Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

However, like anyone else, they will first need some collateral, or someone to guarantee the loan, and some evidence of a viable business, like receivables and inventory. Personal loans from individuals, employees and board members. As in any company, they can lead to employee problems, or messy legal issues.

Equity 235

Equity Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy 235

Steve Blank

APRIL 1, 2020

So here’s a five-day playbook to help CEOs of cash-flow negative startups, or ones about to go negative, assess the new normal and respond with speed and urgency. For companies burning cash, such as startups, how much cash do you have? For startups: source of VC money? Others are cutting their valuations.

South Korea 334

South Korea Salary Business Model China 334

VC Cafe

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

” – Marc Andreessen In the book “ Super Founders “, author Ali Tamaseb, studied 200 Unicorns, aka startups valued at over $1 billion, started between 2005 to 2018. They should be able to identify a gap in the market that their product can fill, and be able to communicate this to investors and employees.

Founder 88

Founder Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation 88

Steve Blank

MARCH 17, 2020

With the Covid-19 virus a worldwide pandemic, if you’re leading any startup or small business, you have to be asking yourself, “What’s Plan B? Large companies are sending employees to work at home. While the impact on small businesses and workers in the “gig-economy” hasn’t made the news, it will be worse for them.

Burn Rate 436

Burn Rate Startup Valuation Sales Cycle 436

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

. — Unremarked and unheralded, the balance of power between startup CEOs and their investors has radically changed: IPOs/M&A without a profit (or at times revenue) have become the norm. The startup process has become demystified – information is everywhere. Not every startup ended up this way. Board Control.

Founder 274

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 274

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Capital investments are like gasoline on a startup business’s metaphorical fire. They allow you to hire more people, purchase new technology, and establish new business connections, among many other benefits. If you’re like most startup CEOs, your startup has been your personal fiefdom and baby.

Private Equity 94

Private Equity Pre-Money Valuation Equity Startup 94

ReadWriteStart

JANUARY 13, 2024

Startups in the cybersecurity sector are facing a daunting market environment , contending with decreased valuations and increasing pressure to sell while competing for vital funding and collaborations.

Down Round 154

Down Round Marketing Artificial Inteligence Startup 154

Steve Blank

MARCH 31, 2014

Just look at the disruptive challenges that businesses face today– globalization, China as a manufacturer, China as a consumer, the Internet, and a steady stream of new startups. Perhaps that’s because where established companies might see risks or threats, startups see opportunity.

Private Equity 329

Private Equity Metrics China Intellectual Property 329

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

However, like anyone else, they will first need some collateral, or someone to guarantee the loan, and some evidence of a viable business, like receivables and inventory. Personal loans from individuals, employees and board members. As in any company, they can lead to employee problems, or messy legal issues. Marty Zwilling.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 120

Steve Blank

APRIL 26, 2022

At the turn of the century after the dotcom crash, startup valuations plummeted, burn rates were unsustainable, and startups were quickly running out of cash. Most existing investors (those still in business) hoarded their money and stopped doing follow-on rounds until the rubble had cleared. They’re Back.

Cram Down 414

Cram Down Founder Venture Capital Recapitalization 414

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2023

Every startup dreams of achieving that milestone, when they can focus more on scaling the business and enjoying their earnings, rather than fighting for another investment infusion. Should they focus on increasing revenues and profitability, or entice more and more users with “free” services, to increase their valuation.

Valuation 235

Valuation Revenue Viral Retention 235

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2020

Non-credible funding request or unreasonable valuation. Investors are looking to buy a chunk of the business, not the product. They need to know how much money you need, and what portion of the current business you are willing to offer for the investment. Future unproven projections don’t set today’s valuation.

Due Diligence 308

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Preferred Stock Startup 308

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

After listening to hundreds of startup pitches, and reading even more business plans, most new venture investors develop their own favorite list of “red flags” that signal the beginning of the end of their interest. They know it’s especially hard to provide a financial return with a free business model.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Valuation Technical Review Equity 120

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 1, 2023

By Daniel Sokolovksy, Co-Founder and CEO, WARP and Troy Lester, Co-Founder and CRO, WARP The dissolution of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was more than just a bank collapse, it was a reality check for both startups and the VCs that fund them. So what does an early-stage company do to avoid the doom and gloom plaguing the world of startups?

Early Stage 123

Early Stage Los Angeles Silicon Valley Cofounder 123

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Non-credible funding request or unreasonable valuation. Investors are looking to buy a chunk of the business, not the product. They need to know how much money you need, and what portion of the current business you are willing to offer for the investment. Future unproven projections don’t set today’s valuation.

Due Diligence 271

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Preferred Stock 271

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 21, 2020

Every startup dreams of achieving that milestone, when they can focus more on scaling the business and enjoying their earnings, rather than fighting for another investment infusion. Should they focus on increasing revenues and profitability, or entice more and more users with “free” services, to increase their valuation.

Revenue 434

Revenue Valuation Viral Retention 434

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

Not all startups need outside investment to grow. What most founders don’t realize is: Every stage of a startup requires a different set of metrics and milestones and founder skills. Here’s the first 2½ years of a startup journey. The Startup Investment Landscape. Team, Product, Traction, Business Model and Market.

Cofounder 431

Cofounder Seed Stage Valuation Metrics 431

Tim Keane

JANUARY 12, 2010

Startups and angels: Along the way to success. Term-sheets and Valuations: Thinking about Negotiations. The Valuation Question. When companies seeking their first round of serious funding are good enough to receive a term-sheet from an investor, the first issue that always arises is valuation. Let’s start at the end.

Term Sheet 68

Term Sheet Valuation Dividend Liquidation Preference 68

VC Cafe

JANUARY 15, 2024

A billion dollar valuation, the Unicorn status was once the holy grail for many VCs and founders. At zero interest rates with a seemingly never ending flow of capital to fuel growth, Unicorn creation rate hit a peak in 2021, but fast forward 3 years and justifying a billion dollar valuation seems more like a liability.

IPO 88

IPO Valuation Private Equity 88

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

However, like anyone else, they will first need some collateral, or someone to guarantee the loan, and some evidence of a viable business, like receivables and inventory. Personal loans from individuals, employees and board members. As in any company, they can lead to employee problems, or messy legal issues.

Angel Investor 132

Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 132

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2017

Due to the efficiencies of digital, it is now commonplace to have companies with billions of dollars of revenue and valuation, with few employees, and without years of building infrastructure. Think about the up-and-comers during the past decade that have either created new business models or stolen share from established players.

Technical Review 136

Technical Review Demand Valuation Business Model 136

Up and Running

AUGUST 17, 2022

For example, I know of a startup whose investors said they rejected them due to a lack of five-year monthly financial projections. But the same group had invested in multiple startups that had only one year of monthly and two additional years of annual projections. They want your business to be able to scale up.

Venture Capital 146

Venture Capital Intellectual Property Angel Investor Bootstrapping 146

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2013

However, like anyone else, they will first need some collateral, or someone to guarantee the loan, and some evidence of a viable business, like receivables and inventory. Personal loans from individuals, employees and board members. As in any company, they can lead to employee problems, or messy legal issues.

Equity 207

Equity Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy 207

crowdSPRING Blog

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

These posts and videos are about logo design , web design , startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Is Small Business Marketing On Facebook A Complete Failure? - crowdspring.co/1aWQct4. Small Business and Startups: The Trends for 2014 (Pt II) - crowdspring.co/1atXci8.

Social Media 94

Social Media Small Business Design Media 94

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2012

However, like anyone else, they will first need some collateral, or someone to guarantee the loan, and some evidence of a viable business, like receivables and inventory. Personal loans from individuals, employees and board members. As in any company, they can lead to employee problems, or messy legal issues.

Angel Investor 218

Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy Equity 218

VC Cafe

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

Let’s start with a short definition: [the creator economy] is defined as the class of businesses built by over 50 million independent content creators, curators, and community builders including social media influencers, bloggers, and videographers, plus the software and finance tools designed to help them with growth and monetization.

Startup 207

Startup Social Media Venture Capital Audio 207

Steve Blank

MAY 19, 2015

Startups focus on speed since they are burning cash every day as they search for product/market fit. While technical debt is an understood problem, it turns out startups also accrue another kind of debt – one that can kill the company even quicker – organizational debt.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Salary Early Stage Software Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2011

However, like anyone else, they will first need some collateral, or someone to guarantee the loan, and some evidence of a viable business, like receivables and inventory. Personal loans from individuals, employees and board members. As in any company, they can lead to employee problems, or messy legal issues.

Angel Investor 238

Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy Equity 238

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2016

As an entrepreneur looking for professional investors, one of the quickest ways to lose credibility and get rejected is to start with a ridiculously high pre-money valuation. Equally bad is professing no valuation estimate at all, asking investors to “make me an offer.” First priority is real revenue, customers and contracts.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Startup 120

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

This week, we discuss how a philosophy degree compares to a much more conventional business background: the masters in business administration or MBA. Nothing gets in the way of their pursuit of startup success. A lot of MBA students tell me that they’d like to found a startup, but aren’t sure if they’re ready.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

This week, we discuss how a philosophy degree compares to a much more conventional business background: the masters in business administration or MBA. Nothing gets in the way of their pursuit of startup success. A lot of MBA students tell me that they’d like to found a startup, but aren’t sure if they’re ready.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2016

Every startup dreams of achieving that milestone, when they can focus more on scaling the business and enjoying their earnings, rather than fighting for another investment infusion. Should they focus on increasing revenues and profitability, or entice more and more users with “free” services, to increase their valuation.

Revenue 145

Revenue Valuation Startup Viral 145

Reid Hoffman

JANUARY 19, 2021

True, many boards are dysfunctional, but when you build a great startup board, it will be a powerful tool that can help the CEO make the company successful. This essay, which is based on Part 1 of a two-part episode of the Greymatter Podcast, will cover the fundamentals of building great startup boards.

Startup 36

Startup Cofounder Advertising Hiring 36

David Teten

DECEMBER 3, 2019

Point Nine Capital uses 15Five for continuous employee feedback. 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. 2) Market . An example of a tech-enabled VC is Corl.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Software Review Analytics Private Equity 78

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2010

However, like anyone else, they will first need some collateral, or someone to guarantee the loan, and some evidence of a viable business, like receivables and inventory. Personal loans from employees and board members. As in any company, they can lead to employee problems, or messy legal issues. That’s a higher calling.

Angel Investor 143

Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy Equity 143

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 6, 2019

Whenever you’d hear the word “startup” nowadays, you’d immediately think of a tech or software venture in Silicon Valley – the breeding ground of startups, both failures and successes. Here’s a good cheat sheet on how startup valuation works. Competition Forces Evolution. Otherwise, productivity plummets quickly.

Small Business 176

Small Business Silicon Valley Valuation Seattle 176

steveblank.com

JULY 8, 2011

Useful blogs and links for startups Click Here ————– 2.

Software Review 110

Software Review Startup Silicon Valley Analytics 110