Raising Capital Archives - Page 2 of 3

“A VC is asking 6% for acting as an advisor…”

Friday, 27 September 2019 by Paul O'Brien

As a startup mentor, that’s the start of the all too common question from founders trying to figure out if they should part with equity to get someone involved. As a venture partner, that’s a reflection of what too many startups are offered and it’s a turn of the phrase that ranks right up there

Published in Featured, Raising Capital, Startups

104 Comments

A Different Approach to Reaching Angels and VCs

Monday, 01 May 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Spring time in Austin is always the most incredible season for entrepreneurs. Seeds are planted, bluebonnets rise, SXSW is in swing, and the world descends on the city to invent, innovate, and reach investors. This year, it seems, the startup du jour is in VR; with upwards of 300 VR related sessions and panels throughout

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Published in Startups, Featured, Raising Capital

21 Comments

How Content Creation Affects Your Funding

Monday, 16 January 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Content media site Medium announced just days ago that they are restructuring through layoffs and office closings as they “renew their focus.” Medium CEO, Ev Williams, noted that, “in building out this model, we realized we didn’t yet have the right solution to the big question of driving payment for quality content. We had started scaling up the teams to

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Published in Insights / Research, Raising Capital, Search, Social Media

4 Comments

Pitch Slap – How Your Attempt to Get Your Startup Funded is Failed by Your Pitch

Wednesday, 22 June 2016 by Paul O'Brien

You take the stage, perhaps at a demo event or perhaps even in a smaller sense, with an Angel cattle call, group of investors, or even with the press. You’ve been practicing in front of the mirror for weeks the pitch designed for you by the local incubator, crafted after Guy Kawasaki’s famous 10 slides,

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Published in Raising Capital

12 Comments

Where are Austin’s Venture Capital Firms?

Tuesday, 03 May 2016 by Paul O'Brien

Of late I’ve been exploring, discussing, and working with Austin’s venture capital economy. We’ll not belabor the ongoing discussions of the state of venture capital, lack of funding, future of financing, and otherwise here; rather, what struck me as potentially helpful is a mere layout of where venture capital is found. Certainly, before we can

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Published in Industry, Insights / Research, Raising Capital, Texas Startups

17 Comments

“Should I be raising funds?”

Friday, 07 August 2015 by Paul O'Brien

It’s a question asked so frequently, in a variety of different ways, that it finally occurred that it would be a good discussion to have. Should you be raising money? Of course the cop out is to reason that of course one should; you have revenue, customers, and you’re growing but you just can’t get

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Published in Raising Capital

7 Comments

The Pitch Deck Slide That Can Make you Look Like a Moron

Tuesday, 17 February 2015 by Paul O'Brien

Okay so perhaps implying that you might be a moron is a bit harsh but let’s be realistic, as a startup in need of funding, if you fail to secure that funding simply because you haven’t done your homework or your failure to communicate effectively, you’re a moron. I’ve explored in the past, quite a

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Published in Raising Capital, Startups

19 Comments