Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2015

Since the recession, and at least partially sparked by it, I’m seeing a real resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. The rate of new entrepreneurs increased about 10 percent, from 280 out of 100,000 adults in the 2014 Startup Activity Index, to 310 out of 100,000 adults in the 2015 Index.

IPO 120

IPO Angel Investor Startup Incubator 120

Up and Running

MAY 15, 2018

Innovative products and business models are the foundations of a promising startup. Funding is crucial for improving technology, hiring the right people, and launching a comprehensive marketing strategy to get a foothold in the market. This means being able to increase profits without increasing costs at an equal (or higher) rate.

SBA 84

SBA Angel Investor Technical Review Startup 84

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Based on my own years of experience in startups and big business, and more recently as an angel investor, I often cringe when I see one of you entrepreneurs missing a cue that I have seen work for many before you. Investors want to see a willingness to follow outside guidance, tempered by your own convictions.

Exit Strategy 406

Exit Strategy Merger Angel Investor IPO 406

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Most of these investors are members of Angel groups that have a rigorous filtering and screening process, to select the top 3% and most fundable proposals. Build a prototype product.

Angel Investor 260

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 260

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee). Marty Zwilling.

Angel Investor 224

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Technical Review Elevator Pitch 224

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2020

They know from forums such as Shark Tank on TV that asking for either too much or too little will derail credibility in the eyes of the investor, and leave the entrepreneur with no money and a struggling startup. Here is where projections of cost, pricing, volumes and cash flow are critical.

Startup 337

Startup Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity 337

Up and Running

JULY 2, 2014

Picking the right attorney in your startup is as important as picking the right business partner. You can’t underestimate the importance of selecting an attorney who “gets” your business model, your market opportunity, and most importantly, your fundraising and exit strategy. My business partner and I were elated.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence Dilution 118

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee).

Intellectual Property 249

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 249

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2022

They know from forums such as Shark Tank on TV that asking for either too much or too little will derail credibility in the eyes of the investor, and leave the entrepreneur with no money and a struggling startup. Here is where projections of cost, pricing, volumes and cash flow are critical.

Preferred Stock 304

Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity Angel Investor 304

Gust

DECEMBER 16, 2012

ABC Shark Tank Angels via Elite Daily. Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Don’t expect the pomp and celebrity of the Angels on Shark Tank , but they do ask a lot of the right questions. Build an investor presentation and summary.

Angel Investor 179

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch Angel Groups 179

Up and Running

AUGUST 16, 2017

To help students and startups, I have compiled a list of reasons business plans are rejected or given a low grade. For example, missing crucial deadlines for finishing the business plan, or drawing hockey stick profit projections can repel potential investors. No exit strategy for firing lazy co-founders.

Business Plan 127

Business Plan Hockey Stick Cofounder Salary 127

Up and Running

JANUARY 2, 2013

I know what it’s like to pitch to investors – both angels and venture capitalists. I’ve raised close to $1 million from angel investors for my previous technology start-ups. Sometimes you only get 10 minutes to pitch your business opportunity to the investors (or less in some cases).

Hockey Stick 164

Hockey Stick Exit Strategy Technical Review Due Diligence 164

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

It won’t work, it costs time and money, and hurts your credibility when you need them later. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). They are not trying to make money, but simply to recoup their costs over time.

Incubator 236

Incubator Exit Strategy Institutional Investors Angel Investor 236

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

It won’t work, it costs time and money, and hurts your credibility when you need them later. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). They are not trying to make money, but simply to recoup their costs over time.

Incubator 120

Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2013

Most entrepreneurs struggle with financial projections, not wanting to commit to numbers they can’t deliver, and having no clue what investors might consider reasonable. However, making no projections, or non-credible projections will get your startup marked as unfundable. That’s why investors want to hear about your exit strategy.

Liquidity Event 243

Liquidity Event Startup Equity Venture Capital 243

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2012

It won’t work, it costs time and money, and hurts your credibility for when you need them later. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). They are not trying to make money, but simply to recoup their costs over time.

Incubator 237

Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 237

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2011

It won’t work, it costs time and money, and hurts your credibility for when you need them later. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). They are not trying to make money, but simply to recoup their costs over time.

Incubator 230

Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 230

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2013

It won’t work, it costs time and money, and hurts your credibility when you need them later. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). They are not trying to make money, but simply to recoup their costs over time.

Incubator 256

Incubator Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 256

www.paulgraham.com

APRIL 28, 2010

Want to start a startup? A typical startup goes throughseveral rounds of funding, and at each round you want to take justenough money to reach the speed where you can shift into the nextgear. Few startups get it quite right. I dont mean to suggest that our investors were nothing but a dragon us. Many are underfunded.

Technical Review 76

Technical Review Startup Software Review Angel Investor 76

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2014

Most entrepreneurs struggle with financial projections, not wanting to commit to numbers they can’t deliver, and having no clue what investors might consider reasonable. However, making no projections, or non-credible projections will get your startup marked as unfundable. That’s why investors want to hear about your exit strategy.

Liquidity Event 249

Liquidity Event Equity Venture Capital Merger 249

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

As an occasional angel investor, I always ask for a business pitch to get me in the mood. I’m a technologist, so I always love to learn about the product, but every investor needs to make sure you have a business, as well as a product. Business model showing costs, pricing, and margins.

Product 145

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Exit Strategy 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2016

Yet they tend to ignore this problem, and move on quickly to professional investors. They don’t realize that most Angel investors and venture capitalists will also decline to be first, if you have no commitment from friends and family. Demos and prototypes are key. Demonstrate your own financial commitment and progress.

Elevator Pitch 151

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Angel Investor Equity 151

Up and Running

MARCH 11, 2015

I’ve pitched in taxi cabs, I’ve pitched on street corners, in board rooms, on stage in front of 400 angel investors. The opportunity when I got to pitch on stage in front of 400 angel investors was for the largest angel investor conference in the Pacific northwest called Angel Oregon, and we competed with 60 other companies.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Software Review Due Diligence Exit Strategy 60

Up and Running

JULY 9, 2014

Three months ago I posted Securing Angel Investors in this space. The vast majority of potentially successful startups are not going to get angel investment no matter how good their pitch or plan. Here’s what it takes to get angel investment: It has good growth potential. It has a believable exit strategy.

Angel Investor 97

Angel Investor Exit Strategy Sales Security 97

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

I’ll skip the basics here, and highlight only key elements that investors focus on: Define the problem. Explain in terms your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.”

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Every startup needs both a business plan and an investor presentation, completed before you formally approach any investors.

Elevator Pitch 247

Elevator Pitch Exit Strategy Burn Rate Merger 247

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2015

They know from forums such as Shark Tank on TV that asking for either too much or too little will derail credibility in the eyes of the investor, and leave the entrepreneur with no money and a struggling startup. Here is where projections of cost, pricing, volumes and cash flow are critical.

Preferred Stock 120

Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity Angel Investor 120

Gust

AUGUST 10, 2014

Most entrepreneurs struggle with financial projections, not wanting to commit to numbers they cant deliver, and having no clue what investors might consider reasonable. However, making no projections, or non-credible projections will get your startup marked as unfundable. Thats why investors want to hear about your exit strategy.

Liquidity Event 176

Liquidity Event Equity Venture Capital Merger 176

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

I’ll skip the basics here, and highlight only key elements that investors focus on: Define the problem. Explain in terms your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.”

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2015

As an angel investor, I hear many entrepreneurs making negative comments about competitors or asserting they don’t have any competitors. Investors invest in people who take action rather than find the excuses that patents are not defensible, cost money or may be done later. Use real case studies and customer feedback.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Exit Strategy Angel Investor 120

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

See Bessemer Venture Partners’ A comprehensive guide to security for startups. Data companies focused on early-stage startups include Aingel , fundsUP , Preseries , PredictLeads , and Sploda. – angel investor networks ( AngelList , FundersClub , OurCrowd , Republic *, SeedInvest ). . 2) Market .

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2010

I’ll skip the basics here, and highlight only key elements that investors focus on: Define the problem. Explain in terms your mother could understand, and quantify the “cost-of-pain” in dollars or time. Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.”

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

The Next Web

DECEMBER 31, 2013

While entrepreneurship and startups have spread tremendously in Europe, a lot of aspiring young entrepreneurs leave Europe for the United States. Large companies also provide an important ‘exit strategy’ for startups. Without a vibrant exit market, it’s harder to attract both entrepreneurs and investors.

Europe 149

Europe Government Silicon Valley Entrepreneur 149

Up and Running

MAY 22, 2018

For any startup founder pitching their idea to investors, landing the deal is never a guarantee. An MVP or a minimum viable product is a scaled-down, cheaper (cost-wise) version of your full product. Your MVP’s success will be a key component of your investor pitch deck. Remember, a shorter span impresses the investors.

Exit Strategy 90

Exit Strategy Angel Investor Search Elevator Pitch 90

www.inc.com

JULY 9, 2010

Related Tools "At Will" Policy Employment Application Required and Recommended Posters and Handouts Suggested Links Twitters Capital City is New York, Report Finds JetBlues Terminal Five: Overrated The High Cost of Cyber Attacks Employees are valuable. 500|5000 The 2010 Inc. 500|5000 List The 2010 Top Lists Inc. So are referrals.

Intellectual Property 55

Intellectual Property Los Angeles San Francisco New York 55

www.quora.com

JANUARY 16, 2011

Find Questions, Topics and People Add Question Add Question Team Configuration 500 Startups Guerilla Marketing Organizations Entrepreneurship Startup Founders & Entrepreneurs Startups Startup Incubators and Seed Programs Seedcamp Y Combinator TechStars Lean Startups What is the perfect startup team?

Technical Review 51

Technical Review Startup CTO Hire Cofounder 51

Small Business Force

OCTOBER 22, 2017

Raising capital may be the single hardest thing you will ever have to do in your business career, regardless of whether you do it for a startup or for a business that you’ve built over a dozen years. startup, early stage, mature company) no matter what kind of capital you’re trying to raise (e.g., Less dilution!

Entrepreneur 25

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Valuation Investment Bankers 25