Raising Capital Archives - Startup Economist

Your Startup Pitch is Bad; Let me Explain How I Know

Thursday, 27 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been pushing us to question traditional startup methodologies such as lean startup or how venture capitalists discern investments, through an exploration with you of First Principles Thinking and the Bell Mason Diagnostic. In fact, I’m not inherently a detractor of either, rather frequently advocating that founders need to

Published in Raising Capital

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The Bell Mason Diagnostic and First Principles Thinking in Venture Capital

Thursday, 20 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Why Venture Capital Needs a First Principles Overhaul Venture capital is broken. Not in the “bubble’s about to pop” and certainly not in the sense that so many are pissed off because they aren’t getting funded, but in the “founders keep getting bad funding advice from firms still operating on outdated, ineffective methodologies” sense. In the

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

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What the Best Angel Investors Do Differently in Startup Investing

Tuesday, 28 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

The rush to become an angel investor mirrors the increase in the appeal of the “celebrity entrepreneur” we’ve seen over the last couple of decades. To flourish, the investor community must consolidate more (i.e. become an LP in a fund vs doing our own thing) and those who remain independent must level up their value-add. I

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

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Venture Capital Manifests for Opportunity: It’s Not Available to Serve

Monday, 06 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

For economic development professionals, community builders, and government officials committed to fostering entrepreneurship, it’s all too common to hear founders lament that a “lack of capital” is their most significant challenge. Yet, curiously, a lack of capital is rarely cited as a leading cause of startup failure. This disconnect points to a deeper, systemic issue

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

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When Founders Need Referrals to Meet Investors, Fix This About Your Startup Ecosystem

Friday, 08 November 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In a well-functioning startup ecosystem, founders should know who their potential investors are and how to connect with them. In a supportive startup ecosystem, founders should know how to develop ventures that attract attention, supported by journalists and ecosystem leaders who promote fundable startups, so that investors engage them. Yet, we often see founders struggling

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

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“I have an Idea but lack Experience or Startup Capital…”

Monday, 09 September 2024 by Paul O'Brien

This is one of those frequently heard statements that helps a startup ecosystem recognize that gaps remain. Last week, I pushed founders and economists to recognize the distinction between innovation and technology (between startups and businesses), and from that, I was asked for advice too frequently asked, “How can I capitalize on an app idea

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Published in Raising Capital, Startups

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A Startup Pitch is NOT a Sales Pitch!

Monday, 24 October 2022 by Paul O'Brien

More than half the pitches I heard this past week went like this, and I want to share this to stress how significantly you should understand how this is NOT a good pitch if you need investors: 1. This is our solution2. This is how it works and all our great features3. We’ve sold it

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Published in Raising Capital

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