Conversion, retention and churn benchmarks
VC Cafe
FEBRUARY 21, 2023
In a contracted venture capital environment, where external funding is more difficult to raise, founders know that they need to make due with less, and extend the runway further.
17 Venture Capital Blogs You Should Be Reading
Up and Running
MARCH 11, 2015
And, there’s a good reason why; it includes back-to-back essays on mobile, high-growth startups and technology. As president of Y Combinator, the hugely successful seed-stage investor/accelerator, Sam Altman has a lot of knowledge to share. But, he also has great advice on growth strategies for early-stage companies.
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The Changing Structure of the VC Industry
Both Sides of the Table
JULY 23, 2014
There has been much discussion in the past few years of the changing structure of the venture capital industry. The rise of “micro VCs” or seed-stage funds. The rise of alternative sources of capital (crowd funding and the like). Always-on connectivity of mobile (164m US smartphone users).
Technical Review 
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The Summer Solstice And Seed Stage Squeeze
Haystack
AUGUST 18, 2019
If you’ve been following my tweets lately, you’ve read some of my quick musings on the state of the seed market this summer. years of investing in the seed stage, I have never seen activity levels like I’m seeing today. We know the web and mobile internet have hit critical mass and embedded into our lives.
Seed Stage 108
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Diverse Lead Firms
Austin Startup
MAY 11, 2017
645 Ventures: A New Era of Venture Capital Investing Arena Growth Partners We help great leaders build great businesses. Our unique approach to investing, coupled with a pioneering spirit, provides the vision to guide early stage growth companies beyond today and toward future success.
My Chat with Dan Primack of PEHub
Both Sides of the Table
AUGUST 12, 2010
There is an industry changing shift going on in the internet and mobile-based IT space for sure. Dan believed that consumer internet entrepreneurs have a choice now: traditional VC vs. super seed investors. Is there a bubble going on in seed investing? A recent study said seed stage valuations have been quite static recently.
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Tale of Two Valleys: LA and the Bay Area from an Investor’s Perspective
Mucker Lab
AUGUST 27, 2014
My partner Erik Rannala has had a similar experience, having worked as a VC at Harrison Metal before moving down to LA to co-found our seed stage venture firm. I regularly come across companies who happen to have the #1 paid app in the App Store fly under the radar for years before raising venture capital.
Los Angeles 138
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Billion or Bust?
thebarefootvc
JANUARY 27, 2014
From my perspective it’s a great time to be investing at the post-seed stage – lots of great entrepreneurs looking for smart capital to help them accelerate growth. The growth of mobile phones and broadband connectivity means that very few businesses today are untouched by technology. Or so it seems.
How long will the “seed stage bubble” last?
andrewchen.co
AUGUST 20, 2012
How long will the “seed stage bubble” last? It’s never been easier to raise seed funding, and there’s warnings that we’re in the midst of a “seed stage bubble.” Mobile as the driver. « Mobile app startups are failing like it’s 1999. -->.
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Zhongguancun in Beijing – China’s Silicon Valley (Part 4 of 5)
Steve Blank
APRIL 13, 2013
The previous post described the evolution of the Chinese Venture Capital system. China Venture Capital. If it’s driven by profit then the ecosystem needs both entrepreneurs as well as Venture Finance. China has the biggest Venture Capital industry outside the U.S. Entrepreneurship in Beijing.
Silicon Valley 267
267 
Are We Entering 2013 in Crunch-Mode?
Genuine VC
JANUARY 3, 2013
According to all of the blogosphere chatter over the past month, seed-funded internet startups are entering this year gearing up for the now-near-infamous Series A Crunch. The nuance which isn’t being recognized is that most of the companies of this latter profile, while viable businesses, aren’t venture-scale businesses.
Seed Stage 166
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The Next Bubble – Don’t Get Fooled Again
Steve Blank
JUNE 15, 2011
In the stealth phase , prescient angel investors and Venture Capitalists (VCs) start investing in an industry or market segment that others have not yet found. In the case of this bubble, it was social networks, consumer and mobile applications, and the cloud. Filed under: Venture Capital.
Silicon Valley 327
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You’re Either Venture-Backed or a Lifestyle Business: The Big Lie
Hunter Walker
MARCH 4, 2014
Approaching Homebrew’s one year anniversary at the end of April so expect some ‘reflective’ posts on my first 12 months in venture capital. . Venture capital isn’t the only way to fund your business and for many at the earliest stages of their startup, it’s one of the worst choices.
Seed Stage 134
134 Zhongguancun in Beijing – China’s Silicon Valley (Part 4 of 5)
Steve Blank
APRIL 13, 2013
The previous post described the evolution of the Chinese Venture Capital system. China Venture Capital. If it’s driven by profit then the ecosystem needs both entrepreneurs as well as Venture Finance. China has the biggest Venture Capital industry outside the U.S. Entrepreneurship in Beijing.
Silicon Valley 159
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Fearless (Baseless) Predictions for 2014
Mucker Lab
JANUARY 1, 2014
Google finally fixes the problem with mobile (discovery, search, distribution, tracking, monetization, a/b testing) and races ahead while Apple waxes nostalgically for 2010. Huge funding gap appears for seed stage companies as seed stage VC firms look for series A traction and accelerators look for seed stage traction.
Seed Stage 84
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Director of Platform & Community
Genuine VC
JANUARY 22, 2014
This two-year role is a unique opportunity to work full-time within a venture capital firm, setting and executing on a outward-facing strategy to interface with both its portfolio and the broader entrepreneurial community. Exceptionally high attention to detail. Experience involving business operations and/or project management a plus.
Community 113
113 Looking for investors? Here’s how to value your startup
The Next Web
FEBRUARY 27, 2014
Sophomores are beta site to full production site with initial users (seed stage angels—raise $500K to $1MM). Juniors have achieved a full proof of concept around their business, with rapid user or revenue growth, approaching up to $1MM in revenues (Series A venture capital—raise $1MM to $5MM). The valuation techniques.
Valuation 167
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Fearless (Baseless) Predictions for 2014
Mucker Lab
JANUARY 1, 2014
Google finally fixes the problem with mobile (discovery, search, distribution, tracking, monetization, a/b testing) and races ahead while Apple waxes nostalgically for 2010. Huge funding gap appears for seed stage companies as seed stage VC firms look for series A traction and accelerators look for seed stage traction.
Seed Stage 60
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boldstart ventures in 2014 – our ethos
BeyondVC
FEBRUARY 12, 2014
To date our messaging has been clear, but we also could not ignore the fact that companies like Plain Vanilla Games took off quickly and became known as the fastest growing mobile game in history. BOLDstart helps founders at the seed stage accelerate their growth from idea/ alpha phase to product market fit and successful Series A round.
Seed Stage 110
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ProfessorVC: How Much Diligence is Due.
Professor VC
JANUARY 27, 2011
The Most Important Venture Capital Statistic. The Most Obvious Mobile Ad Unit and What the New York Times Got Wrong. Venture Hacks. Social-Mobile-LOCAL: “Local” Will Be The Biggest of the Three. Congratulations on the Best Venture Capital Investment. ► July. (1). ► May. (1).
The Paradox of VC Value-Add
Feld Thoughts
APRIL 23, 2015
I remember a meeting with the Microsoft Mobile 6.0 team as they were pitching us their vision for Microsoft Mobile 6.5. A year or two later they had less than 3% market share on mobile. ” Second, I went through the scale up of the organizational VC firm in the late 1990s at Mobius Venture Capital.
ProfessorVC: Card Counting for Investors
Professor VC
SEPTEMBER 26, 2011
Below is a short description of their philosophy: "The part of our philosophy that makes us most different from other startup investors is that we dont believe gut feel is a reliable indicator of potential at the seed stage. So we focus on specific aspects of a proposed venture that we can evaluate with minimal ambiguity.
What the West needs to know about Russia’s tech scene
The Next Web
FEBRUARY 24, 2014
Much of the slack at seed stage funding is taken up by the Russian state. In sharp contrast to the US and UK governments, in 2013, the Russian Government provided around 38 percent of seed deals and 24 percent of startup stage funding. The role of the Russian Government. Russian tech: Sectors to watch. billion in the US.
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Ethos: What 'Blank Canvas' Means to NextView ? AGILEVC
Agile VC
APRIL 27, 2012
I wouldn’t say we’re radically reinventing venture capital and there are many firms we respect who have been innovating recently in connecting a portfolio of startups into a network , taking a different approach to how to staff a VC firm , and even the pace of VC investing. Read More ».
Silicon Valley 124
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NextView Ethos – Tribe
Genuine VC
FEBRUARY 22, 2012
All venture capital partnerships fall along a spectrum where on one pole are individual contributors hunting on a shared platform, to the other end where the partners act in unison a real team. Rob, Lee, and I actively become involved operationally with each and every one of our investments, especially at the seed stage.
Portfolio 114
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NextView Ethos – Tribe
Genuine VC
FEBRUARY 22, 2012
All venture capital partnerships fall along a spectrum where on one pole are individual contributors hunting on a shared platform, to the other end where the partners act in unison a real team. Rob, Lee, and I actively become involved operationally with each and every one of our investments, especially at the seed stage.
Portfolio 100
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Advice for CTO Founders: Don't Let Business Kill the Business
www.informationarbitrage.com
FEBRUARY 24, 2010
BlogTalkRadio Buddy Media Clickable Cloverhill Enterprises Covestor Domdex Global Bay Mobile Tech Zoo Games Invite Media Kinetic Trading Strategies Mashery Mimeo oneforty OrcaOne OrganizedWisdom Recognia Selerity Business Insider Standout Jobs StockTwits TheLadders Ticketfly TLists TubeMogul TweetDeck Zoomino ?
CTO Hire 40
40 Introducing my next chapter: Dragon Army
Jeff Hilimire
AUGUST 30, 2013
And in the immortal words of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and now for something completely different … For those that know me, you know I’ve long been enamored with mobile technology and apps, particularly as they relate to consumers. A cluster of media and marketing companies, including Turner Broadcasting System Inc.
Atlanta 77
77 
U.S. Venture Capital Has Its Biggest Quarter Since Dot-Com Days
allthingsd.com
JULY 16, 2012
Venture Capital Has Its Biggest Quarter Since Dot-Com Days. venture capitalists put $8.1 venture capitalists put $8.1 It’s clear that factors like the greater American economy and the bumpy tech IPO market don’t necessarily have a direct and/or timely correlation with venture capital spending.
On Supercities, Economic Growth, and Income Inequality in a Post-COVID World
Ben's Blog
APRIL 7, 2021
A similar pattern exists for venture capital funding: In 2020, just three regions — the Bay Area, New York, and Massachusetts — accounted for 70%+ of total venture funding in the U.S. Venture capital. Silicon Valley didn’t create venture capital, and venture capital didn’t create Silicon Valley.
The Leading Cause of Startup Death – Part 1: The Product.
Steve Blank
AUGUST 27, 2009
We’ll look at the model stage-by-stage. Concept and Seed Stage In the Concept and Seed Stage, founders capture their passion and vision for the new company and turn them into a set of key ideas, which quickly becomes a business plan, sometimes on the back of the proverbial napkin.
Silicon Valley 260
260 VC Seed Funding is Dead, Long Live VC Seed Funding!
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 17, 2009
This is part of my ongoing series about Raising Venture Capital. A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. Many VCs who do lots of seed stage deals are very supportive and active. Look at Josh Kopelman over at First Round Capital. They do many early-stage deals.
Software Review 283
283 The Rise & Fall of Great Venture Firms [Part 1] ? AGILEVC
Agile VC
JULY 11, 2012
I happen to be fascinated by the history of the VC industry, and one of the things we discussed at a recent offsite are the common threads behind the rise and fall of great venture capital firms. I co-founded NextView Ventures , a seed-stage VC firm based in Boston, in 2010. Read More ».
Silicon Valley 240
240 
Beer Kegs and the Future of Venture Capital: What It Means for Entrepreneurs
Genuine VC
OCTOBER 11, 2011
Last September I wrote a post outlining my view of the venture capital industry: increasingly evolving like the beer industry as it continues to mature. Large VC firms resemble Budweiser-type macrobrews, competing based on scale and brand with a standardized product across multiple geographies, sectors, and stages.
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ProfessorVC: Would a Dart Board Provide better VC Returns?
Professor VC
FEBRUARY 26, 2010
Of course, when 10-year returns for the entire venture capital asset class is about to drop below zero, drastic measures may be in order. Seed stage investing is all about the team, so there may be something to this idea. Labels: entrepreneur , seed investing , venture capital , venture financing.
San Jose 28
28 Smart Bear Live 5: Dan from SyncBloc.com with Mark Suster
A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks
JULY 24, 2012
Dan: Our goal is really to get beyond search social and the inefficiencies that search social and mobile have introduced to us. With the exception of Facebook and Twitter, it seems like this magic 10 million user number is a rare benchmark that companies hit, and yet that’s only 10% of the mobile market. What is it?
Silicon Valley 204
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B is for BUBBLE: Venture Capital in 2013
VC Cafe
JANUARY 20, 2014
Across all investment stages, median pre-money valuations last year rose dramatically. Seed-stage deals now require $5.1 We see opportunities for cross-media content engagement, such as integrating mobile gaming and online magazines. In 2014 we are looking for innovations around better mobile advertising.
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155 
Blitzscaling: Silicon Valley’s Harmful Idea of Success
Austin Startup
FEBRUARY 12, 2019
We had raised a small round of funding in 2013, led by a local angel investor who was a member of Central Texas Angel Network, and used the funds to build our first product (a mobile website) and launch with recommendations from friends of mine in Austin the week before South by Southwest Festival.
How to Find the Top VCs for the Investment You Need
Up and Running
MARCH 16, 2016
As we head into 2016, we leave behind a year of robust trends for venture capital—or “VC”—funding. The Pacific Northwest had a great overall year for venture capital activity in 2015—even if you count the 59 percent dip in Q4. See Also: 17 Venture Capital Blogs You Should Be Reading.
The Five Advisors You Meet in the Deadpool
This is going to be BIG.
MAY 5, 2011
I'm a strong believer in having a board, even at a seed stage, to report to and set strategy with. An avid retweeter, this person seems to know a lot about what the next big thing needs to be--open, free, mobile, and social. Advisors, investors and board members come in all shapes and sizes.
Technical Review 111
111 What Milestones Are Needed to Raise a Series A? ? AGILEVC
Agile VC
AUGUST 12, 2011
For entrepreneurs seeking to build big companies on a rapid trajectory, raising larger scale venture capital rounds is likely a necessity at some point after the initial seed funding. And there are some common precepts seed stage companies can follow. AGILEVC My idle thoughts on tech startups. August 12, 2011.
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113 Venture Capital in the Rockies Winter 2010 Unveils Promising Growth Companies Ahead of Conference
VC Adventure
FEBRUARY 23, 2010
Twenty Companies Ranging From Seed Stage to Mezzanine Will Showcase Next Generation Technologies from Various Industries at the 27 th Annual VCIR Winter 2010 Conference. Mangia allows sports fans to order food and merchandise (and eventually tickets) using a mobile phone and have it delivered right to a stadium or arena seat.
Venture Capital in the Rockies Winter 2010 Unveils Promising Growth Companies Ahead of Conference
VC Adventure
FEBRUARY 23, 2010
The conference will also feature a Technology Showcase, an inaugural demonstration of five very early stage technology companies that is designed to feature the next generation of innovation from the region and further VCIR’s legacy of entrepreneurial mentorship. TopSchool, Inc.
First Half of 2011 Showed Boost in Later Stage VC Deals in Israel
VC Cafe
JULY 20, 2011
IVC Online and KMPG have released their summary of venture capital raising for Q2 2011, in Israel. Mid stage companies accounted for the highest rate of investments in Q2 2011, attracting 44% of all capital invested and later stage followed, with 27%.
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