Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

There has been a lot of public debate over the past several weeks about whether it’s a good thing to be “gross margin positive” or not and commentary always reminds me that some people at startups don’t quite understand financial metrics or even how to think about which ones are healthy. The first input is CAC. Customer acquisition cost.

Metrics 150

Metrics Cost Acquisition Startup 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2023

Every startup dreams of achieving that milestone, when they can focus more on scaling the business and enjoying their earnings, rather than fighting for another investment infusion. Should they focus on increasing revenues and profitability, or entice more and more users with “free” services, to increase their valuation.

Valuation 235

Valuation Revenue Viral Retention 235

Mucker Lab

MAY 28, 2020

Like a teenager with a million-dollar allowance and an identity crisis, a startup with too much capital and no product-market fit will become capable of making larger mistakes. As an investor, I root for startups. Startups flush with cash often do the opposite – they jump out of the plane, and then test the parachute as they free fall.

Startup 78

Startup Cofounder Burn Rate Technical Review 78

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

The fact that today’s Internet bubble does not represent all companies does not disprove its existence. Ah, but today’s Internet companies have real revenue! million pre-money valuation is now raising $1 million at a $12 million valuation the next investor has nowhere to go but up (or sit out the investment).

Saudi Arabia 309

Saudi Arabia Valuation IPO Technical Review 309

ReadWriteStart

JANUARY 29, 2023

When it comes to launching a startup, most founders think they should reside in the United States, Silicon Valley, in particular, to have a successful business. While being in Silicon Valley provides excellent access to key people and companies, its fierce competition and fast-paced environment can soon kill the dreams of having a startup.

Asia 171

Asia Indonesia Silicon Valley Malaysia 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2020

Every startup dreams of achieving that milestone, when they can focus more on scaling the business and enjoying their earnings, rather than fighting for another investment infusion. Should they focus on increasing revenues and profitability, or entice more and more users with “free” services, to increase their valuation.

Revenue 434

Revenue Valuation Viral Retention 434

allthingsd.com

AUGUST 24, 2012

Fenwick VC Survey: Q2 Funding Valuations Shoot the Moon. According to Fenwick & West’s latest Silicon Valley Venture Capital Survey , fundings in the second quarter of this year showed the highest valuation increases in more than five years. Internet/digital media and software was the biggest beneficiary of the rise.

Valuation 45

Valuation Technical Review Silicon Valley Software Review 45

Steve Blank

MAY 9, 2017

I’ve spent my life in innovation, eight startups in 21 years, and the last 15 years in academia teaching it. I’ve watched the Valley go from Microwave Valley – to Defense Valley – to Silicon Valley to Internet Valley. the wave of internet commerce applications in the first decade of the 21st century.

Restful 222

Restful Silicon Valley Puerto Rico San Jose 222

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2010

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? This is the most concrete valuation element, usually called the asset approach.

Valuation 234

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Startup 234

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

. — Unremarked and unheralded, the balance of power between startup CEOs and their investors has radically changed: IPOs/M&A without a profit (or at times revenue) have become the norm. The startup process has become demystified – information is everywhere. Board Control. And while new markets were created (i.e.

Founder 245

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 245

Gust

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” How much is NewCo worth to investors at this point (pre-money valuation)? This is the most concrete valuation element, usually called the asset approach.

Valuation 187

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation NPV Intellectual Property 187

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 12, 2010

In the technology world there are a few websites that most startups track to keep up with the latest financings, acquisitions, product announcements and gossip: BusinessInsider, TechCrunch, Mashable, GigaOm, etc. Specifically we talked about Slide having gotten a $550 million valuation before being sold to Google for $182 million.

Seed Stage 232

Seed Stage Valuation Private Equity Venture Capital 232

Steve Blank

MARCH 31, 2014

Just look at the disruptive challenges that businesses face today– globalization, China as a manufacturer, China as a consumer, the Internet, and a steady stream of new startups. Perhaps that’s because where established companies might see risks or threats, startups see opportunity.

Private Equity 325

Private Equity Metrics China Intellectual Property 325

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2011

Mike Yavonditte is the founder of the “super hot&# Hashable , a startup out of NYC that has been described as a “ Mint.com for Social Capital ” Mike sold his previous company, Quigo , to Aol for $340 Million. Mike believed that any valuable page was going to be monetizable on a cost-per-click basis in relation to every page on the Internet.

Semantic 302

Semantic Acquisition Valuation Angel Investor 302

View from Seed

APRIL 20, 2020

We at NextView Ventures are sensitive to the challenges which all startups face during these times brought upon us by the current Coronavirus crisis. Starting today, we will begin accepting our first cohort of startups into the program: WHO : Pre-Seed & Seed stage startups located anywhere focused on the U.S.

B2B 436

B2B Seed Stage B2C Programming 436

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

I have been close to the tech & startup sectors for more than 20 years and I can’t think of a period in which I felt more optimistic about the innovation and value creation I see in front of us. The number of startups being created has increased by an order of magnitude. Thank you, Aaron Sorkin! The Exit Problem.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Mobile 347

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2021

The pervasive ability and need to communicate constantly and globally through the Internet and smartphones is incenting everyone to get more out of their own assets and time, and capitalize on the idle resources of others. Restaurants. In Cuba today, there are over 1,000 restaurants in people’s homes, known as paladares.

Cuba 316

Cuba Venture Capital Community Valuation 316

Steve Blank

JUNE 22, 2011

Ben and his partner Marc Andreessen (the founder of Netscape and author of the first commercial web browser on the Internet ) are the definition of Smart Money. They understood the ubiquity, pervasiveness and ultimate profitability of these startups and doubled-down on their investments. The Internet May Liberate Us.

Internet 295

Internet Silicon Valley United States .Net 295

Version One Ventures

OCTOBER 15, 2020

Let’s now explore the major developments and ultimate use cases for the Lightning Network in two categories: A) payments/finance and B) Web3. . Use Case I: Payments and Finance . This has the potential to solve one of the oldest public commons problems of the original Internet: completely free usage that allows for DDoS attacks.

Networking 168

Networking Global OTC Security 168

View from Seed

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

These startups completed an intense 10-week program featuring hands-on, personalized engagement from NextView partners to push the company forward, peer communications, expert education sessions, advisor introductions, and more. THE DEAL : All startups receive $200K for 8% of the company upon acceptance into the program.

Seed Stage 285

Seed Stage Programming Finance B2B 285

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

The other day, I noticed an eye-catching headline: "Internet Funding Boom Ends as Fast as It Began". How else can you explain this headline matching a story about a professional social network still trying to explore revenues raising $17mm on an $80mm valuation? Perhaps I need to rethink that.

Venture Capital 114

Venture Capital Marketing Term Sheet Software Review 114

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

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 9, 2011

Valuations were enormous relative to progress in companies. Companies with less than $2 million in revenue were asking for $50-60 million valuations and getting them. I spent my days meeting companies, figuring out what areas of the market interested me and trying to get a sense for how VCs thought about fair valuations.

Stock 305

Stock Technical Review Marketing Greece 305

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2016

Every startup dreams of achieving that milestone, when they can focus more on scaling the business and enjoying their earnings, rather than fighting for another investment infusion. Should they focus on increasing revenues and profitability, or entice more and more users with “free” services, to increase their valuation.

Revenue 145

Revenue Valuation Startup Viral 145

View from Seed

JANUARY 11, 2023

Think partners coming together to tap their own networks for your follow-on rounds of financing. The Clarity of the Terms : how will your company be financed? Every accelerator also finances its cohort companies differently. Complicated agreements with MFN clauses and confusing future financing obligations are opaque at best.

Programming 156

Programming Sacramento San Francisco Founder 156

steveblank.com

JULY 8, 2011

Useful blogs and links for startups Click Here ————– 2.

Software Review 110

Software Review Startup Silicon Valley Analytics 110

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

How Much Capital You Have Raised / Your Runway In general I recommend that in early-stage startups you try to raise at least 15-18 months of runway. years of cash runway, which is too much for a startup. Sometimes, of course, reducing burn means cutting costs which usually means cutting staff. million for 18 months.

Burn Rate 212

Burn Rate Startup .Net Venture Capital 212

Gust

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

The most successful serial entrepreneurs in the world may found three or four, perhaps even eight or ten venture-backed startups over the course of their careers. It should therefore come as no surprise that an asymmetry of information exists, mostly gleaned from experience, between founders and investors in a venture financing deal.

Finance 178

Finance Term Sheet Preferred Stock Bridge Financing 178

abovethecrowd.com

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

Historically, different financial institutions specialized in different stages, because the assessment of risk and opportunity was considered unique at each stage — for example, a seed investor was unlikely to do late-stage financing, and vice versa. Some have argued that each of these companies would already be public in a prior era.

IPO 40

IPO Liquidation Preference Valuation Technical Review 40

www.entrepreneur.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Entrepreneur Homepage Startups Starting a Business Home How-To Guides Startup Basics Business Ideas Business Planning Startup Financing Success Stories Home-Based Business Starting a Business Play Video How to Take a New Product from Just an Idea to a Business (Video). Startup Basics Does College Matter for Entrepreneurs?

Sweat Equity 55

Sweat Equity Equity Fractional CTO CTO 55

Genuine VC

JULY 19, 2010

The firm is solely focused on capital efficient business sectors, most frequently but certainly not always internet-enabled companies. In the sector of internet-enabled services where a majority of the Micro VC investment has transpired, startups can fundamentally do more with less. That’s no secret.

Seed Stage 175

Seed Stage Technical Review Dilution Offshore 175

www.vccafe.com

MARCH 11, 2013

Startup Resources (Updated Mar 2013). Venture Capital Cafe > Startup Resources (Updated Mar 2013). VC & Startup Resources. Seed Startups. VC Cafe covers early stage Israeli and European tech & mobile startups. Hundreds of startups featured since 2005, will yours be next? About VC Cafe.

Software Review 53

Software Review Technical Review Startup 53

David Teten

MARCH 18, 2021

A typical VC thesis: “we invest in tech startups in Europe at an early stage” However, our experience shows that in many cases: . Thirty-four VC firms in OpenVC call themselves “early-stage” Yet, 30% of those don’t actually invest in pre-revenue startups. Valuation: $1M – $3M.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Cofounder Venture Capital Deal Flow 78

Version One Ventures

DECEMBER 14, 2016

In other words, any correction in public valuations happened quickly and has now stabilized. From Series A and onwards, fundraising takes longer and valuations are typically below the expectations and benchmarks of 2015. Mattermark (a portfolio company) looked at the matriculation rates for a class of startups.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Early Stage Portfolio Valuation 60

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

See Bessemer Venture Partners’ A comprehensive guide to security for startups. Meyler Capital is taking the analytical rigor of modern internet marketing and applying it to fund marketing. . Data companies focused on early-stage startups include Aingel , fundsUP , Preseries , PredictLeads , and Sploda. 2) Market .

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 2, 2019

The pervasive ability and need to communicate constantly and globally through the Internet and smartphones is incenting everyone to get more out of their own assets and time, and capitalize on the idle resources of others. Restaurants. In Cuba today, there are over 1,000 restaurants in people’s homes, known as paladares.

Cuba 246

Cuba Venture Capital Community Valuation 246

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JUNE 20, 2011

Or a company like Zappos (who was famous, growing, and profitable) still got only a 1x sales valuation when bought by Amazon because of thin margins. There’s many possibilities, each of which will cause a different valuation of your company. They wanted to control Internet telephony, and Skype was the clear winner.

Sales 260

Sales Channel Cofounder Valuation 260