Upfront Ventures was created 20 years ago as one of the original VC funds in Los Angeles. Back then only 15% of our dollars were invested locally whereas today 50% of our dollars are invested in LA. MORE
Adam Marchick, CEO of VoiceLabs, sees the disruptive force on the horizon that is voice technology. Whether it’s voice-based apps or voice inputs and outputs, all of us in tech should be watching this trend, and Adam is at the forefront of it. Adam has led a remarkable career, spanning six different startups and seven-plus years as an investor. MORE
Happy New Year Everyone. Yesterday we focused on the past , today we are going to focus on the future, specifically this year we are now in. Here’s what I expect to happen this year: Trump will hit the ground running, cutting corporate and personal taxes, and eliminating the preferential treatment of carried interest capital gains. MORE
I’ve come to despise the phrase “culture fit.” ” I don’t remember when I first heard it, but it was many years ago. Over time, it became woven into the world of entrepreneurship, as companies used it as a primary frame of reference for hiring. MORE
Not sure? Yes you are. You’re just scared. Which is understandable. But you’re sure. Is employee #2 not working out, or does she maybe just need more time? If you have to ask, you know the answer, you just don’t want to do the difficult thing. MORE
An exec at a company I’m an investor in sent this to me this morning. Does this feel like your life at your company? I’m an enormous fan of Eric Ries and The Lean Startup. His, and Steve Blank’s, thinking and writing changed how we approach startups. MORE
When you’re up to your neck in alligators, don’t forget the goal was to drain the swamp. I love teaching because I learn something new every class. This time it was, “Don’t let process distract you from finding the strategy.”. MORE
Life is short. It is time to point out an ugly truth, and to be the brave person that you are, the intelligent rational assessor of reality that you are, and kill all the organic social media activity by your company. All of it. Seems radical, but let’s take it one step at a time. MORE
While it’s generally good to be forward thinking and avoid dwelling on the past, most of us have made a few key, crucial mistakes that we’d reverse if we could. The same is true for small business owners. In every startup story, there is bound to be a wrong turn here or there. MORE
There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. One of them is whether profitability matters. MORE
Starting and building a company is all about leadership – formulating an idea, building a unique plan based on vision and experience, and forging a path over and through all obstacles. MORE
I was having coffee with the CEO of a new startup, listening to her puzzle through how to communicate to potential customers. She was an academic on leave from Stanford now selling SAAS software to large companies, but was being inundated with marketing communications advice. “My MORE
Large companies don’t acquire small companies for their financials. Revenue multiples, profit multiples, premium over the previous financing — these are metrics used by sellers to help determine a minimum acceptable price. MORE
Discoverability and findability are two important terms that optimizers should be familiar with. Discoverability is when you find the perfect book, even though you were not necessarily looking for it. MORE
People who get stressed managing their own lives don’t make good entrepreneurs. Small businesses require multi-tasking, work prioritization, and decision-making, with no assistants or help from specialists. That’s why Fortune 500 executives usually don’t survive as startup CEOs. MORE
This morning’s launch of Maps for Unity brings the full stack of location tools to the world’s most popular game development platform and shows that location and maps are the new building blocks for AR and VR games. We think the maps look amazing and are insanely fast. MORE
I was recently invited to speak at the Management and Entrepreneurial Skills Summit held in Delhi, India. My video (as I could physically not be there) was streamed live for the session on building up an entrepreneurial ecosystem and the survival of the fastest. MORE
Mark Cuban opened the Upfront Summit in an epic interview by Jason Hirschhorn , founder of Media REDEF. MORE
BuzzFeed. It conjures up a range of emotions anytime I’ve privately expressed my opinion to thought leaders in our industry that I believe it is one of the most innovative companies in digital media. MORE
Lately, I’ve been stewing over increased complexity being generated by companies around their organization approaches. MORE
I get asked a lot about how to get one’s start in the VC industry. I have a somewhat standard response, but realized that I never put it into a blog post. So, here it is. FYI – this is tuned towards an individual who is still in the relatively early stages of their career. MORE
Getting ready for our next semester’s class, I asked my Teaching Assistant why I hadn’t seen the posters for our new class around campus. Hearing the litany of excuses that followed –“It was raining.” (The The posters go inside the building.) “We We still have time.” (We MORE
Share It’s a new year and right after the ball drops, it’s time to go to work. Often entrepreneurs and business owners create their New Year’s Resolutions around their business. MORE
In recent years we’ve seen more and more corporations become more active or establish strategic VC arms. MORE
The Venture Capital business is full of great firms that were founded by entrepreneurs/operators who became investors mid/late career. From Gene Kleiner and Tom Perkins in the early 70s to Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz at the end of the 00s, this is the iconic model of the venture capital firm and the formula that built Silicon Valley into what it is today. MORE
2016 was one heck of a year. It started with a fairly big shakeup professionally. I didn’t end up taking much time off; instead I started meeting with lots of people and looking for my next adventure. In July, 2016 I announced the launch of my new startup, Highline BETA. Over the second half of […]. Personal Development MORE
We’ve all laughed at detailed renderings of constellations overlaying a paltry set of stars that are in fact quasi-random. MORE
VC evaluation of seed-stage startups can seem arbitrary or imitative at times. Internally, the scarcity of tangible business metrics – product usage or revenue multiples for example – can make an investment decision feel daunting. Presented with various unknowns from any one pitch, VCs often lack an existing information infrastructure to examine in forming an opinion. MORE
Angel/seed rounds used to be done via priced equity securities, either common or preferred. Then, starting about ten years ago, we started to see convertible debt being used in the angel and seed rounds. By 2010 this was the norm and Paul Graham tweeted this in Aug 2010: Convertible notes have won. Every investment so far in this YC batch (and there have been a lot) has been done on a convertible note. Paul Graham (@paulg) August 28, 2010. Which led me to write this blog post here on AVC. MORE
Music can change your spirit. If you’re having a bad day and listen to your favorite song, it can change your entire mood. Music can also help you to get through difficult moments in life. One of the hardest things anyone can ever do is start and run a business. MORE
I came across this index from Bloomberg that tracks the health of the US startup ecosystem. This index “incorporates both the money flowing into VC-backed startups, as well as the exits that are making money for investors. MORE
Bo Bennett once said, “Affiliate marketing has made businesses millions and ordinary people millionaires.”. Of course, affiliate marketing has this mysterious aura about it. Many of the top search results for the term are focused on what it is and whether you can make money from it. MORE
Entrepreneurship is an adventure of creativity, self-education, and personal development—a passionate labor of love. Now imagine layering on power-ups. Grow Technology apps business tools productivity MORE
Summer season is here along with celebrations like Easter , Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. You surely want to celebrate these with your loved ones, but we know the life becomes so busy when you start your new business or try to make your business grow. MORE
Results from Round 14 of the Web Framework Benchmarks project are now available! This round's results are limited to the physical hardware environment only, but cloud results will be included again in the next round. Recent improvements. MORE
Automobile manufacturers shipped 88 million cars in 2016. Tesla shipped 76,000. Yet Wall Street values Tesla higher than any other U.S. car manufacturer. What explains this more than 1,000 to 1 discrepancy in valuation? The future. MORE
Everyone in the business world has heard of the old bestseller by Geoffrey A. Moore titled “ Crossing the Chasm ,” but most entrepreneurs have no idea how it relates to them. MORE
A VC : Venture Capital and Technology
JANUARY 1, 2017
Happy New Year Everyone. Yesterday we focused on the past , today we are going to focus on the future, specifically this year we are now in. Here’s what I expect to happen this year: Trump will hit the ground running, cutting corporate and personal taxes, and eliminating the preferential treatment of carried interest capital gains.
Steve Blank
MARCH 8, 2017
Getting ready for our next semester’s class, I asked my Teaching Assistant why I hadn’t seen the posters for our new class around campus. Hearing the litany of excuses that followed –“It was raining.” (The The posters go inside the building.) “We We still have time.” (We
Feld Thoughts
MAY 22, 2017
This morning’s launch of Maps for Unity brings the full stack of location tools to the world’s most popular game development platform and shows that location and maps are the new building blocks for AR and VR games. We think the maps look amazing and are insanely fast.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 15, 2017
Upfront Ventures was created 20 years ago as one of the original VC funds in Los Angeles. Back then only 15% of our dollars were invested locally whereas today 50% of our dollars are invested in LA.
TechEmpower
MAY 10, 2017
Results from Round 14 of the Web Framework Benchmarks project are now available! This round's results are limited to the physical hardware environment only, but cloud results will be included again in the next round. Recent improvements.
YFS Magazine
MARCH 13, 2017
Entrepreneurship is an adventure of creativity, self-education, and personal development—a passionate labor of love. Now imagine layering on power-ups. Grow Technology apps business tools productivity
Blogtrepreneur | Entrepreneur Blog
MAY 15, 2017
Summer season is here along with celebrations like Easter , Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. You surely want to celebrate these with your loved ones, but we know the life becomes so busy when you start your new business or try to make your business grow.
A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks
MAY 16, 2017
Not sure? Yes you are. You’re just scared. Which is understandable. But you’re sure. Is employee #2 not working out, or does she maybe just need more time? If you have to ask, you know the answer, you just don’t want to do the difficult thing.
A VC : Venture Capital and Technology
MAY 1, 2017
The Venture Capital business is full of great firms that were founded by entrepreneurs/operators who became investors mid/late career. From Gene Kleiner and Tom Perkins in the early 70s to Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz at the end of the 00s, this is the iconic model of the venture capital firm and the formula that built Silicon Valley into what it is today.
Steve Blank
JUNE 14, 2017
Automobile manufacturers shipped 88 million cars in 2016. Tesla shipped 76,000. Yet Wall Street values Tesla higher than any other U.S. car manufacturer. What explains this more than 1,000 to 1 discrepancy in valuation? The future.
Feld Thoughts
JUNE 12, 2017
I’ve come to despise the phrase “culture fit.” ” I don’t remember when I first heard it, but it was many years ago. Over time, it became woven into the world of entrepreneurship, as companies used it as a primary frame of reference for hiring.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 7, 2017
Mark Cuban opened the Upfront Summit in an epic interview by Jason Hirschhorn , founder of Media REDEF.
Instigator Blog
JANUARY 5, 2017
2016 was one heck of a year. It started with a fairly big shakeup professionally. I didn’t end up taking much time off; instead I started meeting with lots of people and looking for my next adventure. In July, 2016 I announced the launch of my new startup, Highline BETA. Over the second half of […]. Personal Development
Hearpreneur
JUNE 10, 2017
Music can change your spirit. If you’re having a bad day and listen to your favorite song, it can change your entire mood. Music can also help you to get through difficult moments in life. One of the hardest things anyone can ever do is start and run a business.
View from Seed
JANUARY 11, 2017
In recent years we’ve seen more and more corporations become more active or establish strategic VC arms.
Startup Professionals Musings
APRIL 23, 2017
Everyone in the business world has heard of the old bestseller by Geoffrey A. Moore titled “ Crossing the Chasm ,” but most entrepreneurs have no idea how it relates to them.
ConversionXL
JANUARY 5, 2017
Discoverability and findability are two important terms that optimizers should be familiar with. Discoverability is when you find the perfect book, even though you were not necessarily looking for it.
Rob Go
JANUARY 10, 2017
I get asked a lot about how to get one’s start in the VC industry. I have a somewhat standard response, but realized that I never put it into a blog post. So, here it is. FYI – this is tuned towards an individual who is still in the relatively early stages of their career.
A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks
APRIL 25, 2017
We’ve all laughed at detailed renderings of constellations overlaying a paltry set of stars that are in fact quasi-random.
A VC : Venture Capital and Technology
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
I came across this index from Bloomberg that tracks the health of the US startup ecosystem. This index “incorporates both the money flowing into VC-backed startups, as well as the exits that are making money for investors.
Steve Blank
FEBRUARY 28, 2017
When you’re up to your neck in alligators, don’t forget the goal was to drain the swamp. I love teaching because I learn something new every class. This time it was, “Don’t let process distract you from finding the strategy.”.
Feld Thoughts
APRIL 18, 2017
An exec at a company I’m an investor in sent this to me this morning. Does this feel like your life at your company? I’m an enormous fan of Eric Ries and The Lean Startup. His, and Steve Blank’s, thinking and writing changed how we approach startups.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 12, 2017
BuzzFeed. It conjures up a range of emotions anytime I’ve privately expressed my opinion to thought leaders in our industry that I believe it is one of the most innovative companies in digital media.
Occam's Razor
JUNE 7, 2017
Life is short. It is time to point out an ugly truth, and to be the brave person that you are, the intelligent rational assessor of reality that you are, and kill all the organic social media activity by your company. All of it. Seems radical, but let’s take it one step at a time.
Hearpreneur
JANUARY 8, 2017
Share It’s a new year and right after the ball drops, it’s time to go to work. Often entrepreneurs and business owners create their New Year’s Resolutions around their business.
View from Seed
MARCH 28, 2017
Adam Marchick, CEO of VoiceLabs, sees the disruptive force on the horizon that is voice technology. Whether it’s voice-based apps or voice inputs and outputs, all of us in tech should be watching this trend, and Adam is at the forefront of it. Adam has led a remarkable career, spanning six different startups and seven-plus years as an investor.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 12, 2017
People who get stressed managing their own lives don’t make good entrepreneurs. Small businesses require multi-tasking, work prioritization, and decision-making, with no assistants or help from specialists. That’s why Fortune 500 executives usually don’t survive as startup CEOs.
ConversionXL
FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Bo Bennett once said, “Affiliate marketing has made businesses millions and ordinary people millionaires.”. Of course, affiliate marketing has this mysterious aura about it. Many of the top search results for the term are focused on what it is and whether you can make money from it.
Up and Running
MARCH 6, 2017
While it’s generally good to be forward thinking and avoid dwelling on the past, most of us have made a few key, crucial mistakes that we’d reverse if we could. The same is true for small business owners. In every startup story, there is bound to be a wrong turn here or there.
A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks
MARCH 21, 2017
Large companies don’t acquire small companies for their financials. Revenue multiples, profit multiples, premium over the previous financing — these are metrics used by sellers to help determine a minimum acceptable price.
A VC : Venture Capital and Technology
MARCH 12, 2017
Angel/seed rounds used to be done via priced equity securities, either common or preferred. Then, starting about ten years ago, we started to see convertible debt being used in the angel and seed rounds. By 2010 this was the norm and Paul Graham tweeted this in Aug 2010: Convertible notes have won. Every investment so far in this YC batch (and there have been a lot) has been done on a convertible note. Paul Graham (@paulg) August 28, 2010. Which led me to write this blog post here on AVC.
Steve Blank
APRIL 5, 2017
I was having coffee with the CEO of a new startup, listening to her puzzle through how to communicate to potential customers. She was an academic on leave from Stanford now selling SAAS software to large companies, but was being inundated with marketing communications advice. “My
Feld Thoughts
JANUARY 13, 2017
Lately, I’ve been stewing over increased complexity being generated by companies around their organization approaches.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 17, 2017
There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. One of them is whether profitability matters.
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