David Teten

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

Dave Kerpen, founder and CEO of Likeable Local , just published an interview with me on Linkedin, which I’ve included below. Enter Dave: Angel investing is a great way to make a lot of money. Source: Center for Venture Research – Angel Market Analysis Report. Q: What is the typical profile of angel investors?

Angel Investor 114

Angel Investor Technical Review Venture Capital New Hampshire 114

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. This could equate to two technical founders (with a minimal salary), funding two developers for a year. It’s why most investors proclaim that they invest in people, more than the idea.

Burn Rate 258

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Management Salary 258

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Process myth: Why building a product leads to failure. In my view, savvy “super angel” investors such as Mike Maples, Jr. ,

Angel Investor 359

Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator Business Model 359

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2021

As an entrepreneur mentor, my mission is to foster the attributes in you as a startup founder that I believe will lead to success. I know from experience that my friends who are angel investors are looking for the same indications, although none of us has a scorecard , or even know exactly what we are looking for.

Entrepreneur 341

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Partner Software Developers 341

View from Seed

MAY 11, 2016

Investors love the idea of backing second-time founders, especially if they have had success in their last company. etc… In addition, first-time founders I speak to often talk about how much they have learned and how they resolve to do things differently and better the next time. Is there a sophomore slump to avoid?

Founder 159

Founder Cofounder CTO Hire Early Stage 159

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2021

In my experience as an angel investor for new startups, I’m always surprised by how many entrepreneurs are looking for funding without outside advisors. Unless you have a co-founder or two with the business skills to complement your technical ones, you need a friendly Advisory Board.

Advisory Board 356

Advisory Board Bandwidth Cofounder Technical Review 356

Gust

JULY 23, 2014

I almost never invest in ideas or plans, so you’ll need to have a company and at least a product, if not customers. If you have a co-founder, see if you can bring him/her along with you; I like to meet the key players. Invested Interests Power Pitches angel investor business David Rose entrepreneur meeting pitch startup'

Angel Investor 153

Angel Investor Elevator Pitch Pre-Money Valuation Technical Review 153

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 30, 2022

Of course with the promise of such significant rewards, there are also intimidating risks to take into account, and realities for investors to accept before they go all-in. Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels. Rigorous research is your responsibility. Rigorous research is your responsibility.

Technical Review 136

Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor Startup 136

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. This could equate to two technical founders (with a minimal salary), funding two developers for a year. It’s why most investors proclaim that they invest in people, more than the idea.

Burn Rate 310

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Salary Social Media 310

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders quandaries in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Should you start a company solo or find co-founders to help you? The co-founder relationship dilemma.

Founder 325

Founder Hockey Stick Cofounder Liquidity Event 325

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2020

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from fellow investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. An obvious effort to keep talking after the time limit won’t save your day with investors.

Technical Review 295

Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Startup 295

Up and Running

AUGUST 12, 2014

A few weeks ago I spoke with Boris Wertz, founder of JustBooks, COO of AbeBooks and founding-partner of Version One Ventures. In In as much as a scheduled interview with an angel investor can be, talking with Boris about what it takes to spark the interest of a venture capital firm was a coincidence. Boris Wertz.

Venture Capital 90

Venture Capital Founder Angel Investor Portfolio 90

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 5, 2023

Since this number is budgeted and pre-authorized, managers tend to focus upon other things such as sales, marketing and product development issues. There is an art to efficient management of a process, whether that is the process of bringing a product to market from R&D to production or developing a new product’s launch program.

Silicon Valley 118

Silicon Valley Burn Rate Angel Investor Down Round 118

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Most of these investors are members of Angel groups that have a rigorous filtering and screening process, to select the top 3% and most fundable proposals. Build a prototype product.

Angel Investor 260

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 260

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2011

Otherwise, I suggest that founders be up-front with their employers, with an honest commitment that the “side” work on the potential startup will not jeopardize committed results. Then there are the more pragmatic questions of how to make concurrent startup efforts productive. Set some real milestones. 5,000 active users?

Founder 233

Founder Startup Cofounder Angel Investor 233

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 14, 2022

At this stage, the founder mainly raises funding from their sources or family and friends. If you are one of the fortunate early-stage investors to be presented with such an opportunity, it could lead to rewarding returns. Promoters try to raise this funding majorly from Angel Investors. 1) Pre-seed funding round.

Technical Review 145

Technical Review Due Diligence India Startup 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2019

As an advisor to business owners, and an occasional angel investor, my job is to separate the actual challenges from the common misconceptions that distract many promising entrepreneurs while building the leadership team required for your solution, marketing, and finance success. Partner with experts who share the risk.

Bandwidth 246

Bandwidth Software Review Salary Angel Investor 246

Steve Blank

MARCH 16, 2016

To most founders a startup is not a job, but a calling. But startups require money upfront for product development and later to scale. Founders can now access the largest pool of risk capital that ever existed –in the form of Private Equity (Angel Investors, family offices , Venture Capitalists (VC’s) and Hedge Funds.).

Liquidity Event 120

Liquidity Event Founder Liquidation Preference Venture Capital 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Steve Blank via Flickr by jdlasica I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Process myth: Why building a product leads to failure. Money myth: Why having too much money leads to failure.

Startup 245

Startup Angel Investor Technical Review Incubator 245

Austin Startup

JANUARY 3, 2019

Feedback to investors about what helps and doesn’t help founders when fundraising. I originally asked this question to several founders with the intent of addressing angel investors but I’ve found it doesn’t exclude other institutional investors either. It’s a better use of time for everyone.”

Founder 48

Founder Angel Investor Technical Review Due Diligence 48

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. This could equate to two technical founders (with a minimal salary), funding two developers for a year. It’s why most investors proclaim that they invest in people, more than the idea.

Burn Rate 223

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Startup Salary 223

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2013

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. An obvious effort to keep talking after the time limit won’t save your day with investors.

Angel Investor 256

Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch Matching 256

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

As a startup advisor and angel investor, I tend to focus on the much longer list of ways your startup can fail, based on my own experience and inside knowledge from peers who you will never see highlighted on the Internet. If you don’t have all these interests and skills, even your most “disruptive” products will likely fail.

Angel Investor 249

Angel Investor Cofounder Finance Operations 249

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

One of the things that founders have the most angst about is whom they should have on their board and at what stage of the business. If the angel board member is hugely valuable you can always keep them on the board at your discretion. As per the chart above, I highly recommend keeping a founder dominated board at the seed stage.

Venture Capital 236

Venture Capital Startup Angel Investor Silicon Valley 236

Hunter Walker

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

Many times we’ll never know, but the random products that end up popping because of a TikTok trend are always pretty fascinating anthropological stories. As Jared notes, To hedge against this predictable outcome, more founders should adopt longer vesting cycles for themselves and the earliest (big equity) employees. Was it both?

Founder Vesting 59

Founder Vesting Vesting Cap Table Founder 59

The Startup Magazine

NOVEMBER 28, 2018

The event presenter, FUND, is a national connector of entrepreneurs, VCs, angel investors, and industry experts with a focus on deal flow and making connections. The FUND Conference brings together over 100 startups to present their early-stage products and pitches in front of hundreds of investors and industry leaders.

Technical Review 153

Technical Review Software Review Illinois Due Diligence 153

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” That’s why this item is so important, and is probably the biggest stumbling block I see in getting through the initial angel screening. Build a prototype product. Marty Zwilling.

Intellectual Property 224

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 224

View from Seed

MARCH 24, 2021

At NextView Ventures we have written many pieces about venture capital — how to raise it, build your business, engage with investors, iterate your product, navigate expanding industries, etc. “If you say something too high, it may scare some investors away prematurely. VCs sure do love writing. ” (David Beisel).

Seed Stage 177

Seed Stage Hiring Analytics IPO 177

Gust

DECEMBER 16, 2012

ABC Shark Tank Angels via Elite Daily. Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Build a prototype product. Get your Internet domain name and website. Free trials don’t count.

Angel Investor 179

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 179

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2023

Even if you are bootstrapping your business, and you are the only investor, you should be asking yourself the same question. Too many founders have learned that passion and free beta products do not imply a sustainable business. Of course, that has be a repeatable event, with enough revenue to sustain the business.

Business Model 273

Business Model Customer Angel Investor Bootstrapping 273

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” That’s why this item is so important, and is probably the biggest stumbling block I see in getting through the initial angel screening. Build a prototype product.

Intellectual Property 249

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 249

The Startup Magazine

NOVEMBER 14, 2018

At this year’s FUND Conference in Chicago, Illinois, over 100 startups presented their early-stage companies in front of hundreds of investors and industry leaders. FUND is a national connector of entrepreneurs, VCs, angel investors, and industry experts with a focus on deal flow and making connections. Digs Savings Product.

Chad 111

Chad Illinois Nepal Haiti 111

View from Seed

OCTOBER 21, 2014

Sharing these pricing expectations early with potential lead investors fundamentally qualifies your conversations, but it also runs the risk of prematurely losing a potential financing partner, or else it can reduce options to maximize your fundraise outcome. But, also by definition, that just can’t be the case.

Valuation 336

Valuation Founder Seed Stage Angel Investor 336

Up and Running

AUGUST 30, 2021

Entrepreneurs have to get really comfortable with rejection, especially as a first-time founder. You must have a passion for the problem and a love for building great products. This is what most founders do. As a founder, you have to be good at everything or at least understand every part of the business.

Entrepreneur 132

Entrepreneur Colorado Lean Engineer 132

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2018

Most of you new venture founders I meet as an angel investor seem convinced that starting the business is the hardest part. Instant global communication now makes it easy to reach new markets without rethinking your entire product strategy. Expand your product line, staying close to the core.

Angel Investor 167

Angel Investor Dilution Software Review Distribution 167

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

Venture capital can’t afford to invest in startups unless there is a rare combination of product opportunity, market opportunity, and proven management. They focus on newer products and markets that can reasonably project increasing sales by huge multiples over a short period of time.

SBA 161

SBA Venture Capital Angel Investor Technical Review 161

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2023

As an advisor to entrepreneurs and active angel investor, I often get questions about the realism of the Shark Tank TV series, compared to professional investor negotiations. The simple answer is that with all the staging of TV lights and billionaire investors, it’s nothing like Silicon Valley.

Entrepreneur 279

Entrepreneur Due Diligence Angel Investor Silicon Valley 279