investors Archives - Startup Economist

The Personality of your VC Matters, Ask Investors their MBTI

Friday, 28 June 2024 by Paul O'Brien

It would seem I struck a bit of a chord the other day, pushing the popular Myers-Briggs personality assessments well beyond the overdone “What’s the best Myers-Briggs Personality of Entrepreneurs?” to instead share what personalities make the best startup advisors. Begging then the question of whether or not personalities correlate with quality startup investors. A

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

14 Comments

Founders, VCs Might Not Like My Sharing This, But They Should

Thursday, 21 September 2023 by Paul O'Brien

One of the more challenging skills to help develop in a founder, is being able to discern b.s. from experienced and valid advice. As you might imagine (and I hope you can relate from the all too prolific frequency with which this happens), it’s particularly difficult to know how to put questions back on a

advice advisors angel investors entrepreneurship investors startups vc venture capital

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

13 Comments

I’m Afraid VCs Will Take Over

Tuesday, 17 January 2023 by Paul O'Brien

How do startup founders protect their company from investors in the shareholders’ agreement? Should they? Protect from what?? Seriously, think about it for a moment. The startup community is flooded with people who ‘don’t want VC,’ think, ‘investors will take over,’ and fear the influence or control of investors. This paranoia is a problem in

entrepreneurship funding investors startups venture capital

Published in Startups

18 Comments

Asked: What Stops VCs from Investing in Foreign Companies?

Monday, 25 January 2021 by Paul O'Brien

Nothing, it happens all the time. Yet, the question is common, frequently asked; begging a question its own – what are startups struggling with that they think that foreign investors won’t invest? Start with this appreciation: investing in startups is the riskiest use of capital, in the world. Gambling at a casino is more likely

entrepreneurship foreign funding global investors U.S.venture capital worldwide

Published in Insights / Research, Raising Capital, Regional Development, Startups

9 Comments

The 5 Reasons Investors Pass on Startups

Monday, 10 June 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Is it that simple? Let’s try… I’ve explored before HOW startups fail and article after article after article ponders why they fail. I hope we can agree on a simple fact that IF a startup is going to fail, investors would rather not be involved. Yes? So might it be as simple? Investors consider countless

funding investment investors venture capital

Published in Featured, Startups

26 Comments

How Startups and Small Businesses Differ When it Comes to Funding

Monday, 04 March 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Funding doesn’t determine a startup from a small business; the nature of the business determines the funding. Twist of logic perhaps, so let’s explore it. Very frequently, I find small businesses looking to raise venture capital; let me cut to the chase that such efforts are almost always wasting their time. The distinctions between small

angel investors capital financing funding investors local business raising money small business startup venture capital

Published in Startups

8 Comments

Funding a Venture Before Angel Investors

Monday, 04 March 2019 by Paul O'Brien

This is a tough question to broach with entrepreneurs but it’s one that comes up almost daily. From where does the money come to start?? There is a reason most entrepreneurial success is found by people in their 40s… being able to leverage a network, drawing from experience, and having the money available to start

angel investment angel investors angels funding investment investors

Published in Startups

2 Comments