The median investor looking at your proposal is in her 40s. Her eyes are going, not to mention her brain. I look at a lot of spreadsheets and analytic reports, and way too many are difficult to read and therefore hard to understand. In an effort to make my life easier, I’ve summarized here the...
[Continue Reading]How to lose fat and gain muscle with venture capital
Both founders and researchers in healthcare are spending far too much of their energy in areas where they’re not going to make maximum impact. Most health problems are self-inflicted, but the innovation economy doesn’t reflect the power of preventive healthcare. Dr. An Nguyen and I just completed an analysis of VC and research funding compared...
[Continue Reading]Venture capital superheroes
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]Seeking investors to participate in study on innovation in asset management
I’ve written in the past on how the investing industry is overdue for innovation. I’m now launching a research project to better understand the emerging investment opportunities. We are seeking Partner-level investment professionals at hedge funds, mutual funds, VCs, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, family offices, and other institutional investors to interview for this research...
[Continue Reading]Design your company culture like the world’s largest hedge fund
Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, is a man after my own heart. A few years ago he publicly set down his core Principles for living, managing, and investing. Bridgewater uses these codified rules for recruiting, training, and most important, managing the firm’s culture. It’s well worth your time to read them,...
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