Imagine you’re about to go out for your next round of funding. Who do you pitch first? It should be your insiders! Pitch first to those who have already invested. They are the most likely to give you direct and honest feedback to help you make your pitch better. They’re also more likely than anyone …
I love the 20 minute VC podcast. It’s the perfect amount of time and Harry Stebbings does a great job attracting interesting guests and asking them the right questions. I was honored when asked to be on the show, here’s that episode. Harry asks me questions like: How did I make the transition from Founder …
The term “lead investor” is often code. Just like the word “quaint” is code in the real estate business for “small.” Let me know when you have a lead investor. Loosely translated, these words often actually mean “I’m not ready to commit.” You see, many angel and seed investors view it as their job to …
We’ve been running Techstars for almost a decade now. Every time we select ten or so companies for one of our accelerator programs, there’s some kind of group dynamic at play. Multiple smart people are in a room debating which of the 1,000 or so companies we’re considering should be funded. And those rooms are …
I define “web infrastructure” companies as those (at least initially) targeted primarily at developers. They typically take the form of APIs and make life easier on the web for developers. I’ve invested early in many such companies including SendGrid, Twilio, FullContact, Stream and RunScope. Recently, one of our newer portfolio companies was looking for some advice …
At Techstars, my partners and I have been using the term “tricky pool shot” quite a bit lately. We’re seeing more and more startups that have to accomplish something difficult as an ante in order to get to the point where they’ll have the opportunity to do the thing they really want to do. The other type …