venture capital Archives - Startup Economist

Why Most Investors Are Wasting Their Time Ignoring Emerging Fund Managers

Wednesday, 12 March 2025 by Paul O'Brien

The most prevalent reason why I always raise my hand to speak, moderate, or host an event, is that while written content reaches millions or podcasting helps people see or hear your tone and passion, it’s only through live events that one can read the reaction of an audience, and in real time nuance the

Published in Startup Ecosystems

19 Comments

Your Startup Pitch is Bad; Let me Explain How I Know

Thursday, 27 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been pushing us to question traditional startup methodologies such as lean startup or how venture capitalists discern investments, through an exploration with you of First Principles Thinking and the Bell Mason Diagnostic. In fact, I’m not inherently a detractor of either, rather frequently advocating that founders need to

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Published in Raising Capital

11 Comments

The Bell Mason Diagnostic and First Principles Thinking in Venture Capital

Thursday, 20 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Why Venture Capital Needs a First Principles Overhaul Venture capital is broken. Not in the “bubble’s about to pop” and certainly not in the sense that so many are pissed off because they aren’t getting funded, but in the “founders keep getting bad funding advice from firms still operating on outdated, ineffective methodologies” sense. In the

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

48 Comments

Time for Congress to Reform the SEC’s Outdated Accredited Investor Definition

Thursday, 06 February 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Public policy isn’t just a framework for startups and investors, it’s a gatekeeper deciding who gets to play the game. And few policies are as restrictive as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) definition of an “accredited investor.” This definition has long determined who can and cannot invest in private securities offerings (i.e. startups), not

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Published in Startup Ecosystems, Startups

35 Comments

What the Best Angel Investors Do Differently in Startup Investing

Tuesday, 28 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

The rush to become an angel investor mirrors the increase in the appeal of the “celebrity entrepreneur” we’ve seen over the last couple of decades. To flourish, the investor community must consolidate more (i.e. become an LP in a fund vs doing our own thing) and those who remain independent must level up their value-add. I

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

23 Comments

Trump’s First Few Days for Independents

Thursday, 23 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

In the world of entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems, where disruption, innovation, and venture capital reign supreme, keeping an eye on public policy isn’t just smart — it’s essential. Government actions shape the macroeconomic environment, influence capital flows, and define the rules of the game for the next generation of innovators. With a new administration in

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Published in AI, Economic Development

48 Comments

Venture Capital Manifests for Opportunity: It’s Not Available to Serve

Monday, 06 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

For economic development professionals, community builders, and government officials committed to fostering entrepreneurship, it’s all too common to hear founders lament that a “lack of capital” is their most significant challenge. Yet, curiously, a lack of capital is rarely cited as a leading cause of startup failure. This disconnect points to a deeper, systemic issue

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

8 Comments