Michael Gold challenged Jeff Pulver and me to a pushup contest for charity on stage at SXSW. This rapidly escalated to a full-fledged Indiegogo campaign. So: Come challenge Ryan Armbrust, me, and some other team members Sunday 1-2pm at the ff MASSIVE pavilion, Empire Control Room & Garage (606 E 7th St, Austin, TX) Sunday,...
[Continue Reading]Meet people at SXSW … while working out and losing weight
Can you go to SXSW and stay in shape? South by Southwest (SXSW) is famous for a jam-packed schedule, infinite free food & drink, minimal sleep, and radical overstimulation. It’s not well known as a place to stay in shape. So before attending for my first time (finally!), I had to find a solution to keep my...
[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 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 Present So People will Hear
You probably have to make presentations, but does the audience hear what you’re saying? And do they believe it? Based on my experience in investment banking and strategy consulting, I’ve put together a 3-part series on how to prepare memos and presentations that people will read and believe. Part 1 was How to Write a Memo...
[Continue Reading]How to Write a Memo That People Will Actually Read
I spent many late nights as an investment banker and strategy consultant early in my career. My #1 learning from that experience (besides financial modeling) was how to communicate in an effective way, particularly with senior executives. As training now for my team at ff Venture Capital, I’ve written a three-part series on communications. And...
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