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What Does the Post Crash VC Market Look Like?

Both Sides of the Table

At our mid-year offsite our partnership at Upfront Ventures was discussing what the future of venture capital and the startup ecosystem looked like. We drew this conclusion after a meeting we had with Morgan Stanley where they showed us historical 15 & 20 year valuation trends and we all discussed what we thought this meant.

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Why a Company Can’t “Be More Like a Startup”

Steve Blank

As more and more companies face disruption from globalization, new technology, and startups that have more capital than the incumbents, the continuing cry from Wall Street investors is, “Why can’t companies be as innovative as startups?”. Here’s one reason why: Startups can do anything. Startups can do anything.

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Corporate Acquisitions of Startups: Why Do They Fail?

Steve Blank

For decades large companies have gone shopping in Silicon Valley for startups. What can companies learn from others’ failed efforts to integrate startups into large companies? The answer - there are two types of integration strategies, and they depend on where the startup is in its lifecycle. The Innovation Portfolio.

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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Software Patents

Startup Professionals Musings

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. A lot of companies, like Lodsys above, buy up software patents that are over-broad, and hold startups hostage after the fact, through royalties and litigation. Marty Zwilling.

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The Virus Survival Strategy For Your Startup

Steve Blank

With the Covid-19 virus a worldwide pandemic, if you’re leading any startup or small business, you have to be asking yourself, “What’s Plan B? It’s no longer business as usual for the rest of the economy. If you’re running a startup or small business, your first priority (after your family) is keeping your employees and customers safe.

Burn Rate 436
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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Software Patents

Gust

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. A lot of companies, like Lodsys above, buy up software patents that are over-broad, and hold startups hostage after the fact, through royalties and litigation.

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8 Funding Proposal Red Flags Every Startup Can Avoid

Startup Professionals Musings

That approach may work for an entrepreneur who just sold a successful business for a huge profit, but it doesn’t work for the rest of us who are not proven successes yet, or don’t even have a business yet. Non-credible funding request or unreasonable valuation. Future unproven projections don’t set today’s valuation.