Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 14, 2015

I spoke at Michael Kim’s excellent annual Cendana VC/LP conference today. We have an entire generation of startup founders who don’t have muscle memory from getting their burn rates back into shape from 2008/09 or 2001-2005. Here’s my take away. Others will follow. But many of us have been there. It’s not fun.

Burn Rate 150

Burn Rate San Francisco Private Equity LP 150

Hunter Walker

APRIL 4, 2014

As we approach Homebrew’s one year anniversary we’ll do a smaller scale meeting with our investors in San Francisco. traditional institutional LPs such as fund of funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds ( our investors ). Sure, not coal miner hard, not startup founder hard. family offices.

San Francisco 100

San Francisco Private Equity LP Syndicate 100

Hunter Walker

AUGUST 24, 2014

It’s for reasons like these that I support getting startup founders some liquidity during their company’s first few years, perhaps as early as Series A financing when appropriate. Or put startup expenses on their credit cards, far beyond their savings, hoping they can close financing for the company by end of the month.

Founder 109

Founder San Francisco Liquidity Event LP 109

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2018

I know this is CRM 101 but I assure you most startups (and VCs) don’t do this or don’t do it well. If you’re building an education startup and you don’t see any logos of education companies on the firm’s website you are likely targeting the wrong firm. I figured I was wasting my time unless the LP was leaning in on my first meeting.

LP 215

LP San Francisco Minneapolis Partner 215

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2017

It’s hard to remember that in 2012 it was still hard for LA VCs to persuade investors into funds that LA was a viable market for great venture capital funds or convince many VCs that LA was a market worth investing dollars into startups. They always ask whether I see this as threatening as Upfront Ventures.

IPO 191

IPO Los Angeles South Korea Armenia 191

K9 Ventures

JUNE 18, 2015

Here is the video recording of the talk I gave at 500 Startups ‘ PreMoney Conference in San Francisco on 12 June. . Seed Is The New A: What The Seed-Stage Explosion Means For Founders, GPs & LPs. Thanks to 500 Startups #PreMoney. And the deck from my talk.

San Francisco 48

San Francisco Seed Stage Founder Video 48

Haystack

JULY 20, 2018

Of course, that was not 100% true, with innovative startups and large outcomes occurring in Europe, in Asia, and other parts of the USA. San Francisco proper was #1, and taken on the whole, the Bay Area, of course, receives more venture capital investment than anywhere else, naturally.

San Francisco 116

San Francisco Silicon Valley Seattle Venture Capital 116

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

I just returned from 3 days in Cincinnati including attending the annual meeting of one of Upfront’s LPs – Cintrifuse. I have never been more optimistic about the impact that the tech startup community is having on cities in America or about the role that cities outside of San Francisco / Silicon Valley can play in our future.

Silicon Valley 390

Silicon Valley Kansas City Startup Venture Capital 390