Steve Blank

MARCH 16, 2016

To most founders a startup is not a job, but a calling. Founders can now access the largest pool of risk capital that ever existed –in the form of Private Equity (Angel Investors, family offices , Venture Capitalists (VC’s) and Hedge Funds.). What does this mean for startup founders? ——-.

Liquidity Event 120

Liquidity Event Founder Liquidation Preference Private Equity 120

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 1, 2019

In two of these three phases – the first and third – volumes of helpful information and numerous organizations are readily available to help guide and support founders of startups. In the go-to-product phase, you can get help from a plethora of incubators, accelerators and angel investors. Minimum Viable Repeatability (MVR).

Cleveland 150

Cleveland Framework Marketing Early Stage 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2010

I see now emerging a new wave of investors, popularly known as “super angels,” micro-VCs, or “super-seed” investors. Every early-stage startup should explore this new funding alternative. Business Week ran a more thorough analysis of this movement a while back, which I am summarizing here. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 215

Technical Review Early Stage Venture Capital Startup 215

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2022

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. At these stages, it’s all about you, and your ability to communicate and execute effectively.

Due Diligence 271

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Preferred Stock 271

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2019

With the advent and popularity of crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as a winning alternative for funding your new venture, I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs are confused about the need to ever seek a professional angel investor.

Non-disclosure Agreement 299

Non-disclosure Agreement Angel Investor Bootstrapping SEC 299

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Seeking that funding prior to launching a viable product, however, would have virtually ensured that Klemm would largely cede control of the company to PE investors. By contrast, obtaining a pre-money valuation of $5 million for a business with a new viable product and even very minimal sales is somewhat reasonable.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2020

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. At these stages, it’s all about you, and your ability to communicate and execute effectively.

Due Diligence 308

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Preferred Stock Startup 308

JANUARY 9, 2014

No clear vision or purpose This should be the starting point for any startup founder, but it’s often overlooked. in business we can create much deeper connections with our audience and give our startups a better chance of success. By focusing on the ‘why?’ I set up a regular design meetup for startups, UX Café , for this reason.

Early Stage 102

Early Stage Startup Cofounder Design 102

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

But every startup’s journey towards getting to the Series A point is certainly unique in its own way, and when I reflect on what it took to reach this goal, there were four key strategies, related to raising funds and seeking out investors, that really set us up for successes and helped us get there not just faster, but smarter.

Strategic Investors 49

Strategic Investors Austin Angel Investor Bootstrapping 49

Up and Running

MARCH 11, 2015

This is the home of Jason Cohen, software startup founder, bootstrapper, investor, and mentor. Bill Gurley of Benchmark Capital doesn’t publish frequently, but his essays on market trends and Benchmark portfolio companies are a window into how VCs view the world and the kinds of business models that they find most interesting.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Technical Review Silicon Valley Cofounder 60

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

Steve is the CEO of Founders Space, one of the world’s leading startup accelerators with over 50 partners in 22 countries. Founders Space was ranked the #1 incubator for overseas startups by Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazines. 15:05] Do you think that the no headquarters model is going to impact startups going forward? [17:14]

San Francisco 95

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 95

Steve Blank

JANUARY 20, 2014

Part 2: Early-stage Regional Venture Funds. These people are important and useful in the engineering of a tech cluster; as startup coaches, angel investors and advocates for the community. This “small business” mindset is a holdover of how capital starved early stage startups are/were in Oregon.

Silicon Valley 317

Silicon Valley Oregon Lean Venture Capital 317

Steve Blank

JUNE 2, 2011

Reinventing the board meeting may allow venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. Startups now understand what they should be doing in their early formative days is search for a business model. Founders operate in a chaotic regime.

Silicon Valley 289

Silicon Valley Business Model Early Stage Venture Capital 289

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2011

Board meetings that guide startups haven’t changed since the early 1900’s. Reinventing the board meeting may offer venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. From a founder’s point of view there are three reasons for board meetings.

Silicon Valley 297

Silicon Valley Business Model Venture Capital Balance Sheet 297

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

A founder asked me what makes a $2M round “pre-seed”? What’s the difference between an angel round and pre-seed round and why do I believe we’ll see more pre-seed rounds taking place in 2024? especially if the startup already has a product and revenue? who’s talking to customers?)

Valuation 186

Valuation Software Review Generative AI Technical Review 186

Gust

JANUARY 4, 2012

Many thanks to David Rose , Ilana Grossman , Justin Stanwix , and the whole Gust team for making the Gust Blog such a valuable platform and resource for entrepreneurs and angel investors. The amount of investment in IP in any direct sense is generally small for early stage startups. In practice, this leads many U.S.

Intellectual Property 143

Intellectual Property IP Startup United States 143

Steve Blank

JULY 1, 2014

What’s been missing for everyone is: a common language for investors to communicate objectives to startups. a language corporate innovation groups can use to communicate to business units and finance. data that investors, accelerators and incubators can use to inform selection. Here’s John’s story. But the ‘ah-hah!’

Sacramento 312

Sacramento Framework Customer Development Lean 312

Steve Blank

JUNE 1, 2011

Board meetings that guide startups haven’t changed since the early 1900’s. Reinventing the board meeting may offer venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. From a founder’s point of view there are three reasons for board meetings.

Silicon Valley 270

Silicon Valley Business Model Venture Capital Balance Sheet 270

ReadWriteStart

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

When starting a business, it’s typical to look for venture capital, angel investors, and even co-founders to help get the company up and running. While funding is necessary for almost all businesses, seeking it out yourself isn’t necessarily the right path for everyone.

Bootstrapping 145

Bootstrapping Startup Cofounder Angel Investor 145

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

Card Counting for Investors. How would Billy Beane have done as an early stage investor? Ive written previously about Right Side Capital Management (RCSM) , the latest in my post earlier this year, " How Much Diligence is Due. " (Full disclosure: I am an investor and adviser in RCSM.) ProfessorVC. Steve Bennet.

Technical Review 38

Technical Review Early Stage San Jose Angel Investor 38

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2016

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. At these stages, it’s all about you, and your ability to communicate and execute effectively.

Due Diligence 120

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Preferred Stock Seed Stage 120

Professor VC

JANUARY 27, 2011

I strongly believe (at least for very early stage technology ventures) that you will get diminishing returns and arguably negative returns once you get past an initial threshold of team, product, market and financial diligence. What does it take to be an Angel Investor? Not exactly extensive diligence. ► July. (1).

Technical Review 31

Technical Review Due Diligence Silicon Valley San Jose 31

Hearpreneur

MAY 4, 2019

Why did you start your business? What I’ve learned from my experiences as a four-time entrepreneur and an angel investor in more than thirty startups is that while it often looks as if world-altering business opportunities emerge by accident, they can, in fact, be discovered and scaled in a methodical way.

Cofounder 65

Cofounder Founder Entrepreneur Venture Capital 65

Transformify

JULY 23, 2018

When speaking of startups’ funding, most founders first consider VC or Angel Investor funding. The good news is that startups from all sectors of the economy can apply and leverage on novel combinations of existing business models and technologies. What is your current stage of development?

Intellectual Property 66

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Dilution Startup 66

The Startup Magazine

JULY 16, 2018

Earlier this year at the FUND Conference in Austin, Texas, over 100 startups presented their early-stage companies in front of hundreds of investors and industry leaders. FUND is a national connector of entrepreneurs, VCs, angel investors, and industry experts with a focus on deal flow and making connections.

Startup 79

Startup Texas Angel Investor Mobile 79

Steve Blank

AUGUST 8, 2016

And no amount of business success is enough if you don’t have time with your family. Values – who and what founders and customers hold dear – were the focus on today’s Entrepreneurs are Everywhere radio show. Ryan Smith , co-founder of Qualtrics insight platform. Ryan Smith. Joining me in the Stanford University studio were.

Cofounder 149

Cofounder New York City Entrepreneur New York 149

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 15, 2011

Startups now understand what they should be doing in their early formative days is search for a business model. The process they use to guide that search is "Customer Development" ; and to track their progress startups now have a scorecard to document their week-by-week changes – the business model canvas.

Silicon Valley 118

Silicon Valley Startup Early Stage Business Model 118

Scalable Startup

DECEMBER 15, 2011

Here are the justifications and logic process for so many claiming they have a startup before they really do, and in many cases actually getting some funding: people feel like they might as well start their own business since nobody is hiring. funding is more prevalent than ever for early early (read “ideas”) stage companies.

Angel Investor 24

Angel Investor Startup IPO Software Developers 24

Professor VC

APRIL 1, 2010

It had a good mix of viewpoints with east ( James Geshwiler, Common Angels ) and west coast (yours truly) angels, early stage venture capitalist ( Jason Mendelson, Foundry Group ), and a couple of attorneys ( Dan Hansen and Mario Rosati ). What does it take to be an Angel Investor? Steve Bennet. at 11:15 AM.

Term Sheet 32

Term Sheet Angel Investor San Jose Venture Capital 32

Professor VC

MARCH 10, 2009

Kennet has a white paper on that summarizes why bootstrapped businesses are the best. In other parts of the country, this is business as usual: Identify a customer need Build a product Sell the product In the valley, the knee jerk reaction is to start with the powerpoint deck and look for the venture capital drug. ► July. (1).

Bootstrapping 28

Bootstrapping San Jose Silicon Valley Software Review 28

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 11, 2017

by Karla Friede, CEO, co-founder, and member of the Board of Directors at Nvoicepay. Earlier this month, my co-founders and I raised our sixth round of venture capital funding for Nvoicepay. In fact, I found that if they didn’t like something about our business model, they usually didn’t say anything. Show results.

Cofounder 100

Cofounder B2B Early Stage Venture Capital 100

Steve Blank

AUGUST 8, 2016

And no amount of business success is enough if you don’t have time with your family. Values – who and what founders and customers hold dear – were the focus on today’s Entrepreneurs are Everywhere radio show. Ryan Smith , co-founder of Qualtrics insight platform. Ryan Smith. Joining me in the Stanford University studio were.

Cofounder 120

Cofounder New York City Entrepreneur New York 120

View from Seed

JANUARY 24, 2018

The concept our Guilds is simple: We want to bring together small groups of Product and Go-to-Market experts to lend their time to support our portfolio company founders and key operators. Pierre Valade, Co-Founder of Sunrise & Mobile Designer at Microsoft. Pierre Valade, Co-Founder of Sunrise & Mobile Designer at Microsoft.

Operations 177

Operations Cofounder Technical Review Angel Investor 177

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 13, 2011

Board meetings that guide startups haven't changed since the early 1900's. Reinventing the board meeting may offer venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. VCs sit on six to 12 boards at a time. Assume an average tenure of four years per board.

Silicon Valley 117

Silicon Valley Balance Sheet Metrics Early Stage 117

Growthink Blog

MAY 10, 2012

When seeking equity investments, the source of capital is, for the most part, tied to the stage of capital being raised. You see, equity capital is raised in stages or rounds. The five main stages include the following: 1. Early Stage Investment (Series A & B) 4. Pre-Seed Funding 2. Seed Funding 3.

Equity 88

Equity Mezzanine Later Stage Venture Capital 88

Professor VC

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

What does it take to be an Angel Investor? I am an active angel investor and on the board of Sand Hill Angels. I take CFO roles in early stage companies and participate on the management team during the early financings and business model development phases. ► July. (1).

Technical Review 38

Technical Review San Jose Angel Investor Silicon Valley 38

Professor VC

JANUARY 17, 2008

Touched by an Angel. I think the title of this post is a TV show, but fitting as there has been much debate in the venture community as to the whether angel investors are good or bad for entrepreneurs and VCs. What would the VC corollary to Touched by an Angel, be. What does it take to be an Angel Investor?

Pre-Money Valuation 28

Pre-Money Valuation Angel Investor Angel Groups Valuation 28