View from Seed

JANUARY 30, 2020

Partnering with an investor and/or board member is very long term commitment, and I’m always surprised by how little diligence founders do prior to signing up for what could be a 10+ year collaboration. Did you ever face serious financing risk? How did this differ in a weak vs. strong financing round?

Due Diligence 195

Due Diligence Partner Term Sheet Finance 195

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 8, 2010

As in real life – those that rush into marriage often find out what their partner is really like after the fact. But what about once you have a term sheet? How do you then reference check your VC to be sure that you’ve chosen a good firm and partner? For some reason most entrepreneurs do.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Term Sheet Cofounder Partner 288

www.mattbartus.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

I can’t tell you how often a client calls me up and says something like this: “Matt, we have this great new consultant who is going to make introductions to us to [pick type of business partner]. Cooley Report Reviews Second Quarter Venture Capital Financing Trends. Term Sheets. Recent Posts. Categories.

Equity 40

Equity Vesting Silicon Valley Intellectual Property 40

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2017

It’s why raising a round of capital often feels like a hollow victory because it almost feels like a temporary reprieve from the Grim Reaper and in a way every new round just sets the bar higher to clear for the next round of financing or the hope of reaching profitability. It sounds like a lot to know — and it is. That’s fantasy land.

Burn Rate 238

Burn Rate Term Sheet CTO Hire Fractional CTO 238

reidhoffman.org

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

× At Greylock , my partners and I are driven by one guiding mission: always help entrepreneurs. This gave me an idea: I could help many more entrepreneurs by making the deck available not just to the Greylock network of entrepreneurs, but to everyone. Friendster’s valuation set the tone for the entire social networking space.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Revenue Viral Networking 111

Professor VC

APRIL 7, 2011

My partner in Menlo Incubator , Gary Kremen , and I had a recent debate on which one of us hates convertible debt more. This will also serve as a good pointer for all the entrepreneurs who ask why I am not interested in their company led convertible note financing round. In cases where it is truly a bridge financing (i.e.

San Jose 36

San Jose Technical Review Angel Investor Valuation 36

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

Inbound calls from partners, people who want to join, atta boys from friends. We just landed the biz dev partner we’ve been working on for 9 months. Google DID NOT just acquire our main biz dev partner. But we had a term sheet !!! Sit back and watch usage. Get your press coverage. Great story on TechCrunch!

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Salary Egypt 384

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

Greylock Partners · Reid Hoffman | Philosopher Versus MBA. If they don’t have the right skills or resources, they’ll pick them up along the way by hiring someone, partnering with someone, or just learning it themselves. The Network May Not be as Valuable as It Seems. Networks are both safety nets and trampolines.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

Greylock Partners · Reid Hoffman | Philosopher Versus MBA. If they don’t have the right skills or resources, they’ll pick them up along the way by hiring someone, partnering with someone, or just learning it themselves. The Network May Not be as Valuable as It Seems. Networks are both safety nets and trampolines.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

But, most of use raise capital and source deals the same way people looked for dates 20 years ago: by networking at conferences (or bars). . But in business, you want a lot of partners. In the private equity universe, most Partners have primary training as deal-makers, not as managers. Most of us want one spouse and we’re done.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

ReadWriteStart

MAY 8, 2012

When you take an investment, you are taking on a partner, so you need to make sure they add value beyond mere dollars. Like most first-time entrepreneurs, we were so excited by our first term sheet — and scared we wouldn’t get another — that we came very close to accepting it, even though the investors weren’t the best fit.

Cofounder 140

Cofounder Startup San Francisco Silicon Valley 140

Rob Go

AUGUST 9, 2016

Leverage your own network to the extent you are able to get a decent picture of what it’s like to work with a potential investor. Once you get a term sheet from an investor or have strong indication that a term sheet is coming, start doing more serious diligence.

Term Sheet 28

Term Sheet Due Diligence Lead Investor Portfolio 28

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 31, 2019

Scott Kupor is the managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he’s responsible for all operational aspects of running the firm. They’re looking for guidance on building the company, the ability to tap into a VC’s network, and help with potential business opportunities. How did your perspective change when you changed roles?

Lean 108

Lean Venture Capital Conversion IPO 108

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2011

Inbound calls from partners, people who want to join, atta boys from friends. We just landed the biz dev partner we’ve been working on for 9 months. Google DID NOT just acquire our main biz dev partner. But we had a term sheet !!! Sit back and watch usage. Get your press coverage. Great story on TechCrunch!

Entrepreneur 176

Entrepreneur Startup Salary Egypt 176

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 22, 2018

On an app advertised to "meet inspiring people" for meaningful networking, someone tells this black founder, whose last name is "Youngblood" that is name is inappropriate. Your network never signed up to do your outsourced job for you. You're a partner at a firm, you're married, have kids, etc., This should surprise no one.

Founder 118

Founder Conversion Naming Term Sheet 118

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

And I also now have to raise money myself, but this time from bigger institutions that our industry calls LPs (limited partners). Partners make investment decisions. Also recognize that WITHIN a VC you have partners who focus on different areas. I now observes the fund raising process as a profession. Meet in person.

Developer 366

Developer Silicon Valley PR Las Vegas 366

Eric Friedman

AUGUST 18, 2021

He is also co-founder and Managing Partner of Deciens Capital, an early stage investment fund. I think there are some real virtues to that, however, when I talk to my business partner, Ishan [Sachdev], about it, I use a slightly different metaphor: I talk about Jiro [Ono], Nobu [Matsuhisa], and Benihana. On Sushi and VC. Why is that?

Silicon Valley 88

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Cofounder Africa 88

Professor VC

JANUARY 20, 2009

The latest statistics from VentureSource show 554 financings in Q4, down from 620 in Q3 and 718 in Q4 2007. On that front, I take pride in the second headline with news that Fliqz , where I am CFO, just closed on $6 million in Series C financing. Labels: bootstrapping , CFO , Fliqz , venture capital , venture financing.

Venture Capital 28

Venture Capital Silicon Valley San Jose Bootstrapping 28

VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Fred Wilson warns that it is starting to feel like a bubble again, with VCs writing $5 and $10 million dollar checks with very little due diligence, sometimes showing up to a first meeting with a term sheet… Israeli startup headlines for Nov 15, 2010. Funding news. venturebeat ]. Take more risks — sooner…&#.

Technical Review 79

Technical Review Venture Capital Matching 79

Genuine VC

MAY 20, 2013

Compared to most other areas of finance, venture capital is practiced as more of an art, as opposed to a science. MYTH: Goal of entrepreneur’s VC fundraising is a term sheet. REALITY: Goal of an entrepreneur’s VC fundraising should be a closed investment, which includes both partnership conviction and an agreement of key terms.

Venture Capital 244

Venture Capital Cap Table Portfolio Early Stage 244

VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Fred Wilson warns that it is starting to feel like a bubble again, with VCs writing $5 and $10 million dollar checks with very little due diligence, sometimes showing up to a first meeting with a term sheet… Israeli startup headlines for Nov 15, 2010. Funding news. venturebeat ]. Take more risks — sooner…&#.

Technical Review 79

Technical Review Matching Venture Capital 79

VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Fred Wilson warns that it is starting to feel like a bubble again, with VCs writing $5 and $10 million dollar checks with very little due diligence, sometimes showing up to a first meeting with a term sheet… Israeli startup headlines for Nov 15, 2010. Funding news. venturebeat ]. Take more risks — sooner…&#.

Technical Review 79

Technical Review Matching Venture Capital 79

VC Cafe

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Fred Wilson warns that it is starting to feel like a bubble again, with VCs writing $5 and $10 million dollar checks with very little due diligence, sometimes showing up to a first meeting with a term sheet… Israeli startup headlines for Nov 15, 2010. Funding news. venturebeat ]. Take more risks — sooner…&#.

Technical Review 79

Technical Review Matching Venture Capital 79

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2016

Mark dutifully went to partner meetings, back-channel references began, firms started calling existing VCs to “test prices” and we started debating whom our best partner would be. Great companies get financed. So when something in changing those at ground zero, in my word, “get the memo.”

Balance Sheet 150

Balance Sheet Burn Rate Valuation Forecast 150

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

When I was an entrepreneur there was no public information about how term sheets worked or how investors thought. Many experienced partners are funds have 7-10 boards and most of these will need more capital. Why Financing in Falling Markets is So Damn Difficult. All of these are false. This is how VCs feel. Even Sequoia.

Valuation 150

Valuation Down Round Startup Later Stage 150

www.currentlyobsessed.com

MAY 28, 2010

I have to admit, the light bulb didn’t go off for me until I was negotiating term sheets. Read Terms that Hurt (Venture Hacks). Read up on the “unwritten terms&# in term sheets having to do with exit multiples here For bootstrappers, the math is even easier: 100% of the upside goes to you and your awesome team.

Valuation 42

Valuation Channel Pre-Money Valuation Term Sheet 42

www.quicksprout.com

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Although I have made a decent amount of investments, I don’t consider myself an “angel investor” because I don’t search for companies to invest in, I don’t lead financing rounds, and I don’t know how to read term sheets. When my business partner and I raised money for KISSmetrics we decided to be transparent with our investors.

Elevator Pitch 60

Elevator Pitch Revenue Entrepreneur SEO 60

Altgate

APRIL 22, 2009

 Today,  Wilson Sonsini  announced the launch of a " term sheet generator." "  It's basically a web tool that creates draft preferred financing term sheets for startups.  I got a preview of it a couple of weeks ago and my review is that it is really impressive!

Term Sheet 52

Term Sheet Intellectual Property Venture Capital Hawaii 52

Life Beyond Code

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Through this journey, we have raised the visibility of fundamental issues like the causes of exorbitantly high infant entrepreneur mortality, and alerted the entrepreneur community with a simple observation: Entrepreneurship = (Customer + Revenue + Profits); Financing is Optional. The rest of the services are for paying members only.

Programming 116

Programming Silicon Valley Bootstrapping Technical Review 116

The Entrepreneurial Mind

MARCH 10, 2011

Each of the selected concepts for our first year of operating this microfund received $15,000 in equity capital and special arrangements with participating partners for marketing, accounting, legal and technology services. This is true in the typical areas of accounting, finance, marketing, fundraising (like other micro funds).

Nashville 65

Nashville Tennessee PHP Ruby 65

mashable.com

JUNE 11, 2013

Young founders tend to complicate things too much, from structuring partnership agreements, financing, leases, etc. Some entrepreneurs think it’s a luxury to have accounting, finance, or other support functions, but it’s important not to be afraid of spending resources early on for administrative efficiency.

Cofounder 111

Cofounder Technical Review Startup Software Review 111

steveblank.com

JULY 8, 2011

Managewith.us - Collaborative Task Manager Mavenlink - manage project communications, documents, schedules, budgets, payments Industrial Logic – Agile eLearning Misc Office Help Google Apps – cloud mail server, calendar, docs, etc.

Software Review 110

Software Review Startup Silicon Valley Analytics 110

www.vccafe.com

MARCH 11, 2013

Social networking. Create your own social network. free enterprise social network. easy business finance software. YCombinator Series AA Equity Financing Documents. WSGR Term Sheet Generator. Orrick, Herrington Term Sheet Generator. Founders Institute Plain Preferred Term Sheet â??

Software Review 53

Software Review Technical Review Startup 53