funding Archives - Page 6 of 10

How Some Startups are Able to Attract Venture Capital Though They’ve Just Begun

Tuesday, 11 December 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Three things matter most to investors. THREE. You read a ton of content about validation, MVP, customers, revenue, etc. All of those perspective are platitudes; they’re meant to inspire you that you CAN or teach you how you MIGHT. End of the day, three things matter, period: Outcome. Can this exit? Will it? No ROI

Published in Startups

42 Comments

How the “Bootstrap Culture” of a Place like Austin Changes Entrepreneurship From an “Equity Culture” of a Place Like Silicon Valley

Tuesday, 27 November 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Bootstrap or VC? It’s a question on so many minds as entrepreneurship flourishes beyond Silicon Valley, in cities where venture capital seems inaccessible. It’s a question that not a day goes by in which it doesn’t come up for me, based in Austin, TX, having professional roots along Sand Hill Road. What strikes me as

bootstrap bootstrapping culture economic development entrepreneurship funding investment philosophy startups venture capital

Published in Insights / Research, Regional Development, Startups

14 Comments

Let’s Get Something Straight, ALL Entrepreneurs are Bootstrapping

Wednesday, 14 November 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Do Venture Backed Entrepreneurs look down upon Bootstrapped Entrepreneurs? Asked of me, on Quora, and I thought, WTF?! Let’s get something clear because such distinctions are misleading, inaccurate, and aggravating. ALL entrepreneurs are bootstrapped entrepreneurs. Every single one. The only people who start out with funding are privileged and more rare than Unicorns. They aren’t

boostrapping bootstrap entrepreneurship funding investment vc

Published in Startups

11 Comments

On the Challenges Facing an Angel Investor

Wednesday, 14 November 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Angel investment is a distinct *source* of capital that it’s important to distinguish from “seed money,” funding from angel groups, venture capital, money from an incubator, or even an early investment from someone with later stage expectations. In my time in Silicon Valley, with New York, and in Texas, what is glaringly obvious is that

angel investment angel investors funding seed money startup investing venture capital

Published in Startups

1 Comment

Getting to Know Your Venture Capitalist

Tuesday, 28 August 2018 by Paul O'Brien

There are two types of people in the world. Those who know what they’re doing and those who don’t. Your challenge, as an entrepreneur raising capital, is to discern the difference. Even with the very best of intentions, wealth doesn’t necessarily = experience, good advice, and sound decisions. In venture capital this fact can lead to disastrous

angel angels funding investment investors vcs venture capital venture capitalists

Published in Startups

No Comments

Venture Capital in Texas

Thursday, 26 July 2018 by Paul O'Brien

The last time I had an opportunity to do this at such a scale was during Amazon’s Startup Day. What is the state of the Texas venture capital ecosystem? Interestingly, personally, since speaking for Amazon, Austin has been hemming and hawing about HQ2 and while the merit of that happening or not, is fodder for

funding investing startups texas vc venture capital

Published in Startups, Insights / Research

No Comments

The VCs I Read

Wednesday, 04 July 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Last thought first: How do we follow all of these great mentors and writers? Here’s a Twitter List to Follow <- Subscribe there and you’ll get all of their posts I’ve spent years, week after week, dropping to entrepreneurs some of the names of VC blogs and bloggers I love. In every Incubator and session I

angel investors funding investment investors startups vc venture capital

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

8 Comments