Getting from Series A to Series B is a Tall Task

This chart tells an important story for early-stage founders. Only 10% of startups that raised a Series A in 2022 have raised a Series B two years later. That drop of nearly 2/3 from 2018 represents a brutal cliff for founders.

Unicorn bubbles

This chart is a perfect illustration of the pain still to come in venture. The explosion of ‘unicorns’ in 2021 and 2022 is the venture bubble in action. It will take years to unwind, and venture returns will continue to suffer along the way.

Your Mushroom Farm is Not a Tech Company

Most businesses aren't a good fit for venture capital. Picking the right sources of funding is one of the most important decisions you'll make. When you're pitching your mushroom farming startup as a tech company, you're on a path that's

Census Data Highlights Surge in New Startups

In the coming wave of AI-related disruption, we can enable entrepreneurship and unleash the job-creating forces behind it. We need to learn from the past to set the right policies for the future.

Valuation Makes The Headlines – Liquidation Preferences Allocate The Cash

Why do some startups, despite raising over $100 million and achieving unicorn status, end up with little to show for it? The startup press and many founders are obsessed with valuation. But that can be a trap. During a liquidation event, the most important factor is how the cash is

Four Steps to Navigating the Startup Team Skills Gap

Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, stated that the key to building great companies is getting the right people on the bus. This is a critical concept for successful founders. You need the right people on your bus to find and scale product-market fit. The wrong people slow

🪤 Avoid the SAFE Note Dilution Trap

SAFEs are fast and inexpensive to use. That’s a feature and a bug. Too many founders overuse SAFEs and end up in a dilution trap. * Carta recently released its Q1 2024 State of Pre-seed report.  It's the perfect opportunity to review the current state of SAFE notes

How To Steer Your Startup Through The VC Shakeout

Are your current venture investors acting strange? Did they seem more nervous and jumpy at your last board meeting? Are you concerned that you’re suddenly not all on the same page? Venture funds are under a lot of pressure right now. This has implications for your startup as you

Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt Can Be Founder Superpowers

Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt. As a founder, it’s easy to believe these feelings are weaknesses. They lay the foundation of imposter syndrome. But when properly channeled, fear, uncertainty, and doubt are founder superpowers. They help you find the path to profitable, scalable growth. They allow you to stay in control

Embrace the MVP and Stop Trying To Boil The Ocean

You’re trying to boil the ocean. You had a simple idea for a startup. One problem to solve. A solution to a common pain point that would attract customers and keep them coming back. You were targeting a small market at first. But that’s ok. You had a

Are You Growing Fast Enough?

2023 is in the books. Your 2024 budget is sitting in front of you. The start of a new year is the perfect time to reassess whether your startup is still on the venture path. Here is a simple question: Is your revenue growth strong enough to attract a round

Don't Believe The Hype

The Scooter company Bird filed for bankruptcy yesterday. Another high-flying unicorn falls to earth. This is an important reminder that you can’t believe the hype in the startup press.