Startup-Weekly, The Early Stage Startup Interview Database’s Post

The conventional wisdom as a startup founder is that you want your early investors to provide the three Cs: Capital, Counsel, and Connections. The first is a given, the second arguably unimportant, and the third is crucial. One of your most critical decisions is which venture capitalists you should seek out to back your company. The right partners can help you become the next unicorn startup, while the wrong ones can put you on a hamster wheel, running in place. 1. On capital - if you have a decent idea and a great team, then almost regardless of market conditions as a founder, you have the upper hand with respect to terms. Generally, if an investor tries to negotiate ownership and valuation too hard, then they are probably the wrong investor for your company. All things being equal, a good VC will take a long-term view and know that nickel and dining founders at the outset will make no material difference to their returns, assuming that they believe in what you’re building. 2. Counsel is overrated. Sure, some investors have seen the movie before and can help connect the dots to identify opportunities or avert pitfalls. Some are even former operators who know what it takes to build a startup. Even so, they don’t live the day-to-day intricacies of your company, so the value of their advice is typically limited. Once in a while, you may hear of a VC intervention that positively altered the trajectory of a startup (Sequoia founder Don Valentine is often credited with steering Apple and Atari in the right direction). But that is the exception, not the rule, and often VCs (despite good intentions) nudge companies away from the golden path - for example, imposing frameworks that don’t fit a portfolio company or pushing myopic strategies geared toward an exit. The best startup investors know that it’s the founders who have asymmetric advantages; they recognize their role is simply picking the right founders and letting them run. 3. Connections are where your early investors can help most. Even as a highly connected founder, there are always areas in which you could use referrals or warm introductions. Perhaps you know the top engineering talent but don’t know where to find a stellar first sales hire. Or maybe you’re a master recruiter for every role but don’t have inroads with prospective customers. Connections to potential partners and additional investors are also value-add. Just don’t feel obligated to take every introduction, some will be more about kicking around favors than providing any lift. Fundopedia helps founders figure out which VCs have the best networks and connections. Check out our rankings of the most “central” VC funds below 👇 and navigate to their profiles to browse their networks.

Silicon Canals: Brussels-based Syndicate One closes debut fund at €6.5M; becomes the first investment firm with backing from four governmental funds

I'm proud to share our latest video on Properti Edge’s mission and the strides we’re making to change the landscape of property investment! In it, I talk about the real challenges property owners face today—from unexpected costs to difficulty calculating returns—and how Properti Edge’s AI-driven platform is designed to solve these issues. With our next growth phase, we are raising $250,000 in pre-seed funding to build an AI-powered property advisor and an advanced ROI calculator to help investors make smarter, more profitable decisions. To learn more, check out the video on the Properti Edge Solutions Inc. (Properti Edge page link). I'm excited to share this journey with you! #Startup #AI #PropTech #RealEstateInvesting #PropertiEdge

Cho Min-sik of Bespin Global stresses that a founder's confidence and clear goals are vital for attracting investments, differentiating between investment and business valuation. #SouthKorea #Stanford #BespinGlobal #Investment #Business https://lnkd.in/gbDGj9-T

Donald Trump Jr. is joining as a Partner to a Venture fund called 1789 Capital that invest in Anti-ESG. 1789 Capital invests in the “parallel economy" - companies that espouse a conservative world view. 1789 Capital's investment portfolio include $15 million in conservative TV personality Tucker Carlson's company "Last Country Inc." This is from their website: “1789 Capital will invest in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Growth or what we have defined as "EIG" to take advantage of an era-defining investment opportunity by providing venture and growth capital to companies building the next era of American prosperity with a focus on the following four areas: (i) the Replication/Parallel Economy; (ii) Deglobalization, (iii) Anti-ESG (i.e. sectors that have been negatively impacted by such principles) and (iv) Cutting edge technologies that disrupt industries weighed down by excessive bureaucracy” They invest in any other sector that you might expect like Energy, SaaS, Fintech and others. Venture Capital is a great financial mechanism to help progress society and the planet but some will choose the other way. If you have them on the cap table, not high chances you could find a follow round in my network… #VentureCapital #AntiESG #Deglobalization #Investments Reid Hoffman , Leslie Feinzaig , Roy E. Bahat Cecile Blilious, Johannes Lenhard

The number one question I get asked is the what are the preferred sources of #capital for my #startup, where should I focus my attention, what should I do? The #angel #investor market is exploding with more lower end investors getting involved from all walks of life. Exited Founders, Corporate Execs, UHNW, Family Offices and Angel Networks - come in all shapes and sizes. Why Angels? - Have a higher tolerance to risk - Will lean towards things they understand and know about - Will have a quicker decision making cycle - Will deploy smaller amounts of capital from £10k - Know and work with other Angels What Angels won't do? - Waste time - Waste money - Not do some form of due diligence and lift the lid - Won't give you money without getting to know you... Learn to speak the language of Angels who will want two simple questions answered. 1. Will you as a #Founder loose my money? 2. When will I be able to get my #money out? Don't forget Angels are people, and like most people that will be attracted to people they like and fell comfortable with... https://lnkd.in/eEpqqm7X

Yes, macro-economic confidence will spin the wheels of fortune. But as long as we keep filling the #venture capital pipe with sub-prime investments, we will not see innovation spawn socioeconomic value to write home about.

Yes, macro-economic confidence will spin the wheels of fortune. But as long as we keep filling the #venture capital pipe with sub-prime investments, we will not see innovation spawn socioeconomic value to write home about.

Yes, macro-economic confidence will spin the wheels of fortune. But as long as we keep filling the #venture capital pipe with sub-prime investments, we will not see innovation spawn socioeconomic value to write home about.

Yes, macro-economic confidence will spin the wheels of fortune. But as long as we keep filling the #venture capital pipe with sub-prime investments, we will not see innovation spawn socioeconomic value to write home about.