Riding a Wave of Hype: Blockchain, AI, VR & More
My friends at Angel Camp visited us today, and we discussed how to invest in startups. One of the best questions was how do you know if a tend is worth investing in or overhyped?
MY ANSWER: Don’t bet on the trend alone. You need to look deeper. You need to analyze what value the startup is creating for their customers. It’s not enough to be using a new technology like AI or blockchain.
Should You Raise Venture Capital for your Startup?
Before forgoing venture capital, I want you to honestly ask yourself these questions:
• Do you like the idea of living off of rice and beans for years?
• Do you mind slaving shoulder-to-shoulder with underpaid, sweaty teammates in a space far too small?
• Can you handle the endless nagging of concerned friends and relatives?
• Are you skilled at begging?
• How about convincing your team to stick with it and not to get real jobs?
Captain Hoffman: How to Become a Unicorn Start-up
As an entrepreneur and an investor, do you often ask yourself: what is the difficult part of being creative? When will my innovation be profitable? And is it really the idea that lies at the heart of entrepreneurial success?
Cap Tables Made Easy as Pie
You’ll like this new cap table tool…
https://captable.io
Build and share your cap table, conveniently and securely in the cloud. Create and issue stock classes and convertible instruments.
Convertible Notes: How They Work & What You Need to Know
I tried to put all the basic resources in one place…
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Convertible Note Seed Financings
http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/07/convertible-note-seed-financings/
How Convertible Debt Works
http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2011/10/how-convertible-debt-works.html
Orrick Convertible Note Term Sheet Creator
https://tsc.orrick.com/
Convertible Note Template
http://www.docracy.com/2740/convertible-note-term-sheet-template
Why Convertible Notes Are Sometimes Terrible For Startups
http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/05/why-convertible-notes-are-sometimes-terrible-for-startups/
Revisiting Paul Graham’s “High Resolution” Financing
http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/09/25/revisiting-paul-grahams-high-resolution-financing/
Is Convertible Debt Preferable to Equity?
http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/08/30/is-convertible-debt-preferable-to-equity/
Series Seed is a Viable Option
http://www.seriesseed.com/
I Put $100k into My Startup and Now I Want to Raise Capital from VCs — Should I Treat this $100k as a Loan? What’s Fair?
If your startup is really hot, investors probably won’t object to having your $100k treated as a loan. However, most investors don’t like the idea of their capital going to payback founder loans. After all, they are investing in the company and want 100% of their capital to be put into growing the business.
With this in mind, it may be in your best interest to consider your investment as a non-reimbursable expense. That’s what investors would prefer.
The Best Startup Pitch Decks
The Best Startup Investor Pitch Deck
http://bestpitchdecks.com/
Best Pitch Deck Examples on SlideShare
http://bitly.com/bundles/royrod/2
6 Awesome Investor Pitch Decks
http://investorpitches.com/6-awesome-investor-pitch-decks-that-any-entrepreneur-can-learn-from/
The Pitch Deck That Helped A Startup Land $6 Million
http://www.businessinsider.com/seed-round-pitch-deck-tempate-2013-8?op=1
Play it Safe with Y Combinator’s SAFE: Simple Agreement for Future Equity
Every founder should look into the “Safe Financing Documents” by Y Combinator.
http://ycombinator.com/safe/
The Safe (simple agreement for future equity) is intended to replace convertible notes in most cases, and we think it addresses many of the problems with convertible notes while preserving their flexibility. In addition to being simpler and clearer, we intend the safe to remain fair to both investors and founders.
These are new, so not all investors accept them yet. But they will eventually become a viable alternative to traditional convertible notes.
AngelList Syndicates: How They Affect VCs & Funding
Battery Ventures’ Brian O’Malley talks about AngelList Syndicates and how they’ll change the ecosystem.
Ask Jay About Angel Investors vs. VCs
What’s the real difference between angels and venture capitalists and which should I choose?
Should International Startups Rely on CrowdFunding? Jon Medved, founder of OurCrowd, Believes So!
Jon Medved is the founder of OurCrowd, an Israeli online crowd-funding platform.
Angels vs. Venture Capitalists vs. Crowd Funding
Moderator:
A. Raul Hernandez
Audit and Advisory Partner
Hood & Strong, LLP
Speaker:
Thomas Korte
Founder
AngelPad
The Truth About Venture Capital in New York
How do you get VC funded in NY city? Find out…
SPEAKERS:
- Brad Burnham, Partner, Union Square Ventures
- Amish Jani, Founder & Managing Director, FirstMark Capital
- Brian Hirsch, Managing Partner, Tribeca Venture Partners
- David Silverman, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Venture Capital in the UK and Portugal
Venture Capital Leaders in the UK and Portugal.
SPEAKERS:
* Anne Glover — CEO, Amadeus Capital Partners, London (UK)
* José da Franca — Chairman, Portugal Ventures, Lisbon
FEATURED COMPANIES:
* Amadeus Capital Partners: http://www.amadeuscapital.com
* Portugal Ventures: http://www.portugalventures.pt
Dana Mead Talks About How to Understand Venture Capital
Dana Mead joined Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as a partner in May 2005 to work in the firm’s life sciences practice. He leverages experience accrued from his venture-funded, startup management roles and board participation to support entrepreneurs and innovators dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of millions suffering from life-limiting diseases. Dana serves on the boards of Apnicure, Awarepoint, Corventis, Inspire Medical Systems, Intersect ENT, Invuity, Pulmonx, Spiracur, Spinal Modulation, Teladoc and Voyage Medical.