Genuine VC

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Each gathering showcases early stage startups in their infancy, not as a capital-raising pitch, but rather as a way to show off their product to peers for both exposure and feedback. In the mid-2000’s, there weren’t a lot of options to do so, as the ecosystem vibe still hadn’t recovered from the dot-com bubble burst.

Boston 100

Boston Cofounder Seed Capital Software Engineering 100

View from Seed

MARCH 29, 2016

After receiving 50 responses from the college website, 500 from the developer-focused job board, and 2000 from the national job board, you find two candidates worth interviewing from each source. Some of the best candidate leads come from startups proactively reaching out to people through LinkedIn or email.

Metrics 120

Metrics Founder CTO Hire Technical Review 120

Steve Blank

MARCH 17, 2020

If you’re an early stage company, that number may be zero. And how much are variable expenses (salaries, consultants, commission, travel, AWS/Azure charges, supplies, etc.?). Next, take a look at your actual revenue each month – not forecast, but real revenue coming in each month.

Burn Rate 436

Burn Rate Startup Valuation Sales Cycle 436

The Equity Kicker

MARCH 17, 2015

In summary, early stage investors are becoming more active to differentiate themselves from the competition and win the best deals, and because their investments need more help. Over the last fifteen years that has become accepted best practice.

Early Stage 60

Early Stage Venture Capital San Francisco Silicon Valley 60

Austin Startup

DECEMBER 17, 2017

We just closed out in 2017 our 10-year early-stage venture fund started in 2000. There are a number of new early stage venture funds that I’m personally aware of in Atlanta; what if their timing is right and there’s real upside ahead? Yes, that has multiple meanings!) Do the math.

Silicon Valley 48

Silicon Valley Atlanta Software Review Early Stage 48

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

Early-stage investors in technology startups are only looking for growth-oriented companies that can achieve an “exit&# someday – either via selling your company to a larger company or via an IPO. It was early 2000. Over time some “norms&# have emerged in pricing based on investors risk / return profile.

Pre-Money Valuation 336

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Silicon Valley Stock 336

The Next Web

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

In the early stages of every technology, the market is usually dominated by products built for early adopters who are typically tech savvy – this mainly consists of developers who like to have full control over a product and its features. 2 nd decade (early 2000): The First Content Management Systems (CMS).

PHP 143

PHP Management HTML Framework 143

Up and Running

AUGUST 18, 2014

Given the rise of startup incubators and accelerators; the availability of funding for early-stage startups and the fact that big companies everywhere are buying startups instead of focusing on in-house innovation, you may want to consider launching a startup instead of a traditional business. “The Is a startup business right for you?

Small Business 154

Small Business Exit Strategy Cofounder Angel Investor 154

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

Angel investors are generally former entrepreneurs and/or executives, who invest in privately-held, early-stage companies. Relatively untested early-stage ventures are less predictable and more prone to failure than established companies. Source: Center for Venture Research – Angel Market Analysis Report. approx 2004-09.

Angel Investor 114

Angel Investor Technical Review Venture Capital Pre-Money Valuation 114

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2011

Floodgate / Information Arbitrage do “big data&# amongst other things), or Founder Collective (consumer & ad-tech knowledge of people like Chris Dixon) or geography (Founder Collective is in Boston / NY, Rincon is the best early-stage in Southern California). We were all drunk & stupid.

Southern California 267

Southern California Angel Investor Early Stage Silicon Valley 267

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 27, 2014

I believe the middle isn’t being “gutted” but rather is being supplemented by “opportunity funds” and “growth funds” that sit side-by-side “core funds” allowing the firms to stay small and nimble while still being able to grab prorata rights of their best early-stage investments.

Valuation 309

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Non-Compete Later Stage 309

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

When I started out in VC, there was a strong consensus around early stage investors that the “right” level of ownership was 20%. One of the tactical moves that I observed USV employ during the mid 2000’s was targeting a relatively lower percentage than their peers. Pretty much every firm was targeting at least 20% ownership.

Dilution 136

Dilution Early Stage Business Model Founder 136

K9 Ventures

SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

What everyone can agree on, though, is that there are definitely more seed and early stage funds now than ever before, and more people willing to give money to young companies looking to make it big. We grew it to just under 20 people and were acquired at the height of the bubble in 2000. That’s what K9 does.

San Francisco 48

San Francisco Early Stage Portfolio Software Engineering 48

OnlyOnce

OCTOBER 31, 2013

Fred Wilson has been a venture investor and director in Return Path since 2000, first with Flatiron Partners and then with Union Square Ventures. If you’re fortunate enough to have built a really strong early stage company, you will find yourself in the position of being able to pick from a number of potential venture investors.

Valuation 133

Valuation Term Sheet B2C Security 133

Version One Ventures

JULY 22, 2014

At the same time, funding opportunities have expanded for early-stage start-ups. While the top of the funnel has grown with all the angel and early-stage activity, the bottom of the funnel is still roughly the same size (about 10-20 billion dollar companies/year). But this boom landscape might change soon.

Finance 167

Finance Seed Money Bootstrapping Angel Investor 167

SoCal CTO

MARCH 5, 2007

Early Stage Marketing and Branding – Farida Fotouh. However, Elgg could power 100,000 networks and it would make no difference - there is no revenue stream as we give everything away under a GPL license. I understand his frustration. Product Manager Entrepreneur Mark Geller SEO for Startups Startup Version 1.0

Open Source 150

Open Source Business Model Technical Cofounder Southern California 150

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2014

Institutional venture capital dispensed thus far in 2014 has been up significantly over the last few years, but is still less than half of the peak hit way back in the year 2000 (over $100 billion). This can cause early investor dilution, lower ultimate returns or leave the startup stranded.

Angel Investor 260

Angel Investor Silicon Valley Startup Portfolio 260

500hats.com

AUGUST 2, 2012

While a flood of new VCs came into existence during the late 90’s internet boom, many had difficulty raising new funds after the crashes of 2000-2001 and 2008 , and as a result significantly fewer fund managers exist now compared to a decade ago. In the past ten years there have been several dramatic changes in venture capital.

Silicon Valley 74

Silicon Valley Early Stage Venture Capital Valuation 74

Agile VC

MAY 26, 2011

Silicon Valley is still emerging from the tech bubble and massive downturn of late 2000-2002. You can sometimes attract capital from farther away but typically harder to do at early stage. Google is still a private company (their IPO was Aug 2004). is the leading consumer internet company with Terry Semel as CEO.

Term Sheet 178

Term Sheet Silicon Valley Technical Review Social Network 178

The Startup Magazine

DECEMBER 19, 2018

In 2000, Louisiana gave our five-person company (at that time) a multimillion-dollar contract to implement a mission-critical system. As you have a history of building early stage companies, what is the most important thing you tell startup founders? Describe RedMane’s pivot point, and its impact on the company?

Louisiana 108

Louisiana Founder Virgin Islands South Africa 108

This is going to be BIG.

MAY 11, 2012

Personally, I think it would be pretty awesome if all of the people who subscribe to my weekly newsletter could put $2000 towards supporting the early stage tech ecosystem in NYC. [scratches bald head]. At least it would be diversified across 25-30 companies--there's no such requirement in crowdfunding.

Fiji 110

Fiji Latvia Arizona SEC 110

VC Adventure

APRIL 2, 2020

Anecdotally I’ve heard that early stage valuations are already down 30-50%. It’s early and not clear where this will end up, but I’ll keep my eye on it and will report here what we’re seeing. Funds will smaller portfolios are more likely to be looking at new deals.

Valuation 118

Valuation Portfolio Database Early Stage 118

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

JANUARY 10, 2012

Supposing this client is an early-stage startup — even if funded — the most likely event is that they stiff you! But “lost interest” and a premium doesn’t solve the biggest problem with these terms. The problem is: What if this company goes out of business in four years and doesn’t pay you at all ?

Founder 291

Founder CPA Startup Early Stage 291

YoungUpstarts

OCTOBER 30, 2017

The CEO of Blockbuster, John Antioco, said in 2000, “Redbox and Netflix aren’t even on the radar.”. The tortoise and the hare is a great bedtime story, but also proffers some advice to every young business owner and entrepreneur alike. He was also a member of the U.S. Treasury’s SSBCI Venture Capital Steering Committee.

Entrepreneur 203

Entrepreneur Oregon Early Stage Texas 203

YoungUpstarts

DECEMBER 18, 2012

Singapore-based early-stage technology seed fund Golden Gate Ventures has announced investments into cloud-based inventory and sales management SaaS solutions provider TradeGecko , online grocer RedMart and mobile payment provider Coda Payments. This marks Golden Gate Ventures first investments since its founding in February this year.

Singapore 137

Singapore Asia China India 137

The Next Web

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Juan Pablo Cappello is an investor in more than twenty early stage companies. In 2000, there was a total of 18 million Internet users in Latin America. In 2000, the U.S. First, we need to stop building companies targeted to the 18 million (mainly rich) Latin Americans who were online in 2000.

America 164

America Canada Brazil Mexico 164

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 5, 2011

Look more modern than our previous website, which had a very 2000 feel to it. In the past 15 years our partners have backed nearly one company every year that was early stage and eventually exited for North of a billion dollars. Anything that works well was her implementation.

Early Stage 260

Early Stage Lead Investor Portfolio Partner 260

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2011

These two trends had a major impact on the computing industry from 2000-2005 but the effects weren’t yet felt by the VC industry. They built industrial-scale funds dedicated to backing early-stage startups with $500k rather than $5 million. The Emergence of “Open Cloud&# Infrastructure.

Venture Capital 334

Venture Capital Software PHP Open Source 334

Austin Startup

AUGUST 20, 2017

Early stage startups have to survive one day at a time and are often presented with limited choices of the moment that enable them to continue. At early stages you probably don’t have an assembly line and can’t clearly define any particular job. But, later on they often wish they had the ability to erase many of them.

Technical Review 48

Technical Review Software Review Cap Table Securities and Exchange Commission 48

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

In 1998 there were around 850 VC funds and by 2000 there were 2,300. By 2000 the total LP commitments had mushroomed to more than $100 billion. So of course returns from 2000-2010 were subpar on average for the industry. In 1998 it was 150 million, 1999 250 million and by 2000 it had crossed 350 million.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Technical Review LP Mobile 347

Feld Thoughts

JULY 31, 2014

In 2007, when we set out to raise our first Foundry Group fund, early stage tech VC was in the shitter. No one believed that you could make any money as an early stage VC and when we went out to raise our first fund, we heard over and over again that we were on a fools errand. But is wasn’t always this way.

LP 155

LP Advisory Board Venture Capital Early Stage 155

www.inc.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011

Jumpstart was one of Grahams first clients; it signed on shortly after he founded Arizona Bay, in 2000. And his vendors ended up with nothing when his company, OpenAuto.com , went out of business, in 2000. Jumpstart wasnt much at the time, just four employees working from home offices. Graham has a different view on the matter.

Arizona 40

Arizona Equity Iowa Venture Capital 40

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

The days of being able to trust that there will be an investor or lender on the other end of a call or email whenever needed ended with the 2000 and 2008 bursts of those respective bubbles. It’s entirely possible that Amazon could not be created and funded today with its planned seven years until profitability.

Later Stage 83

Later Stage Early Stage Email Revenue 83

socialmatchbox.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

If you post up an ad to an online job board asking for someone to join your very high risk early stage startup company the odds of getting someone who decent are slim to none. The generally accepted hourly wage calculation used by the staffing industry is Annual Salary divided by 2000 Hours.

Part-Time VPE 41

Part-Time VPE Sweat Equity DC Washington 41

YoungUpstarts

MARCH 27, 2016

At the early stages of your business, I advise you to say “Yes” and then immediately hang up and figure out how to make it happen. He joined the New York City-based company in 2000 as its first salesperson and quickly rose to Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

New York City 109

New York City Massachusetts New York Early Stage 109

View from Seed

JANUARY 11, 2017

I was an early employee at PayPal and back in the 2000-2001 timeframe, and we ended up taking a fairly significant amount of strategic investment (tens of millions of $) from various banks in the US, Europe, and Asia. All things being equal, seed and early stage startups are not usually well suited to take strategic investments.

Strategic Investors 120

Strategic Investors Post-Money Valuation Seed Stage Cofounder 120

Duct Tape Marketing

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

” And that turned into, at its culmination, the $2000 course kind of paradigm. John Jantsch: I mean, in the early stages maybe saying, “Here’s kind of what I’m thinking about. John Jantsch: So you’ve mentioned a couple times this $2000 price falling away. Danny Iny: Absolutely.

Bandwidth 36

Bandwidth Cost Audience Video 36