Recommended by elsterama on September 10, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
Yesterday we went over some the ways entrepreneurs can set themselves up for success with VCs by building a relationship far before they ever need funding. Part of that strategy involves picking the right VCs based on experience, success and, yes, even how well you get along.Continue
Recommended by elsterama on September 10, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
I have been meaning to get to discussing blue-sky opportunities at the roundtables, and this week we did some of that. During this week's roundtable we discussed an area that deserves a serious look from entrepreneurs: Rural BPO. Whether it is in the emerging markets or in the U.S., it is my sincere belief that there are numerous entrepreneurial opportunities to be tapped into. Today, I invited entrepreneurs to come up with ideas, apply the 1M/1M methodology to it, and come discuss with me at these roundtables.
Readers - if any of you have ideas, I am keen to hear from you, as well as help you refine them.Continue
Recommended by elsterama on September 9, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
A majority of the advice aimed at helping startups manage relationships with venture capitalists is tailored for when that startup is raising or has raised funding. Certainly a lot of the interaction between startups and investors takes place during and after financing rounds, but there is a lot entrepreneurs can be doing before they seek funding to set themselves up for success with VCs.Continue
Recommended by elsterama on September 8, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
One of the big debates in the venture capital industry lately has been the growing argument between so-called "super angels" and traditional VCs - the former being prone to mention how they feel the latter "sucks." As one would expect, many voices in the industry have made themselves heard in the form of VC blog posts and passionate, profanity-laced shouting matches.Continue
Recommended by elsterama on September 3, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
First up at this week's Strategy Roundtable was Cheryl Yeoh presenting CityPockets, an online destination, and an app for managing daily deals across a wide range of sites. The daily deal and group buying market has really heated up, with numerous sites offering variations on the basic value proposition. But for Cheryl, the problem is that she needs critical mass. Continue
Recommended by elsterama on September 2, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
If you're capable of seeing past the old stones of Paris and the picturesque rural villages, you'll realize that France is every bit as technologically advanced as any other Western country - more so in some areas.Continue
Recommended by elsterama on September 1, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
Last week, we looked at one of the latest reports from the investment research firm CB Insights, tracking the top venture capital firms across the U.S. in terms of their deal activity. According to that report, over the past year the top 30 firms participated in 663 unique deals (almost a quarter of all deals) with amounting to almost $9 billion in investment.Continue
Recommended by elsterama on August 30, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
In the latest example of VC chatter - wherein multiple venture capitalists simultaneously blog about a hot issue - the topic du jour is the debate between convertible debt and equity rounds. The spark came from a Friday night tweet by Y Combinator founder Paul Graham (yes, he finally joined Twitter) that declared convertible notes victorious since each of this summer's YC class opted for them.Continue
Recommended by elsterama on August 30, 2010 via ReadWriteWeb
The product you've built, the team you've assembled, the customers you've won, the growth you're predicting - all crucial for winning investor support. And you can have all those pieces in place and still blow it during your pitch. This can happen because of your demeanor or something you say. Continue
Recommended by elsterama on August 26, 2010 via Inside Facebook
While Facebook hasn’t done much with its fbFund this year, the company is still busy working to directly nurture its developer ecosystem — today, it is announcing a partnership with early stage venture firm Y Combinator to support social startups. Here’s how Facebook says it will be involved:Continue
Yesterday we went over some the ways entrepreneurs can set themselves up for success with VCs by 
I have been meaning to get to discussing blue-sky opportunities at the roundtables, and this week we did some of that. During this week's roundtable we discussed an area that deserves a serious look from entrepreneurs: Rural BPO. Whether it is in the emerging markets or in the U.S., it is my sincere belief that there are numerous entrepreneurial opportunities to be tapped into. Today, I invited entrepreneurs to come up with ideas, apply the 1M/1M methodology to it, and come discuss with me at these roundtables. 
A majority of the advice aimed at helping startups manage relationships with venture capitalists is tailored for when that startup is raising or has raised funding. Certainly a lot of the interaction between startups and investors takes place during and after financing rounds, but there is a lot entrepreneurs can be doing before they seek funding to set themselves up for success with VCs.
One of the big debates in the venture capital industry lately has been the growing argument between so-called "super angels" and traditional VCs - the former being prone to mention how they feel the latter "sucks." As one would expect, many voices in the industry have 
First up at this week's 
If you're capable of seeing past the old stones of Paris and the picturesque rural villages, you'll realize that France is every bit as technologically advanced as any other Western country - more so in some areas.
Last week, we looked at one of the latest reports from the investment research firm 
In the latest example of VC chatter - wherein multiple venture capitalists simultaneously blog about a hot issue - the topic du jour is the debate between convertible debt and equity rounds. The spark came from a 
The product you've built, the team you've assembled, the customers you've won, the growth you're predicting - all crucial for winning investor support. And you can have all those pieces in place and still blow it during your pitch. This can happen because of your demeanor or something you say. 
While 
