Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2013

Obviously, a key factor is always the state of the economy and the mood of the venture capital community. According to the Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index® for the First Quarter 2013, the Q1 increase marks three consecutive quarters of positive sentiment among Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

Venture Capital 238

Venture Capital Silicon Valley Massachusetts California 238

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Many key insights to success in any business can’t be learned from books or the Internet. As with most business and personal interactions, first impressions tend to become lasting ones.

Intellectual Property 316

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 316

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. Other popular sites for startups, including StartupNation and Startups.co

Accredited Investor 324

Accredited Investor Entrepreneur SEC Equity 324

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. No real investor or venture capital firm asks for money from the company they are intending to invest in. Phantom fund investors.

Technical Review 228

Technical Review Non-disclosure Agreement Due Diligence Term Sheet 228

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with 90% of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. If your offering is exciting enough, you may get millions in small amounts from other people on the Internet to help you fly high over the valley of death.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs the last couple of years is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. These also open new concerns about lost intellectual property, Internet scams, and long-term return on investment.

Intellectual Property 247

Intellectual Property SEC Venture Capital Equity 247

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don''t attract investors failing within the first three years. If your offering is exciting enough, you may get millions in small amounts from other people on the Internet to help you fly high over the valley of death.

Entrepreneur 283

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 283

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2011

I just read the Q1 2011 report from CB Insights , which shows venture capital is back. Back to VCs, Silicon Valley venture capital firms are still the most active. Internet and healthcare deals stayed flat and funding actually dipped. So what can you do to get to the head of the venture capital investment queue?

Venture Capital 233

Venture Capital Revenue Elevator Pitch Silicon Valley 233

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

If your offering is exciting enough, you may get millions in small amounts from other people on the Internet to help you fly high over the valley of death. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2010

But until now, I’ve never seen a study of exactly how that plays out for startup founders for current venture-backed companies, specifically: race, age, experience and the number of founders per company. California (Silicon Valley), New York (NYC), and Massachusetts (Boston) are the places to be in the US for venture capital attention.

Venture Capital 221

Venture Capital Massachusetts California New York 221

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. According to a recent Motly Fool report, the challenge is very real, since around half of all businesses fail in the first five years.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2012

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs these days is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. These also open new concerns about lost intellectual property, Internet scams, and long-term return on investment.

Intellectual Property 242

Intellectual Property Venture Capital Angel Investor Equity 242

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. No real investor or venture capital firm asks for money from the company they are intending to invest in. Off-shore unsolicited investor offers.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Non-disclosure Agreement Due Diligence Entrepreneur 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

Finally I realized that Venture Capital and Angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Many key insights to success in any business can’t be learned from books or the Internet. As with most business and personal interactions, first impressions tend to become lasting ones.

Angel Investor 268

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Early Stage 268

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. No real investor or venture capital firm asks for money from the company they are intending to invest in. Off-shore unsolicited investor offers. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 202

Technical Review Non-disclosure Agreement Due Diligence Entrepreneur 202

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

If your offering is exciting enough, you may get millions in small amounts from other people on the Internet to help you fly high over the valley of death. The hottest new way of funding startups is to use online sites, like Kickstarter , to request donations, pre-order, get a reward, or even give equity.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

According to a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. If your offering is exciting enough, you may get millions in small amounts from other people on the Internet to help you fly high over the valley of death.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 29, 2017

My view is that non-disclosures won’t protect you from unscrupulous business contacts, so you simply shouldn’t deal with the flood of unknown people who will contact you via the phone or Internet. If you are approaching a recognized venture capital group, or even an accredited angel investor, a non-disclosure agreement is counter-productive.

Non-disclosure Agreement 153

Non-disclosure Agreement NDA Technical Review Due Diligence 153

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2022

But for angel investors and venture capital investors, just remember that investors are not on your team (yet). Before you meet a potential investor, check them out on the Internet and through your advisors. The first rule is to separate your advisors from your investors.

Elevator Pitch 316

Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Venture Capital Business Plan 316

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

People can build great ecommerce sites with free tools, smartphone apps in their spare time and use crowdfunding to bypass the dreaded angel funding and venture capital penalties. In today’s world, with a pervasively connected and constantly updated Internet knowledge base, online self-learning is always available and more productive.

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Venture Capital eCommerce Cost 384

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Funding for commercial product prototypes is still R&D in the eyes of venture capital investors, but in business areas with large opportunities, this activity will catch the eyes of specialized angel investors. Commercial product prototypes.

Angel Investor 256

Angel Investor Early Stage Incubator Government 256

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2023

If ten percent of these numbers, multiplied by your average product price, will get you the revenue you need to scale your business, you will get the love you need from angel and venture capital investors.

SBA 300

SBA Venture Capital Business Plan Social Media 300

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

Highlight existing presence on the Internet and social media. In today’s world, if your startup is not visible on the Internet, you haven’t started yet. Also, later when you need a larger round of venture capital, the same preparation will serve you just as well, so you might as well learn now how to fly with the angels.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Angel Groups 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2014

New crowd funding platforms on the Internet, like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as well as the Jobs Act of 2012 , are expected by many to ramp up regular people’s ability to fund new opportunities and kill the need for angel groups. billion collected in 2012.

Angel Investor 278

Angel Investor Angel Groups Accredited Investor IRR 278

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

Different types of investors tend to specialize in capitalizing on businesses at different stages. Venture capital firms look for the most mature companies they can find, Angel investors typically deal a tier lower, while friends and family are most likely to help you get started.

Angel Investor 313

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 313

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. With crowdfunding, entrepreneurs and artists no longer need to wait for family money or venture capital.

Cuba 316

Cuba Venture Capital Community Valuation 316

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Funding for commercial product prototypes is still R&D in the eyes of venture capital investors, but in business areas with large opportunities, this activity will catch the eyes of specialized angel investors. Commercial product prototypes.

Early Stage 412

Early Stage Angel Investor Incubator Government 412

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2022

The bad news is that it’s still a jungle fight for survival for entrepreneurs of all ages and demographics, with over 80 percent not having access to bank loans or venture capital. In this context, it’s time for every business, not only startups, to take a fresh look at the basics of business success.

Intellectual Property 281

Intellectual Property Startup Early Stage Venture Capital 281

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

If ten percent of these numbers, multiplied by your average product price, will get you the revenue you need to scale your business, you will get the love you need from angel and venture capital investors.

Business Plan 393

Business Plan Marketing SBA Venture Capital 393

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Obviously, a key factor is always the state of the economy and the mood of the venture capital community. According to the Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index® for the First Quarter 2014, the Q1 increase marks seven consecutive quarters of positive sentiment among Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

Silicon Valley 271

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Massachusetts California 271

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2013

In another report more specifically on Venture Capital Activity for 2012 , CB Insights noted relatively flat but still healthy funding levels, compared to the previous year (down in total dollars by 7.5%, but up in total deals by 7%). The Internet sector is tops for seed deals. Top five states for venture capital.

Massachusetts 249

Massachusetts Silicon Valley Venture Capital California 249

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2015

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. Other popular funding assistance sites for startups, including StartupAmerica and Startups.co

Accredited Investor 120

Accredited Investor SEC Equity Europe 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2016

This term refers to an initial venture-capital investment, often wrongly sought to seed early product development. But recent changes in the law, associated with the JOBS Act of 2012 , have made it possible to sell small chunks of ownership or equity to non-accredited investors -- regular people on the Internet.

Software Review 120

Software Review Sweat Equity Accredited Investor Angel Investor 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

Different types of investors tend to specialize in capitalizing on businesses at different stages. Venture capital firms look for the most mature companies they can find, Angel investors typically deal a tier lower, while friends and family are most likely to help you get started.

Angel Investor 370

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Investment Bankers Private Equity 370

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2015

New crowd funding platforms on the Internet, like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as well as the Jobs Act of 2012 , are expected by many to ramp up regular people’s ability to fund new opportunities and kill the need for angel groups. billion collected in 2014.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Angel Groups Accredited Investor IRR 120

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2019

People can build great ecommerce sites with free tools, smartphone apps in their spare time and use crowdfunding to bypass the dreaded angel funding and venture capital penalties. In today’s world, with a pervasively connected and constantly updated Internet knowledge base, online self-learning is always available and more productive.

Venture Capital 316

Venture Capital eCommerce Entrepreneur Cost 316

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2014

But for Angel investors and venture capital investors, just remember that investors are not on your team (yet). Before you meet a potential investor, check them out on the Internet and through your advisors. angel entrepreneur funding investor startup venture capital' Better safe than sorry. Marty Zwilling.

Elevator Pitch 268

Elevator Pitch Venture Capital Startup Angel Investor 268