When you think of what makes up a VC investing strategy: Your mind probably gravitates to these 2 things: Investment thesis (sector/type of company) Preferred stage (seed, Series A, etc) But sometimes: It’s not that simple! And there’s a 3rd element that gets thrown into the mix. Some firms talk about that 3rd thing transparently. … Read more
Seeing 3 important trends for SMB focused SaaS startups that VC friends should take note of… Macro theme? Doing things that don’t scale (here’s the catch 👉) but doing it as the MEANS for scaling. What do I mean? Here are 3 examples 👇 1) Concierge Migration At no charge, new SaaS company will migrate … Read more
You know what an entrepreneur’s idea of torture is? Due diligence. Why? Because it can be so dang one way. The VC asks a zillion questions. Requests a trillion documents. And then sends a million follow ups: That the founder needs to chase down. What’s happening here? Diligence is being done TO them. So as … Read more
You’ve heard me say before that VC is competitive. Usually I’m talking about breaking into the industry. But once you’re in? That competition DOES NOT not let up. Then it’s about competing to get your firm’s money into the best startups. If you can do that … … just maybe, you can keep your seat … Read more
In about 30 minutes, whilst imbibing my AM coffee: I figured out how to get ChatGPT (paid version) to make a basic market map. VCs need to create these all the time. And if you’re trying to break in, you’ll be making a few I’m sure. With what I’m about to share, you’ll be able … Read more
Navigating the VC job market can feel like a marathon. Heck, it is a marathon. And you’re going to need to play the numbers: Applying for a ton of roles that you find on my blog, or elsewhere. But there’s a mistake … … a mistake I absolutely do not want you to make if … Read more
If you want to break into VC: Building and flexing your sourcing 💪 is critical. A key way to do this is by introducing VCs to the founders you meet. ✋ But not so fast! Before introducing a startup to a VC, think about these 3 things: Can you make a glowing endorsement? An introduction … Read more
If you’re about to take the plunge into angel investing, or you’re finding it hard to get started: Here’s a tip. Most startups that are raising money will have a minimum check size they’ll take. (I’ve seen this minimum be $25k for most angel/seed deals I’ve been involved with, although YMMV) If you’re not ready … Read more
What if angels and VCs collaborated like pop stars do? A couple of investors would get together for a song (I mean a deal) or three. And then go their separate ways. I’m not talking about the typical deal sharing that all VCs do. I’m talking about a VC fund that’s sized for, oh, 3 … Read more
As you get further along in your investing career: VCs will start to ping you for hot takes on founders or companies they’re looking at. They might be trying to get a read on the sector where that company’s operating. Or sometimes they’ll want to get a quick read on the founder. One of these … Read more
