Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

I would write the email and be as scathing as I wanted to be. Truthfully, it’s a great idea to write it if you can be disciplined and not send it. Two to three times a year I get a flaming email from an entrepreneur. Final note: I never try to write about an individual to send a message. It’s cathartic.

Writing 292

Writing Email Startup Ideas 292

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

Christensen, “We subsidize their education in fields for which there are no jobs” he said in referring to the fact that many courses at universities are still taught with skills that aren’t relevant to the 21st century needs of the US workforce. His class reading lists could be a primer for any entrepreneur, not just MBAs.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 8, 2010

Much of my traffic is through referring websites and/or social media. I was an entrepreneur. Don’t just write a carbon copy of what somebody else is doing. OK, well, actually the first thing I did is come up with a list of 50 posts that I wanted to write. Every time I write a post I send it out on Twitter.

Blogging 286

Blogging Startup Writing Summary 286

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

I recently read a post over on VentureHacks titled, “ Top Ten Reasons Entrepreneurs Hate Lawyers &# written by Scott Walker (who blogs on legal issues for entrepreneurs ). I write about some of the lessons in my post on Startup Mistakes. Shame about not getting it in legal writing that you owned the original IP.

Startup 318

Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2014

In my Twitter bio is says that I’m “ looking to invest in passionate entrepreneurs ,” which almost sounds like I was just looking for a cliché soundbite to describe myself. Passion is also the featured heavily in nearly every presentation I give to entrepreneurs or on college campuses or in talks with MBA students.

Startup 419

Startup Entrepreneur Design Funding 419

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. If I were looking at which VCs to choose I would reference strongly for which ones are supportive in good times and bad. The best way – of course – is to reference check. Most VCs are book smart.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

Peer Group – Meet with other emerging entrepreneurs who will help you objectively evaluate your experiences and provide relevant feedback regarding your successes and failures. Journal or Blog – Writing about your experiences will force you to be contemplative and thoughtful. The choice is yours. _.

Startup 206

Startup Journal Writing Blogging 206

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

I told him only 2 weeks ago when we were in London together that I wanted to write a blog post that has been in my head for 2 years. These engagements went well and he came highly referred by my friend Gary Swart who runs oDesk. Many through history became entrepreneurs precisely because they were unemployable.

Startup 309

Startup Venture Capital Email Writing 309

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 6, 2010

doing a reference call on a prospective employee. THE REFERENCE CALL: Reference calls are hard. We’ve obviously had a great experience interviewing him or we wouldn’t be doing reference calls. One thing we picked up from another reference call was that Bob has at times fought with co-workers.

Startup 311

Startup Invest Course Research 311

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 3, 2011

If you have or are thinking about a business in the video space you’ll enjoy hearing from Gregg but even more broadly this is a great conversation for entrepreneurs, investors or industry analysts. there was no frame of reference for the value. My key take away – frame of reference in pricing is important.

Startup 303

Startup Venture Capital Pricing Writing 303

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

You join teams that got good write-ups on TechCrunch, have great VCs, have star CEO’s, whatever. When you’re hiring most reference checkers focus on the person’s former bosses. Just literally this week I had breakfast with a guy giving a reference who said, “He’s brilliant. You REALLY know.

CTO Hire 320

CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach Venture Capital 320

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2013

Some entrepreneurs forget that talking is not communicating. Communication is not just talking, but also listening, writing, body language, and “actions speak louder than words.” From an entrepreneur perspective, here are the understanding barrier categories: Unclear frame of reference. Stereotyping and biases.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Technical Review Guide Mentor 101

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 25, 2013

Many first-time entrepreneurs have grown up digital natives so have a really good intuitive feel for technology & design but don’t yet have the business basics down. . Angels, entrepreneurs, VCs, bloggers and the like all get a ton of requests for “just 15 minutes” phone calls. Phone calls. How Can I Help?

Startup 364

Startup Writing Help Email 364

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Their primary intended reader is a “first-time entrepreneur”, but clearly other stakeholders within the startup universe can also benefit from the book’s hands-on advice. Brad and Jason have been exposing venture capitalists’ secrets since 2005, when they began writing a blog series on Term Sheets at AskTheVC. Things I Loved.

Venture Capital 205

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Writing Guide 205

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 19, 2011

Yet a critical mistake I see many entrepreneurs make is that they hand over too much control to their third-parties. Often recruiters want to handle the final negotiations on package and/or do the reference calls. I’m also reluctant to hand over reference calling. Unfortunately that’s how reference checking works.

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Pricing Startup Outsource 319

InfoChachkie

APRIL 9, 2013

Comedians are entrepreneurs. They often write their own material, book their gigs, arrange their travel and negotiate and collect their compensation from club owners. In addition, both comedians and entrepreneurs must engage and entertain their demanding audiences. Humor – Utilize tactful humor that is relevant to your story.

Tips 241

Tips Entrepreneur RSS Startup 241

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2011

The title was “The Jerk,” which is a reference to both the Steve Martin film but more precisely to Robert Scoble’s interpretation of Steve Jobs having just read his biography. Of course I can’t write every press release for the company nor would I want to. I get presentations from aspiring entrepreneurs.

Press 337

Press Venture Capital Doc Summary 337

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2013

” In the article I discussed the downside of raising capital at a too high of a price and referred people to a previous article I had written encouraging founders to raise “ At the Top end of Normal ” as opposed to stratospheric prices. I always tell entrepreneurs, “ Clean Your Own S**t Up First.

Pricing 302

Pricing Seed Funding Invest Venture Capital 302

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2016

Successful entrepreneurs are usually hard-driving, and highly focused on some specific goals, like being the dominant player in a given domain, or the low-priced provider of their product. Write it down. On the other hand, most people don’t hesitate to write down excuses. It is vague and insubstantial.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Writing Organization Satisfaction 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 16, 2011

Successful entrepreneurs are usually hard-driving, and highly focused on some specific goals, like being the dominant player in a given domain, or the low-priced provider of their product. Write it down. On the other hand, most people don’t hesitate to write down excuses. It is vague and insubstantial.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Writing Organization Satisfaction 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2022

Some entrepreneurs forget that talking is not communicating. Communication is not just talking, but also listening, writing, body language, and “actions speak louder than words.” From an entrepreneur perspective, here are the key barrier-to-understanding elements: Unclear frame of reference. Stereotyping and biases.

Technical Review 137

Technical Review Entrepreneur Guide Mentor 137

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

These days that’s not the case and it’s a great outcome for entrepreneurs and for innovation. A new group of investors have clustered around writing earlier-stage, smaller checks. A: Only because it’s a nicer branding for entrepreneurs. I totally agree and have been arguing this to entrepreneurs for years.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Training Startup Entrepreneur 308

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Be accessible on social media, write a blog or articles for industry publications, and participate in conference panels and speaking engagements. Capture your “secret sauce.” Start with a service you know and love.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2013

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Funding Incubator Startup 102

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.

Conference 289

Conference Startup Technical Review Writing 289

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2013

So what’s an entrepreneur to do to get his new business noticed these days? Most entrepreneurs I know are too busy creating a compelling product to give proper focus to the four phases of building a people and media platform that Hyatt says are equally critical for long-term success: Platform creation prior to launch. How about yours?

Platform 105

Platform Entrepreneur Startup Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2013

Resumes won’t give you the positive conclusion, but they can highlight negatives, like job gaps, bad writing, and minimal experience. “He Based on the glowing terms I heard from my friend, I’ll just skip the reference check.” In this litigious society, reference checks are more productive if you also listen to what is not said.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Statistics Resource 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2010

But I use this all of the time as a metaphor when talking with entrepreneurs in person and I’ve found it to be a useful way of explaining to entrepreneurs what is going in in the VC’s life. I have no idea why, but that’s always how it always felt to me when I was an entrepreneur raising money.

Venture Capital 275

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Capital Ideas 275

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 3, 2009

On the other hand were everybody else including those that tried to make a full time of it like Robert Scoble as well as those that did it as a side job like VCs, CEO’s and start-up entrepreneurs. The same article refers to several other people who are coming back to blogging: Liza at Maui Blog and the futurist Chris Saad.

Blogging 219

Blogging Venture Capital Startup Social Media 219

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

But I used to jokingly refer to bridge loans as “pier&# loans. So my view is that VCs and entrepreneurs need to make tougher choices. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Raising Venture Capital Start-up Advice Startup Advice. But no doubt their bodies feel the stress. And it adds up. He had already given things his best effort.&#.

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2014

Some entrepreneurs forget that talking is not communicating. Communication is not just talking, but also listening, writing, body language, and “actions speak louder than words.” From an entrepreneur perspective, here are the barrier to understanding categories: Unclear frame of reference. Stereotyping and biases.

Technical Review 104

Technical Review Guide Entrepreneur Mentor 104

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

One of the hardest decisions entrepreneurs make when they start a company and raise outside capital is figuring out what an acceptable “burn rate” is. Usually when an investor is asking you your burn rate he or she is referring to net burn — what cash are you consuming. Each investor would need to write $1–1.5

Startup 212

Startup Venture Capital .Net Capital 212

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Some entrepreneurs start polling venture capitalists for that multi-million dollar investment before they even have a business plan. Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy).

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 2, 2010

I’m writing this series because if you better understand how VC firms work you can better target which firms make sense for you to speak with. I’m writing this post to explain to entrepreneurs what you should be thinking about in terms of the VC’s you approach and the size and stage of their funds.

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Funding Invest GRP Partners 269

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. Entrepreneurs are neurotic about it. Write things down. We helped the write out their requirements for a system. I hate losing. I don’t want to lose next time. Be gracious.

Outsource Development 333

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 333

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 2, 2010

It’s the story of persistence in entrepreneurs. As a VC I’m acutely that a “yes&# decision to support an entrepreneur can do just that, yet I only write 2-4 of them per year and maybe another 3-4 as an angel. As an entrepreneur you can change people’s lives, too. Your advice made a difference.&#.

Startup 352

Startup Help Blogging Entrepreneur 352

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

By the time of my second company MySQL was a much more robust solution and worked well when you had to read a lot of information but was less performant on “write&# activities. As a content management system we had lots of write activities and went with Postgres. This is invaluable in helping the management team.

Startup 308

Startup CTO Coach Technical Review CTO Hire 308