startups Archives - Page 9 of 17

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

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Published in Insights / Research, Regional Development, Startups

14 Comments

Startup Founders’ Mental Health

Wednesday, 26 September 2018 by Paul O'Brien

Inspired by changes in professional sports, where a growing number of high-profile athletes have gone public with their mental health and psychological struggles, Felicis founder Aydin Senkut and partner Dasha Maggio, announced in September that Felicis Ventures will commit 1%, on top of every check the firm writes, in non-dilutive capital earmarked for “founder development”

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Published in Insights / Research, Featured, Startups

18 Comments

Might it be Said that the Purpose of an Entrepreneur is to Create Problems?

Tuesday, 18 September 2018 by Paul O'Brien

The Problem Solution Statement; a core tenet of Lean Startup and Customer Development. A phrase that conveys to founders and investors alike that the purpose of a startup is to solve a problem; an idea that leads many to believe that a pitch should lay out how the problem is being solved. With most new

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Published in Startups

6 Comments

How a Struggling Startup turns into a Successful Business

Tuesday, 04 September 2018 by Paul O'Brien

You’re here meaning you’re in the great majority of founders who struggle. According to my last “study” *ahem* of the startup economy, that’s roughly 100% of us. Imagine that. Yep, we all struggle. It might be said that the very definition of being an entrepreneur is epitomized in the one who struggles. It’s our job

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Published in Startups, Insights / Research

7 Comments

Your Startup, a CMO, and that Elusive Question of Equity

Tuesday, 28 August 2018 by Paul O'Brien

First let’s establish as fact, a couple of assumptions. This is a key role in your organization, at a distinct stage in a specific type of new company; and as a team member so critical, we need to be on the same page as to our context in working through this question. Early stage =

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Published in Insights / Research, Startups

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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

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Published in Startups, Insights / Research

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