Although I have written on and around this general topic many times, I continue to see many investor decks that seem not to present a minimum viable business model (“MVBM”). Everybody understands the issues of getting an MVP launched, but that does no good if …
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65 articles in category Essays
Those of us in and around the world of startup pitches talk about what problem is being solved, i.e. why will someone need your product and be willing to pay for it in order to fix something that needs fixing. If your prospective customer doesn’t recognize …
Read more →Mr. Google is your best friend if you are looking for examples of great investor presentation decks and for advice on how to make yours accomplish its mission. However, not all that advice is good, nor is there much consistency, and what you see …
Read more →The most luxurious Swiss watches are the ones with numerous functions, known as “complications.” If you have a few hundred thousand dollars to splurge, you can acquire a gold watch that does far more than give you date and time information and moves you way up …
Read more →At the time of this writing, WeWork is setting a new standard for creative accounting with measures like their “community adjusted EBITDA.” Some of you may remember that Datapoint in San Antonio set the original standard in the early 80’s by booking as sales goods moved …
Read more →Everyone is familiar with the Gartner Magic Quadrant, iconic branding for that global research firm and a tool seen somewhere in nearly every pitch deck. Your goal is always to prove your venture belongs in the upper right section and that you can swat away …
Read more →Like many experienced entrepreneurs, I spend a considerable amount of time advising startups and early stage companies. I prefer to catch them at inflection points where my time will be most valuable for them and most rewarding for me. Some examples are the critical early …
Read more →This week’s essay is a corollary to last week’s discussion about protecting founder equity. It is very tempting often to trade equity at a startup valuation for marketing, technical, business development, product design, office space and other services. Sometimes this is a wise decision, …
Read more →One important maxim in startup companies is that future investors are betting on the management team and not betting on each other. When founders get diluted below a reasonable level, say anywhere below 50% prior to significant institutional rounds, whose company is it? All …
Read more →In my daily routine of reviewing startups I am struck often by how many of them show no awareness of their competition. I often see very detailed and carefully constructed plans that are exactly like one or more existing companies already far along in …
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