“Failure is Not an Option”…Yes it is. It just isn’t the one we want. As entrepreneurs, there is significant pressure from the start-up and venture community to ensure a meteoric rise for our venture’s success. So we tell ourselves words that are meant to encourage, but are actually detrimental. I can think of none more egregious than, “Failure is Not an Option.” I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard … [Read more...]
TheUC 020: Think Like a Venture Capital Investor
Learn the three key venture capital investment fallacies and how to avoid them so that you can be successful in fund raising for your venture. Understand the venture capital investor perspective and priorities so you can get in front of the right investor at the right time with the right opportunity. So what do venture capital investors want? Fundamentally they want to make money. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will always have that priority. Venture capital investors will tell … [Read more...]
TheUC 019: The View from the Venture Capital Investor’s Chair
Venture capital investing and entrepreneurship one of the riskiest business paths to take. The great irony is that most of the folks involved in venture capital investing are perversely risk adverse. When raising money from venture capital investors, it helps to know what the view is like from their side of the table and what ultimately drives their decision making process. … [Read more...]
TheUC 008: Selling and Presenting Yourself
Putting yourself out there effectively in the business world is essential. Whether you are pitching to investors, selling your product, building a customer base, recruiting, or interviewing, you are at some level selling yourself. Presenting yourself in a successful way is very challenging. Some are 'too slick,' and some are downright squeamish about presenting themselves. This episode discusses the many different audiences that you will need to present yourself while offering tactics for … [Read more...]
TheUC 006: Pitching Your Venture – Tell A Great Story to Get Investor Interest
Getting attention for your business is all about the story you tell. It isn't enough for your product to be excellent. If you can't relay your opportunity in a compelling way, you will not get the investor, customer, or personnel interest that is critical for business success. This episode goes through how to put together a compelling pitch so you can best articulate the value of your venture. … [Read more...]
TheUC 004: Why Do I Need A Business Plan?
Does having a Business Plan really matter? The truth is that you can still get lucky without one, and many are teaching and advising entrepreneurs to just get out there. But it is dangerous and costly to throw a whole bunch of stuff at the wall just to see what sticks if anything sticks at all. It might get you into a market place faster, but it may very well be the wrong one, and all you’ve done is to pave the way for someone else to step over your carcass and garner the value of your … [Read more...]