Gust

APRIL 20, 2014

It’s your startup, so you can give early partners any title you want, but be aware of potential investor and peer implications. VCs and Angel investors like to see a startup that is running lean and mean, with no more than three or four of the conventional C-level or VP titles. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

CTO Hire 171

CTO Hire Fractional CTO Angel Investor Public Relations 171

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2010

It’s your startup, so you can give early partners any title you want, but be aware of potential investor and peer implications. VCs and angel investors like to see a startup that is running lean and mean, with no more than three or four of the conventional C-level or VP titles.

CTO Hire 227

CTO Hire Fractional CTO Startup Angel Investor 227

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

Being an outsider, I also wanted to lean heavily on the actual research available on the subject, as well as the voices of women both in the tech space and who have successfully received venture funding. What about “leaning in”? There is an argument that women need to “ lean in ” (thanks, Sheryl Sandburg).

Venture Capital 82

Venture Capital Lean Cofounder Technical Review 82

Up and Running

MARCH 11, 2015

Eric Ries of The Lean Startup has called Andrew Chen’s blog “one of the best entrepreneurship blogs of all time.” The Andreesen Horowitz blog is the work of the famous VC firm’s partners and covers all things software in Silicon Valley and beyond. Charlie O’Donnell is a partner at Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. andrewchen.co.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Technical Review Silicon Valley Cofounder 60

Steve Blank

AUGUST 5, 2010

Consumer Internet investing seems to have split off from traditional Venture Capital, and is creating a new category of VC’s: Lean VC’s. The Rise of the “Lean VC’s” – Consumer Internet Gets Funded. For a few reasons, I’ve been struggling to make sense of all the noise happening in what others have called the Super Angel arena.

Lean 258

Lean Internet Silicon Valley Venture Capital 258

Steve Blank

JANUARY 20, 2014

When Customer Development and the Lean Startup were just a sketch on the napkin, Dino Vendetti, a VC at Bay Partners, was one of the first venture capitalists I shared my ideas with. Over the years we brainstormed about how Lean entrepreneurship would affect regional development. Fixing the Missing Pieces of Infrastructure.

Silicon Valley 312

Silicon Valley Oregon Lean Venture Capital 312

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 21, 2014

Continuing into 2014, there will likely be a shift in the role of the investor into a more hands-on player in businesses. More non-professional investors will become angel investors and entrepreneurs will benefit from their domain expertise. In 2013 the funding landscape changed with the JOBS act.

Entrepreneur 188

Entrepreneur Startup Balance Sheet Non-Compete 188

Reid Hoffman

DECEMBER 10, 2020

Finally, one of Airbnb’s angel investors, who’s very smart and whom I respect a lot, reached out to me and said, “Hey, you should really look at this. And if the reference checks come back positively, then if I believe at startup is a good opportunity, I can lean in right away. I think David’s wrong.”.

Hosting 69

Hosting Hockey Stick IPO Silicon Valley 69

ReadWriteStart

MAY 29, 2012

Crowdfunding] investors are not as sophisticated as professional venture and angel investors. It’s important to know upfront who you can call on for support, because you’re going to need to lean on your backers, partners, and friends and family. It comes down to a sales pitch.

Campaign 142

Campaign Stealth Social Media Audience 142

Rob Go

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

Lean Startup Circle Boston – Meetup dedicated to the lean startup and customer development methodology. 40 to Follow on Social Media (This isn’t a list of the “best” investors and entrepreneurs, but the folks who are consistently creating good social media content and are active in the community.).

Boston 71

Boston Technical Review Community Cofounder 71

Up and Running

OCTOBER 30, 2017

While you might use your business plan as part of your pitch to investors and banks , and to attract potential partners and board members, you will primarily use it to define your strategy , tactics, and specific activities for execution, including key milestones, deadlines and budgets, and cash flow. No two businesses are the same!

Venture Capital 166

Venture Capital Business Plan Limited Liability Company Finance 166

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

You have to decide where to lean in on follow-on rounds. You have to strike a balance between the commitment you have to each and every entrepreneur but also to your own reputation in the market not to be over-selling the performance of companies to downstream investors. Be careful not to spend all of your time on inbound.

Cofounder 374

Cofounder Syndicate Syndication Early Stage 374

Austin Startup

DECEMBER 29, 2018

Bill Wood, founder of Silverton Partners and an early General Partner at Austin Ventures before, said something that got me thinking (quoting from the SiliconHills article ): Because it’s easy to startup a company and doesn’t take a lot of money, Silverton Partners sees more startups forming, Wood said.

Cofounder 48

Cofounder Austin Technical Review Advisory Board 48

500hats.com

AUGUST 2, 2012

Micro-VC: The Artist Formerly Known as “Super Angel” The “Micro-VC” funds (also known by the misnomer “Super Angel funds”), started as far back as the mid-90s with Ron Conway and earlier incarnations of his SV Angel fund. They are operators, through and through.

Silicon Valley 74

Silicon Valley Early Stage Venture Capital Valuation 74

www.mattbartus.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

I can’t tell you how often a client calls me up and says something like this: “Matt, we have this great new consultant who is going to make introductions to us to [pick type of business partner]. Angel Investors. ” To which I normally say, “don’t bother.” What are the potential issues?

Equity 40

Equity Vesting Silicon Valley Intellectual Property 40

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 30, 2012

Whether you’re looking for private equity, venture capital or angel investors, there are some common warning signs practically guaranteed to scare investors away from your business. Investors want to see a team with experience in your industry and niche, as well as a track record of success. A weak management team.

Private Equity 119

Private Equity Angel Investor Venture Capital Lean 119

www.scottporad.com

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

In addition, I would seek out angel investors and VCs in Philly. Obviously, Mike’s not looking for money yet, but those types are often tapped into technical people who are looking for a business partner. Please wait a few minutes and refresh this page.

Fractional CTO 40

Fractional CTO Developer Philadelphia Seattle 40

rob.by

MARCH 8, 2012

He argued that software engineers don’t finish what they start, and that you’re better off paying a technical person than partnering with one. A business partnership is like a marriage and finding a long term partner is a very difficult thing. Finding someone to partner with isn’t easy. Thoughts on.

Technical Cofounder 42

Technical Cofounder Cofounder Software Engineering Fractional CTO 42

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Step 1: Start with a lean plan. It’s the fastest way to get your idea onto paper, and it’s the very first step in the lean planning process, which is much easier and more iterative than traditional business planning methods. List key partners and resources you will need, and then list your core team as well as their roles.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

crowdSPRING Blog

FEBRUARY 11, 2019

Find partners or investors. See section 9 below to learn how to find a partner or investors.). Passive income can be handy for bolstering your bottom line and an important safety net for lean seasons. How to Find Partners or Investors. Choose your niche. Define your services. Develop your brand.

Small Business Administration 86

Small Business Administration Small Business Social Media Elevator Pitch 86

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

Naturally, a big part of the go-to-market includes partnering with other players in the market. In fact, most investors “require” that you already have some investment from friends and family before they will even step up to the plate. Venture Bonsai enters the increasingly active market of enabling new methods to fund startups.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Technology Product CTO Hire 175

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2014

It’s an approach that is advocated today as part of the Lean Startup Methodology. Angel investor, Boris Wertz believes that if a founder has years of experience in an industry, or if they are passionate about something, they may have what he refers to as ‘ the secret of the market ’. Begin with the simplest form of your product.

Virgin Islands 127

Virgin Islands Technical Review Startup Cofounder 127

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Did the partner have a good or bad day, etc. Your presentation doesn’t have a single word about Lean Startups or Customer Development. We were able to raise a Seed round from Bessemer Venture Partners on a powerpoint idea, and never found the repeatable customer model. Did the VC’s like your team ? In fact, just the opposite.

Customer Development 262

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 262

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

But in business, you want a lot of partners. In the private equity universe, most Partners have primary training as deal-makers, not as managers. See Bessemer Venture Partners’ A comprehensive guide to security for startups. Cobalt for General Partners helps GPs to optimize their fundraising strategy. 1) Manage the firm

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

onstartups.com

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

23 Tweetable Insights From "The Lean Startup" (5 days ago). Raising Money On AngelList: 21 Tips From Two Active Angels (1 month ago). 5 Reasons An Angel Investor Will Walk From Your Deal (1 month ago). It is likely that a lot has been written regarding NDAs from an investor’s/VC’s perspective. Follow @dharmesh.

Non-disclosure Agreement 43

Non-disclosure Agreement NDA RSS Angel Investor 43

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

If you’ve got enough funding to start your business without seeking a loan from an angel investor or a bank, you’ll be fine with a lean plan geared toward helping you solidify the planning process for yourself. A lean plan can easily be converted into a full-length, formal business plan. A Standard Business Plan Outline.

Curation 60

Curation Social Media eCommerce Naming 60

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 25, 2013

A Lean Startup methodology offers entrepreneurs a framework to focus on what’s important: Business Model Discovery. Teams use the Lean Startup toolkit: the Business Model Canvas + Customer Development process + Agile Engineering. Filed under: Customer Development , Customer Development Manifesto , Lean LaunchPad , Teaching.

Oakland 326

Oakland Incubator Lean Metrics 326

Up and Running

OCTOBER 21, 2014

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. What exactly are you doing, who is your target audience, who are key partners or employees, how much money do you require to get started?

Elevator Pitch 166

Elevator Pitch Software Review SBA Business Plan 166

The Next Web

JANUARY 16, 2014

Having raised a $35m Series A round from Accel Partners and angel investors behind ebay, Flickr and Squarespace to expand their global presence (which now include offices in San Francisco, Berlin, Paris and Rio), 99designs remain the darlings of the Aussie startup scene and one to watch. Accelerators. Co-working spaces.

Australia 146

Australia San Francisco IPO Cofounder 146

www.instigatorblog.com

MARCH 2, 2010

I hadn’t really thought of it that way before, but there’s a certain comfort in thinking about having a team of people you can lean on for advice, help, questions, support, etc. Whether the Advisory Board is something your investors (or Board of Directors) demand or not, you should set one up anyway. Why wouldn’t you?

Advisory Board 40

Advisory Board Startup Cofounder Equity 40

Up and Running

MARCH 15, 2016

If you’re not seeking bank or investor funding, you can probably get away with a lean business plan. She and her partner Yehua Yang took their business idea to Kickstarter, where they raised 150 percent of their goal. Others took to starting a clothing company by bootstrapping, using income generated from a variety of sources.

Intellectual Property 60

Intellectual Property Bootstrapping LLC Naming 60

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 20, 2020

Innovators can lean on both traditional and unexpected methods to secure seed funding ethically and legally. Seek potential partners. These potential investors make wonderful partners. In essence, your silent partner will play the part of an angel investor — but with more say.

Indiana 154

Indiana Startup Bootstrapping Finance 154

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Luckily, I teach with two great VCs, Mar Hershenson of Pear Ventures and Jeff Epstein of Bessemer Venture Partners who both put together presentations unraveling the mysteries of how and why startups raise money. And thanks to Ann Miura-Ko of Floodgate (my first Lean LaunchPad co-instructor) for her suggestions.

Cofounder 429

Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation Metrics 429

viniciusvacanti.com

SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

In many ways, good technical co-founders and angel investors are looking for the same thing. You don’t know anyone, you don’t have experience, you don’t have traction and you don’t have investors. Your Realistic Options Most people find themselves here. The timing just never worked out.

Cofounder 43

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Founder Ruby 43

www.women2.org

MARCH 8, 2012

Then, what’s missing — clearly an engineer — and why do I want a partner? Prior to that, she worked in venture capital at OpenView Venture Partners. Angel Investors. Partner Events. Partner Events. Women’s Capital Connection: Changing The Face Of Angel Investing (Women Angel Investors).

Cofounder 47

Cofounder Technical Review San Francisco Founder 47

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Those who didn’t have a product or much of a product used a concierge model of sorts ala Lean Startup philosophy to start running their business. I.e. how has this investor made money before? Almost all of the companies we invested in in 2017 had customers even if they didn’t have much of a product.

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Business Model B2B Email 48

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Those who didn’t have a product or much of a product used a concierge model of sorts ala Lean Startup philosophy to start running their business. I.e. how has this investor made money before? Almost all of the companies we invested in in 2017 had customers even if they didn’t have much of a product.

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Business Model B2B Email 48