Put simply, one’s “value proposition” is the reason why your product works. When an enterprise or consumer initially encounters your product, their immediate reaction will tell you if you have something that is special or just another interesting idea.

The venture capital vernacular has been around for decades. Round sizes morph (“old” versus “new” Series A) and new classes emerge (“super angels” and “micro-VCs”) but I continue to hear some investors talk like this…

I’ve heard some recent stories of short-fused expiration dates on term sheets for competitive rounds. No, this doesn’t mean we’re in a bubble but it does signal a lot about these investors.

I’ve riffed on silly VC comments before, but here are some actual founder statements in various emails/decks I’ve recently received (oh come on, let’s have some fun).

Every six months around a certain prestigious accelerator’s demo day event, my Twitter feed lights up about how high seed valuations are in today’s market.

The glory of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is the ability for any Division I team, no matter their record, to earn an automatic bid for the 68-team tournament by winning their conference tournament (except only for Ivy League where best record goes). Once in the tournament, every team has a chance to win the national title.

At Promus Ventures, one of our favorite questions we ask founders is not “What are you building?” but “Why are you building?” As the saying goes, it all starts at the beginning. If your eyes don’t light up and your body leans in when asked why you are building what you are building, then it will be a tough road to success. Personally, I have seen this prove true throughout my life

There are some things when building a startup that just take time. Pushing too hard or too fast in certain areas may lead to future regret. At Promus Ventures, we see these mistakes all the time…

Just like fantasy football, hiring in startups is never easy. The complexities of finding and integrating people that fit with your vision and culture are great. Who to put where, when to fill the position, changing personnel – you may find yourself feeling like a NFL head coach every week.

There’s a great saying that describes going down a path that will only yield bad results: “There’s a hole in that road.” So, please, for the love of startups all over the world, avoid doing these common things that we at Promus Ventures see all the time!