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how to become an angel investor

How To Succeed or Fail at Startup Investing

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how to become an angel investor

How to be a Successful Startup Angel Investor

The best approaches to being a successful startup angel investor might not always be the most obvious ones, in fact it often starts with the ground rules and guidelines of angel investing. 

Over a 10 year period, successful pre-seed and seed stage angel investors make 3x to 5x on their cohort of investments which is about double the return of index fund public company investing. The rewards are the highest of all investment types, as are the risks, but the risks are manageable. 

There are 3 approaches to be a successful early stage investor – and one sure way to fail. 

Top 3 successful startup angel investing approaches 

  1. Passive investment through a trusted fund or syndicate

If you’re thinking that following the ground rules (noted below) is a ton of work, you’re right. Which is why the #1 approach is to invest in a fund or with a syndicate. In a fund or syndicate, the general partner(s) curate the deal flow, do the hard diligence work, and create “win-win” investable deals that can return the fund 3 to 5 times – or more. Funds consistently invest in 20-40 company cohorts over a 3 year period to mitigate risk and maximize returns. Syndicate investing on a deal by deal basis saves investors work, but on its own, does not mitigate risk across a large cohort in the same way a fund will. Many investors invest in a fund as a baseline and for deal flow, then add capital via syndicates to specific deals to spread risk and/or invest deeper in specific deals where they have more conviction.. 

  1. Active investment through an angel group

If you like the activity of finding companies, listening to pitches, asking questions, and engaging in the diligence process, an angel group may be more appealing. Angel groups share the workload among members, usually divided into committees like the selection, deal flow, due diligence, membership, etc. Some larger groups have paid interns and/or administrators to conduct the research required for screening companies and due diligence. Most angel groups have 2 or 3 options for members to invest in companies that apply to the group a.) direct investment, b.) group fund investment, and/or c.) through deal by deal special purpose vehicles (SPVs). It’s harder to follow all of the ground rules in an angel group, but most are covered – and members must maintain their own discipline around cohort size and investment time horizon. Still, angel groups have a good track record and have a social and networking component that the other approaches can lack. 

  1. Active “DIY” angel investment with self curated deal flow

If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to rely on or trust others, then the DIY method is for you. It can prove difficult for a single angel investor to see enough deals to invest solely using this approach. Many fund and angel group investors use this method as a supplemental investing activity, bringing a few extra deals into their personal cohort each year – and spreading their risk. 

In addition, there are some best practices for successful early stage angel investing. 

Startup Angel Investing Best Practices and Ground Rules 

  1. Investment Thesis

Develop a thesis for investment size, opportunity types, and follow-on scenarios 

Successful investors are disciplined in the types of companies in which they invest, how much they invest in each company, and whether or not they will invest more than once in the same company. Your budget for investing will drive the amounts, with many angels investing between 2% and 10% of their net worth. As investors get older, investment percentages in this riskier asset class moves toward the lower end of the spectrum. With a large win, it can result in a “high class problem” of being over allocated. 

  1. Cohort size, Time horizon, and Valuation

Plan to invest in at least 20 companies; 30+ reduces risk and increases returns. The time horizon to deploy funds for a 20+ investment cohort should be 32 to 40 months. Each investment must be able to return at least 30:1, preferably 50:1 or better 

The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future by Sebastian Mallaby tells us that 1 to 3 companies in a fund or cohort of 20-30 companies will make most, if not all of the returns. Even with the best diligence, research and picking, 75% of the cohort will likely fail. Due to the high failure percentage, to make at least a 3x return on the cohort / fund it’s critical to have enough companies and to be sure each one can return at least 30x (including anticipated dilution). 

Let’s look at a typical cohort where 25% of the companies return money to the fund, with a 75% failure rate. For this simple example, our fund size is $1M, making 20 investments of $50k each. 

  • 3x Average Fund / Cohort #1: One company returns 50x, another returns 5x and two more return 3x each, the other companies fail. This fund returns $3M or 3x. 
  • 4x Very Good Fund / Cohort #2: One company returns 50x, another returns 30x and two more return 3x each, the rest go dark, the entire fund returns $4.3M or 4.3x
  • 5x Great Fund / Cohort #3: One company returns 75x, another returns 25x and two more return 1x each, the rest go dark, the entire fund returns $5.1M or 5x 

These examples illustrate why it’s critical that every company can make at least a 30x return. If investors compromise on this metric, it’s very hard to make returns commensurate with the risk. Some investors believe they can beat the Power Law – that they have a superior ability to “pick winners”. Proceed with eyes wide open, understand Power Law math – and you’ll do well. 

  1. Larger Numbers – Better Chances

See 100 companies for every investment made, 250+ is better. 

To get good at picking startups and founders, you need to see a lot of them. It’s just like any other skill – repetition and experience makes investors better. Successful funds and angel investor groups regularly see 100+ deals for each one in which they invest, often the ratio is upwards of 250:1. Joining with a group or fund that attracts high quality founders in large numbers will ensure better investing results. It’s not fun saying “no” so much, but it’s a critical skill to making the fund / cohort return 3x or more. 

Some very large early stage funds and accelerators take the large numbers rules to the extreme. Studies from Right Side Capital Management, 500 Startups, Y Combinator and others show that studious investors who follow the rules have a 75% chance of a 3x return when the cohort size is between 20 and 75 companies. As the cohort size increases, chances of a 3x return increase to 90%+ at a 500 company cohort size and closes in on 100% as the cohort size approaches 2000 companies. The more quality shots investors have on goal, the better. 

  1. Due Diligence, Valuation, and Deal Memos

Develop a due diligence method, be vigilant about it, and independently verify:

  • Founder backgrounds, qualifications, and expertise 
  • Market size: TAM/SAM claims + realism of SOM 
  • All claimed IP 
  • Competition 
  • Traction and customer contracts – talk with customers 
  • Exit multiples for industry 
  • Sensibility of market capture w/r/t exit valuation requirement 

Very few enjoy this critical piece of the investment process. Be sure you, your angel group, and/or your fund / syndicate have access to the research tools to do the job right. The Angel Capital Association recommends at least 40 hours of diligence work for each investment made. Many investments will be partially researched – until a problem is uncovered – then the deal is called off, which increases the average diligence time per closed investment to closer to 80 hours. When the investment is fully researched, diligence is complete, and conviction is reached to make an investment, it should be documented with a deal memo summarizing the research, diligence, and noting the reasons for and risks of the investment. Deal memos become a critical learning tool as the investments make the desired returns – or when they fail. 

Each piece of research is important, but one that is often overlooked is the valuation research. What is the entry price of the investment? How much of the company will the investment purchase? How much dilution will occur as future rounds are raised? What does the exit point have to be (including dilution) for the investment to generate a 50x return? What level of sales does the company have to reach to justify that exit price? What percentage of the market (SAM) does the company have to acquire to hit that sales number? Is it reasonable for any company in the market to own that required percentage of the market (SAM)? Can the founders execute at the level required over the time period to reach that market percentage? 

  1. Putting it all together

Write a deal memo for each investment made to document the details above. 

You can make a great return and have a ton of fun investing in startups. There are few activities that stimulate the brain, the imagination, provide social engagement, and very high returns like startup angel investing. The risk is high, but the rewards are much higher than Private Equity (PE), Hedge Funds, Real Estate, and public stocks – when investments are made correctly. Investing in a fund or with an angel group will not require as much work as DIY, but it’s important to know and understand what is required – even if you don’t DIY. 

Angel and Startup Investing Resources and Opportunities 

StartUpNV provides several options for startup and angel investors. 

  1. AngelNV – team up and learn with other angels. Some but not all of the work is done for you – and you’ll meet dozens of other like minded people investing in an annual conference fund, risking as little as $5k. Find out more at AngelNV.com 
  2. FundNV – a $2M pre-seed fund where investors can participate in hearing company pitches, asking questions, and providing feedback to the general partners. Investors don’t have to source deal flow, conduct due diligence, etc. Fund management makes the decisions and manages the $100k per company investments on behalf of its members (aka “limited partners” or LPs) 
  3. Sierra Angels – a traditional membership angel group investing directly and via SPVs 4. 1864 – a $10M see fund similar in structure as FundNV, except making larger investments in more mature companies 
  4. 1864 – a $10M see fund similar in structure as FundNV, except making larger investments in more mature companies
  5. StartUpNV Syndicate – investors in any StartUpNV based fund (and their invited friends) participate in “side car” investments and one-off deals that may not be a fit for the fund or angel group thesis.

About the author, Jeff Saling: 

Owner Jeff Saling start up nv 1

Jeff co-founded StartUpNV (2017), a non-profit state-wide startup accelerator and incubator; FundNV (2020), a pre-seed venture fund; AngelNV (2021), an annual conference seed fund that educates investors; and the 1864 Fund (2023), a seed venture fund.  Since inception, StartUpNV has engaged 1000+ companies, runs 80+ events per year, and has worked with 40 Nevada companies raising $77M+.  He is co-President of the Sierra Angels (2023), one of the nation’s longest operating angel investing groups. Jeff is a founding member and Vice Chair on the NV Governor’s Council on Startups and Venture Capital (2022), worked with NV Lt. Gov Kate Marshall to introduce and pass SB9 (Blue Sky Laws) in the 81st NV Legislature (2021), worked in the 82nd Legislature (2023) with Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager and Cisco Aguilar, Nevada’s Secretary of State to introduce and pass AB75 (Nevada Certified Investor). Since 2018, Jeff teaches ENGR-461 (High Tech Entrepreneurship) during fall semesters in the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno.  Jeff was a SaaS startup founder and executive with 4 successful exits by IPO and acquisition between 1992 and 2016. Jeff’s private company professional experience includes leading worldwide sales, SaaS operations, and product development.

 

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customer discovery

Customer Discovery: Job One for A Successful Startup

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Customer Discovery: Job-One for a Successful Startup

 

customer discovery

There are two paths to a startup. The first is to get an idea, develop a product, produce a product and then try to sell it.  The second is to get an idea, test the market appetite, create a prototype, test the market reaction, revise, and test until you are ready to produce.

I probably don’t need to tell you that the second path is typically more successful. The better you understand your customer, their needs, and their appetite for your product, the more likely you will be to build a product people will buy. This is the path of customer discovery.

If the second path is typically more successful, why do founders choose the first path so often?  There are several reasons. One reason is that founders assume that because they saw a need for the solution, others will buy it.  It’s the “if you build it, they will come” model.  Unfortunately, just because you want it, or think it is a good business idea, doesn’t mean that other people will spend money on it.

 

Product-Market Fit

Before you get too far along your startup journey, I encourage you to think about what we call product-market fit. Product-market fit is when there is a need and an appetite for a solution to a problem. It also means that your solution fills the need and is priced so that people will buy it. Solving a problem isn’t enough. You have to make sure there is a product-market fit.  We do that through customer discovery.

The customer discovery process starts by understanding who has the problem you are trying to solve, how important it is, and how much they are willing to spend to solve it. If you get an answer that indicates the problem is troublesome enough that they are willing to invest to solve it, you can test your solution model with the potential customer.

You begin this customer discovery process by defining the target market you believe will want your product, developing a series of questions to understand the customer’s interest, analyzing the data, and then revising and retesting if necessary. If you believe there is more than one target market for your product, then you may need to run this customer discovery process more than one time.

 

4 Part Customer Discovery Process:

  • Define a Target Market
  • Customer Validation: Understanding the:
  • Problem
  • Urgency
  • Appetite (Budget)
  • Testing your solution
  • Analyzing the Data
  • Revision & Retesting

 

Define the Target Market

If you have an idea for a product, the next step is to think about who might use it.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking “anyone” or “everyone” can use it.  While that may be true, it is more helpful to think about who is most likely to have the problem you are solving and be willing to invest resources into solving it.  Who do you think will be easiest to sell this to?  Then, stop and think if there are other groups that might also be able to use it.  Make a list of the groups of buyers. Many founders would be surprised how often companies have changed their target market when they realize that a different buyer is willing to pay more or buy it more often.

Depending on what you sell, your target customers could be moms of teenagers, accountants, or quality control specialists in labs. For example, if you’re a founder selling testing equipment, you may think that the equipment would most often be used by labs in water treatment facilities. You might discover that other labs test for similar things that could use the same equipment. Those other types of labs might be another target market.

If you are selling business-to-business (B2B), you might want to consider all the people who might be involved in buying or using the product you are selling. You may want to interview more than one type of buyer during your customer discovery.

 

Customer Validation

Customer Validation is the process of studying the potential buyer.  There are many ways to do this. You can set up a study and have people participate, you can send out a survey, or you can do interviews.  There are probably other ways to do this as well.  With a new product, especially for a new founder, doing interviews is a great starting place because people will tell you things you didn’t think to ask.

Before you interview or survey potential customers, develop your customer discovery questions. Here is a link to some sample questions on customer discovery.  It is important to think through the questions and test them on people before you start your interviews. You want to ensure you are asking what you mean to ask and that the questions are easy to understand and answer. You also want to ensure you are not leading them to answer in a specific way. You want honest answers.

Start by understanding the problem. (I use ‘problem’, but it could be something they want to achieve or avoid). You are assuming that people have a certain problem. First, you need to confirm that they have that problem.  Next, you will want to understand how that impacts them.  How much of a problem is it? Many problems don’t seem worth fixing. Other problems create other problems when you fix them.  You need to understand all of this. The problem has to be bothersome enough that they are willing to suffer through the solution.

Next, understand how urgent a solution is. Is this priority 1 or 56?  Do other things need to get solved before this, or in order to solve this?  What is the timeline around those things? If I want a new carpet but don’t want to get it until I fix the leak in the roof and the water damage on the ceiling, the new carpet may have to wait a few weeks or months. Timing is everything. 

Once you understand the timing, ask how much they will pay. Remember that the price of your product may only be part of the cost for them. If I buy makeup, I may also have to buy brushes. If I buy a new car, I must also get new insurance and register the car.  So you need to understand how much they will pay for your solution plus how much else they are willing to invest.

Finally, test your solution with them. You may want to bring a prototype for them to test. Do they like your solution?  What do they like or not like about your solution? Does seeing your solution change their urgency or how much they are willing to pay? 

Be as consistent as you can in asking the questions. It will be hard to analyze the data if you don’t follow the same process every time.  Give yourself a place to track answers not specifically asked in the questionnaire.

 

Analyze the Data

Compiling and understanding the data of your customer discovery is important.  You can get a feel for what people say, but formally analyzing it will give you better information.  If you do interviews, you can still put the answers into a program like Survey Monkey so they can analyze the data for you. Sometimes once you get the answers, you will begin to see trends. You might notice if people answered one question a certain way, they were more likely to answer a second question a specific way. You can see many trends in the data if you look for them. 

 

Revision and Retesting

The whole point of this customer discovery process is to learn. If you are lucky, you will get through this survey, and everyone will say they love the idea and the product and they are willing to pay what you want them to pay. More likely, as you do these interviews, surveys, or tests, you will learn things that will make you rethink your product or solution. You can do a handful of customer discovery surveys and make urgent changes before you go on. Or you may get through the whole survey process and analyze the data before deciding what changes to make.  However you do it, the vital thing to remember is that you are doing this to learn how to produce a product people will pay for. Remember, until people buy your product for a profitable price, you have a hobby, not a business. Your job is to develop a successful business. That means you need a product that solves a problem that people want to solve badly enough to pay for.

Product development tends to be an iterative process. In other words, you get an idea, you research the fit, make revisions, test again and keep revising and testing until you get it right.  

 

How to Find Your Test Sample

Decide how many people you want to interview before you start. It is essential to have a big enough sample size to analyze. Talking to ten people, for example, isn’t enough to make a good business decision. I recommend talking to at least 100 people if you can swing it. You might want to do ten as phase one, then revise before you do the rest.

If possible, start with people you know well. That will give you a comfortable environment to test your survey before you try it on strangers. 

Next, go to what we call 2nd level connections. Those are friends of friends or connections of connections on LinkedIn.  Ask for introductions from people you know. If you have been introduced, people are much more likely to agree to the interview. Finally, you must reach out to strangers if you run out of people you know.  You could use LinkedIn for this or make cold calls. Let them know you are developing a product and would like to interview them to get their feedback. Let them know how long the interview will take. If you want to, you can offer a Starbucks gift card or something like that as a thank you.

 

Proceed, Pivot or Punt

You must decide at several points along the way if you will “proceed, pivot, or punt.”   You may make minor changes as you research, but keep moving forward with your business as planned. You may decide to pivot, meaning you will make significant changes in your product or target market. Finally, you may discover the company isn’t going to work. Maybe people don’t need to fix the problem, or there are better solutions out there, or perhaps people won’t pay enough to make the business profitable. Whatever the reason, sometimes deciding to give up is the right thing.

At various points in your startup journey, the decision to ‘proceed, pivot, or punt’ becomes crucial. Seeking advice and insights from experienced mentors, such as those affiliated with StartupNV, can offer a fresh perspective and guide you in making informed choices for the future of your business.

Even once you have a product on the market, you will likely update, upgrade or change it over time.  Some products, like Coca-Cola, always stay the same, while others, like iPhones, change yearly. 

 

Fastest Path to the Finish-line

For many founders, preparing the product for sale seems like the most direct path to success. It may be direct, but there is a huge risk of getting to the finish line without a buyer. Potential customers can be fickle and hard to understand, so customer discovery may seem like taking the long way around. There may be more twists and turns in the process, but the end result should be a product ready for a market that is willing to pay.  

By Liz Heiman, CEO at Regarding Sales and StartupNV Mentor

About the Author

Liz has been helping companies with enterprise (B2B complex sales) since 1998. She started her career at Miller Heiman training companies like HP, Coca-Cola, NCR and Johnson Controls. Now she works with startups and companies in transition to build sales operating systems to support sales and growth goals. Liz will work with any company who has a B2B complex sales, but is focused on manufacturing, med tech and other tech.

 

 

Customer Discovery Questions List by StartUpNV

 

  1. Have you experienced this situation?
  2. Is it a problem for you?
  3. Where and when do you experience this problem?
  4. How are you currently dealing with the situation?
  5.  How often do you experience the problem?
  6. How interested are you in an easier solution, on a scale of 1 to 10?
  7. How many others that you know experience the problem?
  8. How long should you have to wait for the solution to work?https://startupnv.org/customer-discovery-job-one-for-a-successful-startup/
  9. How much time are you willing to invest in learning the solution?
  10. Are you willing to pay for a better solution?
  11. How much are you willing to pay?
  12. If it is a one time solution, how often are you willing to pay for it?

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Top 10 Venture Capital Books for your Next Business Venture

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Top 10 Venture Capital Books for Your Next Venture 

Raising capital can be daunting, but there are foundational guides available to help founders navigate the process. We’ve collected a list of resources that draw from top experts and authors that can help you understand and master the world of venture capital and be successful in your next raise.

From beginner books to traditional guidebooks, venture into the world of startups and investments with these top 10 venture capital books for your next business venture!

Venture Capital Strategy: How to Think Like a Venture Capitalist

 

Author: Patrick Vernon

In Venture Capital Strategy, Patrick Vernon focuses on the frameworks that go into the decision-making process between founders and venture capitalists. 

Vernon gives practical tips on how to mitigate investment risks and alleviate the uncertainties of investing in startups. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to focus on long-term perspectives when planning and building their startups. A practical and sustainable business model is a driving force behind great investment deals, which is why Vernon draws from other disciplines such as finance and economics. 

Introducing the basics of finance and economics in a venture capital guidebook can provide a more holistic understanding of economic growth and what drives long-term value creation for investors. This is a unique aspect of Venture Capital Strategy where investors can learn how to identify sustainable startups with great potential for economic growth. For better investment decisions and an overall understanding of the framework of venture capital, readers can get a good grasp of how to think like a venture capitalist. 

Breakfast With Pops: A Venture Capital Handbook 

 

Author: Adam Draper, William H. Draper 

Perfectly titled, this book is the conversation you’d have over (an extremely long) breakfast if your pops or mentor was a seasoned Venture Capitalist. If you like your reads less dry, you’ll enjoy this buttered-up book with the tone of two friends chatting.

Breakfast with Pops derives from the authors’ personal experiences and sets a conversational tone when explaining the basics of venture capital. Its engaging style of language helps readers understand complex concepts, made more entertaining by including humor and relatable language. Breakfast with Pops provides a broader but well-rounded approach, and benefits both founders and venture capitalists by going into the venture capital process from start to finish.

Adam and William Draper also highlight the importance of building great founder-investor relationships. Trust, integrity, and transparency are vital qualities between founders and investors. Entrepreneurs can learn how investors operate and make decisions so that they can better position themselves for success.  From structuring deals to portfolio management, founders are able to learn about venture capital in an approachable way. The candid language used in Breakfast with Pops is also great for beginners who are just starting in the venture capital industry as founders or investors. It is for eager learners who seek a basic understanding of the venture capital world and the relationship between founders and investors. 

Founder VS Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO (Audiobook) 

 

Author: Elizabeth Zalman, Jerry Neumann 

The founder-investor relationship is the primary topic of Founder VS Investor. This audiobook by Zalman and Neuman sheds light on the challenges and tensions that founders and investors may face when developing a relationship. It gives practical advice on negotiating term sheets, managing investor relations, and resolving conflict. Listeners are able to gather valuable insights on how to build strong founder-investor relationships and, most importantly, how to negotiate deals that will benefit both parties. Zalman and Neuman stress the importance of harmony and understanding between founders and investors by analyzing the features of a successful founder-investor dynamic. 

Zalman and Neuman include various interviews with experts, thought leaders, and industry insiders, providing well-rounded insights from all perspectives of the venture capital world. These experts help listeners gain a broader understanding of the systems in venture capital and what makes these systems work. These insights are what makes Founder Vs Investor unique to its listeners.

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future Hardcover 

 

Author: Peter Thiel 

Beyond the bank; a book that is worth a read for all aspects of building a startup, including fundraising.

Zero to One introduces conventional ways of learning about entrepreneurship and innovation by catering to founders who seek to build groundbreaking businesses that go from zero to hero. Thiel has been quoted as saying, “We wanted flying cars. Instead, we got 140 characters” In this book, he explores how we got here and how we are capable of building the future we want. The book explores the foundations of a successful and innovative startup. It also serves as a guide for product development, where founders can learn how their product can stand out and resonate with their target audience. Peter Thiel emphasizes the importance of identifying products that offer significant value and solve real-life problems. 

Thiel encourages his readers to build a sustainable business that has potential to change the future.  Zero to One also targets VCs that want to identify promising investment opportunities. Thiel puts due diligence at the forefront when offering advice for venture capitalists. From identifying a startup’s growth potential, risk management, and maximizing returns while minimizing downside risks, Zero to One not only offers strategic guidance for founders and venture capitalists but it also analyzes the trends and dynamics of the venture capital world. 

In Search of Thursday: Diary of an Undergraduate at the University of Venture Capital 

 

Author: Paul Traynor 

If you prefer to “walk a mile” (or 278 pages) in the shoes of someone else’s journey as they discover the world of venture capital, this book is for you.

In Search of Thursday is written from the perspective of an undergraduate student who is newly exploring the world of venture capital. The author makes this book unique to readers because it offers an amateur perspective on the subject compared to traditional “expert” books. Paul Traynor chose to write about venture capital in a diary format and draws from personal experiences and reflections as he navigates the venture capital industry. The reader experiences the author’s journey through successes, failures, and the reality of going into venture capital.

 Although Traynor offers a more informal approach to understanding venture capital, he also covers key terms, concepts, and practices making this book a valuable source for beginners and students. While the entertainment value is certainly present in In Search of Thursday, it is full of practical advice from deal sourcing and due diligence to understanding the venture capital world overall. 

Super Founders: What Data Reveals About Million Dollar Startups 

 

Author: Ali Tamaseb

This book scientifically debunks the myth that you need a “perfectly matched 2 person team” – a techie and a business person – to have your best chance at a unicorn.  There is no significant difference in the rate of success if there are 2 “balanced” founders or 3 technical founders, or a single business founder.  If you can get over your emotional reaction and follow the numbers – your aperture will be blown wide open.

Super Founders is a data driven guide on how to have a successful startup and identifies the common features that the most successful startups have. Tamaseb uses a quantitative approach to analyze the main predictors of successful high-growth startups.  Super Founders also emphasizes what it truly takes to build a million-dollar startup. Smart founders will take inspiration from his conclusions and strive to focus on the key metrics revealed by his data. 

Although the topics and advice are centered around founders, venture capitalists can also benefit from the book. With the data-driven analysis, venture capitalists can better assess which startups will likely have successful outcomes, generating  better returns. By prioritizing empirical evidence in decision-making, venture capitalists and founders increase their chances of building and investing in successful startups. 

Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get from Start-up to IPO on Your Terms

 

Author: Jeffrey Bussgang

Learn both sides of the chessboard with this book.

Jeffrey Bussgang offers a unique take on venture capital and building a successful startup by having experience as both an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist himself. This book does a deep dive into the relationship and dynamic between investors and founders and what a successful business venture looks like. Mastering the VC Game includes real-life experiences as well as case studies to give its readers relevant and actionable advice when understanding the stages of a startup journey. Bussgang also sheds light on the importance of practical skills such as networking, pitching, and building credibility with potential investors. 

Mastering the VC Game is also useful when identifying the weaknesses of a startup. How can founders overcome common obstacles? How can they navigate the inevitable ups and downs of building a successful startup? Investors can use this knowledge to build better investment strategies that attract the most returns. Bussgang gives deep insight into not only the successes, but the challenges of being on both sides of the table.

   The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future

 

Author: Sebastian Mallaby

Moonshots and Moon landings: case studies and key insights into successful startups and what sets them apart.

The Power Law is unique in its historical perspective of the venture capital world by describing trends and developments that have influenced the industry to what it is today. It also takes on a global perspective when it comes to understanding innovation and economic development, including the differences and history in China, India, and Europe, where venture capital also has a prominent role in the business world. 

Sebastian Mallaby includes case studies as a key aspect when analyzing successful startups and venture capital firms. By drawing from real-world examples, The Power Law helps its readers connect with and digest the lessons and advice it gives. Mallaby takes inspiration from iconic companies like Google and Facebook and legendary investors like Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins to tell success stories. The Power Law explores a much broader spectrum of venture capital making this book beneficial for understanding the startup world as a whole. 

“The entire VC industry works from the Power Law principle — just a few of your cohort of investment will make nearly all of your returns. This has HUGE implications for how and how many startup investments you should make. Ignore this “law” at your own peril — but better to read about and understand it.” -Jeff Saling, StartUpNV 

Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get it

 

Author: Scott Kupor 

Capital Culture: A book that emphasizes the ecosystem and history behind venture capital: A critical read for anyone seeking to understand how it all began and where it’s going.

In Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Scott Kupor draws from his personal expertise as an experienced venture capitalist. While strongly emphasizing the entrepreneurial perspective, Secrets of Sand Hill Road highlights the experiences, challenges, and successes of raising venture capital. The book provides an inside look at the venture capital ecosystem by covering a wide range of topics, including the most prominent venture capital firms, fundraising strategies, valuation methods, and portfolio management. 

Kupor paints a vivid yet informative picture of the ins and outs of the relationship between venture capitalists and startup founders. The language used in Secrets of Sand Hill Road is comprehensive and straightforward for readers with varying knowledge of venture capital. Readers are able to gain a deeper understanding of the motivation and concerns behind the venture capital industry. 

Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist (4th Edition)

 

Author: Brad Feld, Jason Mendelson 

Often referred to as the “Holy Grail” of VC books, Venture Deals can serve as a friendly go-to handbook for founders on all things VC.

Venture Deals is an incredibly detailed and educational book from both the founder’s and the  venture capitalist’s perspective. Feld and Mendelson offer the ultimate guide to understanding raising capital and navigating the legalese and motivations of the fundraising process. From preparing for fundraising to closing the deal, founders will learn the best ways to pitch to investors and negotiate deals. Venture Deals also explores concepts of valuation and dilution which is especially useful for founders in early-stage startups. Founders can learn what factors influence the valuation and the strategies that might be helpful when negotiating a valuation that aligns with their business goals. 

Attracting investments is essential to the growth and success of startups so it is important for founders to understand the criteria investors use to evaluate in which startups they will invest. Feld and Mendelson offer a guide on how to navigate and build a strong relationship with potential investors. By including perspectives from venture capitalists, the book ensures that both parties benefit from the investment deals. Venture capitalists can gain a deeper understanding of the trends that are constantly developing in the industry in order to adapt and stay competitive. With the combination of insights from both founders and venture capitalists, Venture Deals is a valuable resource to the venture capital and startup world.

“Don’t make your second investment until you read and understand the material in this book.  You can be forgiven for making a first investment without it, but not a second, third, or more.” – Jeff Saling, StartUpNV 

Conclusion

For founders and investors that need an extra hand in understanding the ins and outs of the venture capital industry, this list is curated to offer perspectives new and old from various points of view. 

Founders and entrepreneurs can gain insight to the minds of investors and break the barrier of knowledge. This can enable them to create better business models and build successful and sustainable startups. Venture capitalists can also identify potential in startups and choose which ones can yield the best returns. 

The approaches of investors to venture capital are limitless but the resources are not, so it’s essential to choose the right venture capital books to help with your next great business venture. 

For additional resources, check out StartUpNV’s Youtube channel and stay updated on our most recent posts and events on our Linkedin page. Find our Founders Reading list here. 

Written By: Ericka Estacio, Staff Writer 

Top 10 Venture Capital Books for your Next Business Venture Read More »

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Understand Investor Expectations: A Pre-Seed Due Diligence Checklist for Founders

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Understand Investor Expectations: A Pre-Seed Due Diligence Checklist for Founders

The pre-seed funding stage occurs when startups seek initial outside capital to develop their business ideas, build prototypes, or scale their business. It’s a pivotal moment in a startup’s development and one that sets the stage for seed-stage funding. Companies that seek pre-seed funding need to give investors the means to provide an evaluation that doesn’t waste time and makes the company’s core value shine through.

In truth, the due diligence process goes both ways in pre seed funding. While investors will research the startups best suited to their interests, startups can tailor their pitch decks to better align with these investors’ expectations through research, and can determine more about alignment of the investors and their investment thesis. By doing so, startups gain a better chance of securing needed finances across every stage of the funding lifecycle.

The Pre-Seed Funding Due Diligence Checklist

Illustration of a checklist.

1. Know the Investment Criteria

Startups must speak to the overarching theme and the specific investment criteria (thesis) established by the angel group. Investors often have non-negotiable criteria, and startups that don’t meet these requirements will be cut, often without any feedback as to why. 

Founders must understand and align their venture with the expectations of the investor group before they proceed. Lack of alignment jeopardizes the chances of consideration, and it diminishes the opportunity for reconsideration.

  • Thoroughly research and understand the specific investment criteria.
  • Align the startup with the expectations of the angel group or investor.
  • Prioritize compatibility before proceeding with the application.

2. Highlight Venture Investability

While all investor groups have different pre-seed funding criteria, they tend to seek ventures that exhibit the potential for substantial returns, typically between 20-50 times the initial investment within 8-10 years. 

As such, it’s good to emphasize the potential for “big wins” in the pitch. As a general rule, startups should avoid niches that may not have sufficient market size or face saturation with trendy, short-lived ventures. They should promote the venture as a hot item with big potential for long-term gains.

  • Emphasize scalability and the potential for significant returns.
  • Be mindful of market dynamics and trends in specific niches.
  • Align the stated business model with the investor’s appetite for exponential growth.

3. Get Busy Networking

Proactive engagement with the investment group can impact a startup’s chances. Founders should reach out to publicly listed members of the selection committee to establish early contact and gain insights into what attributes should be pushed in pitch deck messaging. In-person contact is ideal to connect faces with names, but online communication and general company research can yield great results.

  • Actively engage with the chosen investment group.
  • Establish early contact with publicly listed members of the selection committee.
  • Gain insights into the preferences and focus areas of the investor group through strategic networking.

4. Include Business Mechanics

Investors value startups with a defensible position in the market—often referred to as a “moat” that shields the company from easy duplication. Founders should focus on strategies that position their company to dominate the market quickly or possess high switching costs and network effects that solidify their role as a market leader.

  • Develop strategies to establish a defensible position in the market.
  • Emphasize the importance of existing moats to protect against easy duplication.
  • Demonstrate a clear path to market dominance or the creation of high switching costs and network effects.

5. Get the Valuation Right

Getting the valuation right will have a significant impact on the chance to secure funding. Founders should work closely with advisors, utilize valuation methodologies, and avoid common pitfalls of over or undervaluation. A well-calibrated valuation instills confidence of investors and positions the startup for success in subsequent funding rounds.

  • Collaborate with advisors to determine an accurate valuation.
  • Utilize valuation methodologies and don’t shoot in the dark.
  • Strive for a well-calibrated and realistic valuation that inspires investor confidence. 
  • Check out StartUpNV’s Valuation Calculator.

Preparation Improves the Odds of Securing Pre Seed Funding

While this checklist provides a fairly comprehensive guide for startup founders who navigate pre-seed funding, note that each funding journey is unique. Founders may benefit from additional guidance tailored to their specific circumstances. 

They should  seek mentorship, engage with industry experts, and leverage networking opportunities to supplement the checklist and enhance the overall approach. After all, what is pre seed funding due diligence if not the perfect opportunity to hammer out problems before the company kicks off?

Understand Investor Expectations: A Pre-Seed Due Diligence Checklist for Founders Read More »

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Time Management Tips For Entrepreneurs In 2024

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Time Management Tips for Entrepreneurs in 2024

Stepping into 2024, founders may feel the whirlwind of post-holiday demands. The new year is supposed to be a time of rejuvenation and fresh starts, but for entrepreneurs, every day is a new challenge. Below, we offer time management tips for entrepreneurs, insights on how to prioritize precious work hours, and how to juggle multiple tasks without sacrificing work-life balance.

Set Priorities: Best Practices for Time Optimization

Embrace the Eisenhower Matrix

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The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as Eisenhower’s Urgency and Importance Matrix, provides a structured, four-quadrant framework that prioritizes tasks. Founders can make use of this framework at any stage of their startup. In the ‘Do First Quadrant’ individuals address critical and urgent tasks and use techniques like timers to stay focused and drive progress. Meanwhile, the ‘Schedule Quadrant’ focuses on significant yet non-urgent tasks to encourage proactive planning.

The ‘Delegate Quadrant’ helps leaders effectively manage task distribution. Leaders assign tasks based on expertise and alignment with organizational goals to foster collaboration and accountability through clear communication channels. Finally, the ‘Don’t Do Quadrant’ is a place to eliminate unproductive habits. This makes it easier to stay focused and juggle multiple tasks.

Implement Time Blocking

Time blocking is a helpful way to effectively manage multiple tasks with a busy schedule. Founders and staff managers can allocate specific time blocks for tasks, meetings, breaks, and focused work sessions.

For example, each Monday morning from 9:00-11:00 AM can be just for strategic planning. This time block allows staff members to review business objectives, assess market trends, and consider new goals. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, from 1:00-4:00 PM can be set aside for product development, product market fit questions, and other tasks.

This structure helps staff know what to expect across the work week and mentally prepares them for the creative work to come.

Focus on the Right Tasks

Founders should test and apply a variety of prioritization strategies to find the ones that best fit their team’s business goals. Buy-in from teams is important, but it’s also important that founders don’t run with the first framework they find. Every hour spent on a task is an hour that can’t be spent elsewhere, so it pays to identify high value tasks and apply efforts there.

For example, the oft-cited Pareto Principle states that 20% of activities produce 80% of outcomes. The founder should identify and prioritize these high value tasks, then allocate resources accordingly.

Define Clear Objectives for Each Time Block

Establish clear objectives for each time block to ensure that each section becomes a productive time slot. Without a clear focus, time blocks can turn into unproductive jam sessions where ideas are shared but no actual progress is made.

Apply Productivity Techniques

Everyone has their own preferences for how work gets done, but founders can integrate effective time management techniques into their company culture to make best practices an institutional value. Consider the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo, or the Eat the Frog Principle, popularized by Brian Tracy. These methods help workers stay focused throughout the day and ensure that the most high value tasks are made priorities in the workday.

Incorporate Buffer Time and Flexibility

Time management tips for entrepreneurs follow a common theme: flexibility. Founders should incorporate buffer time within the schedule to accommodate unexpected challenges or interruptions. They should allocate additional time for unforeseen tasks and try to stay one step ahead of the schedule. This minimizes the risk of unexpected roadblocks that creates a schedule time crunch. In this way, the buffer time remains a top strategy to balance a busy schedule with a personal life.

Delegate Tasks: Empower the Team for Success

An oft-cited mantra for executives is ‘never be the smartest person in the room’. A founder should surround themselves with trusted partners who bring their own unique perspectives and skill sets to the table. When a founder can delegate with confidence, it becomes far easier to manage the startup’s to-do list.

The Last Word on Productivity

A final word on time management tips for entrepreneurs: Don’t neglect self-care! Personal management is part of being an entrepreneur, and founder burnout can spread like wildfire among lower level staff. Founders should do themselves, and their startups, a favor and set aside some time each week for rest and rejuvenation, and incorporate regular breaks to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Visit StartupNV for more tips for success in 2024!

Time Management Tips For Entrepreneurs In 2024 Read More »

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Startups Can Adapt to Market Changes

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Startups Can Adapt to Market Changes: How to Evaluate Product-Market Fit and Pivot as Needed

Most entrepreneurs believe they have the next great idea, but they haven’t done the prep work of evaluating the market for viability. Whether it’s a pet rock, Pinterest, or a cookie cup, the saying “There’s a market for everything” does have a lot of truth to it. But to know for sure that there’s a market for your idea, one must have sales and learn the meaning of  “product-market fit.”

Without product market fit, a startup may spend years in a struggle to gain traction. Product-market fit is shown by quick revenue growth, and is very enticing to investors.

Market Fit Questions To Ask First

“Product-market fit” sounds lofty, right? It refers to whether a business creates a good or service that meets consumer needs, is relevant, is priced well for the target audience, and has intrinsic value that can’t be duplicated by competitors. For brevity, we’ll use the term widget to refer to both products and services. 

First, understand that product-market fit doesn’t mean that only one business can successfully sell a widget within a specific category. But it does mean that this widget outshines the competition in that niche. The first in a series of important product market fit stages is to ask your customers questions to see if your widget is worth pursuing with a startup.

Does the widget:

  • Address a meaningful customer need?
  • Solve the need in a new way?
  • Have a reasonable price that customers will pay?
  • Does the price being paid allow the company to make a profit?
  • What other features would the customer like to see?
  • Create a positive user experience (UX)
  • Have a clearly-defined feature set

Before you try to sell or market to consumers, make sure that the product-market fit is properly vetted. You may spend several months researching the consumer landscape and the competition before the widget is ready to launch. Ask at least 100 unknown people to answer your discovery questions.

Identify the Target Market

Before you try to sell or market to consumers, make sure that the product-market fit is properly vetted. You may spend several months researching the consumer landscape and the competition before the widget is ready to launch.

Identify The Target Market

Don’t even think about launching a startup if the target market is not present. Let’s use the example of a residential cleaning service in Nevada. Think about who is most likely to hire house cleaners. This could be owners of high-end homes but may also be busy middle-class professionals who are short on time. 

They can be renters, homeowners, any gender, any race, and any age. The key indicator is that they have enough discretionary income to afford professional house cleaning. This is the start of learning about the market, so go to a busy place and ask people if they will help you by answering some questions. Try to craft the questions without leading the respondent to a yes or no answer. The idea is to really engage with potential customers to learn how they deal with cleaning the house at the present time and what issues they have. One of the questions should be “Would you pay for someone to clean your house if they were efficient and you knew they were not thieves?” If someone answers “Yes”, the next question is “What would you pay for this service?” followed by “Do you pay for a service now?” and “How much do you pay?” and finally “In a perfect world, what would you change about your present service that would make it worth paying more for?” The answers to these questions enable the crafting of a good value proposition. If the answers do not prove the need for the service and the willingness of customers to pay, the entrepreneur should consider pursuing their next great idea.

Value Proposition vs. Pricing

Determining where your offering sits in regard to value and the rest of the market is one of the more important tasks to be done in anticipating product market fit. The Value proposition explains to your target market members how your widget is the best option available and why a consumer should pick yours over the competition’s widget. This can be an intrinsic value that is intangible. The intrinsic value of the cleaning service is that it frees up a customer’s valuable time to pursue other tasks, while not taking too much time to complete.

The customer’s newly found free time is a direct understandable benefit, while the cleaning being done quickly ensures that the customer’s life is interrupted only briefly. Determining pricing can be done with the aforementioned customer validation questions. If the choice is to target only high-end households, a higher fee may make sense because the time that goes with their higher salary is worth more. Conversely, someone with a smaller living space or with a lower income might balk at a premium price tag. The higher-end households represent higher earnings, but you might have fewer customers. Conversely, there are more middle class customers, so they represent a larger market potential—even though the per-booking fee is lower. Determining which is the ideal customer will dictate which value proposition is pursued first.

A Clearly-Defined Feature Set

This piggybacks off of the value proposition. Your feature set should reinforce what people will receive in exchange for hiring your cleaning service. This would be a clear outline of what consumers will be paying for. What tasks are included in your bookings? Are there multiple tiers for bookings, and if so what are the minimum tasks that you provide in the lowest tier?

Feature sets can also refer to perks. Maybe you decide to throw in a free deep cleaning for every fifth booking. Or, you offer a half-price cleaning service on select days or an alternative rewards program.

A Positive User Experience

This feature is critical once you’ve launched your widget. Don’t expect consumers to spend their hard-earned money on a subpar experience. You might fool a customer once, but if your staff steals valuables, destroys items around the home, or does a half-hearted cleaning job, don’t expect repeat bookings. In the early days, find an unscalable extra task that will delight your customer, such as leaving a fresh flower after the cleaning.

Seek Feedback

As a business, you can preemptively research only for so long before you have to go ahead and launch. At some point, you need to discover the fruits of your labor. Another way to determine product-market fit is to gather feedback from your consumers or focus groups. Repeat complaints on specific aspects are signs that you need to make adjustments to improve your product-market fit.

Be Prepared to Pivot

“Pivot” isn’t a dirty word in the startup world. Sometimes it’s necessary to help the business thrive when it would otherwise fail. When shortcomings are discovered that stall or negatively affect sales, the best thing to do is talk to customers (again) and implement changes that prevail among the customer’s feedback.

Don’t allow ego to prevent making adjustments that could help create a winning business model. As a startup, it is hard to determine when the startup has achieved product-market fit. Hallmarks of product market fit are having so many referrals that it is hard to keep up with production or orders. When sales are coming in from word of mouth, sales are growing exponentially, and all the employees are scrambling, that’s a good indication of product market fit. But don’t stop there, keep talking to customers to keep them delighted. Remember, understanding product market fit and positioning the company appropriately is only the beginning.

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Angel Investing vs. Venture Capital: What’s Best for Your Nevada Startup

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Angel Investing vs. Venture Capital: What’s Best for a Nevada Startup

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For most startups, there’s a point where self-funding the business isn’t an option anymore, and founders are often left with the choice between angel investing vs. venture capital. Either they need to scale but lack the liquidity to do so, or they need to cover operational costs. Whatever the reason, funding is needed to keep the dream alive. 

New startups usually have to rely on personal networks like friends and family to get startup capital. They may apply for a bank loan. But there’s no guarantee that close friends, family, or a loan can supply enough money to stay afloat. Sometimes new entrepreneurs must approach private investors. 

Investment funding may come from two main sources: angel investors and venture capitalists. A startup needs to ask the right investor- startup fit questions to determine which is the right choice and learn about the potential risks and benefits of each option.

Angel Investing vs. Venture Capital

Angel investing and venture capital (VC) are private fundraising options for businesses that want to sidestep traditional banking institutions. While there are some similarities between them, they operate differently. Everything from the maximum investment offered, to expectations on returns, to the terms and amount of due diligence performed vary.

What is Venture Capital?

Raising venture capital funding operates outside of traditional banking. It’s a private equity solution through which startup businesses receive anywhere from several hundred thousand to millions of dollars in exchange for an ownership stake in the company. To offer these amounts, venture capitalist firms pool funds from several high-net-worth investors (including corporations and individuals) and create an investment portfolio.

What Is Angel Investing?

Angel investors are individuals who fund startups in exchange for an equity stake in the business that’s realized at an exit. In the US, an investor must have a net worth of at least $1 million excluding the equity in the primary residence or have earned at least $200,000 for the past two consecutive years for single investors or $300,000 for a couple. This is known as the SEC’s definition of an “accredited investor.” Usually, angels are the first outside backers after an entrepreneur exhausts friends and family, bank loans, and personal reserves. Angel investments still qualify as “pre-seed or seed investments” because the funding is usually lesser amounts with the average being $25,000 to $50,000.

There are also angel groups and syndicates. Angel groups can operate in a number of ways that include funds into which all angels invest, investments that are made with the approval of a minimum number of angels or each individual angel making his/her own investment decision.  Angel syndicates may pool a minimum investment from each participating member, which allows the group to invest larger lump sums in a single deal or “spread the wealth” across several deals. Syndicates can also be a simple network or angels or angel groups who share deal flow and have no rules attached. The difference is important because pooled investment funds, whether within an angel group or as a syndicate, allow these groups to operate like small-scale VC firms. Still, the total investment per deal is smaller than a VC would offer.

Similarities and Differences Between VCs and Angels

With both VCs and angels, you approach outside investors for funding. Both groups will have preset criteria to determine whether your deal is viable and coincide with their portfolio and investment goals.

The Similarities

Both VCs and angels require information to assess a potential deal. The information is most often offered in the form of a pitch deck. The pitch deck should cover the basics of the business, including what problem the startup is solving, the market potential, competitors, how they sell to customers and what they charge, any traction, the team, and what they’re asking in terms of investment or support. It should demonstrate how the investors will likely earn a return. Both groups are early investors and usually agree to invest before or after achieving major financial milestones. Funding is invested in exchange for a stake in the company with the expectation of a financial return once a liquidity event occurs. 

A liquidity event can be acquisition by another company or a future funding deal like series A or B funding rounds, or an initial public offering (IPO). Series A and B funding rounds (a common angel exit) refers to bigger investments that are still pre-IPO but occur after seed funding is exhausted. IPOs occur when businesses become publicly traded on the stock market (a common VC exit). The most common exit for startups is acquisition by another company, or failure.

The Differences

When pitting angel investing vs. venture capital, there are a few main areas in how the two deals differ:

  • The funding amount
  • The equity stake and return expectations
  • Startup position within the business life cycle 
  • Risk exposure and startup readiness

Because Angels typically offer smaller investments than VCs do, they are more open to funding earlier-stage startups, including at the proof-of-concept stage. Because of this, the risk is greater, and deals may be held for longer periods. Likewise, they may choose to be more hands-on with the startup to safeguard their investment.

By contrast, VCs look for faster growth and will often consider only those deals with larger funding requests—the series A and B rounds. Although the risk is inherently higher with bigger sums, VCs will require established track records like year-over-year financial growth, secured business partnerships, or top talent at the founder level, like serial startup founders, previous influential angel investors, and industry insiders as advisors. As a result, early-stage venture capital firms  usually fund startups after proof-of-concept stage.

Which Funding Source is Right for You?

Criteria such as business stage and market potential will automatically determine which funding option founders can pursue. VCs rarely consider early startups since they prefer more established businesses with a verified market share, revenue, and growth potential. Startups should focus on angels who are open to funding early stage businesses. Founders can take the guesswork out of sourcing investors by partnering with StartUp Nevada. With seven education programs for entrepreneurs, and an accelerator that invests in early stage companies, we help nurture business ideas. We also help educate founders about angel investing vs. venture capital opportunities and offer access to venture capital in Las Vegas through our in-depth investor network.

Angel Investing vs. Venture Capital: What’s Best for Your Nevada Startup Read More »

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Holiday Marketing Strategies for Startups: Stand Out in the Festive Season

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Holiday Marketing Strategies for Startups: Stand Out in the Festive Season

Nevada startups, especially in the tech sector, can take advantage of the upcoming holiday season. Showcase your innovation and deepen customer connections, but do be savvy if you want to stand out in a crowded market.

Understand the Holiday Market Dynamics

The holiday season brings a surge in consumer spending and a sharpened competitive business environment. Everyone wants to focus their advertising to increase sales, but not all businesses come out on top when the snow settles.

Retail sales during this period see a significant boost and create a ripe market for startups. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for startups, particularly in sectors like technology, where traditional holiday marketing might not seem like an obvious fit.

Here are a few holiday market dynamics worth considering:

  • Increased spending – According to PwC’s 2023 Holiday Outlook, consumers are expected to increase their spending by 7% this year, with an average of $1,530 going to gifts, travel, and entertainment. Travel-related spending is expected to increase year-over-year, and almost 40% of consumers plan to spend more than they did last year​.

  • Spending on holiday gifts – The Conference Board Holiday Spending Survey reveals that in 2023, U.S. consumers intend to spend an average of $985 on holiday-related items. While this is about $20 less than reported in 2022, the amount spent specifically on holiday gifts in 2023 is anticipated to rise almost 7% since last year.

  • Surpassing pre-pandemic levels – Deloitte’s analysis indicates that holiday shopping is likely to surpass pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Consumers surveyed plan to spend an average of 14% more this year. Pair this with the fact that nearly all consumers surveyed (95%) plan to participate in the holiday season, and this suggests increased holiday spending​.

When you align your unique offerings with the festive mood, take advantage of holiday trends that indicate an uptick in spending. With this knowledge of the dynamics of the season, your startup can carve out a niche, even in a crowded marketplace.

Creative Holiday Marketing Ideas for Startups

Creative Holiday Marketing Ideas for Startups

Innovative marketing can set startups apart. 

Fortunately, experts understand that startup marketing needs a little more finesse. To stand out, startups should adopt creative, impactful marketing strategies.

Here are some advanced startup marketing ideas:

  • Interactive advent calendars – Create a digital advent calendar on your website or as a unique social media marketing strategy. Reveal daily deals, product reveals, or valuable content to keep users engaged throughout the month.

  • Holiday-themed webinars and workshops – Host online events that offer value to your audience, like “Tech Gift Guides” or “Holiday Tech Tips” that cater to the interests of your audience while they subtly promote your products.

  • Virtual reality experiences – For tech startups, a VR experience themed around the holidays can showcase your product’s capabilities and provide an immersive and memorable interaction with your brand.

  • User-generated content campaigns – Encourage customers to share their holiday experiences with your product. Offer incentives for the best social media posts. This engages your existing customer base and acts as authentic promotion.

  • Augmented reality for shopping – Implement AR features into your app or website to allow customers to visualize your products in a holiday setting.

  • Exclusive holiday partnerships – Partner with non-competing businesses to offer exclusive holiday packages or bundles. For tech startups, this could mean you partner with lifestyle brands to create a “holiday survival kit” that includes tech gadgets.

  • Social responsibility initiatives – Align your brand with a social cause. You could donate a portion of holiday sales to a charity or organize a community event, which would show your company’s commitment to social responsibility.

Consumers can sniff out a brand that’s trying to be deceptive, especially with holiday marketing. No matter what you do during the holiday season, be authentic.

Authenticity and Ethical Marketing

Maintain authenticity in holiday marketing campaigns. This is crucial to build long-term customer trust and loyalty, and it’s especially important for startups because a solid, trustworthy brand identity is important to establish early on.

Harvard Business Review provides a few good questions that will help gauge and boost customer trust. It’s important to avoid over-promising or misleading tactics and focus instead on genuine, value-driven communication.

Share stories of real customers, the behind-the-scenes of your business, or how your products are made. These can create a more authentic connection during the holidays.

Make Your Startup Stand Out this Holiday Season

The holiday season is the perfect opportunity for startups around Nevada to showcase their products and services. We recommend you focus on authenticity and innovative marketing strategies. And be sure to leverage your digital platforms in inspired ways to stand out this year.  

Need help bridging the gap between innovation and tradition? Contact the startup professionals at StartUpNV for expert advice and an edge over the competition.

Holiday Marketing Strategies for Startups: Stand Out in the Festive Season Read More »

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Building an Angel Network within Incubator and Accelerator Communities

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How to Build an Angel Network With Our Incubator Community

Nevadans will be the first to tell you that our state’s startup scene is experiencing an unprecedented surge of energy. With no state income tax and significantly lower barriers to entry compared to most regions in the U.S., Nevada has become a hotspot for investment. But the benefits of investing in Nevada aren’t just about tax perks. The Nevada community and StartUpNV are ideal locales to build valuable connections—and bridge an existing gap between investors and the startups they support.

Bridging the Gap with StartUpNV

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As Nevada’s only statewide startup incubator and accelerator, we’ve noticed a unique challenge: a perceived gap between angel investors and startups. Angels may claim there are no worthwhile deals to be found; entrepreneurs may lament the scarcity of investors willing to write checks. These, however, are misconceptions.

StartUpNV is here to shine a light on these issues. We organize startups into a dynamic marketplace where the most promising ventures rise to the top. We make these opportunities available to forward-thinking angels who possess the foresight and strategy to identify and back the winners. We do this through a variety of programming, but in this article, we focus on one tactic in particular: how to build an angel network.

Build Your Network with a Startup Incubator

Angel groups provide a structured framework for high-net-worth individuals or accredited investors to discover, evaluate, and fund promising entrepreneurial ventures. Maybe we’re biased, but we recommend that all founders tap these angel networks.. It’s one of the best tactics to boost startup success, both for seasoned founders and first-timers.

These networks provide a sounding board where minds come together and evaluate opportunities, review product/market fit, and share business resources. If you team up with the right startup accelerator community, such as StartUpNV, you can unlock unique opportunities that startups won’t find anywhere else.

Improve Diversification

Angel investors and entrepreneurs can diversify their portfolios when they participate in investments offered through accelerator partnerships. For example, consider FundNV, a for-profit pre-seed venture capital fund for StartUpNV accelerator companies.

FundNV invests $50,000 per company through a convertible note or a SAFE, both of which offer founder-friendly terms.. This type of diversification minimizes individual risk and increases investment success.

Partners in Due Diligence

Angel networks can foster rigorous due diligence processes and evaluate investment opportunities, especially when an investor has particular goals in mind.

For example, check out the 1864 Fund, a $10M seed-stage fund affiliated with StartUpNV’s programming. This fund provides a verified way for investors to support talent outside of more conventional enclaves because it focuses on opportunities in the American interior. We call this a “gold zone” where deals are priced low and returns have great potential. We aim to connect investors with these types of opportunities through a collaborative approach that connects the right investor to the right deal at the right moment.

Learn From Those Who Came Before

A recurring theme among accelerator programs is that members can get more done when they harness collective knowledge. Some accelerator programs are designed to help members do just that. Our AngelNV investor education program is a great example. 

Here, investors have the unique opportunity to learn from seasoned startup investors within a secure group environment, perfect for those new to startup investing. AngelNV brings together a mix of first-time and seasoned angels to invest collectively, and this creates an ideal space for knowledge exchange.

Attendees benefit from a conference format that goes beyond theory; it provides hands-on engagement with startups seeking investment. This approach enables individuals to kick start their journey as they build a diverse portfolio of startup investments.

Boost Deal Flow and Negotiating Power

Angel networks can facilitate strong connections within  a region’s startup ecosystem. Members benefit from a broader range of investment opportunities and the potential to pool financial resources, which supports a collective approach that yields better results. 

As an added effect, these networks can leverage more substantial negotiating power when they deal with investment candidates. This can lead to more favorable terms for the network’s investors. These are the types of insights and benefits we strive to bring to all members of our program, and we always strive to improve our ability to connect.

Whether you’re an investor, a founder, or a tech enthusiast, StartUpNV is here to help. From understanding different types of venture capital strategies to learning how to calculate pre- money valuation, our programs will give you an edge to navigate the investment landscape.

Discover the multitude of investment opportunities available through our startup incubator and let’s make Nevada’s ecosystem flourish.

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Nevada Advantage: First in the Nation State Law Creates a Large Investor Pool for Startups

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The Nevada Advantage: First in the Nation State Law Creates a Large Investor Pool for Startups

Are you ready to take your startup to new heights?

Look no further than StartUpNV, the premier startup accelerator in Nevada. Your StartUpNV launchpad comes with a multitude of benefits that give entrepreneurs an edge. But before we get into that, let’s explore why Nevada itself is a great choice for both startups and investors who want to fund the next big idea.

The Nevada Certified Investor Law

government-money-spending

Nevada offers some unique benefits for those looking to invest in the state. Chief among them is the Nevada Certified Investor Law, groundbreaking legislation that opens a world of opportunities for startups and investors.

Here’s how it works:

Investors who meet W-2, Schedule C or 1099 income eligibility criteria qualify as Nevada Certified Investors (NCI). This allows them to access different types of investment vehicles and get in on the ground floor of Nevada-based opportunities. NCI provides a Nevada specific alternative to national Accredited Investor regulations on making and seeking investments and paves the way for greater access to capital and for Nevadans to propel innovation and growth in the Nevada startup ecosystem.

In essence, the Certified Investor Law supports a more investor-friendly landscape in Nevada, which, in turn, fuels a startup’s ability to attract funding and hit early-stage growth goals.

Also, Nevada’s tax code features zero state income tax on individuals, no corporate income tax, competitive property tax rates, and a whole lot more. This framework has been dubbed “the Nevada advantage” for businesses, and we’re eager to support your company as you leverage these opportunities for yourself.

Transform Your Operations with StartUpNV

Nevada is one of the best places in the nation to launch your endeavor, but how do StartUpNV’s accelerator programs contribute? Here’s a quick rundown.

1. Networking Opportunities

One of the key advantages of StartUpNV membership is direct access to our region’s vibrant startup community. Likely due to our investment and tax benefits, Nevada has developed a thriving ecosystem filled with innovative entrepreneurs and tech-based startups. StartUpNV connects you with this community via regular events and programs that give you countless opportunities to network and collaborate.

2. Expert Mentorship and Programming

At StartUpNV, we understand the challenges that young businesses face. From learning how to secure investments to navigating complex legal issues, there’s a lot to manage. That’s why a core part of StartUpNV is focused on education and mentorship. Check out our core programs to see what we can bring to your business:

  • AccelerateNV – a specialized startup accelerator program that invests an average of $240,000 per company – and helps cohort startups grow revenue to qualify for a larger seed investment.

     

  • Founder University – a free and dynamic platform that features regular speakers and subject matter experts to support entrepreneurial growth.

     

  • AngelNV Bootcamp – a free course that prepares founders to raise startup capital, and it supports angel investors in their assessment.

     

  • Incubate Vegas – a free program that supports first-time entrepreneurs and underserved founders in Clark County.

     

IncubateNV – a self-directed online platform that provides education, tools, and resources at the user’s own pace..

Our comprehensive business mentorship programs provide startups with the guidance they need. Our mentors refine your business strategy, develop more effective marketing campaigns, and provide support every step of the way.

3. Funding Opportunities

Start-up funding is often one of the biggest hurdles for startups. By choosing StartUpNV as your launchpad, you gain access to an array of funding opportunities tailored for early-stage businesses. Benefit from our extensive network of angel investors, venture capitalists, and other sources of capital.

Our programs help you identify funding options and assist with the preparation of compelling pitches that maximize your chances to secure investment. For example, our AccelerateNV program allows startups to pitch for a $100,000 investment award, with 50% provided by FundNV and 50% by State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) funding.

StartUpNV is your launchpad for success. It gives you access to a vibrant startup community where networking events abound, expert mentorship from seasoned professionals who will guide you toward achieving your goals, and valuable funding opportunities for early-stage businesses like yours.

Don’t miss out on the chance to accelerate your startup’s growth. 

Join the thriving startup ecosystem in Nevada with StartUpNV. Contact us to learn how we can help.



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