venture capital Archives

How to Start Your Startup – Whether You Need Code or Capital, Start Here.

Monday, 05 March 2018 by SEO'Brien

By FAR, the greatest mistake that startup founders make is that they start with the wrong things. They tend to have an assumption or desire about how to solve a problem and they go. You read that “startup” book that tells all you need to know… you went to a meetup or networking event that

Published in Startups

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Overcoming Obstacles: How Startups Prevent a Hiccup in Due Diligence

Monday, 18 September 2017 by SEO'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

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Published in Startups

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Conspire to Change Austin Startups

Friday, 11 August 2017 by SEO'Brien

Peter Thiel, notable by way of PayPal, Founders Fund, and Zero to One, if you’re not familiar, noted once that, “a great company is a conspiracy to change the world.” I was honored recently to be asked by one of Austin’s great mentors and investors, Ryan Merket, to keynote Amazon’s AWS Startup Day in Austin.

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Published in Startups

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

Thursday, 22 June 2017 by SEO'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 SEO'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 Featured, Startups

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

Friday, 06 January 2017 by SEO'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

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Growth Hacking for Investors

Sunday, 27 November 2016 by SEO'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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