Taking the long view (when building the business)
In the wake of my SXSW chat with Lauren Lyster of Yahoo! Finance, I once again began to think about the relationship between equity valuation and business decisions. In my perfect world, a business...
View ArticleFocus, focus, focus: Understanding your value stack
Distraction and diffuse efforts are killers, especially in nascent businesses. Trying to do too much sucks valuable resources from accomplishing the core mission, but is often viewed as being...
View ArticleVC funding vs. Crowdfunding - let's get real
Crowdfunding is all the rage. Even the SEC recently blessed one type of crowdfunding for which there was risk of an enforcement action. Several in the early-stage ecosystem have called for VCs to “up...
View ArticleReflections on IA Ventures, 3.5 years in
I periodically write about my learnings as the leader of IA Ventures, principally to unlock what is in my head and in my heart. As an operating partner with people who are giving their lives to...
View ArticleThe response to the terror in Boston: Channeling for good
Yesterday’s horrific and senseless tragedy in Boston stirred up many of the same feelings I had on a beautiful September morning almost 12 years ago. Sadness. Anger. Rage. Confusion. And simply Why?...
View Article"Dear Friends, We are, no doubt, shocked by yesterdayâs events at...
Dear Friends,read more...
View ArticleBreaking through
I spend a bunch of time speaking at events, guest lecturing at friends’ classes and mentoring young people. It is something I feel passionately about and enjoy a great deal. I always try to be blunt,...
View ArticleWhat I've learned from Little League
As my friends know all to well, mine is a life immersed in baseball. Yes, there’s that venture investment stuff, but in between board meetings, team meetings, meeting new companies, staying in touch...
View ArticleGreener pastures
Today is a day of big change in the IA Ventures family. After nearly five years working together my partner Ben has decided to return to being an operator. While Iâll miss Ben, Iâm proud of his...
View ArticleWhy should VCs hire Associates?
The question:Â Why do venture capital funds hire associates to source if most good deals come directly through partners?read more...
View ArticleSoft is the new Hard
I live in a world where engineering and technical talent is valued above all others, where the Holy Grail is a “coding ninja” who can crank out oodles of elegant code at a breakneck pace. These people...
View ArticleEvidence is mounting that people at the bottom are increasingly stuck without...
Evidence is mounting that people at the bottom are increasingly stuck without skills or pathways to rise. Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston shows that in the 1980s, 21 percent of...
View ArticleVenture Capital and "Innovation"
Many have recently been critical of the role of the venture industry in financing “true innovation.” The narrative goes something like this: “VCs are like lemmings, flocking to the latest consumer wave...
View Article"If you can’t do something willingly and joyfully, then...
"If you can’t do something willingly and joyfully, then don’t do it. If you give up drinking, don’t go moaning about it; go back on the bottle. Do. As. Thou. Wilt."Â read more...
View ArticleIA Ventures: Reflections on 2013
2013 was a very different kind of year for IA Ventures. While the years 2010-12 were characterized by 8-10 new investments per year, in 2013 we invested in only three new companies: Data Robot; Digital...
View ArticleFinancial interaction: the next generation
I have spent over 25 years creating, processing and analyzing financial transactions. I like studying them - a lot - whether an outgrowth of my time on Wall Street helping sophisticated entities manage...
View ArticleCrowdfunding for start-ups: A durable trend or a bull market phenomenon?
Angel investing is red hot as is the concept of crowdfunding start up investment. Part of this phenomenon has been driven by the emergence of AngelList, the brainchild of Naval Ravikant. What started...
View ArticleWelcoming John to IA
Brad, Jesse and I are happy to announce that our friend and colleague, John Hadl, is joining IA Ventures as Venture Partner, effective immediately. We have personally gotten to know John over the past...
View ArticleA Little HistoryIA Ventures began life a little less than seven years ago,...
A Little Historyread more...
View ArticleRecycling: The challenge and the opportunity for a Seed stage VC
My recent post gave rise to a host of questions around the issue of recycling. What does it mean? How do you do it? And what are the implications for venture investors? I attempted to respond in a...
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