Use Your Competitive Analysis Slide To Get Funded
If you want your startup to get funded, then you’d better nail your competitive analysis slide. Your competitive analysis slide is an opportunity for you, the CEO, to shine. Yet sadly, too many CEOs do exactly the wrong thing and don’t take advantage of a golden opportunity. I don’t want that to happen to you. …
What’s Different Between Successful & Failed Startups?
“VC Fund A just signed the term sheet,” “Ray” said to me this morning. “That’s great news! Congratulations. That’s a great achievement on your part,” I said. A month ago, things weren’t looking as good. His two existing investors were doing everything they could to prevent the round from closing. The valuation and deal terms…
What Interview Questions Should You Ask A Potential CTO?
The easy part about hiring a VP Engineering/CTO is finding a great technologist. Yes, that’s the easy part. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. However, you stand a really good chance of hiring the wrong person if you just look for a technologist. It turns out there are…
What If Another Startup Is Doing The Same Thing As You?
I’m working with a startup right now that has 50, that’s right 50, direct competitors. 48 of the 50 competitors are startups, and the two other competitors are well known public companies. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. That’s a lot of competition to say the least. The…
What Is The Brutal Truth You Need To Know About Being A CEO?
It’s 7:35AM and it’s cold in the office. I turn on the lights because I am the first person in the building. I walk into my office, plug in my computer, and I take a sip of my Starbucks. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. They got the…
What Should Be In A Startup Board Meeting Package?
I’ve never understood why investors don’t tell startup CEOs exactly what they want to see their portfolio companies present in a board meeting. Instead, startup CEOs are left to figure it out for themselves which leads to lots of problems including the board losing faith in the CEO. None of these problems are necessary. I’ve…
When Should You Tell People About Your Startup Idea?
You can’t be afraid to socialize your idea with the right people at the right time. If you socialize your idea to the wrong people at the wrong time, then you will not get the desired effect you want. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. So, let’s say…
The Five Traits You Want In Angel Investors
The one thing that you can almost never recover from is choosing the wrong investor or investors to work with. I’ve seen the wrong investors kill or almost kill too many startups to count. I want you to know what are the five traits of good angel investors. In today’s video, I’m going to explain…
Why You Should Tell Investors About All Your Competitors
I learned a really great lesson years ago about the power of controlling the flow of information. Let me set the scene for you. I was watching a company pitch to the VC fund I was an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at. The CEO went out of his way to talk about the competition, the…
Why You Shouldn’t Have Too Many C-Level Executives
I was in the lobby of “Donald Ventures” office on Sand Hill Road after I completed my 1:1 with “Raul,” the partner leading DV’s investment in our company. One of the associates at the fund walked by me, and said hello. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. I…