This is part 2 of a 2-part series on domain names and startups; part 1 was “Should a Startup Spend VC Funding on a Domain Name?”. I’ve written in the past about how to identify a great startup opportunity. Let me propose a path few take: find an under-monetized domain name and [...continue reading]
Should a Startup Spend VC Funding on a Domain Name?
This is part 1 of a 2-part series on domain names and startups; part 2 will be “Build Your Startup on a Vacant Domain Name”. It is no coincidence that companies with the best domain names often tend to rise to the top of their space. Foursquare won vs. Gowalla, Loopt, and others. [...continue reading]
Ionic Security Raises $9.4m from Kleiner Perkins, Tech Operators, ff Venture Capital
I couldn’t be more excited to share that one of our portfolio companies, Ionic Security (formerly Social Fortress), has raised $9.4 million in Series A1 funding, led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, with TechOperators, Ken Levine, and Dr. Paul Judge also participating. Ted Schlein, general [...continue reading]
Parkour and Entrepreneurs
Parkour is to entrepreneurs as golf is to (some) corporate executives. (Previously posted at Forbes.) In the past few years, I’ve taught myself some of the basics of parkour, which is effectively skateboarding without the skateboard. The goal is to navigate your environment as quickly and [...continue reading]
Helping startups hit a home run, VC Style
Lots of venture capitalists claim to add value to the companies in which they invest. But how do they do it? And does it really produce better returns for their investors? My coauthors and I just published in the Journal of Private Equity the first-ever research study on [...continue reading]
Should Your Startup Pivot, Persevere, or Plank?
(I originally published this in Forbes.) It’s a cliché of the startup world that successful entrepreneurs persevere even when everyone else thinks their idea is doomed (see: Pandora). It’s a cliché of the startup world that successful entrepreneurs pivot when appropriate (see: Paypal, [...continue reading]
3 Ways Proven Executives Get Paid To Work With Startups
Drew Hansen recently posted in Forbes a summary of my presentation on Career Opportunities with Private Equity and Venture Capital Portfolio Companies. The article is here. [...continue reading]
