Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009

Each VC firm/partner has a different spin on what to weigh more.) On top of all this it was considered very bad form not to have at least four additional consecutive quarters of profits after an IPO.) The IPO Bubble – August 1995 – March 2000 In August 1995 Netscape went public, and the world of start ups turned upside down.

Silicon Valley 223

Silicon Valley IPO Technical Review Venture Capital 223

Cracking the Code

FEBRUARY 27, 2009

Bessemer Venture Partners Expands BVP VII Fund. 26 Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP), the oldest venture capital practice in the United States, today announced the closing of a $350 million supplement to its current fund family, BVP VII, which closed in June 2007. 2009 Bessemer Venture Partners. Friday, February 27, 2009.

Software Review 48

Software Review Partner United States Venture Capital 48

Haystack

DECEMBER 29, 2018

More and more angels will be minted as the 2019 IPO class emerges. Also during this time, the underlying metrics in that business can change positively, potentially trapping companies to accept the initially-agreed upon valuation. Traditional seed funds have gotten bigger, many armed with opportunity funds on top.

Technical Review 165

Technical Review Venture Capital Russia China 165

Austin Startup

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

My fellow partners at Austin Ventures may say this is the first thing they look for. Well, Brant and I partnered on Bazaarvoice because we complement each other very well. And even if somehow you avoid it until your IPO, remember that an IPO is a fundraising event itself. There is usually a way. What is a good team?

Bootstrapping 52

Bootstrapping IPO Business Model Software Review 52

Reid Hoffman

DECEMBER 10, 2020

With Airbnb’s IPO, I thought the time was right to take a look back at the past decade (Greylock led Airbnb’s Series A in November 2010) and reflect on what I learned from the journey. The story continued to take unexpected twists and turns the next day after the Greylock partner meeting. HOW GREYLOCK INVESTED IN AIRBNB.

Hosting 69

Hosting Hockey Stick IPO Silicon Valley 69

Agile VC

MAY 26, 2011

Google is still a private company (their IPO was Aug 2004). The terms and valuation for both offers were comparable and when the team debated which path to choose, we all agreed both firms would have made good partners. And obviously all the liq prefs went away in the IPO when pref stock converted to common. great insight.

Term Sheet 178

Term Sheet Silicon Valley Technical Review Social Network 178

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

In 2001 companies IPO’d very quickly if they were working, by 2011 IPOs had slowed down to the point that in 2013 Aileen Lee of Cowboy Ventures astutely called billion-dollar outcomes “unicorns.” each with partners as the lead. How little we all knew how ironic that term would become but has nonetheless endured.

Pre-Money Valuation 471

Pre-Money Valuation Valuation Venture Capital Early Stage 471

Hunter Walker

JANUARY 17, 2014

During my more than nine years as a Google product lead and now as a partner at Homebrew, I’ve seen many discussions between a rock star at a big company and a startup founder go awry. One way to suss this out – ask the co-workers about the metrics or key performance indicators they owned. Who did they report to?

IPO 86

IPO Cofounder Hiring Reputation 86

Cracking the Code

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

While poised with a limited number of transactions this year, the world of public Cloud Computing and SaaS companies has been marked by two events in the past few months: the acquisition of Omniture by Adobe and the high profile IPO of LogMeIn, a leading provider of PC remote access and support with a very interesting freemium model.

Software Review 48

Software Review Technical Review IPO Cloud 48

Agile VC

JUNE 5, 2011

So Groupon obviously filed their S-1 the other day to formally being the IPO process. 4) Unique Reporting of Accounting: Much has been made in the press that Groupon has chosen to report alternative non-GAAP metrics in addition to GAAP accounting. My partner @ LeeHower looks back: [link] 5 days ago Search. June 5, 2011.

North America 100

North America Chicago Boston Silicon Valley 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Convince investors that you have lined up sales channels, strategic partners, and a viable marketing strategy. Financial forecast and metrics.

Business Plan 283

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 283

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 25, 2015

Long before the markets corrected my smartest professional trader friends and limited partners were telling me that many people in the market were telling me that all eyes were glued on Sept 16-17 when the FOMC meets to discuss interest rates. public stocks go up and privates can grow into IPOs; or. Equally importantly.

Balance Sheet 150

Balance Sheet Valuation Burn Rate Stock 150

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 7, 2008

► August (2) SXSW Case Study: SlideShare goes freemium ► July (4) Case Study: kaChing, Anatomy of a Pivot Some IPO speculation Founder personalities and the “first-class man&# th. Ive been talking to the folks at [a very good VC firm] about helping them with a new venture. Startup Lessons Learned - the Conference (April 23.

Customer Development 131

Customer Development Engineer San Francisco Developer 131

Startup Lessons Learned

OCTOBER 28, 2008

We pitch to potential partners, vendors, publishers, conferences, employees, and even lawyers. Dont keep banging your head against the wall - if you cant convince your potential partners that your startup is printing money, try to figure out why. Experiment with different narratives. Startup Lessons Learned - the Conference (April 23.

San Francisco 128

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment DC 128

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 21, 2012

She suggested that how cofounders fight was a key metric in predicting the success of a founding team. And, not surprisingly, I frequently get asked what to look for or what to think about when starting the process of finding a cofounder – a true partner to start your next company with. You’re looking for an employee, not a partner.

Cofounder 330

Cofounder IPO Early Stage Green 330

Startup Lessons Learned

JUNE 8, 2009

That’s because many of our reports feed us vanity metrics: numbers that make us look good but don’t really help make decisions. Yet even among those who have access to good actionable metrics, I’ve noticed a phenomenon that prevents taking maximum advantage of data. Too much of this data is non- actionable.

San Francisco 84

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment DC 84

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Convince investors that you have lined up sales channels, strategic partners, and a viable marketing strategy. Financial forecast and metrics.

Business Plan 290

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 290

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 12, 2008

You might get a bunch of inbound emails from other press and partners, and all of these things can contribute to a feeling that you’re on your way to getting tons of traffic. It’s easy to overestimate the impact of this kind of traffic because it just feels good to have your name and company featured. It strokes your ego.

Audience 119

Audience San Francisco Continuous Deployment Lean 119

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 5, 2010

But be philosophically consistent: periodically take the time to question your own expertise and that of your friends, partners and investors. But be philosophically consistent: periodically take the time to question your own expertise and that of your friends, partners and investors. Make the effort to test your assumptions.

Customer Development 166

Customer Development Developer San Francisco Customer 166

ReadWriteStart

JUNE 22, 2012

Guest author Arie Abecassis is co-founder of AppStori, a crowdfunding startup for entrepreneurs of mobile apps, and a Venture Partner at DreamIt Ventures. But those metrics don't tell the whole story. Startup Exits Are Great, but There Are Other Positive Outcomes. Is the "Quality Gap" of Accelerators Reality or Perception?

Startup 133

Startup Portfolio Metrics Bootstrapping 133

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 26, 2009

As a result, the companies get a lot of exposure to VCs, investors, and partners in larger, more traditional startup hubs. Inspiring ideas: real-time biz metrics; safe continuous deployment; A/B split testing. And they expose the startups to a vast network of mentors, none of whom get paid for their involvement.

San Francisco 113

San Francisco Silicon Valley Startup Lean 113

Gust

FEBRUARY 1, 2014

Although most novice angels (and, to be fair, many experienced ones as well) expect that they will write one check up-front, and then sit back until the IPO, in the large majority of cases the Real World™ intervenes, and additional funding is required.

Angel Investor 148

Angel Investor Startup IPO Early Stage 148

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 30, 2009

I thought Id share a little bit of that, too: I’ve been interested in different approaches to software development going back to 1987 when – in my first company Feld Technologies – my partner Dave Jilk and I started talking about “semi-custom software development&# (way ahead of its time).

Lean 68

Lean San Francisco Continuous Deployment DC 68

Gust

AUGUST 5, 2012

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Convince investors that you have lined up sales channels, strategic partners, and a viable marketing strategy. Financial forecast and metrics.

Business Plan 182

Business Plan Sweat Equity Exit Strategy Intellectual Property 182

BeyondVC

NOVEMBER 17, 2006

I am not sure if you saw the news , but Salary.com recently filed for an IPO to raise up to $50 million. On the book is Thomas Weisel Partners, William Blair, Needham, Pacific Crest, and Wachovia. While the Salary.com numbers are strong ( read the S-1 here), they are not close to those metrics. million for 2004, $1.9

IPO 60

IPO Investment Bankers Demand Revenue 60

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

Scott left the company, which eventually IPO’d and became Internet Brands. And finally, Scott demonstrated his internal management tool for managing the metrics of his business. Makes money by partnering with brands and marketers to publish location-triggered content. It’s awesome. Foursquare. Total raised: $10.5mm.

San Francisco 248

San Francisco Venture Capital Analytics Government 248

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2010

In fact, a business plan is needed more by you than investors, as the blueprint for your company, team communication, and progress metrics. Marketing, sales, and partners. Convince investors that you have lined up sales channels, strategic partners, and a viable marketing strategy. Financial forecast and metrics.

Business Plan 186

Business Plan Exit Strategy Sweat Equity Intellectual Property 186

Cracking the Code

JANUARY 19, 2016

Even in 2006, when I joined Bessemer Venture Partners, there was still a lot of skepticism in the Silicon Valley around SaaS (one of my first blog post in 2006 was titled: “W hy I disagree with Tony Zingale — CEO of Mercury Interactive — on the future of SaaS "). My SaaS focus at Accel Partners is the natural continuity of this path.

API 48

API Silicon Valley Europe Differentiation 48

Austin Startup

AUGUST 30, 2018

So while the number of dollars pouring into Austin may be increasing, that metric is only favorable to businesses that warrant those sized-rounds. And second, a more mature company is better positioned for an acquisition or an IPO, giving the investors an “end in sight.” Is Austin Headed for a Seed Round Draught?

Austin 48

Austin Early Stage San Francisco Later Stage 48

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 27, 2009

Herein lies the reason my partner and I started Dillotronics - as well as the reason your take on the matter resonated so well here. ► August (2) SXSW Case Study: SlideShare goes freemium ► July (4) Case Study: kaChing, Anatomy of a Pivot Some IPO speculation Founder personalities and the “first-class man&# th.

Lean 60

Lean Austin San Francisco Continuous Deployment 60

500hats.com

AUGUST 2, 2012

Mega VC has focused on the challenges of the post-SarbOx IPO market in the US, and has discovered opportunity in offering larger amounts of growth capital ($10-100M+) to private companies with reduced access to public markets. (note: apologies in advance for the west coast bias; i’m in silicon valley).

Silicon Valley 74

Silicon Valley Early Stage Venture Capital Valuation 74

David Teten

MARCH 2, 2013

See the Techcrunch posts by my Partner John Frankel and Professor Robert Wiltbank , my recent post on the quality of angel returns data , as well as reports from the Silicon Valley Bank and Kauffman Foundation. Partners at smaller funds, by contrast, have to hustle before they can cover their mortgage.

LP 114

LP Securities and Exchange Commission Silicon Valley Venture Capital 114

Rob Go

APRIL 13, 2015

Here’s what Kayak looked like when it went public: Kayak: IPO Market Cap: $1B, Revenue: $225M (2011), Employees: 185 (July 2012), Rev / Employee: $1.2M (Paul has quoted $1.5M, which makes sense given growth of the business in 2012). Lending Club: IPO Market Cap: $8.4B, Revenue: $98M (2013), Employees: 628 (2014), Rev / Employee: $156K.

Technology 28

Technology IPO Boston Cofounder 28

Growthink Blog

MAY 23, 2011

It is driven by the following: • The Best Metric for the Health of a Company is Cash Flow. Venture capital funds are usually 7 - 10 year partnerships whereby the general partners - the “VC” - manage the capital of the limited partners, usually institutions (endowments, pension funds, etc.). Venture capitalists Cut Tough Deals.

Angel Investor 112

Angel Investor Venture Capital Sweat Equity Cram Down 112

VC Cafe

JANUARY 14, 2022

There are two main forms of exits for startups: trade sale/M&A or IPO. SPACs had their moment in the sun in 2021, with a record number of companies choosing to go public using the SPACs in favour of traditional IPOs. This is even before serial entrepreneur Liad Agmon joins as partner. SPACs have backfired.

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Lock-up Period South Korea 158

SoCal CTO

JULY 23, 2012

What do we need to do to make sure we can survive technical due diligence by investors and partners? What metrics are going to be the key startup metrics and how do we get those metrics without too much cost? What specific technical innovations might make sense? What can we build that might be protectable?

CTO Hire 231

CTO Hire Technical Review Developer Software Review 231

Cracking the Code

FEBRUARY 12, 2007

Attendees included Blue Nile , Postini , LinkedIn , Lifelock , Wize , Sparter , Zopa , Revver , Wikia , Flock , Vimo , Delivery Agent , Gerson Lehrman Group , Pure Networks , Zensys , Summit , T3Ci , Endeca and Nominum - a wide spectrum of companies, both in terms of stage (very early to pre-IPO) and sectors (consumer internet, software, chipsets.).

Software Review 48

Software Review SEM Marketing Las Vegas 48