If you’re reading this, chances are you’re either: a) a founder/CEO or b) someone considering starting a company. Either way, if you want to build something big and lasting, this is for you. There are many formulas for business success, but many more pitfalls. There’s a reason 70–90% of businesses fail (depending on your source)....
Surprise, surprise… Uber got shit on by public markets. How long would you be willing to trade a dollar for fifty cents… Is the era of unsustainable, unprofitable growth over? Or is another WeWork in the cards? And what exactly is the future of transportation and ridesharing? I recently interviewed Jarrett Walker (a world-renowned urban infrastructure...
The Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising Part 3: The Killer Startup Pitch Deck VCs Can’t Ignore! Welcome back to Part 3 of our Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising. If you missed the previous posts, I highly recommend you read through those first before continuing. The Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising Part 1: Understanding Investors 101:...
Founders can change the world and still profit in the process There’s a growing trend in startups to actually give a shit, to make something that unlike the next photosharing app, actually makes the world a better place. Call this milleniallism, call this common sense… whatever it is, it’s a good thing. Whether it’s TOMS,...
As a technologist and angel investor, I am very interested in blockchain. The ability to rewrite the internet and operating system of trust has massive economic, political and societal implications. This convergence creates opportunities. What is Liquidity? Liquidity is defined as a market’s ability to purchase or sell an asset without causing drastic change in...
VCs Need to Stop Funding Nonsense We all only have so much time in this world — whether you live to 50, 80 or 153 (like I’m shooting for) — our time is limited, and so too is our impact. And like life expectancy, our impact is directly proportional to our beliefs. Said another way:
The Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising Part 2: The Memorable Elevator Pitch that VCs Can’t Ignore Welcome back to Part 2 of our Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising. If you missed the previous post, I highly recommend you read through those first before continuing. The Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising Part 1: Understanding Investors 101: The...
The Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising Part 1: Understanding Investors 101: The Pros and Cons of Angel Investors, VCs, Angel Groups, Syndicates and Venture Debt Welcome to Part 1 of our Ultimate Guide to Startup Fundraising. If you missed the previous posts, I highly recommend you read through those first before continuing. The Ultimate Guide...
Two days ago I had the privilege of moderating a roundtable with some of the smartest futurists and forward thinkers in the industry. Our panelists included Tim O’Reilly, James Allworth, Ben Gilbert and Jeff Morris Jr. It was an interesting experience. They say you are the average of the 5 people in your life and...
“Moving first is a tactic, not a goal….It’s much better to be a last mover.” — Peter Thiel On the surface this seems contrarian. When is being last better than being first? Steve Jobs understood this. Apple didn’t make the 1st MP3 player or the 1st smartphone. Yet in consumer tech, Apple is synonymous with both. That was no accident....