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
I recently had a conversation with a (white male) VC fund manager (“VC” or “manager”) who had an impressive number of diverse founders in his portfolio. In the venture capital industry this is not very common, but sorely needed. When I congratulated him about the high-degree of diversity in his portfolio, he said “it wasn’t something they set out to do; it kind of just happened.” He … Continue reading Embracing Diversity in the Venture Capital Industry
I was recently talking with a close friend of mine about the U.S. economy and he asked me how an economic recession would affect the venture capital industry. He works in the heavy equipment leasing industry and he was telling me that he’s beginning to see some companies postpone capital spending on construction projects because of concerns about the economy. I always enjoy hearing his … Continue reading What Happens to VC in an Economic Downturn?
I had the opportunity to be interviewed in a podcast with Erika Lucas, co-founder of StitchCrew, an accelerator in Oklahoma City that works with early stage technology companies. The purpose of the interview was to share insights on how investors think and how entrepreneurs should prepare themselves when raising capital from investors. I want to give a shout out to Erika for the opportunity to … Continue reading My Thoughts on VC and Entrepreneurship- Podcast Edition
For the second year in a row I had the pleasure of talking with Pat Brown, CEO and founder of Impossible Foods (I.F.). Impossible Foods started roughly seven years ago and makes meat using plants. The principle ingredient that Impossible Foods uses to do what they do – “Heme.” In simple terms, “heme is what makes meat taste like meat.” Heme is found in both … Continue reading Redefining the Definition of “Meat”
I recently reviewed a new book called The Startup MixTape written by a friend of mine, Elliott Adams. The book provides a comprehensive approach to the methods entrepreneurs use to start and grow successful companies. In my opinion, this book is perfect for anyone who is looking for an all-in-one summary of the steps involved with getting a new company off the ground. The book … Continue reading Book Review: The Startup MixTape
Overall, the VC market is experiencing significant growth. In the last two years, deal value has reached a combined $160 billion value. This number will likely increase as the results for the fourth quarter are not yet included. While valuations have increased across the board, pricing for companies in Series A rounds remains relatively tame compared to later stage funding rounds where median valuations have … Continue reading Current Environment in VC (brief)
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