David Teten

AUGUST 20, 2019

Many are reporting that they’re seeing a more diverse pool of applicants than traditional equity VCs… even though virtually none have a particular focus on women or underrepresented founders. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital.

Revenue 60

Revenue Cofounder Founder Venture Capital 60

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

Does the traditional VC financing model make sense for all companies? I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. 2018 also had the fewest number of angel-led financing rounds since before 2010. Absolutely not.

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

Steve Blank

APRIL 26, 2022

Except, that is, for the bottom feeders of the Venture Capital business – investors who “ cram down ” their companies. They offered desperate founders more cash but insisted on new terms, rewriting all the old stock agreements that previous investors and employees had. W hy would any founder agree to this? They’re Back.

Cram Down 413

Cram Down Founder Venture Capital Recapitalization 413

www.startuplessonslearned.com

MAY 4, 2012

Founders Dilemmas: Equity Splits. The following is an excerpt from HBS Professor Noam Wasserman’s new book, The Founders Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup. Noam is one of a rare breed of business academics: he studies entrepreneurship using a rigorous empirical approach.

Equity 72

Equity Founder Technical Cofounder Cofounder 72

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 16, 2020

For example, a rapidly growing business is often purchasing lots of inventory, investing in fixed assets, and not managing their accounts receivable. If your business model is profitable but you’ve mismanaged one of the above categories, you need to build a 13-week cash forecast to manage your short-term crisis.

Recapitalization 200

Recapitalization Forecast Software Review Finance 200

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

From RBI, Flexible VCs borrow the ability to reap meaningful returns without demanding founders build for an exit. From traditional equity VC, Flexible VC borrows the option to pursue and reap the rewards of an outsized exit. Flexible VC 101: Equity Meets Revenue Share. Flexible VC 102: Variations.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Depending on the composition of the founding team, you might or might not have near-term holes in certain functions at the exec level – e.g. you’ll most likely need to bring on a CTO/VP of Engineering shortly after the seed round if you don’t have a technical co-founder. The post Pitch Deck Month: The “Where Are You Going?

Part-Time VPE 195

Part-Time VPE Seed Stage CTO Hire Forecast 195

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

In very few specific cases, depending on the nature of the business, the business model might demand a considerable gestation period or extensive research and development. For these businesses, it is imperative to get funding from the start without which the company cannot be set up. Equity investors.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors. Even if your product is a technological marvel, I look for balanced strength on the team in finance, marketing and operations.

Sweat Equity 152

Sweat Equity Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Software Review 152

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

When you accept outside money, particularly a private equity (PE) investment, however, that changes. In this article, I’ll provide some personal stories of how investors have navigated the balance between raising private equity capital and not losing control of their startup. You make all the decisions, when you want, how you want.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

From day one, the founders believe that their vision can change the world. Unlike small business entrepreneurs, their interest is not in earning a living but rather in creating equity in a company that eventually will become publicly traded or acquired, generating a multi-million-dollar payoff. Buyable Startup s: Born to Flip.

Government 335

Government Silicon Valley Startup Venture Capital 335

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

This structure offers some of the benefits of traditional equity VC, without some of the negatives of equity VC. I’ve been a traditional equity VC for 8 years, and I’m now researching new business models in venture capital. Unlike many RBI investors, a full 50% of our investment activity is in non-tech businesses.

Revenue 60

Revenue Technical Review Software Review Equity 60

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Some really great stuff in 2010 that aims to help startups around product, technology, business models, etc. 500 Hats , February 1, 2010 When to Use Facebook Connect – Twitter Oauth – Google Friend Connect for Authentication? . -

Silicon Valley 378

Silicon Valley Startup Term Sheet Venture Capital 378

Startup Lessons Learned

APRIL 24, 2012

The following is an excerpt from HBS Professor Noam Wasserman’s new book, The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup. Noam is one of a rare breed of business academics: he studies entrepreneurship using a rigorous empirical approach. But such a best-case approach is hazardous.

Equity 168

Equity Founder Cofounder Vesting 168

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. You should know every metric regarding customer acquisition, conversion and retention.

Software Review 164

Software Review Term Sheet Technical Review Angel Investor 164

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2023

Some argue the only way to start is to drop everything and jump in with both feet, while others recommend an overlapped approach to the lifestyle, including not quitting your day job until you have revenue and a proven business model. McGinnis, a well-known venture capitalist and private equity investor.

Private Equity 255

Private Equity Salary Cofounder Equity 255

www.inc.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Small Business Success | Mondays and Thursdays. The Goods: Your Business Toolbox | Thursdays. Finance | Tuesdays. Todays Small Business News | Daily. Financing a Small Business. Buying a Small Business. RUNNING A BUSINESS. Financing A Small Business. Business Taxes.

Arizona 40

Arizona Equity Iowa Venture Capital 40

David Teten

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

. – Indiegogo.com is a crowd-funding platform allowing contributors to empower hundreds of thousands of inventors, musicians, do-gooders, filmmakers – and many more – to bring their dreams to life. – Clarity.com proactively advises you on managing your personal finances efficiently. Goldman Sachs bought Clarity for ~$100m. .

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Partner Technical Review Cofounder 60

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Most technologists have little interest in the mechanics of starting and building a business. That’s why I recommend that they find a co-founder who loves business challenges, including marketing and finance. Outside investors are most interested in scaling a proven business model, not research and development.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Intellectual Property Cofounder Bootstrapping 120

genylabs.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Working for Equity Instead of Cash. has an article on service firms waiving their fees and instead taking equity in their clients. Interest in this waned when the Internet bust resulted in most tech start-up equity becoming worthless, but it seems to be coming back. Not all start-up stock is created equally.

Equity 40

Equity Technical Review San Jose Stock 40

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Private equity and venture capital investors are copying our sisters in the hedge fund world: we’re trying to automate more of our job. . In the private equity universe, most Partners have primary training as deal-makers, not as managers. (To see the video above, please click the image, and then click on the Play button.).

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Steve Blank

MARCH 31, 2014

Cheered on by finance professors, Wall Street analysts, investors and hedge funds, companies have learned how to make metrics like Internal Rate of Return look great by one; outsourcing everything, two, getting assets off their balance sheet, and three only investing in things that pay off fast. We legalized robbing the corporate treasury.

Private Equity 328

Private Equity Metrics China Intellectual Property 328

David Teten

MARCH 18, 2021

(co-written with Stephane Nasser , co-founder of OpenVC , an open-source initiative to collect and analyze all VC theses.). OpenVC is a new, open-source initiative to collect and analyze all publicly available VC theses, to help founders more efficiently find the right investors, and vice-versa. Technical founders .

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Cofounder Venture Capital Deal Flow 78

Up and Running

DECEMBER 9, 2014

Bates: Good morning and welcome to our CEO panel, “How to Fine-Tune Your Small Business Finances From Funding to Growth” which I think is the direction that we would all like to be going. I’m here with some really phenomenal CEOs who are going to talk to us today about small business finances from funding to growth.

Small Business 95

Small Business Finance Forecast Metrics 95

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

What most founders don’t realize is: Every stage of a startup requires a different set of metrics and milestones and founder skills. Knowing these will help a founder position her pitch to get investors’ attention. Founders need to keep their eye on the prize — not just the next funding round. Business Model.

Cofounder 431

Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation Metrics 431

philipsmith.typepad.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Two Tales of "Working For Equity". Working for equity only is, realistically, the way most startups have to get going. True founders - the gritty, enthusiastic, determined, change-the-world, passionate types - will do this for a long time, including well after they start paying others on staff some real cash.

Silicon Valley 40

Silicon Valley Equity Technical Review Recapitalization 40

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

I challenge any entrepreneur, for example, to define the difference between "seed-stage" and "early-stage" financing. Ron Conway , of SV Angels, and Reid Hoffman , LinkedIn's founder, are names often mentioned in this category. These funders often offer convertible notes, rather than the traditional priced equity.

Seed Stage 120

Seed Stage Finance Early Stage Startup 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

Some argue the only way to start is to drop everything and jump in with both feet, while others recommend an overlapped approach to the lifestyle, including not quitting your day job until you have revenue and a proven business model. McGinnis, a well-known venture capitalist and private equity investor.

Entrepreneur 321

Entrepreneur Private Equity Startup Salary 321

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

I recently spoke at the Founder Showcase at the request of Adeo Ressi. I said that at the Founder Showcase, too. But this mania to not miss out on the next big thing is driving some investors to pay growth-equity prices for traditional market risk (as in, they’re paying up before it is clear there is product / market fit).

Saudi Arabia 309

Saudi Arabia Valuation IPO Technical Review 309

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 20, 2018

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! Starting up a business requires a lot of different steps. True, your business aspirations may be on a more modest scale than these world-famous brands. But where to begin? Practical ways to get started.

Sweat Equity 93

Sweat Equity Startup Lean Italy 93

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

Before I get into the details for founders, let me talk about options-hungry employees. am sure you have seen them and may be you are one of them. - Seth Levine's VC Adventure , August 30, 2010 Paul Graham, founder of Y-Combinator , sent out a tweet on Friday saying: “Convertible notes have won. equity debate. Dying at 70?

Startup 191

Startup CTO Hire Cofounder Venture Capital 191

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

Notice that I didn’t say I wouldn’t invest in a founder with an MBA; there are many amazing entrepreneurs and investors with MBAs, such as my friend Aneel Bhusri of Workday. As opposed to taking a potentially smart risk on equity). Like many first time founders, I ran over that landmine.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

Notice that I didn’t say I wouldn’t invest in a founder with an MBA; there are many amazing entrepreneurs and investors with MBAs, such as my friend Aneel Bhusri of Workday. As opposed to taking a potentially smart risk on equity). Like many first time founders, I ran over that landmine.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

OnlyOnce

DECEMBER 1, 2021

Sometimes a founder or a founder’s spouse even steps in on this front. As startups scale, they are likely to hire a more senior accountant, maybe an AR/AP/Collections staff member, or even a Controller or VP Finance. Lots of startups have nothing more than an outsourced bookkeeper or one junior staff accountant.

Hiring 117

Hiring Cap Table Finance Equity 117

Up and Running

DECEMBER 23, 2019

One of the most important decisions a new business owner can make is how they’re going to finance their venture. . Bootstrapping, saving funds over years, borrowing from friends and family, taking out a bank loan and pitching investors are all viable options, but some will work better than others for your specific business. .

Finance 92

Finance Sweat Equity Bootstrapping Entrepreneur 92

Up and Running

APRIL 24, 2014

We asked nine company founders the following question: What is one creative way to quickly finance a new product-based business OTHER than crowdfunding? Have Your First 10 Customers Finance Development. Think hard about your business model. .” But that’s just the tip of the creativity iceberg.

Finance 115

Finance Product Equity B2B 115

The Next Web

JANUARY 27, 2013

One of the things I found most valuable from participating in the Founder Institute was a lesson about the Golden Circle by Simon Sinek. One of the biggest mistakes I made was flushing about $10,000 down the toilet on legal fees for a piece of paper that eventually didn’t suffice when two of our co-founders left the building.

Netherlands 159

Netherlands Technical Review Software Review Cofounder 159