funding Archives - Page 7 of 10

Overcoming Obstacles: How Startups Prevent a Hiccup in Due Diligence

Monday, 18 September 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Most of the articles you read about venture capital, and getting funded, are focused on the positive outcome – finding, meeting, and pitching the VC. Let’s take a look at a startup from the other perspective – how to avoid a “no.” If an investor takes a shine to you, they’re going to go through

Published in Startups

5 Comments

Telling a Story that Raises Capital

Tuesday, 29 August 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Shehzad Bharwani and Adnan Merchant have helped start an incredible story; a story about the role Austin will play in FinTech. It was the fact that they have a story about the work they were doing as entrepreneurs – the experience Shehzad shared with me in transitioning his company, Dealytics, from New York to Austin,

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Published in Startups

4 Comments

Frequently Asked: How can I identify venture capital companies and investors who might be interested?

Thursday, 22 June 2017 by Paul O'Brien

Where can I pitch my startup? Who will fund us? Those are the questions typically heard and occasionally, too rarely, someone asks the more valuable question, how do I figure out who will fund me? Who will fund you gets the heart of an exercise far too few startups conduct; asking the question of whether

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Published in Startups

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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

The Secret to Funding: How Many Customers You Need Before Contacting VCs

Friday, 06 January 2017 by Paul O'Brien

It might be the most frequently asked question by early entrepreneurs. If not that, the most frequently heard frustration from founders is, “I have customers, why can’t I raise capital?” Let me jump right in on the secret I’m about to reveal: customers aren’t the answer you’re seeking. Which is to say, the magic number

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Published in Startups

1 Comment

Growth Hacking for Investors

Sunday, 27 November 2016 by Paul O'Brien

I had the honor of sharing, with Austin Pre-Accelerator DivInc, some thoughts about Growth Hacking. The startup program fostering diversity in tech asked for some insight to the idea of growth hacking and I’ll admit, I struggled with how to make an hour talk about such a thing relevant to startup founders. Luckily, I find myself in

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Published in Startups

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The 8 Things Startup Founders Need to Know about SEO (and one more that will surprise)

Thursday, 06 October 2016 by Paul O'Brien

In the spirit of the great Buzzfeed content marketing hacks, here are the 8 things startup founders need to know about SEO! Honestly, what you’re in for is a non-marketing, non-search oriented exploration of why SEO is critical to startups, founders, and your success or failure as a new venture. I had the honor of

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Published in Search, Natural Search / SEO, Startups

7 Comments