Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2020

I recognize that entrepreneurs tend to substitute vision and passion for formal processes, but using no discipline or process in building something new is a sure way to spend money, rather than see any return and build a self-sustaining business. Managing to specific goals, priorities, and a plan. Team building status and plan.

Entrepreneur 328

Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Metrics Operations 328

Up and Running

AUGUST 18, 2014

Difference #3 – planning for the ‘end’ or the exit strategy. “Startups looking for angel investors or venture capital (VC) absolutely need an exit strategy because investors require it. The exit is what gives them a return.” Ever heard of the serial entrepreneur? ” – Tim Berry.

Small Business 154

Small Business Exit Strategy Cofounder Angel Investor 154

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).

Incubator 305

Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 305

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. Each has met legal securities minimums for net worth and professionalism, to reduce the risk to entrepreneurs. Most share expertise as well as money.

Accredited Investor 265

Accredited Investor Venture Capital Syndicate Syndication 265

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2023

I recognize that entrepreneurs tend to substitute vision and passion for formal processes, but using no discipline or process in building something new is a sure way to spend money, rather than see any return and build a self-sustaining business. Managing to specific goals, priorities, and a plan. Team building status and plan.

Exit Strategy 288

Exit Strategy Metrics Operations Cost 288

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2013

Based on the final report for 2012 from Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), it may appear that IPOs are back as a viable startup exit strategy. Sure, there will always some seed funding (10% of overall deal flow), but you can bet that this money goes to entrepreneurs who have been there before and won.

Venture Capital 252

Venture Capital IPO Elevator Pitch Initial Public Offering 252

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2022

One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round. Angel investors will perk up if you have a prototype or a few real customers, while venture capitalists will likely choose to wait until you have achieved several million in revenue or customer count.

Preferred Stock 304

Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity Angel Investor 304

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2016

What every entrepreneur is asking me these days, is “How do I get to be a unicorn?” Yet there are a common set of driving factors that every entrepreneur should know, including the following: Extraordinary marketplace traction. Credible yet flexible exit strategy. These are popularly called “unicorns.”

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Valuation Merger Exit Strategy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

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).

Incubator 429

Incubator Startup Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 429

Up and Running

JANUARY 2, 2013

I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs think, “oh, I know my business inside and out – pitching will be a breeze!” I’ve also seen many entrepreneurs crash and burn when delivering their investor pitch – and ramble on and on. Your Revenue Model : Investors tend to care about this slide the most.

Hockey Stick 164

Hockey Stick Exit Strategy Technical Review Due Diligence 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2021

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. Each has met legal securities minimums for net worth and professionalism, to reduce the risk to entrepreneurs. Most share expertise as well as money.

Search 317

Search Accredited Investor Angel Investor Venture Capital 317

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Financial Summary: Explain your business model, startup costs, revenues, and liabilities to the company. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Exit strategy : Needed if you’re seeking investment. There are a multitude of websites designed to help connect cannabis entrepreneurs with investors.

Business Plan 154

Business Plan Technical Review Forecast Exit Strategy 154

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

A conundrum for many frustrated entrepreneurs is that they need money from investors to design and build a prototype product, yet most angel investors expect to see at least a prototype before they invest. Every entrepreneur needs a professional business plan for their own use, whether they intend to seek investor funding or not.

Intellectual Property 249

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 249

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 10, 2018

by Ryan Gould, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Services at Elevation Marketing. As an entrepreneur, when you started your business, you most likely had dreams of rocket-speed growth and a multi-million dollar exit to a huge conglomerate, like Google or Facebook or Amazon. Profile Your Customer Base. Wrapping Up.

Valuation 122

Valuation Technical Review Exit Strategy Metrics 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2020

One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round. Angel investors will perk up if you have a prototype or a few real customers, while venture capitalists will likely choose to wait until you have achieved several million in revenue or customer count.

Startup 337

Startup Preferred Stock Exit Strategy Equity 337

Up and Running

MAY 4, 2015

Tips from entrepreneurs who successfully pitched their businesses for funding. The winning entrepreneur offers some important advice: avoid unrealistic financial projections (you’ll look like an amateur), and always copy edit your pitch deck. Describe your revenue model. State your exit strategy.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Entrepreneur Software Review Houston 60

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. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Here are three important reasons for the question: Good investment paybacks normally require an exit event.

Exit Strategy 264

Exit Strategy Private Equity Equity Technical Review 264

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

A conundrum for many frustrated entrepreneurs is that they need money from investors to design and build a prototype product, yet most angel investors expect to see at least a prototype before they invest. Every entrepreneur needs a professional business plan for their own use, whether they intend to seek investor funding or not.

Intellectual Property 224

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Technical Review Elevator Pitch 224

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Or look for another revenue generating angle. Also, find a mentor who has done something similar and discovered an exit strategy for their business. ” Secondly, if you can’t answer the first question consistently then you should quickly look for another market or opportunity.

South America 104

South America Software Review Thailand Vietnam 104

Berkonomics

JUNE 22, 2023

Can this business grow to above $20MM to $50MM in annual revenues? Is there an exit strategy for the investor(s) over time? Building a great business to create wealth for the entrepreneur at exit, means thinking of the exit strategies from the beginning.

Exit Strategy 114

Exit Strategy Technology Revenue Conversion 114

Reid Hoffman

JULY 23, 2020

Recently, my fellow Greylock investor Saam Motamedi and I examined the question of how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected venture investing, and what entrepreneurs should do in response. This week, I’d like to turn to the question of how current market conditions affect the approach entrepreneurs should take towards their exit strategy.

IPO 36

IPO Exit Strategy Acquisition Technical Review 36

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2013

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). Marty Zwilling.

Incubator 256

Incubator Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Institutional Investors 256

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

Financial summary: Explain your business model, startup costs, revenues, and liabilities to the company. Your funding ask and exit strategy, if applicable. Exit strategy : You only need this if you’re seeking outside investment. Do they self-pay or use insurance? Be specific. Team: Who is on your management team?

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

In my experience as an advisor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often encounter the myth that an initial startup requires investors. The media tends to highlight experienced entrepreneurs who succeed with early new venture funding, like Uber’s Garrett Camp , but fail to point out the more common bootstrapping successes.

Bootstrapping 120

Bootstrapping Entrepreneur Startup Exit Strategy 120

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. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Here are three important reasons for the question: Good investment paybacks normally require an exit event.

Exit Strategy 376

Exit Strategy Startup Private Equity Equity 376

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, I find that more and more entrepreneurs avoid using the term “profit” in pitching their new venture. Thus I was pleased and a bit surprised to see a new book, “ The Purpose Is Profit ,” by Ed “Skip” McLaughlin, an entrepreneur who has both succeeded and failed in starting multiple businesses.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Differentiation 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2011

Entrepreneurs love the art of the start. Assuming your startup takes off, you will probably find that the fun is gone by the time you reach 50 employees, or a few million in revenue. So here are the most common exit strategies and considerations these days for planning purposes: Merger & Acquisition (M&A).

Exit Strategy 231

Exit Strategy Initial Public Offering IPO Startup 231

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

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).

Incubator 236

Incubator Exit Strategy Institutional Investors Angel Investor 236

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is misunderstanding the role of venture capital investors. There’s lots of lore, emotion, and misconceptions of what VC’s do or don’t do for entrepreneurs. While there was an occasional bad apple, the public markets rewarded companies with revenue growth and sustainable profits.

Silicon Valley 217

Silicon Valley Technical Review IPO Venture Capital 217

Up and Running

MAY 17, 2017

If you are just starting out as an entrepreneur or you have a business idea you want to pursue, you may be wondering why you even need to think about selling your business at this stage. Plus, you’ll always be prepared in case an opportunity or desire to sell arises in the future—it’s a smart idea to have an exit strategy.

Acquisition 92

Acquisition Technical Review Revenue Exit Strategy 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment.

Exit Strategy 120

Exit Strategy Startup Valuation Acquisition 120

YoungUpstarts

MAY 6, 2019

These people exist and they are called ‘Serial entrepreneurs.’. Serial entrepreneurs are those who understand the complete concept of a startup lifecycle and benefit from that. How much revenue are you generating on an annual basis? Is there an exit strategy? These partnerships need to bring in more revenue.

Startup 104

Startup Technical Cofounder Merger Early Stage 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.” Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution. In this section, you need to be passionate about revenue, profit, and volume growth. Exit strategy.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

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. Aggressive revenue projections and growth rate. Revenue in the fifth year should be at least $20 million, with a growth rate average of 100% per year.

Liquidity Event 249

Liquidity Event Equity Venture Capital Merger 249

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

I’m still amazed at how many technical entrepreneurs don’t have a business pitch, and offer me their product pitch or product spec instead. Potential investors love to see gross margins in the fifty percent range or greater, with recurring revenue through subscriptions, follow-on sales, or services. But it’s critical to have one.

Product 145

Product Intellectual Property Liquidity Event Valuation 145

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. Aggressive revenue projections and growth rate. Revenue in the fifth year should be at least $20 million, with a growth rate average of 100% per year.

Liquidity Event 243

Liquidity Event Startup Equity Venture Capital 243

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

Many entrepreneurs scare away potential investors by claiming that their technology represents “truly disruptive technology.” Clearly define the customer, channel, and revenue model associated with this solution. In this section, you need to be passionate about revenue, profit, and volume growth. Exit strategy.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290