Venture Hacks

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Entries Tagged as 'VC Industry'

"Angel investors are becoming the dominant force in consumer internet venture capital"

December 22nd, 2009 · 1 Comment · Angels, VC Industry

Bill Burnham, hedge fund manager and former VC: “Angel investors are becoming the dominant force in Consumer Internet Venture capital. The vacuum created by the withdrawal of VCs from traditional Seed and Series A opportunities in the Consumer Internet space has been filled by a motley collection of angel investors. It is angel investors, not [...]

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Vinod Khosla: "Big opportunities are changing the structure of society"

October 16th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Interview, Investment Theses, VC Industry

There’s an outstanding interview with Vinod Khosla on PBS’s web site. Here are some of the highlights. On the real big opportunities: “The real big opportunities are changing the infrastructure of society. We are talking about things like the $200 billion engines market for automobiles and trucks, things like lighting, billions of dollars spent on [...]

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Randy Komisar’s 'The Monk and the Riddle'

June 25th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Books, Entrepreneurs, Value Add, VC Industry

More wisdom from Randy Komisar‘s The Monk and the Riddle (emphasis added): Passion “So why were they doing this? Why was it worth their time? I am always amazed that venture capitalists don’t ask that question. Perhaps at this point everyone assumes it’s obvious: to get rich. “Passion and drive are not the same at [...]

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Tom Perkins of Kleiner Perkins Interviewed

January 21st, 2008 · Comments Off · Interview, Quotes, Timing, VC Industry

Tom Perkins from Kleiner Perkins slaps us with knowledge in this interview with Creative Capital. Here are some choice quotes from the beating: On Timing “It’s always a good time to be in venture capital.” “You can’t look at the stock market and decide whether or not to invest in a startup.” “The growth of [...]

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M&A Hacks

October 25th, 2007 · Comments Off · M&A, Resources, VC Industry

Suzanne Dingwall Williams is publishing M&A hacks on her excellent blog, Venture Law Lines. She call the series: ‘Selling the Startup’, Selling the Startup: Can you sell your subscriber base? “Recently, a new client received a very favourable takeover offer for her business, including its subscriber base. Problem: the privacy policy did not permit her [...]

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Should I sell my company or raise capital?

October 17th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Entrepreneurs, M&A, VC Industry

Q: Should I sell my company or raise capital and go for it? Sell if it dramatically changes the lives of the founders and the early team. Every dollar after your “fuck you money” is icing—get your financial independence first and make the icing at your next company. You can also use an earn-out at [...]

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Is the VC Industry Doomed?

October 16th, 2007 · 1 Comment · Reverse Diligence, VC Industry

Q: Is the venture capital industry doomed? No. Venture capital invested in the U.S. is increasing and VCs are a critical part of the startup ecosystem—I’m grateful they exist. The rate of innovation is increasing and that innovation needs capital to get in customer’s hands. Capital invested in startups is going to increase, not decrease. [...]

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What's the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make?

October 14th, 2007 · 1 Comment · Auctions, Board of Directors, Protective Provisions, Valuation, VC Industry

Q: What’s the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when they’re raising money? Entrepreneurs focus on valuation when they should be focusing on controlling the company through board control and limited protective provisions. Valuation is temporary, control is forever. For example, the valuation of your company is irrelevant if the board terminates you and you lose your [...]

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Why investors don't always do the right thing

August 3rd, 2007 · Comments Off · Mis-alignment, Resources, VC Industry

In Understanding Why Your VC Is Acting Crazy, Bill Burnham, a former Partner at Mobius Venture Capital and Softbank Capital Partners, describes why investors don’t always do the right thing for your business: “One thing that many entrepreneurs don’t fully appreciate is just how much the financial and organizational dynamics within a VC fund can [...]

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