Treat Each Other Nicely in the Startup Community – People Talk
It's best to play nice with others in the startup community. While it may seem diverse and diffused, I've found word travels fast. The startup world is transparent and highly viral. So much of what happens regarding deal-flow and investing is based on reputation and trust. It takes a long time…
Investor Connect – Larry Cynkin of GreenBar
In this episode, Hall welcomes GreenBar founder Larry Cynkin. Larry is a serial entrepreneur who has been CTO or VP Engineering at five startups, with experience in industries ranging from health care to personalized e-commerce to ed-tech. Larry started his career as a software developer, with a degree in Computer…
Spend Time with them First
Before the fundraise, startups should spend time with the investor first. It's less about the amount of face time and more about the number of interactions over the phone, via email, in person, and otherwise. It's best to connect with investors before you start your fundraise so you have a…
Investor Connect – Sid Mookerji of Silicon Road
In this episode, Hall is joined by Sid Mookerji of Silicon Road, an early-stage fund, accelerator, and advisory group focused on retail and eCommerce. After founding a custom application development firm for eCommerce and retail, Sid saw the opportunity for a good exit and entered the world of venture capital.…
It’s About Execution
Some startups think their business will succeed based on the idea, the technology, the market or something else. They think their technology will win the day, or that their idea is so great, or the market is growing so fast that they will succeed based on that alone. For the…
Investor Connect – Pierre Rogers of PuroTrader
In this episode, Hall is joined by Pierre Rogers of PuroTrader, an online cigar-trading platform. PuroTrader was created by two aficionados to bring more transparency and access to the global cigar market. The site aims to educate connoisseurs, stimulate conversation and more importantly monitor market trends within the industry. In…
Importance of Historical Numbers
Most startup pitches focus on their future. It's bright. The numbers are growing fast and will be big. The sky's the limit. Just how much do investors put behind those startup forecasts? The answer: It depends on the historical numbers the forecast is based on. If there's a consistent track…
Investor Connect – Orrin Ailloni-Charas of RedCrow
In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Orrin Ailloni-Charas of RedCrow, a healthcare-focused, early-stage startup investing network. Orrin's background in medicine led to consulting roles with various healthcare startups. He received his MBA from Columbia, and now has a career straddling both the business world and medial and clinical world. Orrin…
When Should You Raise Funding?
I'm often asked when you should raise funding. There are funding requirements to consider. Calculate your cash burn and estimate the need for new cash. There are also preparation and timing issues. Start your preparation six months in front of the launch Launch your fundraise six months before you need…
Investor Connect – Tracy Deforge of The Players’ Impact
In this episode, Hall welcomes Tracy DeForge of The Players' Impact, a group that connects professional athletes with the world of startups and investing. Tracy has worked in the sports industry for her entire career. At The Players' Impact, she is focused not just on involving athletes as brand ambassadors,…
