How to scale support of portfolio companies

As I’ve worked to build out our portfolio acceleration platform, the #1 question I think about is: how do we scalably support our companies?  Large private equity funds like KKR can afford to pursue a consulting model (Capstone), typically with associated fees, but that doesn’t normally make economic sense for a VC.  We have lower AUM,...

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Interview with Harry Stebbings: How VCs Find Startups and How To Add Value Once Invested

Harry Stebbings posted an interview with me on “How VCs Find Startups and How To Add Value Once Invested”, among other topics. This was his 95th interview on his 20 Minute VC podcast series. Listen here...

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Free Copy of The Lower-Risk Startup: How Venture Capitalists Increase the Odds of Startup Success

One of my responsibilities is helping to accelerate value creation in our portfolio companies. I published the first research study on this topic in the Journal of Private Equity, peHub, Betabeat, and Techcrunch. The Journal of Private Equity has now (temporarily) made our full study available for complimentary download: The Lower-Risk Startup: How Venture Capitalists Increase the Odds of Startup Success. They...

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How an Indiana Accelerator Helps Its Companies to Succeed

I met some time ago with Brad Wisler, co-Founder of SproutBox, and shared with him our research on portfolio value creation by venture capitalists.  He wrote a thoughtful note, which I’ve shared below, with permission: David, Thanks for sharing this paper with me. I love the title, which almost perfectly sums up our philosophy. What follows...

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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...

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3 Ways Proven Executives Get Paid To Work With Early-Stage Companies

Drew Hansen recently posted in Forbes a summary of my presentation (included below) on Career Opportunities with Private Equity and Venture Capital Portfolio Companies. His article is here....

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