Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

For a nonprofit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Hopefully you can see from this list that the people and processes involved in financing a nonprofit have little in common with angel investors, or the venture capital process. Individual and institutional philanthropy. That’s a higher calling.

Angel Investor 327

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 327

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. If the entrepreneur plans to grow the company into a family business, or keep it private, they will either never be interested in buying out investors, or will certainly not be motivated to provide the 10x return that investors are looking for.

Exit Strategy 264

Exit Strategy Private Equity Equity Technical Review 264

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 1, 2020

I have often been asked about Startup Funding by entrepreneurs. Here is Startup Funding, a Comprehensive Guide for Entrepreneurs. Bootstrapping. I always recommend that you start with bootstrapping. Bootstrapping is when you put your own money or borrow from friends and family to set up your business. Seed stage.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Seed Stage 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. If the entrepreneur plans to grow the company into a family business, or keep it private, they will either never be interested in buying out investors, or will certainly not be motivated to provide the 10x return that investors are looking for.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Intellectual Property 219

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 219

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

According to a classic Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with a majority of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. My first advice for new entrepreneurs is to pick a domain, such as online web sites and smart phone apps, that doesn’t have the sky-high up-front development costs.

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

According to a Gompers and Lerner study, the challenge is very real, with 90% of new ventures that don't attract investors failing within the first three years. My first advice for new entrepreneurs is to pick a domain that doesn’t have the sky-high up-front development costs, like online web sites and smart phone apps.

Intellectual Property 309

Intellectual Property Technical Review Venture Capital Startup 309

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2013

is already well above the dot.com bubble of 15 years ago, although we have slipped a bit this year from the high point of 320 new entrepreneurs out of 100,000 adults in 2011. Thus a record number of entrepreneurs (and employees) are getting rich. No wonder 90% of the successful startups still bootstrap.

IPO 273

IPO Entrepreneur Social Media Startup 273

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

Without venture capital, without external loans, I bootstrapped my business and brought it to acquisition – in a field traditionally dominated by males ( 16% of male entrepreneurs are in the tech industry, compared to 4% of females ).

Technical Review 370

Technical Review United States Bootstrapping Venture Capital 370

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. If the entrepreneur plans to grow the company into a family business, or keep it private, they will either never be interested in buying out investors, or will certainly not be motivated to provide the 10x return that investors are looking for.

Exit Strategy 289

Exit Strategy Entrepreneur IPO Startup 289

ReadWriteStart

DECEMBER 15, 2022

But I recommend entrepreneurs and prospective business builders consider the Agency Builder model. So an entrepreneur forming a startup studio benefits from having experience in the industry sector they hope to serve. Following the digital agency model for a startup, studio offers significant advantages to entrepreneurs.

Incubator 188

Incubator Startup Software Developers Software Development 188

VC Cafe

JANUARY 22, 2021

The Alexa Fund also provides up to $200 million in venture capital funding to fuel voice technology innovation. AWS EdStart – is the AWS educational technology (EdTech) startup accelerator, designed to help entrepreneurs build the next generation of online learning, analytics, and campus management solutions on the AWS Cloud.

Technical Review 174

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Incubator 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until real revenue flows.

Intellectual Property 134

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 134

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

For a nonprofit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Hopefully you can see from this list that the people and processes involved in financing a nonprofit have little in common with angel investors, or the venture capital process. Individual and institutional philanthropy. That’s a higher calling.

Equity 235

Equity Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy 235

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2017

One of the most common complaints I hear from new business owners and startups is about the pain and difficulty raising capital. The “venture capital” model is the only option they know, where they feel they get no mercy, giving up equity and control. Block out sufficient time on your calendar for raising capital.

Technical Review 220

Technical Review Accredited Investor Due Diligence Equity 220

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Most entrepreneurs never forget for a moment that having investors means owing money, even if they can legally argue that equity is not debt.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Advisory Board Startup Venture Capital 120

Austin Startup

NOVEMBER 25, 2018

As I mentioned at the beginning of this series/ebook, over the years I’ve noticed that I tend to frequently share certain Lucky7 posts with entrepreneurs we’ve backed , team members at data.world, or other startup investors I know. So I’m packaging the best of them up for you here in a new series called The Entrepreneur’s Essentials.

Bootstrapping 48

Bootstrapping Austin Equity Cofounder 48

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Product Development 177

Product Development Cost Developer Product 177

Up and Running

AUGUST 17, 2022

Close to 30,000 of them will land angel investments , and fewer than 5,000 get venture capital. Whether it was angel investment , venture capital, small business loans, or any other outside investment. This filtering process is a good thing for many entrepreneurs who have the sense to listen to it.

Venture Capital 146

Venture Capital Intellectual Property Angel Investor Bootstrapping 146

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

. — Though I haven’t talked to Larry face-to-face for 20 years, and haven’t worked at Oracle for 30 years, he’s the yardstick I’ve used to pick entrepreneurs all of these years since. Without a doubt, Larry was the most potent entrepreneur I’ve known. I now realize it was the wisdom of a great entrepreneur.

Technical Review 333

Technical Review Venture Capital Software Review Database 333

online.wsj.com

SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

SIGNIFICANCE PROMINENT. --> The Venture Capital Secret: 3 Out of 4 Start-Ups Fail. An entrepreneur with a hot technology and venture-capital funding becomes a billionaire in his 20s. The National Venture Capital Association estimates that 25% to 30% of venture-backed businesses fail.

Venture Capital 107

Venture Capital Software Review Rhode Island North Dakota 107

The Next Web

JULY 20, 2013

They speak about how they love to help entrepreneurs build successful companies, yet when I ask them to give me feedback on my business plan or idea, they usually don’t even bother writing me back. Venture capitalists and their feedback. Yes, it is true that some entrepreneurs either don’t receive a response or get a pre-made template.

Silicon Valley 124

Silicon Valley Mongolia Technical Cofounder Entrepreneur 124

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

Myth #1: Venture capital is a growing opportunity for funding businesses. Actually, venture capital financing is very rare. I’ll explain this more later, but assume that only a very few high-growth companies with high-power management teams are venture opportunities. Venture capital. You should.

SBA 161

SBA Venture Capital Angel Investor Technical Review 161

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Every good entrepreneur needs to invest skin in the game, to show credibility and leadership to others.

Sweat Equity 274

Sweat Equity Elevator Pitch Startup Equity 274

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. Instead, knowing how to bootstrap your startup might be a better option. How to Bootstrap Your Startup. “Bootstrapping is a long game,” Tank says.

Bootstrapping 145

Bootstrapping Startup Cofounder Angel Investor 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2012

For example, with any outside investment, you give up some ownership and control, and with bootstrapping your growth curve will likely be longer and more organic. Following is my prioritized larger list of sources, with some “rules of thumb” which may save you a lot of time and energy: Bootstrapping. Venture capital.

Technical Review 257

Technical Review Bootstrapping Venture Capital Incubator 257

VC Cafe

MARCH 22, 2021

So, when he invited me to join him as the first VC guest on the Bootstrapped Podcast with the inimitable Hillel Fuld and serial entrepreneur Guy Malachi, I naturally said yes. The post Long Form – A chat with the Bootstrapped Podcast appeared first on VC Cafe.

Bootstrapping 132

Bootstrapping Early Stage Matching 132

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million-dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Funding or rollout stage.

Incubator 305

Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 305

ReadWriteStart

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

Although some founders take venture capital in exchange for equity, that’s not the only way to do it. To learn more about the pros and cons of venture capital — and founders’ funding alternatives — I caught up with Mark McKee. Anderson: So is venture capital the right approach for most startups?

Venture Capital 105

Venture Capital Equity SBA Finance 105

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

V: Should you raise venture capital from a traditional equity VC or a Revenue-Based Investing VC? GCVF is pioneering the future of venture capital and high growth startups for all small communities. II: Who are the major Revenue-Based Investing VCs? IV: Should your new VC fund use Revenue-Based Investing?

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. External investors will demand a financial forecast, but it’s equally valuable to you, even if bootstrapping.

Forecast 290

Forecast Burn Rate Widget Business Plan 290

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2021

As an angel investor to startups, I’m still surprised to find entrepreneurs who expect investors to give them money, and assume no strings attached. If the entrepreneur wants total control of their own venture, with no one looking over their shoulder, they should work within the limits of their own resources, a process called bootstrapping.

Term Sheet 433

Term Sheet Advisory Board Liquidation Preference Startup 433

Austin Startup

AUGUST 2, 2018

A week before that, my co-founder and I attended the Boss Babes ATX WORK Conference, along with hundreds of other female creatives, and entrepreneurs where we met a potential founder, who then connected us to a restaurant owner. In that spirit, I want to share some of my top resources for female entrepreneurs in Austin?—?the

Austin 57

Austin Software Review Technical Review Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 5, 2023

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. But don’t wait for them to contact you.

Angel Investor 246

Angel Investor Stealth Bootstrapping Early Stage 246

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

For a nonprofit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Hopefully you can see from this list that the people and processes involved in financing a nonprofit have little in common with angel investors, or the venture capital process. Individual and institutional philanthropy. That’s a higher calling.

Angel Investor 132

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 132

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2021

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. Every good entrepreneur needs to invest skin in the game, to show credibility and leadership to others.

Sweat Equity 346

Sweat Equity Elevator Pitch Equity Venture Capital 346

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 19, 2021

New entrepreneurs often seem to confuse viability with fundability. Other entrepreneurs skip just a couple of the elements outlined in my original article, “ These 10 Key Elements Make a Business Plan Fundable. Investors know that first-time entrepreneurs who start a business without a good written plan almost always fail.

Intellectual Property 429

Intellectual Property Bootstrapping Venture Capital Revenue 429