|
Jul31
|
Chris Campbell has compiled handful of articles on the advantages and disadvantages of being first-mover in your space.
Here are a few highlights:
- Too many first-movers put too much emphasis on marketing their product and not enough on making sure their business works.
- "No advantage lasts forever, and the wise business knows that it is much harder to keep an advantage than it is to get it in the first place. First-mover status must never be a strategy in and of itself, only the prelude to a larger and longer strategic plan."
- Seth Godin: "Yes, you must be first (and right) in that market or this market.
But that doesn't mean you have to be first (and right) in the universe."
|
|
Jul30
|
Brock Blake, CEO at FundingUniverse.com, wrote a great post last week on the dangers of presenting a "half-baked deal" to an investor. One way to avoid receiving the "half-baked" label is to be cautious in the early stages of pitching...
Continue Reading
|
|
|
Steve Mercil and RAIN Source Capital are at it again. Last week, RAIN officially announced its 15th angel group in its corral: the Valley Angel Investment Fund. Mercil's group aims to set up a new group once a month, providing...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul27
|
Paul Allen (founder of MyFamily.com, Provo Labs, and FundingUniverse.com), lead me to some great news."New Jersey has a new economic development program that guarantees up to 1/3 of the investments made by angel investors in startup companies."This is probably the...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul26
|
For the past seven days I have been deep within the throws of family reunion season. By reunion season, I mean the time of year when otherwise sane members of my family plan five family reunions over a seven day...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul23
|
For those of you who don't know, July 24th is Pioneer Day in Utah -- the day Utahans honor the Mormon Pioneers who crossed the plains to settle what was then a dry, barren desert valley.I was raised in California,...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul22
|
One of the primary concerns of angel groups across the U.S. is the issue of replacing group members when they leave to get involved in the companies they invest in.Because angel grouping is a relatively new sport, a huge majority...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul21
|
Whether they like to admit it or not, angel groups and angel investors are pining for dealflow. It's the life blood of angel investing and, no matter how jaded they may become by unsuccessful investments (check out Paul Kedroski's blog...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul20
|
I'm on reunion number three (out of five!) for the summer and I'm feeling the effects. As if the reunions weren't enough, Jack, my two-year-old, and my wife are both battling the plague. Since I started writing this post, I've...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul17
|
Every rookie angel investor and entrepreneur should read Luis Villalobos' paper on valuations. Hat tip: Kelly Perdew. Here's an excerpt: "Investing isn't like heads-up hold-em poker where each player withholds information from the other and each tries to convince the...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul16
|
If I miss a deal, let me know and I'll post it asap!RhynoCyte Makes Music with Bluegrass Angels, Queen City Angels, and othersSilicon Pastures Invests in Milwaukee's ClearantMyShape Closes Round with Pasadena Angels, Possibly Working on Deal with Tech Coast...
Continue Reading
|
|
|
On Thursday, I had the chance to attend the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum's Top 25 under 5 awards ceremony honoring Utah Valley's top companies under five years old. The keynote speaker was Jason Perry, GOED's Executive Director. Among other things,...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul12
|
Luis Villalobos, Kelly Perdew, and Frank Martinez have begun raising money for Angel Led Venture Partners, a small VC fund that will specialize in partnering with angel groups to provide early round financing for startups. It sounds like ALVP is...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul11
|
Lately, I've spoken to a ton of entrepreneurs who don't want to talk to angel investors about their ideas for one of two reasons:1) They don't know if their idea is ready2) They want the angel to sign an NDA...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul 8
|
NEW Capital Fund Drops $270K into Frozen CodebaseHoly Mozes!: SMS Marketing Company Lands $750K Angel Round...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul 7
|
Jeff Clavier gives a great synopsis of of a VC Experts article that classifies the different types of angel investors.I would add one category to VCE's list: The Pretender Angel.Pretender Angels (cousins to the Tire-kicker angels) don't have the passion...
Continue Reading
|
|
|
I always sleep well at night knowing that I am involved in angel investing. It's great to know that every angel investment makes dreams come true, provides jobs, provides healthcare, promotes innovation, builds the economy, and promotes the American dream. ...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul 5
|
socaltech.com reports that the Tech Coast Angels was the leading investment group -- based on number of deals announced -- in Southern California for Q2 of this year, outpacing noted VCs like Oak Partners and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.TCA is clearly...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul 4
|
I've blogged in the past about the role angel investing has played in giving America its reputation as the land of opportunity. This Independence Day, as I plod my way through McCullough's John Adams, I'm reminded that there are and...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul 3
|
I went to an angel event last week and, to make a long story short, discovered that many of the entrepreneurs in attendance had a basic misunderstanding of what an angel investor is.Here are a few things an angel investor...
Continue Reading
|
|
Jul 1
|
Brad referred us to a fantastic article about the myth of "best practices" in venture capital. The author concludes that there's really no science to finding the best deals -- its all about having good gut instincts and a reputation...
Continue Reading
|
