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Cram Down ā€“ A Test of Character for VCs and Founders

Steve Blank

Cram downs are back ā€“ and Iā€™m keeping a list. Most existing investors (those still in business) hoarded their money and stopped doing follow-on rounds until the rubble had cleared. Most existing investors (those still in business) hoarded their money and stopped doing follow-on rounds until the rubble had cleared.

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Startup Fairy Tales and Other Tall Tales That Venture Capitalists Tell

Growthink Blog

Management has the wrong pedigree, is geographically undesirable, competes in the wrong industry, and/or has a business model that lacks "scalability credibility" with the venture community. There is considerable internal debate around whether or not to solicit and/or accept outside venture capital.

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5 Ways to Make Your Startup a Choice Investment

Startup Professionals Musings

The single most important ingredient of success is not the idea, but having a team in place that has impeccable integrity, can iterate the product quickly, pivot the business model as necessary, and keep costs down in the process. Angel investors look for prior domain and startup experience. Funding risk.

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Are Investors Being Unreasonable? - Startups and angels: Along the.

Tim Keane

"  The problem has been that too-high valuations and too generous terms have spawned painful down rounds that squash the entrepreneur and his early investors.    New money, usually VC money, comes in and crams down those early investors and takes substantial shares from the entrepreneur.