SoCal CTO

MARCH 9, 2010

In my post, Technology Roles in Startups , I described some of the different ways I engage with startup companies such as CTO Founder , CTO , Part-Time CTO , Acting CTO , Consultant, Advisor and Advisory Board Member. Now, most often technical advisors are part of a broader advisory board. In Why assemble an advisory board?

Technical Review 150

Technical Review Advisory Board Technology Fractional CTO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

For early-stage startups, the goodwill component can easily exceed the size of all the financial elements together, or can just as easily mark a company with good financials as not investable. Organizations are assigned value by how well they take advantage of the best technology, and turn information into action.

Valuation 311

Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Leadership 311

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2023

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Early stage burn rates over $50K per month, or a runway of less than six months may indicate an inefficient or desperate startup.

Sweat Equity 207

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 207

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

For the past 10 years, with interest rates near zero, VC investors plowed record amounts into tech startups and enjoyed a seemingly ‘easy’ investing environment. From a technology point of view, new tech tools like generative AI means that tasks can be accomplished with fewer resources and at a higher speed.

Venture Capital 215

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Institutional Investors 215

The Startup Magazine

NOVEMBER 28, 2018

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. I work in technology where the dress code is relaxed, but an executive woman my age can wear neither a hoodie nor a stuffy suit.). If so, how? Fantastic points.

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Software Review Illinois Due Diligence 158

NZ Entrepreneur

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

If we want to maintain and support sustainable economic growth while meeting the broader needs of society, we will need an economy underpinned by innovation and new technologies. In deep tech companies value creation milestones are more likely to be tagged to validating the technology and IP creation.

Technical Review 90

Technical Review Software Review New Zealand Due Diligence 90

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2011

You need to convince them that you have been working on this vision for a long time, and have done the “due diligence” on all the potential knockoffs. In high technology, this is called “release early and iterate,” which allows you to make corrections as you go, as well as adjust for the market changes.

Early Stage 247

Early Stage Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence 247

ReadWriteStart

JULY 12, 2019

There are plenty of entrepreneurs diligently working toward a better future. But in high-tech businesses, it’s crucial that the AI you build, promote, or invest in — is authentic. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the buzz surrounding AI/machine learning and early stage startups peaked in 2018.

Artificial Inteligence 132

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Software Review Startup 132

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

At Remagine Ventures we like to say that “we invest in technologies that change how people spend their time and money”. Advancements in technology and changing cultural behaviour are big drivers of this trend and Covid-19 was like pouring gasoline on fire. . *by Kevin Baxpehler. My Farm by Toya.

Technical Review 178

Technical Review South Korea Due Diligence IP 178

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Competition from other startups and established incumbents, constraints on time and capital, and limited access to talent and technology resources are just a few of the hurdles nearly every first-time founder faces while trying to build a business. In the startup world, opportunities are fleeting, and obstacles are ubiquitous.

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage Differentiation 140

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. However, I’ve now begun questioning how and what an early-stage / startup CTO should be. What are the biggest areas of technical risk? What technologies will we use?

CTO 225

CTO Fractional CTO CTO Hire Technical Review 225

Rob Go

JUNE 23, 2015

When an investor “does work” on a potential investment, it usually means engaging in some form of due diligence. Especially in the early stages of investing, it’s super easy to do due diligence to the point where a “no” is obvious. There is a place for some due diligence.

Technical Review 28

Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage Venture Capital 28

Rob Go

JUNE 23, 2015

When an investor “does work” on a potential investment, it usually means engaging in some form of due diligence. Especially in the early stages of investing, it’s super easy to do due diligence to the point where a “no” is obvious. There is a place for some due diligence.

Technical Review 28

Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage Venture Capital 28

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2015

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Early stage burn rates over $50K per month, or a runway of less than six months may indicate an inefficient or desperate startup.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 120

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

Another critical design consideration is your tech stack. On Copper (our deal board), a due date of two business days is automatically set for us to review the opportunity. We also have created a proprietary tool, Oasys, which programmatically identifies very high-caliber technical teams. 6) Due diligence.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Private Equity Management Cap Table 60

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

Another critical design consideration is your tech stack. On Copper (our deal board), a due date of two business days is automatically set for us to review the opportunity. We also have created a proprietary tool, Oasys, which programmatically identifies very high-caliber technical teams. 6) Due diligence.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Private Equity Management Cap Table 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2014

The partner most obsessed with the startup lifestyle tests the water by going to work in an early-stage startup, similar to one they might hope to start someday. Typically you can browse them by region or technology to find founders. Use LinkedIn to check for a fit, and craft personal resume emails and letters to make your case.

Technical Review 250

Technical Review Stock Options Due Diligence Silicon Valley 250

The Startup Magazine

DECEMBER 13, 2018

Get a company ready for sale: per due diligence work and support during the sale process. As you have a history of building early stage companies, what is the most important thing you tell startup founders? I suggest companies put systems and procedures in place as early as possible.

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Founder Due Diligence Early Stage 84

David Teten

JUNE 10, 2020

SOP Capital is a new, early-stage, New York-based VC focused on East Coast companies. As the firm grows, we will need support in origination, financial modeling, due diligence, etc. . Company overview. The firm particularly has interest in fintech, edtech, and salestech. Expertise/skill sets sought.

New York 60

New York Venture Capital Technical Review Due Diligence 60

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Many times they also pick up product and tech, too. In an early stage start I believe it’s the CEO’s job to manage these functions. Often times you find the CEO who really just likes to do product or tech. Similarly I talk to CEOs who can’t do a sales pipeline review with me.

Technical Review 325

Technical Review Startup Cofounder Due Diligence 325

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2010

We were super excited by their offering – they had patented technology in a field that we believe will continue to grow massively. During the final pre-term sheet due diligence we discovered that the CEO had had a felony arrest for a significant crime that he hadn’t disclosed to us.

Technical Review 284

Technical Review Due Diligence Entrepreneur Early Stage 284

The Startup Magazine

DECEMBER 13, 2018

Get a company ready for sale: per due diligence work and support during the sale process. As you have a history of building early stage companies, what is the most important thing you tell startup founders? I suggest companies put systems and procedures in place as early as possible.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Founder Due Diligence Early Stage 76

Gust

MAY 22, 2012

We now have an investment in Cascade ProDrug, using technology developed at our own University of Oregon (based in Eugene, where I live) to help people fight cancer by reducing the toxic effects of chemotherapy. It’s technically a loan, but nobody wants it to actually be a loan and get paid back.

Technical Review 111

Technical Review Oregon Due Diligence Term Sheet 111

Gust

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Tech startups are at the other extreme. Most of our early-stage startup clients fit this description. Second in importance only to talented people, IP in all its forms is the key asset comprising most of the value of any tech startup. One common mistake is to equate “IP” with “code” or other technical contributions.

Intellectual Property 149

Intellectual Property Technical Review Software Review IP 149

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

For early-stage startups, the goodwill component can easily exceed the size of all the financial elements together, or can just as easily mark a company with good financials as not investable. Organizations are assigned value by how well they take advantage of the best technology, and turn information into action.

Leadership 120

Leadership Technical Review Due Diligence Valuation 120

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Today, Mark Attanasio gets to flex his full range of expertise and interests as co-founder and Managing Partner of Hillcrest Merchant Partners, a Toronto-based merchant bank focused on early stage and mid market growth companies. Even better, Attanasio says, is if they have done extensive due diligence first.

Partner 113

Partner Technical Review Management Due Diligence 113

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 23, 2019

So, if the value of the technology-based corporation plummets, the mutual fund would only take a minor hit since other sectors offset the loss. Another common mistake that many people perpetuate in the early stages of investing is buying based on the popularity of the securities.

Technical Review 62

Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage Portfolio 62

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Every potential early-stage Venture Capitalist should take a year and do it before he or she makes partner. Market/technology acuity (patterns of success, domain expertise). Early-stage Venture Capital firms grow their partnerships in different ways, some hire: partners from other firms. Here’s why. People skills.

Venture Capital 333

Venture Capital Early Stage Technical Review Startup 333

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 24, 2013

“The reality is that there has not been a reliable, simple, or cost-effective way to calculate an early stage company’s valuation – which is why so many entrepreneurs and angel investors get it wrong,” says Alan Lobock, co-founder of Worthworm. ” Ideaspotting investment pre-money valuation valuation Worthworm'

Pre-Money Valuation 150

Pre-Money Valuation Web Technical Review Angel Investor 150

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

VCs tout themselves as frontier technology investors, but most are using the same infrastructure tools they have used for the past 20+ years: Excel and recent college grads searching Google. According to Knowledge.VC , under 5% of US VCs have a full-time team member focused on technology. . But we’re doing it slowly.

Private Equity 60

Private Equity Venture Capital Equity Technical Review 60

Professor VC

JANUARY 27, 2011

How Much Diligence is Due.Or Ive addressed the due diligence question in previous posts, but this came up again in a debate we were having at a recent meeting of the Sand Hill Angels. And in order to increase our groups returns, one of our goals should be to get more people and man hours involved in the diligence process.

Technical Review 31

Technical Review Due Diligence Silicon Valley San Jose 31

Growthink Blog

DECEMBER 27, 2017

Demonstrate your team’s unique unfair competitive advantage, whether it is technology, stellar management team, or key partnerships. Be prepared for due diligence. It’s critical that the data you present is verifiable, since any serious investor will conduct extensive due diligence. Detail the uses of funds.

Venture Capital 129

Venture Capital Business Plan Technical Review Private Placement 129

Austin Startup

DECEMBER 17, 2020

End of Year Update After officially announcing Breyer Capital Austin earlier this year after two years of active planning and due diligence, I received a humbling number of gracious emails and messages from Austin-based leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and investors. Breyer Capital Austin?—?End Breyer Capital Austin?—?End

Austin 84

Austin Silicon Valley Technical Review Texas 84

Feld Thoughts

AUGUST 25, 2015

The key reason for the explosion in capital flowing into the industry, and therefore the large increase in practitioners, had nothing to do with 1970’s performance, early stage investing, or technology. Some were Silicon Valley early stage companies, such as Apple, Quantum, and Masstor Systems. This isn’t true.

Venture Capital 70

Venture Capital SBIC Technical Review Silicon Valley 70

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2015

The partner most obsessed with the startup lifestyle tests the water by going to work in an early-stage startup, similar to one they might hope to start someday. Typically you can browse them by region or technology to find founders. Use LinkedIn to check for a fit, and craft personal resume emails and letters to make your case.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Entrepreneur Stock Options Due Diligence 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2016

Every startup founder loves to prompt for questions from investors and potential key team members about their vision, and the huge opportunity that can be had with their disruptive technology. Early stage burn rates over $50K per month, or a runway of less than six months may indicate an inefficient or desperate startup.

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 120

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

My initial desire to blog came from something that’s always been my approach to investing – I’m a nerd and I love to play with the technology and part of my approach has really been to understand things both at a user level and at a reasonably deep tentacle level. Brad on blogging. How did you start blogging? “My Human Computer Interaction.

Technical Review 288

Technical Review Venture Capital Silicon Valley Software Review 288