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Thursday, 19 December 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Why Pipelines Trump Customers: Rethinking Value Creation in Startups It’s often said that “every startup needs customers.” That’s true. Without someone paying for your product or service, you don’t have a business. But this oft-repeated mantra misses the mark entirely when it comes to understanding value creation—the kind of value venture capitalists care about. Owning

Published in Data, Insights / Research, Startups

5 Comments

When Founders Need Referrals to Meet Investors, Fix This About Your Startup Ecosystem

Friday, 08 November 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In a well-functioning startup ecosystem, founders should know who their potential investors are and how to connect with them. In a supportive startup ecosystem, founders should know how to develop ventures that attract attention, supported by journalists and ecosystem leaders who promote fundable startups, so that investors engage them. Yet, we often see founders struggling

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

20 Comments

Rethinking Startup Ecosystems to Build What Investors Really Want

Monday, 28 October 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In most of the world, startups are in disrepair. No more effectively can we just reboot or defrag a computer to actually fix it, than we can try again and again to host demo days, networking events, and run incubators, expecting different results, when there is a virus in the system. Begging the question, that,

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Published in Economic Development, Industry, Insights / Research, Local, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

42 Comments

SEC’s Enhanced Disclosure Rules Could Transform Startup Fundraising

Monday, 28 October 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Monday Ventures: Weekly What’s Shaping the Startup Economy In late October, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) passed new rules on private capital raise disclosures that have drawn widespread attention in the startup community. Historically, private companies and venture capitalists in the U.S. have enjoyed relatively light regulation in fundraising disclosures, which has allowed

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Published in Monday Ventures

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The 6 Considerations of the Economic Development of Startups

Thursday, 29 August 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In my work with cities throughout the world, guiding how to foster entrepreneurship, few realize or fully appreciate that the experiences of my life inform what works and what doesn’t, in a region of the world trying to help startups. Raised in Michigan, I spent years exposed to what it means to have a city

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Published in Economic Development, Featured, Insights / Research, Startup Ecosystems, Startups

12 Comments

What it Takes to Make Your City “Next” in Innovation

Friday, 29 September 2023 by Paul O'Brien

So, the guy who chose and loves Austin has some thoughts about the potential of Houston. I had a chance to sit with Chris Howard during their interview series when in Austin, for Forging the Future through Softeq, where we talked about how culture and distinction draws entrepreneurship, tech, and capital. How Houston is on

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Published in Economic Development, Startups

8 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

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Published in Insights / Research, Startups

13 Comments