Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2014

By the time I funded them they were doing 400 million video views a month, had 40 million subscribers and had already become a powerhouse in ad sales / revenue working with marquee advertisers including: P&G, Budweiser, Nestle, Ford, Frito Lay and Honda. And we’re growing our sales organization.

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Invest Content Media Networking 291

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2021

You can listen to the entire conversation above or via this link , but I also wanted to highlight one topic we discussed that I feel strongly about, which is how I think enterprise sales and venture fundraising are basically the same muscle. OK, so you’ve found your target LPs who invest in funds at your stage. Let me explain.

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Sales Startup Invest Funding 375

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

The era of VCs investing in successful consumer Internet startups such as eBay led to a belief system that seemed to permeate many enterprise software startups that hiring sales or implementation people was a bad thing. But the “no sales people” mantra isn’t what I’m here to take on.

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Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business for 4-6 months. “COGS” represents the amount that each sale costs you.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Berkonomics

AUGUST 10, 2023

From the moment such an investor looks seriously at your company, the investor or VC partner is thinking of the end game, the ultimate sale of the company or even of an eventual initial public offering. There is no middle ground. Resetting your priorities Taking money from these sources involves resetting priorities over time.

Venture Capital 292

Venture Capital Sales Invest Class 292

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2020

Selecting the right sales channels is one of the first strategic decisions that every startup faces. This area of demand analysis is also called the “sales funnel” or “sales pipeline,” used for tracking the overall process from initial prospect engagement to close. Return on investment for demand generation.

Marketing 174

Marketing Invest Demand Metrics 174

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

I spend a lot of time with startups and thus hear many companies talk about their approach to sales and their interactions with customers. Given customers & sales are the lifeblood of any organization you’d imagine everybody would respect their customers. If they want to invest that’s great. ” I cringed.

Customer 341

Customer Custom Venture Capital Software Review 341

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 18, 2019

According to AutoVitals, the strategic growth investment will go to expand and enhance its offerings. As part of the investment, the company said it named a new CEO, Jon Belmonte, to lead the company. Belmonte is a veteran of Southern California's high tech industry, having previously been CEO and COO At Active Network (ACTV).

Equity 140

Equity Invest Southern California SaaS 140

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2013

This is final part of a series that describes a sales methodology for technology companies or frankly many other types of companies, too. Well think of it this way – you have your sales process. And with scarce resources it’s your job to decide which door this lead must go through – sales or marketing.

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Customer Custom Marketing Newsletter 324

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Yet in this age when customers have a thousand alternatives, and are overwhelmed by a multitude of messages, sales efforts can make or break a business. In fact, I believe modern entrepreneurs need to be super sales people, in the most positive sense, to their team as well as customers. No pain usually means no sales.

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Sales Training Startup Customer 139

socalTECH

JANUARY 25, 2022

Corona, California-based a href="[link] Coach, which operates a service which helps homebuyers better understand the difference between different kinds of mortgage loans, has received a strategic investment from private equity investor LLR Partners. Financial details of the investment were not announced.

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Coach Invest Equity Sales 113

TechCrunch LA

JULY 29, 2020

” The new financing from Humana will go to support Heal’s geographic expansion, product development, and sales and marketing, Desai said. . “ Anything that makes care more accurate, more data driven, more timely we want to use and ask our patients to utilize so that they can get better care, more quickly and more affordably.”

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Services Invest Demand Los Angeles 244

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

I am fond of quoting that about 70% of my investment decision of an early-stage company is the team. So I naturally spend much time with the companies in which I invest helping them: recruit. Your first sales people should be consultative sellers who can fuel evangelical sales. Final startup grind from msuster.

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Startup Slides Outsource Development Sales 388

socalTECH

JULY 14, 2021

Los Angeles-based Endgame, a developer of software that links user behavior with sales opportunities, has raised $17M in funding, according to the company. The company said the funding will go to increase headcount, invest in R&D, and other efforts.

Sales 124

Sales Software Seed Funding Los Angeles 124

Berkonomics

JUNE 15, 2017

From the moment such an investor looks seriously at your company, the investor or VC partner is thinking of the end game, the ultimate sale of the company or even of an eventual initial public offering. Taking in angel or venture money requires a setting of an entrepreneur’s expectations that may come as a shock at least at first.

Venture Capital 243

Venture Capital Sales Invest Class 243

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 10, 2015

I write about sales often both because it’s the lifeblood of any organization and because in my experience it is the area in which more startups are least experienced or inclined. I also write and talk about it frequently because raising capital is a part of sales and this is important for entrepreneurs to understand.

Sales 150

Sales Startup Venture Capital Funding 150

socalTECH

JANUARY 3, 2022

The company is backed by Sequoia's China Fund, Hillhouse, and CICC, and received $100M in a Series B investment back in June of 2021. The company said it more than tripled its sales in 2021, the second consecutive year for the growth. The company has benefited from an interest in its batteries for disaster preparedness.

Sales 113

Sales Los Angeles Invest Funding 113

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

With small amounts of money invested (sub $3 million) the risks are reasonably low for most VCs and the consequences of bad decisions or decisions a VC has limited say in is tolerable. how much energy to put into channel partners vs. direct sales. how to build an initial sales organization. how to evolve our management team.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). Bootstrapping: This term describes your ability to start a business with little investment and grow it using internally generated funds.

Venture Capital 295

Venture Capital Startup Class Invest 295

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Existing investors DST Global, 01 Advisors, Dragoneer Investment Group, Franklin Templeton and Mubadala Investment Company too doubled down on their investments in SpotOn, joining new backers Wellington Management and Coatue Management. We are deeply invested in growing the business together. Image Credits: SpotOn.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Software Review Invest Acquisition 296

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2013

In my first enterprise software company we developed a methodology for sales that we called PUCCKA , which I wrote about previously. Having a good sales methodology can help you ensure your company runs more disciplined campaigns and focuses scarce resources on your best opportunities. It the second rule of sales, “Why Buy Me?”

Sales 336

Sales Startup Competition Customer 336

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

On the one hand, you’re over paying for every investment and valuations aren’t rational. Our fund (Upfront Ventures) recently returned >1x an entire $200 million fund just selling small minatory in secondary sales while still holding most of our stock for an ultimate public market exits. That used to be called A-round investing.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Hyundai Motor Group said it will jointly develop an electric vehicle platform with Los Angeles-based startup Canoo, the latest startup tapped by the automaker as part of an $87 billion push to invest in electrification and other future technologies. Hyundai Motor Group has committed to invest $87 billion over the next five years.

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Startup Develop Development Platform 310

Berkonomics

MARCH 28, 2024

Even venture capitalists who sit on boards where they have significant investments often forget this point. 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.

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Class Coach Invest Sales 282

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Somehow many first-time founders equate “sales” with something that is beneath them. an investment in your company.

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Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2014

When I meet other VCs I’m constantly asking how they decide which investments to make, when to pass, when to do follow-on rounds, when to sell a company vs. when to go long, etc. On sales I often talk about “ Why Buy Anything, Why Buy Now, Why Buy Me ” as a tool to think about a sales process.

Startup 407

Startup Framework CTO Coach Sales 407

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). Strategic partner” investors: If you can find a strategic partner willing to invest in your enterprise, consider it a blessing.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

At the time I pointed out: “If I had realized exits almost certainly it would be because I invested in a company that failed. I have done 6 VC investments – all within the past 20 months. ” So it’s now March 2014 – 5 years since I started investing. Lemons ripen early, great companies take time.”

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

Greg was the CMO at HauteLook from the early days all the way through growing the business to 12 million registered users and far in excess of $200 million in annual sales. Like any firm we of course invest in the San Francisco Bay Area where 33% of my personal boards are. We knew he had to be an investment partner.

Venture Capital 360

Venture Capital GRP Partners Startup Invest 360

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2015

Many people are too cautious in sales processes and as a result when they present their solutions they end up sounding milquetoast and undifferentiated from anybody else in the market. I recently wrote about the three rules of sales. In sales we often call these USPs (I wrote about them here: Unique Selling Propositions ).

Sales 150

Sales SaaS Startup Venture Capital 150

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 3, 2013

The timing of the announcement of this investment couldn’t have been timed more perfectly if we tried. And before that you might enjoy this longer analysis on why I invested in DataSift in the first place , which was written 2.5 ” How can businesses not incorporate information into their marketing and sales funnels?

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Social Media Yammer Invest Organization 358

Berkonomics

MARCH 8, 2018

You do not pay professional investors who are serving on behalf of an investment company or VC and paid by that company. To be clear, venture investors with investments from their funds are not typically ever offered pay for board service, which is expected as part of the investment.

Venture Capital 256

Venture Capital Equity Sales Invest 256

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

controlling your psychology ) you no doubt have heard me say that raising capital is a sales & marketing process. Some firms are trickier since they artificially call everybody “partner” but they’re not all “investment partners.” Find a portfolio company or two that they’ve invested in. It’s super easy to suss all this out.

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

Put simply – you need enough users in a segment who care about what you’re doing to dictate investing further in the product or in sales & marketing resources. One of the things I have observed over the years is that a hard charging sales oriented founder/CEO can often hide the defects in a product.

Startup 401

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 401

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2021

It has historically been the case that VCs would rather fund the promise of 100x in a company with almost no revenue than the reality of a company growing at 50% but doing $20+ million in sales. sold to Disney for $670 million and since our first investment was at < $10 million valuation we did quite well. Maker Studios?—?sold

Venture Capital 363

Venture Capital Capital Funding Startup 363

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

Or if you’re a VC raising from LPs you have to list all of your deals, your investment value, your carrying value, your multiples, your IRRs, TVPIs, DPIs, etc along with net cashflows plus your previous LPAs. These collective sets of documents form the basis of what somebody looking at investing would call “financial due diligence.”

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Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Berkonomics

MARCH 9, 2017

The Angel Resource Institute (ARI) recently published a study conducted by well-respected Rob Wiltbank, quoting that seventy percent of investments made by angel investors to date return less than the amount invested – upon a sale or closing of the business – the great majority of these outright losses as businesses die.

Startup 266

Startup Statistics Tech Coast Angels Study 266