We all know that startups should make decisions quickly. Fast decisions leads to rapid action, which accelerates the loop of production and feedback, which is how you outpace and out-learn a competitor, even one that already has a lead. MORE
Change voices frequently to keep your audience from getting bored. Public Speaking MORE
Overview Recent data suggests that economic dynamics remain soft in the third quarter following a weaker-than-expected second-quarter expansion. MORE
In the world of data-driven marketing, more and more tasks require a bit of coding. You might need to add an extra parameter to your tracking code or pull raw data from Google Analytics. You may want to create a simple prediction—or automate a few repetitive tasks in your PPC campaigns. MORE
I enjoyed Bradley Tusk’s new book, The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups from Death by Politics. It’s another memoir, a category which seems to be ending up on the top of my reading list a lot these days. It also was in the pile of books I get sent regularly by publishers hoping I’ll read and review them (as in “Dear Brad Feld, here is a form letter about my book, I hope you like it.”). ”). MORE
In today’s totally interconnected world with its abundance of information, choices, and marketing, how your customers buy has drastically changed. Buying has evolved from a simple transaction decision to multi-faceted experience. MORE
In big business, as well as startups, I have found that your effectiveness can be highly correlated to your ability to build and maintain people relationships, often more so than hard work, or how many hours you give. MORE
Today is Labor Day in the US. It is a day to celebrate labor, the union movement, and the role of the worker in our economy and our society. I have always struggled with the idea that labor and capital are intrinsically opposed to each other. It is obvious that workers have been taken advantage of by employers since the dawn of an industrialized society and possibly/probably for much longer than that. But does it have to be that way? MORE
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. You need to find the skills or experience you don’t have in business, technology, or money. MORE
It’s easy to come up with an idea for a startup business. What’s not so easy is executing on this idea. And even after you get the business up and running, you’ll find that you have to continually prove yourself in the marketplace. MORE
The Economist has a cover story this week called Peak Valley. The article suggests that Silicon Valley’s lead as a hub for innovation has peaked and other regions are rising. It ends with the concern that innovation more broadly has peaked. I somewhat agree with “the rise of elsewhere” narrative and disagree that innovation has peaked. MORE
Technology is so key to every business these days that experienced business-smart but non-tech entrepreneurs are feeling deeper and deeper in the hole. MORE
Rob, Lee, Melody and I are all very pleased to announce that Nicole Sievers has joined the NextView team as Platform Associate. MORE
SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. MORE
Over the past five years, we’ve witnessed an Atomization of the Seed Stage. Early fundraising is no longer a one-and-done fundraise of a single round of Seed capital subsequently followed by a Series A 12–18 months later. MORE
The beginning of September always seems to mark the unofficial end of summer. While the proverbial joke about venture capitalists being completely out on vacation in August is only partially true [insert link to Manifesto], things do really change after Labor Day. Whereas a couple weeks ago, nailing down meetings various VC partners was likely going to be tough, everyone is now back in the office and ready to engage. MORE
One of my favorite public events is the CU Boulder Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurs Unplugged series. I was the co-host for the first couple of years, sharing the interview job with another Brad (Bernthal) who now is generally on his own. MORE
by Judith Nowlin, Chief Growth Officer for Babyscripts. If I had a dime for every time someone told me “you can’t do this” on my entrepreneurial journey, I would be swimming in a pool of coins like Scrooge McDuck from DuckTales, my favorite after school cartoon from the late 80’s. MORE
Over the past few years, I’ve incorporated meditation into my daily routine. I started by using Headspace , shifted to using Insight Timer , and now do whatever I feel like doing. A week ago, while proofreading a draft of Jerry Colonna’s upcoming book, I noticed a few sections where he mentioned Ani Pema Chödrön. When he referenced her book How to Meditate , I went on Amazon and bought a physical copy to read. MORE
127 
You roll down the windows and wear a helmet when you take your car to the track. This does not make me less terrified of a fiery death. The American Autocross champion was sitting in my passenger seat screaming at me to not let my foot off the pedal until I bounced off the RPM limiter. MORE
A version of this article first appeared in the Harvard Business Review. Reading the NY Times article “ Jeffrey Katzenberg Raises $1 Billion for Short-Form Video Venture, ” I realized it was time for a new startup heuristic: the amount of customer discovery and product-market fit you need to find is inversely proportional to the amount and availability of risk capital. MORE
One of the most important decisions for a founder of an early stage company is deciding who should be on the cap table. We’ve written about doing your due diligence on investors and funds to make sure you find the right partners for the journey. Lately, we have seen more founders grappling with the question of whether to include a Series A investor in their seed round. MORE
ECONOMY The economy remains stuck in a deep depression. Despite oil prices hovering at over three-year highs in recent months, oil production continues to fall, plunging by over a third in July in annual terms according to OPEC secondary data. MORE
In a recent interview, Bezos shared some tips on how to make "high-IQ" meetings count. MORE
Being in love is great. Being in love with your business, when you’re an entrepreneur, is even better. Waking up each morning knowing you are getting to do exactly what you love is more than most people could ever say about any “job” they have had. MORE
I’ve long written about the stigma around entrepreneurship and depression / other “mental health-related issues.” ” I was delighted to see two articles in the last day about others addressing this. First, Felicis Ventures is committing 1% on top of every check the firm writes in non-dilutive capital earmarked for “founder development” in coaching and mental health. I love the way Aydin Senkut has characterized what they are doing and why they are doing it. MORE
It’s a very exciting time in the cannabis industry right now. One of our Bplans writers described going into business in cannabis as a “ once-in-a-generation opportunity ,” with the product rapidly becoming legal for recreational as well as medical use in many states. MORE
Design thinking is a methodology designers have always used to solve problems, said Doreen Lorenzo, founder of the Center for Integrated Design. MORE
A few months ago Andy Sack got me a subscription to The Next Big Idea Club. Every quarter, a box with two books in it shows up. These books were chosen by Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Malcolm Gladwell, and Daniel Pink – several of my favorite contemporary writers and thinkers. A box showed up at the end of last week. On Saturday, I read one of the books in the box – Uncensored: My Life and Uncomfortable Conversations at the Intersection of Black and White America by Zachary Wood. MORE
Despite rumors that the VC business slows down in the summer, we’ve had one or our busiest periods in quite a while. During June, July, and August, we’ve closed 4 new investments and several follow-ons, with a number of companies gearing up to go out in the fall. Although we had a busy summer, I was fortunate enough to take a bit of time off as well, and to step back for a moment and reflect on Nextview’s strategy and market position going forward. . MORE
Right now, there is a tsunami that’s coming to wipe out thousands of SaaS companies. In this article, I’ll walk you through the three tidal waves coming ashore and show you how to avoid their potentially disastrous consequences. The Three Tidal Waves Coming for Your SaaS Business. MORE
By Laura Lorek Publisher of SIlicon Hills News Favor, the on-demand delivery startup based in Austin, reached profitability last September. “We MORE
Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. MORE
“How did your book end?” ” asked Amy from her position reading on the couch across the room. “Perfectly,” I answered. A Gentleman in Moscow was magnificent. While there’s still a chance I’ll read something better in 2018, for now, I’m declaring it the best book I’ve read this year. MORE
This is about the sixth reincarnation of my blog since I started with ToDoOrElse on Typepad.com in 2004. And, its on the JAMstack , which should give it awesome superpowers of ultrafast rendering, zero attack surface, and PWA out of the box. MORE
130 
It begins when the future startup CEO (mother) meets the co-founder (father). A love around an idea binds them to the point where they decide to spend most of their time with each other. Love at first sight. MORE
Short term loans are nothing new, with hundreds of thousands of people taking out one form or another of short term finance in the UK each year. From payday loans to instalment loans and beyond, there is no shortage of specific products for specific purposes to choose from. MORE
Steve Blank
SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
A version of this article first appeared in the Harvard Business Review. Reading the NY Times article “ Jeffrey Katzenberg Raises $1 Billion for Short-Form Video Venture, ” I realized it was time for a new startup heuristic: the amount of customer discovery and product-market fit you need to find is inversely proportional to the amount and availability of risk capital.
ConversionXL
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
Right now, there is a tsunami that’s coming to wipe out thousands of SaaS companies. In this article, I’ll walk you through the three tidal waves coming ashore and show you how to avoid their potentially disastrous consequences. The Three Tidal Waves Coming for Your SaaS Business.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
by Judith Nowlin, Chief Growth Officer for Babyscripts. If I had a dime for every time someone told me “you can’t do this” on my entrepreneurial journey, I would be swimming in a pool of coins like Scrooge McDuck from DuckTales, my favorite after school cartoon from the late 80’s.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
In big business, as well as startups, I have found that your effectiveness can be highly correlated to your ability to build and maintain people relationships, often more so than hard work, or how many hours you give.
Feld Thoughts
SEPTEMBER 12, 2018
I’ve long written about the stigma around entrepreneurship and depression / other “mental health-related issues.” ” I was delighted to see two articles in the last day about others addressing this. First, Felicis Ventures is committing 1% on top of every check the firm writes in non-dilutive capital earmarked for “founder development” in coaching and mental health. I love the way Aydin Senkut has characterized what they are doing and why they are doing it.
A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
You roll down the windows and wear a helmet when you take your car to the track. This does not make me less terrified of a fiery death. The American Autocross champion was sitting in my passenger seat screaming at me to not let my foot off the pedal until I bounced off the RPM limiter.
View from Seed
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
Over the past five years, we’ve witnessed an Atomization of the Seed Stage. Early fundraising is no longer a one-and-done fundraise of a single round of Seed capital subsequently followed by a Series A 12–18 months later.
ArcticStartup
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
It begins when the future startup CEO (mother) meets the co-founder (father). A love around an idea binds them to the point where they decide to spend most of their time with each other. Love at first sight.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
I always tell entrepreneurs that two heads are better than one, so the first task in many startups is finding a co-founder or two. You need to find the skills or experience you don’t have in business, technology, or money.
Feld Thoughts
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
Over the past few years, I’ve incorporated meditation into my daily routine. I started by using Headspace , shifted to using Insight Timer , and now do whatever I feel like doing. A week ago, while proofreading a draft of Jerry Colonna’s upcoming book, I noticed a few sections where he mentioned Ani Pema Chödrön. When he referenced her book How to Meditate , I went on Amazon and bought a physical copy to read.
A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks
SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
We all know that startups should make decisions quickly. Fast decisions leads to rapid action, which accelerates the loop of production and feedback, which is how you outpace and out-learn a competitor, even one that already has a lead.
View from Seed
SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
Rob, Lee, Melody and I are all very pleased to announce that Nicole Sievers has joined the NextView team as Platform Associate.
Version One Ventures
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
One of the most important decisions for a founder of an early stage company is deciding who should be on the cap table. We’ve written about doing your due diligence on investors and funds to make sure you find the right partners for the journey. Lately, we have seen more founders grappling with the question of whether to include a Series A investor in their seed round.
Inc Startups
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
In a recent interview, Bezos shared some tips on how to make "high-IQ" meetings count.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 16, 2018
Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to.
Feld Thoughts
SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
One of my favorite public events is the CU Boulder Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurs Unplugged series. I was the co-host for the first couple of years, sharing the interview job with another Brad (Bernthal) who now is generally on his own.
Up and Running
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
It’s a very exciting time in the cannabis industry right now. One of our Bplans writers described going into business in cannabis as a “ once-in-a-generation opportunity ,” with the product rapidly becoming legal for recreational as well as medical use in many states.
View from Seed
SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
The beginning of September always seems to mark the unofficial end of summer. While the proverbial joke about venture capitalists being completely out on vacation in August is only partially true [insert link to Manifesto], things do really change after Labor Day. Whereas a couple weeks ago, nailing down meetings various VC partners was likely going to be tough, everyone is now back in the office and ready to engage.
ConversionXL
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
In the world of data-driven marketing, more and more tasks require a bit of coding. You might need to add an extra parameter to your tracking code or pull raw data from Google Analytics. You may want to create a simple prediction—or automate a few repetitive tasks in your PPC campaigns.
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
It’s easy to come up with an idea for a startup business. What’s not so easy is executing on this idea. And even after you get the business up and running, you’ll find that you have to continually prove yourself in the marketplace.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
Technology is so key to every business these days that experienced business-smart but non-tech entrepreneurs are feeling deeper and deeper in the hole.
Feld Thoughts
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
I enjoyed Bradley Tusk’s new book, The Fixer: My Adventures Saving Startups from Death by Politics. It’s another memoir, a category which seems to be ending up on the top of my reading list a lot these days. It also was in the pile of books I get sent regularly by publishers hoping I’ll read and review them (as in “Dear Brad Feld, here is a form letter about my book, I hope you like it.”). ”).
SiliconHills
SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
By Laura Lorek Publisher of SIlicon Hills News Favor, the on-demand delivery startup based in Austin, reached profitability last September. “We
A VC : Venture Capital and Technology
SEPTEMBER 3, 2018
Today is Labor Day in the US. It is a day to celebrate labor, the union movement, and the role of the worker in our economy and our society. I have always struggled with the idea that labor and capital are intrinsically opposed to each other. It is obvious that workers have been taken advantage of by employers since the dawn of an industrialized society and possibly/probably for much longer than that. But does it have to be that way?
Inc Startups
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
Change voices frequently to keep your audience from getting bored. Public Speaking
YoungUpstarts
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
Short term loans are nothing new, with hundreds of thousands of people taking out one form or another of short term finance in the UK each year. From payday loans to instalment loans and beyond, there is no shortage of specific products for specific purposes to choose from.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data.
Feld Thoughts
SEPTEMBER 16, 2018
“How did your book end?” ” asked Amy from her position reading on the couch across the room. “Perfectly,” I answered. A Gentleman in Moscow was magnificent. While there’s still a chance I’ll read something better in 2018, for now, I’m declaring it the best book I’ve read this year.
Chaganomics
SEPTEMBER 20, 2018
Overview Recent data suggests that economic dynamics remain soft in the third quarter following a weaker-than-expected second-quarter expansion.
47 Hats
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
This is about the sixth reincarnation of my blog since I started with ToDoOrElse on Typepad.com in 2004. And, its on the JAMstack , which should give it awesome superpowers of ultrafast rendering, zero attack surface, and PWA out of the box.
SiliconHills
SEPTEMBER 17, 2018
Design thinking is a methodology designers have always used to solve problems, said Doreen Lorenzo, founder of the Center for Integrated Design.
View from Seed
SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Despite rumors that the VC business slows down in the summer, we’ve had one or our busiest periods in quite a while. During June, July, and August, we’ve closed 4 new investments and several follow-ons, with a number of companies gearing up to go out in the fall. Although we had a busy summer, I was fortunate enough to take a bit of time off as well, and to step back for a moment and reflect on Nextview’s strategy and market position going forward. .
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 9, 2018
In today’s totally interconnected world with its abundance of information, choices, and marketing, how your customers buy has drastically changed. Buying has evolved from a simple transaction decision to multi-faceted experience.
Feld Thoughts
SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
A few months ago Andy Sack got me a subscription to The Next Big Idea Club. Every quarter, a box with two books in it shows up. These books were chosen by Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Malcolm Gladwell, and Daniel Pink – several of my favorite contemporary writers and thinkers. A box showed up at the end of last week. On Saturday, I read one of the books in the box – Uncensored: My Life and Uncomfortable Conversations at the Intersection of Black and White America by Zachary Wood.
Chaganomics
SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
ECONOMY The economy remains stuck in a deep depression. Despite oil prices hovering at over three-year highs in recent months, oil production continues to fall, plunging by over a third in July in annual terms according to OPEC secondary data.
deal architect
SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
No, this does not have much to do with Oracle’s recent quarter. Nor is it about intrigue and gossip so many analysts use to compare Oracle to the Trumpian White House. It has more to do with two decades of. Enterprise Software (IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP
Hearpreneur
SEPTEMBER 7, 2018
Being in love is great. Being in love with your business, when you’re an entrepreneur, is even better. Waking up each morning knowing you are getting to do exactly what you love is more than most people could ever say about any “job” they have had.
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