January 2011
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How to Pitch Irrational Investors
Venture capitalists are not rational: you have to be at least partly insane to believe you can pick the next Google, Fedex, Netflix etc. There are a lot of great resources out there to help startups create pitch decks for investors, but almost all miss the bigger picture: you have to emotionally connect with investors and appeal to that irrational part of their brain, while at the same time...
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Areas of Interest (v2)
Just under a year into my existence in the world of startups and venture capital I wrote a post on my areas of interest. Almost a year later, my perspective has just about completely changed. First, lessons learned:
There’s a ton I don’t know, and learning it is hard (if you don’t care). Gaining experience is a gradual process, and it’s best to start with what you know,...
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Startup Fundraising: Pet Peeves
As a follow up to a request from a friend, here are a few that immediately come to mind:
Pre-Investment
Insisting on meeting before sending a deck. I love meeting entrepreneurs, but often there are time constraints and it’s best if you don’t force a meeting without first establishing fit. Also, meetings are much more productive when we can dive into the materials ahead of time and...
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Join a Startup. Here's How.
I’m a startup proselytizer. Anyone not working at a startup who’s had coffee or a meal with me will tell you that at some point in our conversation I probably slipped in something about working at a startup. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn, make a difference, see results, have responsibility, etc. and I think everyone should at least try it once. Here’s how:
Immerse...