Here’s How to Cancel a Meeting the Right Way

I wrote a version of this post four years ago but given the hectic nature of today’s tech markets I thought it was worth revisiting and updating.

Canceling meetings is a part of modern day life. I seem to get so over…

What is the Right Burn Rate at a Startup Company?

I was reading Danielle Morrill’s blog post today on whether one’s “Startup Burn Rate is Normal.” I highly recommend reading it. I love how transparently Danielle lives her startup (& encourages other to join in) because it provides much needed…

What all Entrepreneurs Need to Know About Prorata Rights

Prorata rights are one of the most important rights of private market technology investors and yet are seldom fully understood. They often create the biggest tensions between investors who are investing at different stages in the…

What is the Definition of a Seed Round or an A Round?

Marc Andreessen kicked off another great debate on Twitter last night, one that I’ve been talking about incessantly in private circles for the past 2–3 years — what actually IS the definition of a seed vs. A-round.

Bad Notes on Venture Capital

This week. On the phone …

Me: So, you raised venture capital?
Him: Yeah. We raised a seed round. About $1 million.
Me: At what price?
Him: It wasn’t priced. We raised a convertible note.
Me: With a cap?
Him: Yes, $8 million.
Me: Ah. I see. So you did…

Want to Understand What Associates at VC Firms Do?

Happy official New Year’s, all. It’s that time of year where we think about new beginnings.

How to Make Better Reference Calls

Reference calls. We all have to make them. Whether you’re considering hiring a new employee or as an investor whether you’re looking to do a background check on the founders of a company.

Why ADD Might Actually Benefit Startup Entrepreneurs

This weekend I was reading the NY Times online and I came across this excellent piece about ADHD written by Richard Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry. In the article the author talks about the condition of the brain — which…

The Changing Structure of the VC Industry

There has been much discussion in the past few years of the changing structure of the venture capital industry.

On the surface the narratives have been

• The rise of “micro VCs” or seed-stage funds

What I Would Look for When Choosing a VC — Knowing What I Know Now?

Picking a VC is hard. You don’t really have much to go on to decide who would make a good fit. Reputation of firm? Of partner? Deals done in your industry? It’s a bit of all of these.