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The Stress of Running a Venture Backed Startup

Friday, 17 July 2020 by
The expectations of investors, the demands of a company now more prominent in the market, but the ease of pressure in having resources available… Being venture backed doesn’t make it more stressful, nor less, it’s a matter of the stage, the expectations, and what that all means to you personally. Startup teams usually change from
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The 2 Slide Startup Pitch Deck

Monday, 29 June 2020 by
Can we connect with investors in 2 slides? It’s said that at the earliest stage, investors are looking for the right people, validation, and a market opportunity but as pitch coaches, advisors, and incubators focus on the merit of the elevator pitch or the perfect email, does it not make sense that the pitch deck
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53 Comments

The Family and the Wedding Party – Starting a Startup Team

Wednesday, 06 May 2020 by
You need to think of EVERYONE at this stage as co-founders and owners OR merely consultants (formally contracted with VERY clear terms, requirements, deliverables, and ownership). Trust me. You do not want to be in a situation where you are committing anything to anyone hired, an agency, or freelance professional – such people either need to be
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Pitching VCs from Far Far Away

Monday, 04 May 2020 by
I find your lack of pitch disturbing
Later this year, the Mandalorian returns to the small screen for Season 2 of one of the hottest reasons everyone has flocked to Disney+ While anxiously awaiting a show near the top of my Must See TV, my family and I spent the weekend binge watching Star Wars while I toiled away on a major
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Startups: Avoid Competition (don’t neglect it)

Sunday, 03 May 2020 by
Years ago, Peter Thiel provocatively proclaimed in the Wall Street Journal that “Competition Is for Losers” and I recall loving the headline not for the negative connotation implied, but for the play on words that you’re going to lose if you set out to compete. “The airlines compete with each other, but Google stands alone.
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How VCs Make Money: the 2 and 20

Tuesday, 31 March 2020 by
In downturns in the economy, it’s then that Venture Capital Funds really come to the forefront of our startup communities because it’s then that entrepreneurship shifts from a buyers market to a sellers market. Buyers vs. Seller. Some time ago, I got a little bit of s*** for suggesting that founders think of Venture Capitalists
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The Mental Health Burden of Entrepreneurship

Monday, 16 December 2019 by
In 1985, management scholar Manfred Kets de Vries wrote in Harvard Business Review, “Entrepreneurs seem to be achievement oriented, like to take responsibility for decisions, and dislike repetitive, routine work. Creative entrepreneurs possess high levels of energy and great degrees of perseverance and imagination, which, combined with willingness to take moderate, calculated risks enable them
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