View from Seed

APRIL 30, 2015

There’s been a lot of digital ink spilled around the various types of capital available to startups today. At NextView, for instance, one of our more popular posts centers on atypical seed rounds to know. Today, we wanted to share some basics of another source of capital: venture debt. What is it, and how should founders think about it? As a startup grows, venture debt becomes a viable option to continue that growth.

Term Sheet 263

Term Sheet Equity Startup Seed Stage 263

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2015

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. I have found it to be more productive and effective to lead with the model that no meetings will take an hour, and may be done in as little as five minutes.

Founder 205

Founder Product Elevator Pitch Startup 205

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 30, 2015

By Nikole Haiar, Director of Marketing at Hostway Services, Inc. Depending on what industry you’re in, your businesses may be under legal obligation to ensure its corporate information, as well as its customer data, remains secure. One such piece of legislation is the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which outlines rules to help retailers protect credit and debit card details.

Cloud 142

Cloud Security B2B Database 142

Up and Running

APRIL 27, 2015

Even Bill Gates, one of the most successful people in the world, isn’t immune to mistakes. It’s true that no one is perfect, and this shows itself in the business world as much as it does anywhere else. While entrepreneurs strive to do their best, mistakes are sometimes unavoidable. However, we small business owners can take some comfort in the fact that we’re not at the helm of a massive corporation where a mistake can cost millions.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Mexico Cofounder Angel Investor 109

Speaker: Nick Noreña, Innovation Coach and Advisor, Kromatic

Every startup and innovation project exists within an ecosystem that either helps or hurts that project. As innovation managers, we need to keep a pulse of that ecosystem and make sure we're helping those innovation projects we're managing every step of the way. In this webinar, Nick Noreña will walk through an Innovation Ecosystem Model that he and his team at Kromatic have developed to help investors, heads of product, teachers, and executives understand how they can best support innovation in

Startup

David Teten

APRIL 28, 2015

I read a few books over the spring/summer that I thought were worth highlighting/recommending (belatedly): The book that has had the most practical impact on my life was The Paleo Manifesto: Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health , by John Durant. This is a thoughtful analysis and explication of the “paleo” or “ancestral health” school of thought. The fundamental idea is that our bodies and minds were designed to function in a world very different than our modern desk-bound sphere, and that you’ll

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Early Stage Matching Global 96

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 1, 2015

Where does creativity come from? Apparently it flows straight from the fingers, and this amazing guy shows us how it is an unstoppable force! This man has developed a technique that lets his creativity flow in way that is thoroughly unique and incredibly special. As I type this, I can’t help but think of what this artist would be doing if he were typing this particular blog post!

Small Business 83

Small Business Design Social Media Startup 83

Hunter Walker

MAY 1, 2015

If you haven’t checked out #TalkPay on Twitter, you should. People are tweeting about their salary histories. Not verifiable and not scientific, but part of the desire to help drive awareness and close pay gaps for the same jobs, whether between men and women, or Caucasians and other ethnicities. At the heart of pay bias issues are the employers who, with short-term thinking, pay less to people when circumstances allow it.

Management 82

Management Salary Product Technical Review 82

Diego Basch

APRIL 26, 2015

A few days ago a neighbor in her eighties offered me a piece of advice regarding my six-month old son: “start a college fund.” For some reason it sounded to me as if she’d told me there’s a great future in plastics. I have no intention of starting a college fund for my son, and this post is an attempt to explain why. When I entered the workforce in the early nineties I had only one tool to increase my chances of getting the job I wanted: my resume.

Software Developers 61

Software Developers Software Development Differentiation Software 61

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 28, 2015

5 Relatively Simple Steps to Dominate Local Search written by John Jantsch read more at Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing. If you do business mostly in your town, your marketing efforts must be hyper focused. You’re only targeting a very select group of people so, when those people go out there looking for a business in their community, you want to show up, right?

Search 61

Search Technical Review Software Review Engineer 61

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 29, 2015

The explosive growth of mobile apps is not only limited to the consumer space; the extensive adoption of smartphones similarly in business has led to a growing trend of the mobile workspace with Bring Your Own Apps (BYOA) and Enterprise Apps. And that’s not surprising, considering these statistics – 41% of employees do not believe that the tools their company provides actually meets their needs which is why they choose to ‘go rogue’.

Mobile 151

Mobile Employee Application Development Developer 151

deal architect

APRIL 26, 2015

Amazon finally broke out AWS revenues – it has an annual run rate of $ 5 billion with growth accelerating, and that is profitable. Lots of people are shocked Amazon has built a solid business in yet another sector –.

Revenue 271

Revenue Cloud 271

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2015

We recently released the video sharing app Ferris and announced that Upfront Ventures led the funding in the company in our seed round of $2 million and I personally joined the board. We hit the top spot recommended on Apple’s iOS App Store on the day of the launch, which is a testament to the team and all of their hard work. I wanted to spend the rest of the blog post telling you why we decided to fund the company, how we settled on the final product design and our unique way of launching

Video 265

Video Cloud Cofounder Mobile 265

View from Seed

APRIL 28, 2015

Ed. note: In 2013, Rob Go published a flowchart articulating his VC decision making process. Below, we’ve updated that graphic with new information in order to stay current and provide more context and transparency around each node. At NextView, we hold regular team offsites to step back and think about how we do everything from invest in seed-stage companies to create better platform initiatives in support of the Boston and New York startup ecosystems.

Seed Stage 264

Seed Stage Boston Early Stage New York 264

Steve Blank

MAY 1, 2015

Thibault Duchemin and his team applied for our Lean LaunchPad class at UC Berkeley in 2014. We accepted them because it was clear Thibault was driven to solve a very personal problem – he grew up in a Deaf family, the only one who could hear. His team project was to provide automated aids for the hearing impaired. Here’s his story. ——-. Lean LaunchPad: A Year After.

Cofounder 261

Cofounder Lean Customer Development Startup 261

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2015

Most business managers preach that the key to success is holding employees accountable for actions, but I have found that successful entrepreneurs are all about holding themselves accountable. They skip the blame and complain game, and make things happen despite major obstacles. As a startup investor, I view any evidence of a victim mentality as the kiss of death.

Leadership 234

Leadership Employee Metrics Restful 234

deal architect

APRIL 28, 2015

At SapphireNow next week, SAP is expected to provide much more detail around its next-gen, S4 product. It’s been a quarter century since the predecessor R/3 product was designed. So much has changed in the world since. The shop floor.

Design 220

Design Product 220

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 27, 2015

By Melanie Astbury, HR Manager, officekitten.co.uk. We’ve all said it, ‘there are never enough hours in the day’. Weeks go past in a blur and ‘work-life balance’ sounds like a myth. But working hours on end does not always mean working productively. All work and no play takes its toll, often making us tired, tense, stressed and – above all – less able to arrive at logical and effective money-making decisions.

Agile 186

Agile Distribution Management Hiring 186

Rembrandt Communications

APRIL 29, 2015

The days of wishing, hoping and haphazard results are over. What is really going on with your BtoB content strategy? Please answer these questions… Are you just posting on social-media when you remember, or just because you “think you are supposed to” because everyone else is? Do you have tons of “social” followers, but no […]. The post What Are Your Trying to Accomplish with your BtoB Content?

Social Media 133

Social Media PR SEO Sales 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and get rich these days. As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. In reality, I like most ideas, but I have to tell them that the real challenge is taking the inspiration from a dream to a business. All the evidence says that over 99% fail to make that leap.

Non-disclosure Agreement 214

Non-disclosure Agreement Elevator Pitch NDA LLC 214

deal architect

APRIL 28, 2015

Enterprise UX has taken giant strides in the last couple of years. On New Florence, I have profiled design innovation at Microsoft, Oracle, Infor and others. Yet, in many ways, future benchmarks may not come from each other but other.

Design 190

Design 190

YoungUpstarts

MAY 1, 2015

When dealing with creditors in insolvency situations, it is vital to remember the order of priority. Who ranks above whom? Where does the bank and HMRC rank? If the bank has security, do employees rank ahead of them? These are all commonly asked questions that creditors ask. The simplest way to answer these questions is to imagine creditor ranking as a ladder.

Security 173

Security Employee 173

Version One Ventures

APRIL 27, 2015

At Version One, we love marketplaces and platforms. Over 50% of our portfolio companies fall into this category including our recent investments in Headout (a mobile-first marketplace for last-minute travel experiences) and VarageSale (a mobile-first community-driven Craigslist). We’re often asked what we look for in a marketplace. While there are many factors to consider (Bill Gurley’s list is one of my favorites), the two most important to us are: 1) high fragmentation; and 2) regular frequenc

Due Diligence 131

Due Diligence Metrics Mobile Portfolio 131

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2015

If you are one of the many professionals still trapped between jobs by circumstances outside your control, or are about to dump the loser job you have now, you should be actively defining and starting your own business, in parallel with looking for that ideal job. Let me explain why this is a win-win deal, no matter what the outcome. You have probably secretly always wanted to run your own show, but with an existing job, never took the time to consider a startup.

Search 209

Search Startup LLC Social Network 209

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 29, 2015

We are in a cycle again where how much you raise is the story. It’s what the press likes to write about (e.g. Company X raised Y from A, B, and C). Now that everyone is overly focused on unicorns, the headline number on the valuation (e.g. Company X raised Y at a valuation of Z from A, B, and C) has crept into the story on big rounds. While this makes for press release fodder and ego gratification, it’s of very little use to entrepreneurs.

Atlanta 130

Atlanta Valuation Term Sheet Finance 130

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 28, 2015

Financial services provider MasterCard has announced the results of its MasterCard Financial Literacy Index, which revealed that progress towards improving basic finance knowledge and skills across Asia Pacific has stalled as 12 of 16 countries record lower scores in financial literacy. MasterCard’s Index – which covers Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar ̵

Asia 171

Asia Taiwan South Korea Myanmar 171

Up and Running

APRIL 28, 2015

If you’re raising money for your business, having an impressive pitch deck is a key component in your fundraising toolkit. A great pitch deck gets potential investors excited about your idea and engages them in a conversation about your business, hopefully leading to an investment. In this article, I’m going to give you the formula for what you should include in your own pitch deck.

Forecast 125

Forecast Hockey Stick Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 125

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2015

Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” Exactly what is that customer experience that every modern marketer is talking about, and how do you measure it? A classic article in the Harvard Business Review “ The Truth About Customer Experience ” defines it as your customer’s end-to-end journey with you, not just the

Customer 208

Customer .Net Differentiation Social Media 208

The Equity Kicker

APRIL 29, 2015

Look at that rapid increase in solar power capacity in five US states! These increases are great news for two reasons Firstly, as we all know, solar is much better for the environment. Secondly as capacity rises, production rises, and with production increases come R&D increases which will continue to drive down the cost of solar energy. The cost of producing a gigawatt hour using solar has been declining exponentially for 20 years now , and with this sort of growth in production and R&D

Stock 115

Stock Cost Product Startup 115

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 29, 2015

by Yasir Billoo, partner at Golden & Grimes LLP. Most small businesses generally encounter very similar issues on a regular basis…“pitfalls”, as I like to call them. There are steps every business can take to avoid these pitfalls, and in turn, save money and the headache of legal problems later. Below are the top 3 pitfalls I regularly see in my practice: Poking holes through your own corporate veil.

Small Business 165

Small Business Florida Miami Warrant 165

Up and Running

APRIL 30, 2015

Most people think that writing a business plan has to be hard. I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it’s possible to write your initial business plan in less than an hour. After all, you’re always thinking about your business and the strategies you’re going to use to grow, so getting those ideas down on paper shouldn’t be hard—it can even be an enjoyable experience.

Business Plan 120

Business Plan Lean Channel Sales 120

Feld Thoughts

APRIL 28, 2015

At dinner on Sunday night I had a short discussion with a long-time friend about the phrases detachment vs. non-attachment. I don’t remember the specific thing that brought it up, but I stated that I was much more interested in non-attachment in how I react to things. We bounced around words a little and then went back to our Mexican food and the broader conversation with the other people at the table.

Framework 115

Framework Conversion 115

The Equity Kicker

APRIL 28, 2015

Apple released their results yesterday after another blockbuster quarter. You may remember that in Q4 they reported the largest corporate quarterly earnings of all time. Without the Christmas bump last quarter was always going to be less, but it still came in as the company’s second best quarter ever. What I hadn’t realised is the extent to which they’ve become a phone company.

China 112

China Europe Revenue Sales 112

YoungUpstarts

APRIL 30, 2015

by Eliot Burdett, co-founder and CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting. Interviewing sales candidates can be extremely difficult since even a subpar seller is trained to tell people what they want to hear. Many candidates look great on paper, only later to turn in lackluster performances. Since the cost of bad hires is enormous for a company’s bottom line, it is critical for those that are in charge of hiring to “get it right.”.

Sales 158

Sales Cofounder B2B Hiring 158

Up and Running

APRIL 29, 2015

The first thing you should know is that even if you are certain that your credit is poor, it is still possible to get financing. It’s not easy, but it is possible. There are options, but bad credit loans are high risk; you probably wouldn’t take them under different circumstances. In this article, I’ll cover: What options exist for those with bad credit.

SBA 117

SBA Finance Security Naming 117

Mike Michalowicz

APRIL 29, 2015

I know that advice is free and plentiful, but not all of it’s worth taking. Particularly when it comes to finances, it’s best to take advice from people who’ve successfully been there, and done that. Listen to the experienced experts. That said, here’s my top list of business advice you should NEVER follow. 1. Raise lots of money. . The reason this piece of advice is a flop is because it suggests that raising money – in and of itself – is the end result, rather than a means to an end.

Forecast 106

Forecast Hiring Finance Employee 106

The Equity Kicker

APRIL 27, 2015

The founding team sets the mould for future employees of a company. The oft repeated cliche that A players hire A players while B players hire C players is very true. So getting those first few team members right is key. And that includes the choice of co-founder. The challenge for entrepreneurs not lucky enough to know someone who can be their co-founder is that the majority of investors will only invest in co-founding teams.

Cofounder 110

Cofounder Partner Hiring Founder 110