not as much — moved their ideas into real-world success and pulled down some serious cash in public offerings or from angel investors. The company got noticed by Ashton Kutcher at the LA Startup Weekend and got involved as an early investor. AirBnB (Launched 2008).

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Startup Angel Investor Green Valuation 182

Transformify

JULY 23, 2018

When speaking of startups’ funding, most founders first consider VC or Angel Investor funding. Powerful matching algorithms are used to allocate the projects and ensure a stringent and high-quality evaluation process. Business valuation or investor background is among the expert evaluator’s selection criteria.

Intellectual Property 66

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Dilution Startup 66

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

Steve Blank

JULY 15, 2010

If you take funding from a venture capital firm or angel investor and want to build a large, enduring company (rather than sell it to the highest bidder), this isn’t the decade to do it. New, agile and adroit venture firms with new business models have emerged to deal with the reality that 1) web 2.0 Here’s why.

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Venture Capital IPO Liquidity Event Entrepreneur 297

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

Just because an angel investor that made tens of millions of dollars gives $50k to a startup, and got 9 of her friends to do the same thing, doesn't mean that company deserves to get a $5 million check. Public market holdings aren't dominated by internet companies with questionable business models the way they were in the late 90's.

Angel Investor 104

Angel Investor Valuation Startup Revenue 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

Investors like $1B markets with double-digit growth rates. Business model. Make sure your marketing budget matches the scope of your plan. 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).

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Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 247