venture capital Archives - Page 5 of 9

Is ‘Blitzscaling’ Choking Innovation – And Wasting Money?

Thursday, 11 July 2019 by Paul O'Brien

WIRED and Executive in Residence and faculty member at Columbia Business School, Leonard Sherman, published a great look today at the implication of substantial rounds of investment going into young companies. The idea behind the intent, known as Blitzscaling, is to fuel such innovations substantially enough that they can establish a global market share and

Published in Startups

19 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

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Published in Featured, Startups

26 Comments

The Rookie Mistake Investors Make Getting into Venture Capital

Tuesday, 02 April 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Venture capital investing is the riskier version of gambling in Las Vegas. Truly. 90% of startups fail. FEW are experienced with discerning any difference between those likely to fail and those not. What’s the rookie mistake in venture capital investing? Being a rookie. Without experience in startups, your odds are against you as much as

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Published in Insights / Research, Startups

1 Comment

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

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Published in Startups

8 Comments

How Venture Capitalists Venture

Monday, 07 January 2019 by Paul O'Brien

Did you know? Venture Capitalists get paid to manage others’ money. If someone is investing directly in your startup, and they know and love the space, having more supportive than capital based intentions, call them an Angel Investor. If someone is directly investing in your business and they want to see customers and focus on

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Published in Startups

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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

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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