Posted by David S. Rose on May 4th, 2014
The facile answer to this assumptive question is “because some women are not seeking funding from venture capital firms”.
But there is actually quite a bit of truth in both statements. Women-led ventures definitely account for a smaller percentage of venture investments than do ventures led by men, but women-led ventures also account for a MUCH smaller percentage of ventures
Posted by Martin Zwilling on April 6th, 2014
Most people think that the Peter Principle (employee rises to his level of incompetence) only applies to large organizations. Let me assure you that it is also alive and well within startups. I see startup founders and managers who are stalled transplants from large organizations, as well as highly-capable technologists trying to start and run a business for the first
Posted by David S. Rose on March 20th, 2014
The disappointing fact is that this is a highly unlikely scenario, for several reasons.
The most important is that venture capital firms simply do not fund business plans. They fund companies. There are several excellent explanations why this is the case, but the bottom line is that VCs are able to fund only one out of every 400 companies who approach them, and thus the
Posted by David S. Rose on February 27th, 2014
There are surprisingly few such conferences, for the very good reason that there are actually relatively few such people (venture capitalists and ‘professional’ angel investors) to attend them! But that said, here are the biggest (i.e., “only” 🙂 events of their type):
Business Angels Angel Capital Association (US) Annual Summit This is the big one, which rotates among different cities
Posted by Martin Zwilling on February 23rd, 2014
Most startups dream of attracting a celebrity endorsement, and assume that it will take their startup to the stars. Startups such as Chirpify have managed to flourish and raise millions with endorsements from folks like Lil Wayne and Snoop Lion. Others go the way of 12Society, an LA subscription commerce startup with six celebrity sponsors, but still couldn’t get any
Posted by David S. Rose on February 6th, 2014
Investors absolutely need to know the specific financial status of a company before they invest, because they are going to be part owners of the business. How much would you be willing pay someone to take over their bank account if you had no idea how much was in it?
So yes, it is absolutely standard practice for investors to require both existing financials
Posted by Martin Zwilling on February 2nd, 2014
I don’t have an MBA. I used to fear that this would put me at a disadvantage in starting my own company, but now I’m convinced that it may be the other way around. In some reputable surveys, as many as two-thirds of entrepreneurs felt that their entrepreneurial spirit was more ingrained than learned, so a specific education level is
Posted by Martin Zwilling on January 26th, 2014
I’ve always wondered why every executive meeting has to be one hour in length, or longer. That’s probably a tenth of your day spent on one issue. It better be a critical one, because you have a hundred others waiting. I believe you can be much more productive, as well as a more effective leader, if you approach most meetings
Posted by Martin Zwilling on January 19th, 2014
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. On the average, the entrepreneurs I know are living on Ramen noodles. But one thing they all seem to have in common is a love for learning and change. They rush in with a passion to better the world, and
Posted by Martin Zwilling on December 22nd, 2013
The first question most people seem to ask when contemplating a new startup is where they will get investor money. That’s certainly a valid question, but all the money in the world won’t make your business work if you don’t have a plan to use it, or hate what you are doing. I suggest that there are several important questions
