Messages
2/19/2024
1 : 54
The thing about money...
Happy Friday (from a coffee shop in balmy Sioux Falls, SD this morning)! Ed and I spent some time at a local pitch event last night, it's been a good reminder that, for the most part, access to
2/9/2024
16 : 44
"Invest in brand, or pay more in CAC forever and ever."
Happy Friday! On my mind this week: "Invest in brand, or pay more in CAC forever and ever." As much as I want to take credit for this one, it was a friend's tweet that caught my eye.
2/2/2024
14 : 44
Let's talk about the most valuable asset you own.
Happy Friday! On my mind this week: most entrepreneurs fear the wrong thing. Growth is fun. Failure sucks. But the absolute worst thing that can happen is being stuck in something that's not-quite-
1/26/2024
16 : 44
Growth is the only common language.
Happy Friday! One of the many things I've learned over the past few years is that when you put entrepreneurs, investors and anyone else around a single table something weird happens: they're
1/19/2024
14 : 24
Why some people get a second meeting... and others don't. 😬
Happy Friday! This week's been full of snow and ice here in Virginia... which means our kids have only gone to school for 1.5 days. 🫠 Anyway, I've been thinking about something this week... If
1/12/2024
16 : 24
Growth vs Distractions
Happy Friday! Last week's email might have struck a nerve: a number of readers didn't agree with my assertion that you're fighting a war for the attention of the people that are not yet
11/15/2022
16 : 24
You (probably) don’t need a MVP. You need a list.
TL;DR, a startup's ability to acquire attention is just as important — if not *more* important — than their ability to build a product. Read More In other news, it's been a while since we had a
11/8/2022
16 : 24
There are only 2 stages to any company
I'm not sure why people — both investors and entrepreneurs — make things so complicated. Don't let your friends and mentors confuse you, business isn't all that complicated: sell one thing
11/1/2022
15 : 24
Get to $1,000 first.
The reality is that the default state of any company is failure and the #1 reason why it will likely fail is because there wasn't enough money coming in the door.1 The good news, however, is that
10/25/2022
15 : 24
The problem isn’t local investors, it’s you.
Investor pitches, particularly outside Silicon Valley and NYC, generally fall into two buckets: the founder either asks for too little cash or aims too low. Read More And no picture for you today. :)
10/18/2022
15 : 34
Founders should look at more deals
There are too many people claiming to be founders out there and you're competing with them whether you know it or not. Whether you decide to raise outside money or bootstrap things entirely, you
10/11/2022
15 : 24
Early stage investing is emotional
I'm a big believer that the soft skills of fundraising are far trickier than the hard skills of fundraising. Read More Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-
10/7/2022
18 : 24
Beacon (Trends / Alerts / Transcripts) and Travel (Apps)
The new(est) baby is ~2 weeks old. He's doing great... I'm feeling a bit foggy. I suppose little sleep and three other kids will do that to ya. ☕️ New Podcast Episode: Babies, Beacons and
10/4/2022
15 : 34
Why investors outside your hometown don’t take your calls
You're using dinner-party etiquette in a business meeting, and then you're surprised when the business people are like, 'I don't have time for this.' Read More Unsubscribe | Update
9/30/2022
18 : 54
It’s been a while. 👋🏼
Yeah, so we had a baby. Mom's doing great. The kids are loving the new addition. I'm slinging diapers… and untangling Common Table Expressions during nap times. New Podcast Episode: Do you
9/27/2022
15 : 34
What ‘power’ means today.
When you decide to pitch an investor, make sure that every word coming out of your mouth is something that grabs their attention. Read More Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 113 Cherry St #92768,
9/20/2022
15 : 34
The four numbers you need to have handy if you *ever* want to raise money
There's rarely anything more frustrating than meeting a founder that doesn't know the numbers around their own business. Read More Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 113 Cherry St #92768,
9/13/2022
15 : 34
Midwestern community leaders need to think bigger.
If you really want to make a difference in your hometown, start thinking about how to build a network across the entire Midwestern startup scene. Let everyone else play the local game. Read More
9/6/2022
15 : 34
Stop chasing money, it just makes you look desperate
There's a saying in the investor community: if you're not chasing a deal, it's probably not a good one. Read More Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104
8/30/2022
15 : 34
Skip the local investors (first)
If you want to do anything big, you need to leave your home town. Even if only for a few short days, weeks or years. That's because no one's ever a big deal in their hometown, especially