Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Today we’re in a world where 10 accelerators are bombarding you with emails to meet their 10-15 companies. Seed investors are aplenty and of course they need downstream money to fuel their early-stage bets. I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal.

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Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

So I recommend a high-level “state of the company” email a couple of times a year but a message that you assume might get shown to others. This is no different than a public company where of course most investors are not given detailed financial and performance information and when they are it is quarterly and after the fact.

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Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 10, 2010

Of course when they get there those individuals are no longer young and after years of mental and physical atrophy they lack the ambitions to get these things done. Want to take a year pursuing your dream to write a screenplay, travel through Asia, run a triathlon or start your own fashion line? And, of course, now Twitter.

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Startup Email Technical Review Course 295

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

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Course Email Social Network Ideas 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

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Course Writing Slides Email 97

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

We’re excited to continue to grow our investment professional staff and will continue to do so over the course of 2013 & 2014 with our new fund. Of course – some people can be remote. He of coursed required me to lobby on his behalf as well. He sent me a few nice emails. Jordan Hudson. Kevin Zhang.

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Startup Course Ideas Invest 372

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2017

As executives we’re all seemingly accessible at any moment to anybody via email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Text. Having interesting and frequent opportunities at the top of your funnel is important, of course, but the ultimate score is only measured on the bottom end of the funnel. Get non-core things out of your way.

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Activity Blogging Email Startup 297

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

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Course Email Social Network Ideas 96

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 30, 2018

I thought I’d write a post about how to talk about valuation at a startup and give you some sense of what might be on the mind of the person considering funding you. Of course, unlike cars there is no direct comparison across each startup so these are just some general guidelines to try and even the information field.

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Venture Capital Pricing Startup Invest 324

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

In writing anything positive about any of the companies I’m not suggesting that it means that I prefer them to any of their competitors. Also, some of the deals I write about I have actually seen as part of their fund raising process. In business you spend your life in email. Really!). Enter Xobni.

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Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 31, 2012

Here is a sample of the reading list for the course that gives you a flavor for just how modern and practical this course is. I got an email recently from my friend & fellow VC, Jeff Bussgang from Flybridge Capital Partners in Boston. And that leads me to today’s post.

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Startup Sales Course Competition 319

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 11, 2011

We talked about a lot of great stuff in the video including how to do sales calls and a how a new “culture of writing&# is emerging as a critical skill set in business today. But of course we also focused on making content go viral. When it’s personal, it gets shared a lot. “How-to&# guides work well.

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Buzzfeed Content Tips Blogging 354

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2011

Sure, of course I am. He started by using email (send your eCard to a friend) and there he sees 3-4 clicks back per share action. . <Small Appendix: ** I have enjoyed every episode that I’ve done and keep wanting to write up the notes from some of the previous shows but it’s time consuming. Counter-intuitive.

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Startup Venture Capital Pricing Writing 303

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2011

This is a blog post I really didn’t want to write. I didn’t want to write it because I have mixed feelings about AngelList. I didn’t want to write it because the bloggosphere doesn’t always do nuance well. So why I am writing it then? As Shervin said, it’s just email. A few reasons.

Venture Capital 267

Venture Capital Writing Blogging Startup 267

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2017

So last year I talked with my wife about how few “nuclear family” trips we had been able to take given all of the extended family trips that were so important to us and we committed to doing 2 nuclear family trips per year until Jacob is in college (and of course we plan to continue this for years after and we have Andy for 8 more years!).

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Carson Email Writing Startup 286

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

My email back to him was a version of. I got an email recently from a VC who had invested in a company a small amount in a seed round. Of course I ask more politely that than. I’ve seen you write a $10 million check before. “This is a very accomplished executive in his industry across more than 20 years.

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Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Email 333

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 21, 2018

Note: If you enjoy my posts please subscribe to my newsletter by adding your email below. She had emailed with a partner at a big VC fund and he had passed the request to a junior associate. Of course you have to be careful with this. This is part of a series I’ve been writing on fund raising. I knew she’s come see you.

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Funding Newsletter Venture Capital Email 217

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2010

So it was my great pleasure to host Chamillionaire on This Week in VC this week talking marketing, entrepreneurship, old media and, of course, music. As a teenager he experimented with writing & producing his own rap music and received a lot of feedback from elders that he had a talent with words. This was in the 90′s.

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Entrepreneur Venture Capital Startup Email 356

Eric Greenspan

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

I’ve remained a skeptic about the BBB and as a result of an email I received a couple of weeks ago from them, I have raised the skepticism threat level. So here’s the email I received: Eric, My name is Chad Ratliffe emailing from the Better Business Bureau. That’s how we do business at Make It Work.

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Santa Barbara Technical Advisors Email Technical Review 265

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

Of course not. Email readers, continue here…]. Here’s a quick nod to the folks at Colour Graphics for urging me to write this insight. Why Is niche marketing important? This is easy. So, what other benefits are there to niche marketing? Here are just a few to consider…. You’ll have less competition. – Dave.

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Marketing Advertising Resource Social Media 266

Berkonomics

MARCH 28, 2024

They write in their investment documents that they will occupy a seat on the board for as long as they are invested in the company, thinking of this as a protection for their investment and tool for them to influence growth. Of course they should not. All other board functions are secondary.

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Class Coach Invest Sales 282

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 18, 2012

I plan to write about it early next year when we’re all through. Throughout the course of last year I never had more than $8,000 in my account. . Of course I do! If you have a chance to be on court and shooting 3-pointers as the game clock is winding down OF COURSE you still want to be on the court. Investor emails.

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Blogging Press Entrepreneur Venture Capital 420

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 19, 2009

Over the past 12 months, I've had roughly 284,000 people come visit that site and get exposed to things I write. Of course, those are highly suspect numbers from Feedburner. Be interested in what they write. Plan out how you will interact with what they are writing. Use Feedburner or Feedblitz for Email.

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Social Media Services Media Blogging 222

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 18, 2010

I’m a pretty natural public speaker so I can write my presentation the day before and do just fine. I has been asked to do the keynote speech at a dinner that night but of course hadn’t written a speech in advance. Responsive Low Hanging Fruit – I view email in the category of urgent but not (always) important.

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Slides Email Entrepreneur Startup 374

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 4, 2016

Or an angel investor starts emailing the CEO of a company with all the people they want him or her to meet. I know some will read this as an indictment of all introductions and of course it’s not that. Mostly I just wanted to write this as a reminder to founders to be suspicious of people who constantly introduce you around.

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Innocal Conference Help Study 255

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 10, 2013

Even if you follow this game plan meticulously your board meeting can be taken off course by well-intentioned board members who lead you down a rate hole. Of course there are some sensible introductions that are valuable. Have a scribe write it down. Here’s how it happens … 1. Topic Creep. Photo credit Flickr.

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Startup Course Summary Product 312

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2022

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

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Class Course Email Social Network 140

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 13, 2011

With all these companies vying for attention & others just here to soak up the vibe I thought I’d write a much broader piece on how startups can make the most of their attendance at conferences & events. Write them in advance and request meetings. In the email write something that will remind them who you are.

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Conference Startup Technical Review Writing 289

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Of course, I provide part-time CTO services. You will get a response via email to schedule a time to talk. Do I have to write up the overview? Generally I can provide quite a bit of help in that brief time. And I try my best to point them to resources that can help them longer term. Can you help me get funding?

CTO Hire 264

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 264

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

I never took a business course, never wrote a business plan, and never raised any outside capital. Email readers, continue here.] Frank Peters made his money writing software for Wall Street. I consider this trip the anniversary of the company’s starting up, and made the trip 11 years in a row. And it wasn’t easy.

Startup 204

Startup Software Review UCLA Sales 204

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Of course, I provide part-time CTO services. You will get a response via email to schedule a time to talk. Do I have to write up the overview? Generally I can provide quite a bit of help in that brief time. And I try my best to point them to resources that can help them longer term. Can you help me get funding?

CTO Hire 259

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 259

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 13, 2018

Remember that the goal of an email to a VC or an introduction from a trusted mutual connection is simply to get you the meeting. You want to send just enough to get the meeting (and of course a great deck sells better than a long email) and not so long that you don’t leave a chance to wow the person in your actual meeting.

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Venture Capital Slides Email Startup 261

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

You can ask them to come and watch your videos at your owned & operated websites (O&O) where you can make higher margins as well as ask directly for more meaningful customer information such as Facebook connections, Twitter oAuths, email addresses and the like. To produce content that people want to watch takes unique skills: Writing.

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Companies Company Technical Review Content 339

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

When to get a lawyer - If you plan to be a venture or angel backed technology company (what I mostly write about) the best time to start meeting and getting to know lawyers is long before you ever start your company. I write about some of the lessons in my post on Startup Mistakes. Many people start companies arse backwards.

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Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2010

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

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Course Writing Ideas Class 53

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The surest sign a fund-raising process has stalled is when you aren’t getting follow-up meetings or hearing from the VC or hearing from friends that they got a phone call or email asking about you. Of course there’s no exact number of VCs you should meet?—?these Today I want to talk about the process and how to allocate your time.

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Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

SoCal CTO

MARCH 12, 2012

I've recently received several emails from people looking for a technical cofounder for their startup. I promised I would write this post with some thoughts and ideas on the topic. Here's an example of that kind of email. Of course, you are looking for something a little different - a technical Cofounder.

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CTO Hire CTO Coach Startup Equity 211