Professor VC

JULY 22, 2009

The burn rates of my portfolio companies is certainly top of mind right now, but thats not what this post is about. Well, our VP Operations at Fliqz, Daniel Marcus , dabbles in creating writing and music when not managing our data center. ProfessorVC. The last blogger in Silicon Valley. Wednesday, July 22, 2009. Steve Bennet.

Burn Rate 28

Burn Rate San Jose Silicon Valley Angel Investor 28

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

Often when startups who have raised venture capital need another round of financing they will turn to their existing investors to give them money before raising from outsiders. a loan) that is later converted to equity at the time of the next financing. You’ve kept a really low burn rate and paid yourself a very small salary.

Startup 290

Startup Burn Rate Warrant Bankruptcy 290

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2013

I got a job at a bank, and I worked in their corporate finance group. We had a finance group for all of the bank branches based in San Diego, and I wrote programs to download stuff from the mainframe so we could do analysis three days faster than they could send us the data. And I’m now managing partner six years later.

Cofounder 337

Cofounder Technical Cofounder San Diego Startup 337

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2011

3) An experienced board brings an extensive network of customers, partners, help in recruiting, follow-on financing, etc. The only numbers in those documents that are important in the first year of a startup’s life are burn rate and cash balance. There are no standards for what each side (board versus management) does.

Silicon Valley 296

Silicon Valley Business Model Venture Capital Balance Sheet 296

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2011

3) An experienced board brings an extensive network of customers, partners, help in recruiting, follow-on financing, etc. The only numbers in those documents that are important in the first year of a startup’s life are burn rate and cash balance. There are no standards for what each side (board versus management) does.

Silicon Valley 268

Silicon Valley Business Model Venture Capital Balance Sheet 268

Professor VC

JANUARY 27, 2011

I strongly believe (at least for very early stage technology ventures) that you will get diminishing returns and arguably negative returns once you get past an initial threshold of team, product, market and financial diligence. I immediately jumped up and called "b t". This could include 2 short meetings and a couple of phone calls.

Technical Review 31

Technical Review Due Diligence Silicon Valley San Jose 31

Professor VC

APRIL 1, 2010

It had a good mix of viewpoints with east ( James Geshwiler, Common Angels ) and west coast (yours truly) angels, early stage venture capitalist ( Jason Mendelson, Foundry Group ), and a couple of attorneys ( Dan Hansen and Mario Rosati ). Labels: Angel Investors , fundraising , term sheets , venture capital , venture financing.

Term Sheet 32

Term Sheet Angel Investor San Jose Venture Capital 32

Professor VC

APRIL 7, 2011

This will also serve as a good pointer for all the entrepreneurs who ask why I am not interested in their company led convertible note financing round. This can make it much more difficult to get any bank financing, new investment, and trade credit. In cases where it is truly a bridge financing (i.e. Steve Bennet. at 1:33 PM.

San Jose 36

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Valuation 36

Professor VC

MARCH 10, 2009

I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. I also teach Entrepreneurial Finance at San Jose State. They have a standard presentation on bootstrapping, which they present around the country. ► May.

Bootstrapping 28

Bootstrapping San Jose Silicon Valley Software Review 28

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

Didnt get the chance to ask him if managed to visit Berkeley while he was in town and see the 52-7 whupping that the Buffs took at the hands of Cal. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases.

Technical Review 38

Technical Review San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley 38

Professor VC

MAY 29, 2008

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 also teach Entrepreneurial Finance at San Jose State. Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught? ► October. (1). ► September. (1).

Angel Investor 28

Angel Investor Angel Groups Accredited Investor San Jose 28

Professor VC

JUNE 6, 2008

It seems appropriate to have this discussion as Kent Desormeaux grabs Big Browns reins and goes after the Triple Crown tomorrow at Belmont.There is an age old debate in the venture business on whether it is better to bet on the horse (business/market) or the jockey (management team/founders). Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught? ► October.

San Jose 28

San Jose Technical Review Norway Angel Investor 28

Professor VC

APRIL 11, 2008

Not to worry, I was busy working on closing the Series B financing for iControl Networks. I started working with the founders of iControl at the concept stage, prior to the first $100K of angel financing. Labels: CFO , home security , M and A , venture capital , venture financing. Steve Bennet. at 10:22 AM. Newer Post.

San Jose 28

San Jose Angel Investor Venture Capital Balance Sheet 28

Professor VC

JANUARY 27, 2008

The spring semester of my Entrepreneurial Finance class starts tomorrow. We will also look at a variety of financing methods including venture capital, angel investing, licensing, franchising, roll-up, venture debt and my old favorite, bootstrapping. Labels: entrepreneur , entrepreneurial finance course , venture capital.

San Jose 28

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Venture Capital 28

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 13, 2011

An experienced board brings an extensive network of customers, partners, help in recruiting, follow-on financing, etc. The only numbers in those documents that are important in the first year of a startup's life are burn rate and cash balance. There are no standards for what each side (board versus management) does.

Silicon Valley 117

Silicon Valley Balance Sheet Metrics Early Stage 117

Professor VC

DECEMBER 18, 2008

Manija Ansari is an undergraduate business student (currently in my Entrepreneurial Finance course), working on a social entreprenurial venture. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. ► July. (1).

San Jose 28

San Jose Silicon Valley Technical Review Angel Investor 28

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 30, 2020

Many fail because they fail to keep their burn rate in check and then run out of investors who are willing to fund their operations. They treat their startup’s burn rate like it’s etched in stone. The latter group also tends to spend every waking moment in the pursuit of lining up new financing.

Burn Rate 107

Burn Rate Management Startup Early Stage 107

Professor VC

FEBRUARY 12, 2008

As early stage investors, our goal is to eliminate as much risk as possible with the least amount of cash spent. However, I was glad to see they were able to raise financing and launch the service. Steve, I was pleasantly surprised to find your blog when researching startup financing. February 15, 2008 2:08 PM.

San Jose 31

San Jose Technical Review Venture Capital Angel Investor 31

Professor VC

FEBRUARY 26, 2008

As I mentioned in the previous post, Jeff Fluhr (founder of StubHub) recently stopped by my Entrepreneurial Finance class to share his 4 Lessons of Entrepreneurship with the students. He raised less financing than originally planned but was able to launch the site and was running a business by the time his classmates graduated 9 months later.

Technical Review 28

Technical Review San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Professor VC

NOVEMBER 13, 2008

Manage seasonal demand through pricing - Weather on the Oregon coast can range from gorgeous to downright nasty and can change from one of the other in a matter of minutes. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases.

Oregon 28

Oregon San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Professor VC

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

They need to have a place where they can gain an understanding of their different options for financing the venture, how to determine exactly what is needed in the marketplace, how to negotiate, how to read contracts, the role of technology, how to write a business plan, understand what your ratios are saying. Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?

San Jose 43

San Jose Silicon Valley Las Vegas Venture Capital 43

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 16, 2008

I am not sure how this relates to venture finance or entrepreneurship, but Im sure Ill find some connection along the way. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. ProfessorVC. ► October. (1).

San Jose 28

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Professor VC

JULY 31, 2008

I actually enjoy the process of pulling together a selection of materials to create a complete course on Entrepreneurial Finance. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?

San Jose 28

San Jose Software Review Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Professor VC

JANUARY 17, 2008

He then went on to say that this type of financing was good for the entrepreneur (vs taking VC money) because they got to keep more of the company. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases.

Pre-Money Valuation 28

Pre-Money Valuation Angel Investor Angel Groups Valuation 28

BeyondVC

JUNE 11, 2007

In the last six months, we have augmented some of our existing venture financing with venture debt as the market has become quite competitive which means pricing and terms are getting more attractive for all of us. The trick for entrepreneurs is to look at bringing on debt concurrent or soon after your close of equity financing.

Intellectual Property 60

Intellectual Property Covenant Warrant Equity 60

Professor VC

AUGUST 26, 2011

To that last one, there is certainly some truth as the standard time vs. revenue chart in most business plans looks like this: Im not teaching Entrepreneurial Finance this semester for the first time since Fall 2007. Labels: entrepreneurial finance , financial analysis , venture capital. Steve Bennet. at 3:15 PM. Email This BlogThis!

Silicon Valley 35

Silicon Valley San Jose Hockey Stick Venture Capital 35

Professor VC

JUNE 20, 2011

Financing, that is.I One truth of start-up financing is that it generally takes twice as long and twice as much money to accomplish your milestones. And this is a company that has managed to get an A+ list of investors and is executing very well. As I said up front, I have mixed emotions about the financing. ProfessorVC.

San Jose 28

San Jose Angel Investor Term Sheet Venture Capital 28

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

The fall semester at SJSU started this week and had the first class meeting of my Entrepreneurial Finance class, which was overflowing with students standing, sitting on the floor and begging to get in. Whether you buy this or not for public equities, the market for early stage private companies has always been wildly inefficient.

Angel Investor 28

Angel Investor Angel Groups San Jose Venture Capital 28

Professor VC

OCTOBER 26, 2010

The search for a world series ticket brought up some more thoughts about entrepreneurial finance. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. I also teach Entrepreneurial Finance at San Jose State.

San Jose 28

San Jose San Francisco Angel Investor Silicon Valley 28

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

It is certainly true that we can pick apart the financial projections or pour through contracts, legal and financial diligence, but none of those areas tend to be the most important areas in deciding whether to make an early stage investment. Labels: angel groups , angel investing , CFO , early stage investing.

Angel Groups 28

Angel Groups San Jose Early Stage Angel Investor 28

Professor VC

JULY 2, 2010

I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. I also teach Entrepreneurial Finance at San Jose State. Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught? ► October. (1). Watch Out for the Red W(h)ine. ► September.

San Jose 28

San Jose Silicon Valley Venture Capital Angel Investor 28

dondodge.typepad.com

JANUARY 15, 2011

Entrepreneurs face some pretty tough questions at a very early stage. How much equity should I grant to early employees? It isnt always possible to have a competitive bidding situation at each financing round so here are some guidelines for funding sources and percentages. 5% Managers -.25% 25% Individuals -.05

Equity 40

Equity Employee Dilution Valuation 40

abovethecrowd.com

APRIL 20, 2016

Why the Unicorn Financing Market Just Became Dangerous…For All Involved. The pressures of lofty paper valuations, massive burn rates (and the subsequent need for more cash), and unprecedented low levels of IPOs and M&A, have created a complex and unique circumstance which many Unicorn CEOs and investors are ill-prepared to navigate.

IPO 40

IPO Term Sheet Silicon Valley Valuation 40

Professor VC

FEBRUARY 26, 2010

Labels: entrepreneur , seed investing , venture capital , venture financing. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. I also teach Entrepreneurial Finance at San Jose State. Steve Bennet.

San Jose 28

San Jose Silicon Valley Venture Capital Angel Investor 28

philipsmith.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

While there have been times in the last dozen or so years, usually during times of venture capital excess, that cash to founders, early-stage executives and other key employees has matched regular market compensation (still with the upside of the equity), this is not true in the vast majority in the start-up game. Business Management.

Silicon Valley 40

Silicon Valley Equity Technical Review Recapitalization 40

Professor VC

JANUARY 17, 2008

I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. I also teach Entrepreneurial Finance at San Jose State. Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught? ► October. (1). Watch Out for the Red W(h)ine. ► September.

Silicon Valley 31

Silicon Valley San Jose Angel Investor Venture Capital 31

Professor VC

MAY 30, 2009

We have invested a combination of ~$20K in founder financing and ~$200k in vendor financing. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. I also teach Entrepreneurial Finance at San Jose State.

San Jose 28

San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley Bootstrapping 28