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Early-stage Regional Venture Funds–part 2 of 3 of Bigger in Bend

Steve Blank

Part 1: Bend, Oregon Ecosystem and Entrepreneurs. Part 2: Early-stage Regional Venture Funds. Few entrepreneurs find this scalable and repeatable business model because it’s not easy. as a distribution channel have vastly reduced the amount of capital a startup needs at the early stage when the risk is greatest.

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Grant Applications Often Provide Early-Stage Funding

Startup Professionals Musings

A critical stage for most first-time entrepreneurs is getting their idea developed into at least a prototype to validate their technology. Of course, for speed to market, and to retain maximum control of your innovation, it’s always better to fund the R&D stage of your business yourself.

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Why Early-Stage VCs Should Be Careful About Intros from Bankers

Both Sides of the Table

I sorted out pretty early that lawyers were a great source of deal flow. Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I hustled.

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10 Marketing Lessons for Early-Stage Tech Startups

Both Sides of the Table

The following are some lessons I learned about early-stage startup marketing. I actually like finding entrepreneurs who are more circumspect, less braggadocios and generally more planned about their actions. In my experience, entrepreneurs who are overly paranoid or are information hoarders rarely do well.

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The Importance of Proprietary Deal Flow in Early-Stage VC

Both Sides of the Table

I sorted out pretty early that lawyers were a great source of deal flow. Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I hustled.

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6 Sources of Help For Early Stage Concept Exploration

Startup Professionals Musings

If you need funding for these early stage activities, I have some suggestions on better strategies to follow. In this context, there are at least six stages often included in the scope of R&D to narrow your focus: Search for new technologies. Marty Zwilling.

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6 Lessons Most Entrepreneurs Only Learn On The Street

Startup Professionals Musings

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. Planning for the future must be a regular activity, not just an early-stage or once-a-year event. Survival requires regular updates.