Remove Deal Flow Remove Funds Remove Startups
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The Achilles Heel of Startup Ecosystems

This is going to be BIG.

Across the world, various economic development organizations, government agencies, and non-profits are putting in admirable and well-intentioned efforts to develop startup ecosystems. Very little time and effort is spent helping professional, full time investors raise capital for venture funds.

Startups 145
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How to Objectively Measure the "Fundability" of Your Fund

This is going to be BIG.

When I wrote this post about trying to measure the fundability of your startup, I kicked it off with, “You can’t” and proceeded to share all the ways that getting your company funded feels a bit like a craps shoot, while still trying find a method somewhere within the madness. Spinning out of a successful fund of a similar size?

Deal Flow 147
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Creating Better VCs: An Accelerator for the Dark Side

This is going to be BIG.

These days, there are a ton of options for you if you''re a startup seeking guidence. We''ve done a lot to make sure startups get all the help we can get--and it''s leading to higher companies getting off the ground. Not every VC used to get pitched by VC funds for a living and has seen hundreds and hundreds of VC pitch decks.

Startups 155
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How to Build a Successful and Diverse Venture Capital Portfolio Without Really Trying

This is going to be BIG.

So, while my fund might be 100% run by one white guy, I'm sure I'd fare pretty well on The Information's list if they added actual funding data. There's no social impact clause in the fund's mandate and the background and status of the founders arent criteria. I've even tried to diversify the investor base of my fund.

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Both Things Can Be True: Bias and Bad Fundraising Advice

This is going to be BIG.

The startup ecosystem is a terrific manufacturer of bad fundraising advice. On the positive side, funding happens so rarely, that you’re inevitably going to be asked how you did it—and it’s just human nature to think that it’s something you did, versus the inherent awesomeness of the idea, the team’s relevance to the challenge, etc.

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Real talk on fundraising for a small fund

This is going to be BIG.

Right on time, I’ve got a company from my first fund doing a roadshow right now that could net a big exit by the end of the year. I have two other companies in that first fund that, at one time, looked like they were sure winners that could return the fund. Turns out they have standard sized bets for funds of my size.

Funds 147
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Give

This is going to be BIG.

but in a moment of clarity, I realized that everything I get--dealflow, fund investors, opportunities to hire people, etc.--comes To be a good VC, you're going to offer up a lot of time to companies that may never pay back a dime--or even to deals you never wind up doing. There's no magic flow of great deal flow.