Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2015

I was out to raise my first seed money in my second startup of $500,000. Many view themselves as shepherds who help with building your initial team, helping with product launch and promotion. It is, of course, a very recent phenomenon. I began asking around who the likely investors were for such a market.

Seed Stage 150

Seed Stage Silicon Valley Syndicate Syndication 150

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

There are about 32 million left-handers in the US, you have a special product for them, and surely you can get just 5% of that market and have 1.6 Very, very early in my career a friend and I looked at a small manufacturing business where we liked the product and the owner and thought we might want to participate with her.

Valuation 48

Valuation Forecast Seed Money Business Model 48

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 9, 2013

If you’re a venture-backed tech company or even an early-stage business fueled by angel or seed money I assume you have a good group of board members or advisors who will give you time to be helpful and they want to be helpful. Deal with company admin: 409a valuations, approve stock options, vote on key measures (15%).

Advisory Board 337

Advisory Board Valuation Stock Options Seed Money 337

This is going to be BIG.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

There are a lot of people that artificially group together performance metrics for venture, and try to extrapolate successful stratagies from it. Reality is that venture is a bunch of individual stories, individual assessments of teams, unique products, and a whole lot of stars lining up for particular companies for success to happen.

Later Stage 99

Later Stage Down Round Pre-Money Valuation Early Stage 99