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Email my first name ("david") at this very domain.

Beat that, bots.

I'm an Internet entrepreneur, and this is my place to put all the ideas I've been exposed to over the past few years. I've also been advising entrepreneurs more frequently these days, and this just seemed like a more efficient way to get the information out. Here's some recent thoughts:

Saturday
13Feb2010

Startup office space: some tips

DateSaturday, February 13, 2010 at 2:42PM

Financial forecasting is a huge part of getting your company started and funded. In order to know how much money to raise from outside investors, you should have a clear idea of your cash need, and forecasting the costs of your future decisions lets you know how much cash you need today. One particularly opaque aspect of forecasting is the expense associated with your office space, and here are a few thoughts that might help a new entrepreneur think about their office need the right way. The post covers both financial and cultural considerations.

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Comment2 Comments |
Saturday
06Feb2010

The (Un)importance of Advisory Boards

DateSaturday, February 6, 2010 at 7:26PM

I love getting advice and having advisors, especially if they're the kind who have loads of contacts and their fair share of scar tissue from tackling issues exactly like your own. We have a few at my company, and I depend on them constantly. That said, I despise the idea of the "advisory board" as a concept, and the flimsy credibility crutch it represents for newly minted entrepreneurs.

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Comment1 Comment |
Saturday
06Feb2010

Board meetings for early startups

DateSaturday, February 6, 2010 at 3:04PM

When you're exploring the idea of starting a company, you tend to do a lot of research and make the kinds of presentations and pitches that let you stay focused on the forest rather than the trees. You're a visionary. But as soon as you get started building your business, it's way too easy to lose sight of your general direction as you try to keep up. That is, until it's time for the next board meeting.

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Thursday
11Oct2007

The Seed Investing Myth (A Proof)

DateThursday, October 11, 2007 at 7:35PM

VCs simply can’t think small if they didn’t from the beginning, when they were dealing with their Limited Partners. The myth is not that venture capitalists or professional firms can’t invest in seed-stage investments, but that firms with a traditional strategy at the time they raise their massive funds will be incapable of making small investments and delivering the same value to the entrepreneur that they promise their main stable of companies.

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Monday
03Sep2007

Power of the Personal Brand in VC

DateMonday, September 3, 2007 at 7:48PM

Unlike public investing, where participation is less scarce but being smart about your moves is your asset, venture capital seems to be about having access to the best entrepreneurs and closing deals despite competition from other hungry firms. The firm’s reputation will take the partner only so far; after that, it will be about how the person within the firm sells himself as an ideal contributor to the startup’s vision. With only so many good deals to go around and a high probability that you are competing against other top funds to participate in them, the personal brand of the partners involved will be critical.

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