My recent post on “Asset Management is a Peculiar Industry Ripe for Disruption” got one of the most interesting reactions I’ve received. Among the more thoughtful respondents was Terri Chernick, Chief Investment Officer, The Koffler Group. We had an email conversation about the rationality, or lack of rationality, of professional investors. Anyone who calls me a...
[Continue Reading]Where are the deals? How VCs source winning companies
You’ve probably read dozens of articles about how to raise capital from venture capitalists. However, as a VC, we have the opposite problem: how do we originate companies in which to invest? It might appear that origination is becoming much easier because of new tools like AngelList and the SEC moving toward adoption of rules that will...
[Continue Reading]ff Venture Capital Is First VC Fund To Raise Capital Under The JOBS Act
ff Venture Capital has consistently generated a gross IRR on invested capital in excess of 30%, in a world where the average ten-year returns for venture capital firms are in the single digits. But, historically we couldn’t say that it in a public setting. Now we can. Software is eating every industry, including the entrepreneurial ecosystem itself. Funding...
[Continue Reading]How To Hire An Outsourced Web Designer And Survive The Process
Last week I interviewed Kyle Stalzer, CEO of a portfolio company, about an issue that’s top of mind for a lot of our companies: How to Recruit an A-Quality Designer for Your Company. This week, I’ll discuss the second-choice alternative: how to hire an outsourced designer for your company. It’s become a truism of the...
[Continue Reading]How To Recruit A Great Designer For Your Company
I had a chance to interview Kyle Stalzer, President of ffVC portfolio company Tackk, about an issue that’s top of mind for a lot of our companies: how to recruit an A-quality designer for their company. (Update: Kyle now is Managing Partner, FUEL Strategies.) Next week, I’ll post part 2 in this series: how to...
[Continue Reading]How to keep the people attending your event alive
Do you organize events? Do you like your attendees alive? Event organizers like their attendees to be energetic, enthusiastic, and preferably, alive. Joe Reilly organized 50 events a year while serving as President of the Family Office Association. He said, “Conferences are the unnatural situation par excellence, almost like a casino. You are in a recirculated-air,...
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