YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

For years, the most desirable exit strategy for startup companies was to go public through an initial public offering. Just 18 months after this photo sharing program and social network was launched, Facebook offered to purchase Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock. Unprofitable. Unprofitable.

IPO 162

IPO Exit Strategy San Francisco Startup 162

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

Don’t be fooled by thinking that social networks are hot, so you should invest in the next startup you see in that realm. Liquidity events include merger or acquisition (M&A), or Initial Public Offering (IPO) when the stock goes public. Start in a business domain you know well.

Portfolio 228

Portfolio Accredited Investor Liquidity Event SEC 228

Steve Blank

MARCH 18, 2011

The reward for doing so was a liquidity event via an Initial Public Offering. This next wave of web startups; Social Networks and Mobile Applications, now reached 100’s of millions of customers. Show and talk at conferences, be on lots of blogs, use social networks and build a brand. Lessons Learned.

Internet 334

Internet IPO Silicon Valley Agile 334

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2015

Don’t be fooled by thinking that social networks are hot, so you should invest in the next startup you see in that realm. Liquidity events include merger or acquisition (M&A), or Initial Public Offering (IPO) when the stock goes public. Start in a business domain you know well.

Accredited Investor 120

Accredited Investor Liquidity Event SEC Entrepreneur 120

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Qualtrics, a company purchased for $8 billion by SAP in late 2018 just days before a planned initial public offering, grew rapidly for a decade before taking in VC funding and is only the latest example of a company that found most of its success without VC firms behind the scenes.

Silicon Valley 48

Silicon Valley Technical Review Venture Capital San Francisco 48

Eric Friedman

MAY 30, 2008

The shortage of revenue among social networks, blogs and other “social media” sites that put user-generated content and communications at their core has persisted despite more than four years of experimentation aimed at turning such sites into money-makers.

Web 60

Web Initial Public Offering Social Network Social Media 60

Gust

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Check track record on the Internet and social networks. Ask the investor for “references,” meaning contacts at companies where previous investments were made. Don’t just call, but personally visit these contacts. Do a simple Google search like you would on any company or individual before signing a contract.

Due Diligence 119

Due Diligence Entrepreneur Offshore Angel Groups 119

Gust

DECEMBER 16, 2011

The division manager at Google who’s tasked with driving more mobile ads can drop $17 million on your social network that makes it happen. That translates into something very, very important: relatively low level executives who can write good-sized checks without insane internal approval processes.

IPO 87

IPO .Net Social Network Mobile 87