How to Respond to Sideliners (It’s Not the Critic Who Counts)
We use the term “sideliners” for those people that love to tear down other companies and products without frankly having any credence to do so. Most often sideliners haven’t done and/or don’t want to do the hard work and sacrifice over the long term that it takes to succeed.
Startup Investing Isn’t Just Local Anymore
Many people still prefer to primarily invest in companies located within their local ecosystem. Their reasons assume that the geographic proximity of the founding team to their office enables better communication in helping build, scale and fund the company through its rounds.
Results Always Win
You can read about everyone’s success, or you can start building yours. You can hire and spend, but if you don’t sell, then it’s only a façade. You can overpromise and underdeliver or win the hearts and trust of everyone each month with an upside.
The Fundraising Rollercoaster
My wife and I just got back from frolicking around LA with our four young kids for a week with, of course, stops in Disneyland and Knots Berry Farm. Interspersed between rides and bathroom stops, I was on the phone helping a handful of companies that we have funded in the Promus Ventures community raise addit
Conviction Is a Two-Way Street
Conviction is a two-way street. Without it, investors and founding teams will not succeed, and both groups are searching for it in each other.
The “Hard” in Hardware
So the world is now flocking to hear the music of hardware startups. Kickstarter is rockin’ with all types of makers testing the market for prototype demand and feedback. The press is full of flowing prose for founding teams that are “taking the offline online” and creating “the internet of things.” I
Syndicates, Backers, and Angels Oh My!
I’ve mentioned AngelList before and Promus Ventures is a strong supporter of the platform and privileged to be an investor in the company. They just came off quite a week.
When Bureaucracy Grounds Tech (BoulderHelp)
The Falcon UAV is a small unmanned aircraft system that has received an FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA) in conjunction with the Mesa County (CO) Sheriff’s Office for flight operations covering all 3,300 square miles of jurisdiction.
The Secret of Distributed Teams
San Francisco-based Sqwiggle recently announced its seed round fundraising and we’re excited to be an investor. It also was AngelList’s first “Syndicates” deal, and 30% of the $1.1M round was raised through this new tool for angel investors on the AngelList platform.
How to View Competition — Don’t Be That Guy!
Don’t be that guy that freaks out every time you hear a new startup has entered your space. View it as market validation. Don’t be that guy who spreads rumors and bashes his competition in private and public conversations. Rather embrace the competition and know that it makes you better.