Each week LinkedIn sends A.I.-generated questions to certain LinkedIn users within different industries. The questions I receive are mostly related to the venture capital industry. I like to answer these questions to share my perspective and be a resource to the greater VC ecosystem. Question of the week: What do you do if conflict resolution is disrupting team dynamics in your Venture Capital firm? Response: … Continue reading VC Question of the Week
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I’ve always been the type of person who’s never shied away from trying things that were really hard. When I was a kid around eight years old, I learned how to swim by jumping off a 20-foot diving board at the City pool. That was probably the wrong way to learn how to swim, but when I hit the water, I knew I had to … Continue reading Jumping Into the Deep End
One of the biggest challenges founders encounter when scaling a company is the mental shift they have to make as they transition from doers to delegators. Startup founders are gritty, and they love to build things. It’s in their nature. Founders are also typically fascinated by the feeling of being on the verge of success, some even describe it as the greatest feeling on earth. As startups move beyond the … Continue reading Empowering Success: CEO Trust and Delegation
What is the role of a CEO? The role of a CEO is really simple. It’s really two things. One is to set a clear direction or vision for where the company is going. And the second is executing behind that vision to make it a reality. The vision usually entails explaining how the company solves a problem or provides a great customer service or product. … Continue reading The Role of a CEO
Please join Serac Ventures on June 15, 2023 from 1pm — 2pm CDT during our live office hours as 3-time tech CEO Chris Tsakalakis will be discussing the role of the CEO and how to be an effective leader. We’ll discuss how to set overall direction and strategy for your organization, define culture, how to communicate your vision, motivate others, and how to effectively prioritize your time. … Continue reading Serac Ventures Office Hours, June 15, 2023: Topic — The Role of the CEO
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked my daughter who was 6 or 7 years old at the time. She enthusiastically replied, “A YouTuber!” “Is that a real job?” I silently asked myself. This conversation occurred roughly 5 years ago. I was initially surprised by her response, but later realized that her response represented a new and important trend toward … Continue reading The Creator Economy
I had the opportunity to speak with an aspiring venture capitalist today. He wanted to speak with me for general advice about how to start his own venture capital fund. I enjoy these calls because I like helping people and I’m able to establish a new relationship in the process. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to raise a fund and work behind the … Continue reading Words of Advice for Aspiring Fund Managers
The recent sell off in public tech stocks has reverberated across the markets. The imminent threat of rising interest has caused many investors to shift from growth to value-oriented stocks. As a result, several well-known, high-growth technology companies have experienced a double-digit percent drop in their stock price in the last few months. Why are tech stocks selling off at these levels? What impact do … Continue reading The Relationship Between Public and Private Markets
When you live in a part of the country with a nascent entrepreneurial ecosystem it can be challenging to connect with investors, mentors, and even other entrepreneurs. In smaller markets it often feels like there is less collaboration and/or synergy between participants (investors and entrepreneurs) because individuals on both sides believe they are competing for a limited number of resources. On one hand, many investors … Continue reading The Growing Trend of Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Outside of the East and West Coast
No matter who you are, if you want to invest in a publicly traded company it is relatively easy to do so. But what if you want to invest in a private company? Or, what if you’re a startup company needing to raise money but you’ve exhausted your network of friends and family members and you’re unable to raise capital from a bank or from … Continue reading Crowdfunding
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