CB Insights just included ffVC in 13 Micro VCs We’re Watching, along with a (highly inaccurate) superhero graphic. CB Insights has become a very influential data source in the industry. In fact, I recently had dinner with a well-known VC who said that he was surprised to see the CB Insights database includes investments his...
[Continue Reading]How to create competitive market maps with MarketMap.me
At least ¼ of the investment proposals I get have a “market map” of some sort: a graphic analysis of the competitive landscape. I think competitive analysis is critical. Any useful startups is trying to perform some useful job for a client, and you have to understand what people are currently using to get that...
[Continue Reading]How to prepare for and run a board meeting
After spending quite a bit of time in board meetings, I worked with a NYU student team to prepare a template for board presentations to investors. In the deck below, I include our best practices on preparing for, running, and closing up on a board meeting, including what to include in your materials. I would...
[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 best practices of venture capitalists...
[Continue Reading]Notes from PluggedIn Ventures Real Time Data, Content, & Analytics Roundtable
Gregory Sanzone, an intern at Parse.ly, took details notes on today’s Real Time Data, Content, & Analytics Roundtable, hosted by PluggedIn Ventures. Real Time Data Real time data is valuable in two ways, mainly. The first is that it crudely allows content providers to recognize spikes in popularity of pieces of content, so they can...
[Continue Reading]