theory of finance
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Komisar talks about his transition from teaching at Stanford to getting into the structured environment of venture capital firms. He discusses the things he found appealing about his job as a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers.
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Too much money in a start-up can be toxic, says angel investor Mike Maples, and that there's an inverse correlation between the amount of money a start-up receives and their success.
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Winblad talks about how VCs are generally optimistic about market uptake, so in due diligence it is important to assess whether the customers are real or imaginary. The source of most bad investments is misjudging the market risk from competitors or timing, she says.
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Making pitches is a way of life for an entrepreneur. Kawasaki provides his tips for ensuring each pitch is better than the last. His 10/20/30 rule for PowerPoint slides is essential.
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Don't live in Silicon Valley? If you're serious about business, you'd better pack your bags. The local ecosystem of ideas, entrepreneurship, and venture is so powerful, says investors Ron Conway and Mike Maples, that no other region can even come close, and that it pays to move here because every advantage counts.
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Taking its name from the early investors of classic Hollywood, Ron Conway and Mike Maples define the angel investor. In addition, they explain the differences between angel investors and venture capitalists, and point out why an angel's smaller dollars might be a better choice, as they're often paired with a network of contacts, industry expertise, a broad range of exit strategies, and tools to keep start-ups in business.
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Part of the responsibility of the angel is to help secure the VC round. Experienced entrepreneurs Ron Conway and Mike Maples lay out the blueprint for how they signal VC's about the emergence of new opportunities, and how a young operation with slow burn and trackable accomplishments is going to fetch the best investment firms.
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For a venture capital firm, the time they choose to invest in a company is important. At Mayfield Fund, Roberts explains, they either like to come in early and get a reasonable ownership of the company or take the less risky path of entering at a later stage. However, it is hard to invest in a middle stage deal where money requirements are higher and the concept has not yet been proven.
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A million dollars should last any new venture at least a year. And companies are most productive when they're less than ten people strong. These business axioms are good advice for any enterprise, says Ron Conway, investor in over 500 companies, and fellow investor Mike Maples. A lean and mean staff gets the most accomplished, and a low burn rate and ample experimentation are nearly always a calibrator for success. In addition, simultaneou...more
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Penchina discusses the process of finding entrepreneurs and then investing in them.
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Roizen talks about what she would look for in a VC. From her perspective, acquiring a VC is the only time you're getting someone to work for you and pay you at the same time. She recommends people populate their investor pool with VCs who will add value to their company.
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Smith talks about how New Ventures aims to create systems that are K-12 to provide a coherent experience to children. Incubation is important. New Schools buys run down buildings and turns them into successful schools. They do everything from recruitment to management to building, she adds.
