And finally no financing deal ever goes through without relationships and credibility. Relationships open the door and get you time; credibility gets you to the term sheet. The sooner you build up your stock of these two elements the faster you can get to capital – debt or equity.
Tag: new ventures
Funding for dummies…three
We met Wilson Tan on a trade trip across China. In just over a week, thirty technology companies from the Asia Pacific region covered 3 cities and one hundred Chinese partners, trying to understand the opportunity that was China. Wilson was the President of the organizing body, (the outgoing President of Mercury interactive and on…
Funding for dummies…two
It’s not that money is not available. Or that you can’t raise it. Or that it’s a fairytale that come true for only a select few. Truth is a lot less absolute; there is no black and white, only shades of grey. Let’s take a look at how and why a 37 year old, father…
Funding for dummies…one
You dream, you write, you pitch. If you put your heart in it and have an idea with merit you collect, build, sell, retire and live happily ever after. You never have to ask, borrow or steal another dime since the millions of dollars you have put aside as a result of your efforts are…
Things to do in a down market when you are not dead…
We were lucky that the downturn hit us early. In July 2008 we lost two of our largest clients; within a week of each other and on a week’s notice… It made for interesting internal conversations and a scramble to conserve cash. We were luckier still that between attrition (top heavy), expense management (read: extended…
Dreams…
“Let’s just say I dare to dream bigger dreams”, said a spunky student when the rest of the class was done with introducing themselves. Quite a few sunsets and students later, the dreamer called again. This time he wanted to be a sponge and observe in first person the special sauce that made a technology…
The road not taken
Beware of the Ides of December. 10 years ago, this month, packed up and got ready to move to New York. 9 years ago, the same month, received my first six figure offer and said no. The next time the month came along, I found myself in Tokyo, pitching to the third largest bank on…
Stepping out of your comfort zone…
2003 was a good year in many ways. On 1st of January we came back home after 4 moves in 4 years, one addition to our family and pitstops in London, New York, Southern California, Tokyo and Northern Virginia. 2003. 10 months later we were a team of 4 people, significantly cash flow positive, still…