Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2017

Some aspiring entrepreneurs are so desperate for funding, or naïve, that they ignore the obvious signs of scams and rip-offs on the Internet, praying for a windfall. Most of these are easy to avoid if you do your homework up front, but can cost you dearly if you get sucked in. Deposit required to hold your terms.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Non-disclosure Agreement Due Diligence Entrepreneur 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Some aspiring entrepreneurs are so desperate for funding, or naïve, that they ignore the obvious signs of scams and rip-offs on the Internet, praying for a windfall. Most of these are easy to avoid if you do your homework up front, but can cost you dearly if you get sucked in. Deposit required to hold your terms. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 202

Technical Review Non-disclosure Agreement Due Diligence Entrepreneur 202

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2019

Image via Flickr by ivanpw Some aspiring entrepreneurs are so desperate for funding, or naïve, that they ignore the obvious signs of scams and rip-offs on the Internet, praying for a windfall. Most of these are easy to avoid if you do your homework up front, but can cost you dearly if you get sucked in. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 228

Technical Review Non-disclosure Agreement Due Diligence Term Sheet 228

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2009

This is part of my new series on what makes an entrepreneur successful. I originally posted it on VentureHacks , one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs. Ability to Pivot – I don’t like to invest in people that I’ve never met before who come through my office wanting to have a term sheet within 30 days.

Entrepreneur 291

Entrepreneur Term Sheet Early Stage Affiliate 291

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2020

In my experience with entrepreneurs, there seems to a wealth of self-proclaimed “idea people” who aspire to start businesses, but only a few who are willing and able to dig in and get the job done. Only rare great entrepreneurs, like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, have proven to be both. Tailor investor proposals and term-sheets.

Entrepreneur 307

Entrepreneur Cofounder Term Sheet Acquisition 307

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2023

In my experience with entrepreneurs, there seems to a wealth of self-proclaimed “idea people” who aspire to start businesses, but only a few who are willing and able to dig in and get the job done. Only rare great entrepreneurs, like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, have proven to be both. Tailor investor proposals and term-sheets.

Cofounder 389

Cofounder Startup Term Sheet Acquisition 389

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 29, 2010

We received so much positive feedback from our This Week in Venture Capital show walking through valuation calculations & term sheets that we decided to do a Q&A show this week to address topics that entrepreneurs want to learn about. on the entrepreneur side of the table) when I raised at too high of a price.

Venture Capital 282

Venture Capital Term Sheet Valuation Stock Options 282

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 25, 2010

Not that they’re “such a bad idea&# but more that there are inherent problems for entrepreneurs in the process of raising angel money that need to be addressed. This leads to the problem of “herding cats&# for entrepreneurs raising angel money. Here’s where I feel common ground : 1. and not a min.

Finance 286

Finance Term Sheet Technical Review Warrant 286

ReadWriteStart

MARCH 31, 2020

According to Ben Narasin , “in 2020, investors will require firmer governance and oversight structures to safeguard against negative impact and ensure these protections are mandated in their term sheets.”. This may probably drive entrepreneurs to alternative funding options, such as equity crowdfunding.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Startup Term Sheet 175

David Teten

AUGUST 19, 2019

Though RBI will displace some traditional equity VC, its much bigger impact will be to expand the pool of capital available for early-stage entrepreneurs. . Feenix focuses solely on providing longer term growth capital to healthy companies looking to expand. All term sheets are a negotiation.

Revenue 60

Revenue Term Sheet Founder Technical Review 60

View from Seed

APRIL 30, 2015

It can be lower cost and can either buy more time or accelerate growth. It’s generally got a lower cost compared to equity capital and can help support growth. From a company milestones perspective, entrepreneurs who take on venture debt are almost always thinking about raising that next round of capital from other institutions.

Term Sheet 120

Term Sheet Equity Startup Seed Stage 120

David Teten

JANUARY 19, 2021

See Why Are Revenue-Based Investors Investing in Women & Diverse Entrepreneurs? That said, nothing is cost-free. More complex cost of capital calculation. This causes the cost of capital for Flexible VC, often calculated through IRR (similar to an interest rate), can be higher than that of venture debt or traditional RBI.

Cofounder 78

Cofounder Technical Review Equity Dividend 78

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2015

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. business due diligence entrepreneur investors startups' Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 1/9/2015.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Startup Term Sheet 120

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

My initial reaction to Adeo when we spoke was that while it may have solved some issues (debt versus equity) it didn’t solve the ones that I’ve been warning entrepreneurs about most loudly. A standard entrepreneur retort I heard back then (2008-09) was “I don’t know what my company is worth now.

Ratchet 354

Ratchet Liquidation Preference Equity Stock 354

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2012

A few angel investors have slipped or fallen from their lofty perch, so entrepreneurs must take great care to validate the character and reputation of every prospective investor. The entrepreneur’s tendency to be in a huge hurry to obtain the funding can end up being disastrous, and play into the hands of these less scrupulous investors.

Angel Investor 281

Angel Investor Term Sheet Entrepreneur Due Diligence 281

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

So they set up seed programs that allowed for rapid decisions for $500k or less, often done as convertible debt for both speed and cost reasons. I told entrepreneurs that it was a bit of a Faustian bargain. I have spoken at length to one such entrepreneur who tells me that he hardly hears from his VC. I was an early cynic.

Software Review 283

Software Review Term Sheet Due Diligence Southern California 283

Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2012

It sounds obvious, but the majority of entrepreneurs who pitch me have obviously never thought through many of the major issues surrounding their companies. The expectation is that in an era of increasing technology and decreasing costs, you will be bringing them an operating company with at least some traction.

Software Review 164

Software Review Term Sheet Technical Review Angel Investor 164

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2010

The sunk costs trap. How-to learn about angel/vc term sheets - Gabriel Weinberg , June 28, 2010 I think every startup entrepreneur (and angel investor) should have a good understanding of financing term sheets. You’re Not a Real Entrepreneur - Steve Blank , June 10, 2010 Who is an entrepreneur really?

Cofounder 175

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Term Sheet Startup 175

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2015

Most new entrepreneurs assume that great investors will find their startups based on the compelling solution the founders have created. Thus it behooves every entrepreneur to optimize their investment strategies early, based on time and dollar costs, as well as odds of success. There are just too many scams.

Cost 120

Cost Angel Groups Due Diligence Silicon Valley 120

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 6, 2011

Sramana Mitra is the founder of the One Million by One Million (1M/1M) initiative, an educational, business development and incubation program that aims to help one million entrepreneurs globally to reach $1 million in revenue and beyond. She is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and strategy consultant. What makes 1M/1M unique?

Silicon Valley 118

Silicon Valley India San Francisco Entrepreneur 118

Diego Basch

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

It’s one of the big nightmares of an entrepreneur: Big Company shows interest in Startup. We could have insisted on a term sheet, even though term sheets are non-binding. I believe the startup should have pushed for the term sheet as soon as possible. Acquisition talks go well.

Term Sheet 56

Term Sheet Redemption Acquisition Reputation 56

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 28, 2015

This past summer, the Lightspeed Summer Fellowships program invited selected guests to provide aspiring entrepreneurs a perspective into all aspects of starting a new company. The program provides entrepreneurs the resources and mentoring they need to build their companies and develop their skills. ” The Cost of Financing.

Convertible Security 100

Convertible Security IP Technical Review Software Review 100

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

My blog linked to Brad Feld’s blog because I was so grateful for his series on term sheets and he was one of the biggest reasons that as a VC I felt compelled to blog. Experienced and serial entrepreneurs in the content management space. Reasons: cost of sales executives, long sales cycles, deep functional requirements.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Term Sheet San Diego Viral 274

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

A friend of mine is a serial entrepreneur and is running a high-profile, early stage company in NorCal. We exchanged ideas when I was an entrepreneur along side him in NorCal in 05-07 and my point-of-view on founder / VC relationships hasn’t shifted even 1% since I went to the dark side. Many term sheets ensued.

Founder 329

Founder Liquidation Preference Term Sheet Participating Preferred 329

reidhoffman.org

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

. × At Greylock , my partners and I are driven by one guiding mission: always help entrepreneurs. It doesn’t matter whether an entrepreneur is in our portfolio, whether we’re considering an investment, or whether we’re casually meeting for the first time. Entrepreneurs often ask me for help with their pitch decks.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Revenue Viral Networking 111

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 12, 2009

But Cafepress’s most memorable moment was when the founders used a “Lessons Learned” VC pitch to raise their second round of funding and got an 8-digit term sheet that same afternoon. The VC firm delivered a term sheet for an 8-digit second round that afternoon. Here’s how they did it. And learn from it.”

Venture Capital 234

Venture Capital Silicon Valley RSS Hockey Stick 234

crowdSPRING Blog

JUNE 6, 2013

7 Tips On How Your Small Business Or Startup Can Hire A Good Lawyer And Control Legal Costs – [link]. 7 Tips On How Your Small Business Or Startup Can Hire A Good Lawyer And Control Legal Costs – [link]. 7 Tips On How Your Small Business Or Startup Can Hire A Good Lawyer And Control Legal Costs – [link].

Social Media 95

Social Media Small Business Design Media 95

Austin Startup

JULY 22, 2021

It’s hard to describe in words the palpable energy when a room is this packed full of incredible female entrepreneurs at the Women in Tech Summit at Capital Factory. On October 4th, five technology startup finalists will pitch to a panel of advisors and judges made up of successful investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.

San Antonio 107

San Antonio Dallas Houston Founder 107

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

These elements of the business model– revenue (pricing, pricing strategy), distribution channel, How to Get/Keep/Grow customers, Key Activities, Resources and Costs – are other, critical parts your start up needs to understand and have in place. serial entrepreneur. Market is a euphemism for “How big can your company grow?”

Cofounder 431

Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation Metrics 431

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

I recently read a post over on VentureHacks titled, “ Top Ten Reasons Entrepreneurs Hate Lawyers &# written by Scott Walker (who blogs on legal issues for entrepreneurs ). Because many great entrepreneurs work with lawyers in registering their companies they have their ear to the pavement on the earliest of company formations.

Southern California 318

Southern California Silicon Valley IP Stock Options 318

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2013

A few angel investors have slipped or fallen from their lofty perch, so entrepreneurs must take great care to validate the character and reputation of every prospective investor. The entrepreneur’s tendency to be in a huge hurry to obtain the funding can end up being disastrous, and play into the hands of these less scrupulous investors.

Angel Investor 263

Angel Investor Term Sheet Due Diligence Early Stage 263

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 17, 2020

They were providing low-cost healthy meals for schools across the country and, before the crisis, were delivering two million federally reimbursable school and community meals per week nationwide. We literally started just as we got our first term sheet for investment on the day that we graduated from business school in June of 2006.

Cofounder 60

Cofounder Security Founder Entrepreneur 60

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

At an accelerator … Me: Raising convertible notes as a seed round is one of the biggest disservices our industry has done to entrepreneurs since 2001-2003 when there were “full ratchets” and “multiple liquidation preferences” – the most hostile terms anybody found in term sheets 10 years ago.

Venture Capital 417

Venture Capital Liquidation Preference Valuation Term Sheet 417

Scott Edward Walker

JUNE 26, 2012

I have set forth below some nuggets for entrepreneurs. I hope entrepreneurs find a few of the quotes helpful and get a better understanding of how VC’s think. The most successful entrepreneurs tend to start with a desire to solve an interesting problem—one that’s often driven by a personal frustration.” - Roelof Botha (p.1)

Term Sheet 72

Term Sheet Technical Review Due Diligence Cofounder 72

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Salary Egypt 384

www.seriesseed.com

MARCH 2, 2010

.  In my opinion, the reason that capped convertible debt is the current market leader is that entrepreneurs have been conditioned over time to believe that convertible debt is (a) faster (b) cheaper and (c) better for them than equity investment.  2) Redline - Series Seed Term Sheet (1 v. Series Seed IRA (v 2.0)

Finance 58

Finance Term Sheet Equity Aggregator 58

www.seriesseed.com

DECEMBER 9, 2012

.  In my opinion, the reason that capped convertible debt is the current market leader is that entrepreneurs have been conditioned over time to believe that convertible debt is (a) faster (b) cheaper and (c) better for them than equity investment.  Redline - Series Seed Term Sheet (1 v.   Redlines. Disclaimer.

Term Sheet 40

Term Sheet Ratchet Dilution Equity 40