For years I’ve worked very closely with two individuals who get extremely excitable, to the point of anger and frustration, when they’re expressing their point of view. These two people happen to be among the smartest people I’ve ever met. However, they often deliver their feedback accompanied by something very off-putting such as the following gem: …
When an investor says “Yes,” that doesn’t mean you can stop communicating with them. Unfortunately, that’s often exactly what happens. Entrepreneurs will take a Yes from an investor and then proceed to shut down all communication until it’s time to close the round. This is where many deals are lost–between the Yes and the close. I can think of several examples where …
It’s time to take a quick look back at companies that have presented at Open Angel Forum here in Boulder so far. There have been 9 events. Companies that participated have gone on to raise well over $100M and have over 400 employees. Pretty awesome. The full list of companies that participated in the past …
Which is more important for your startup–a big vision or a specific focus? Lately I’ve been hearing about this dilemma from several companies I work with through Techstars. These companies have mentors or advisors telling them they need a big, bold vision to draw others to the company, attract investors and be viewed as thought …
An investor asks you a simple, direct question: “Have you ever lost a customer because they couldn’t figure out how to install your product?” Your answer might be: “No, that has never happened.” Or maybe: “Yes, that has happened once.” It was a short answer, but you answered the damn question. This is where it …
Your precious public pitch. You prepare, practice, polish and finally, present it. I know, that’s a lot of “P” words. Here’s one more: Purpose. Never lose track of the reason you’re pitching to begin with. You aren’t pitching investors in order to get them to make a decision. The purpose of your pitch is to get a meeting. …