Victoria Yampolsky’s Post

Some renown VCs find a waste of time to always meet with investors unless you’re actively fundraising… But if you don’t, it will bite you in the *ss when your fundraise starts. Here’s my take. 👇 Securing funding is likely going to require engaging in at least 75 to 100 conversations. The perfect scenario would be to squeeze theem into a 3-6 week period and kick off your fundraising efforts when your traction and storytelling are solid. With that said, it’s really hard to drum up that many conversations overnight. Therefore, it's super important for every founder to allocate roughly 10% of your time to networking with other founders, venture capitalists, angels, etc. Think of it as when you prepare for a marathon, you should have the discipline to find time to train so you're in shape when it starts. Instead of approaching these interactions as fundraising pitches, view them as opportunities to genuinely connect with people, understand the investment philosophies of their firms, and take the opportunity to talk about your project with a "with-or-without-you" energy. Again, this will help you significantly in preparation for the marathon. If they like you, keep in contact or include them in your regular updates. You will give value back (sometimes) or, at the very least, keep reminding them of your existence and the progress you’re making. Pile this network on top of the 100 contacts you'll need to start those 75 to 100 fundraising meetings, starting with the least interesting investors to test your pitch, and work your way up to your top-tier investor prospects. Along this journey, you're also likely to find potential customers, partners, team members, or even friends! #fundraising #venturecapital #startup #entrepreneurship

I am truly honored to be invited to participate in the Financial Women's Association's upcoming Angel Investing Panel Discussion with four dynamic thought leaders, activists, investors, and authors---each committed to solving the funding equity gap for female founders in her realm (academia, finance, entrepreneurship, and journalism). They include: 🗽 Marcia Dawood, SEC Advisor, TED-X speaker, 2X author, host of The Angel Next Door podcast, venture partner with Mindshift Capital and Chair Emeritus of the Angel Capital Association 🗽 Allison Byers, founder of Scroobious, 2X startup founder, active champion for equity diversity and co-author of California Senate Bill 54, angel investor, sought-after speaker, Boston Co-Chair of All Raise. 🗽 Angela Lee, award-winning professor at Columbia Business School, 4X startup founder, founder of 37 Angels, venture partner at Fresco Capital, sought-after speaker. 🗽 Lori Ioannou, moderator, award-winning journalist, former senior editor of CNBC, contributor to The Wall Street Journal and Consumer Reports. Collectively, we have earned 4 MBAs, founded 7 startups, and angel invested in hundreds of startups. Virtual Panel to be held on Wednesday, July 17, from 5:30-6:45 pm ET.  Please join us if you'd like to learn more about angel financing, what it takes to become an angel investor, and where to start. You will learn about the state of angel Investing today, why it is so vital to the US economy, and its importance to female entrepreneurs unable to access traditional financing. Registration required (on FWA's website below). #financialequity #angelinvesting #angelinvestors #womenentrepreneurs #femalefounders #startupfunding #investinwomen

Thanks last night to Phase One for their talk on Pre-Seed Investment with a great panel of Guy Bentley Sabrina Castiglione and Olga Venosa A few takeaways: - You should be looking to raise when the costs are starting to add up, or you've reached a key point of maturity (e.g. hiring non-founders) - Angel investors typically give lower capital with lower equity, vs. VC funds that are looking to make up their returns from a fast scaling business - "Raise what you need, rather than what your ego demands" - Founders should be aware of VC preference shares, as it can lead to founders getting caught out if their valuations/exits don't go as planned (e.g. if VCs invest $2m of PS and the company only sells for $2m, then the VC would take the whole $2m) - Angels will either diversify their investment or invest heavily in their field of expertise but have lower amounts of capital to offer (but also have tax credits) - VCs are governed by the power law and want a higher valuation so that when their shares get diluted down to a lower number (i.e. 10%) they still have enough returns - Be aware of the liquidation preferences of VCs - Fundraising platforms can work - Meeting VCs via events (e.g. "Flight" by Crane) is good; but meeting scouts or portfolio founders (who get a kickback from the fund for good recommendations) is a good due diligence chance to experience how a VC operates post fund - "If i can't understand what you do - I can't invest in it" - When raising money, the only thing of People, Product and Market you can't change is the Market - Good podcast recommended by Guy; "value hacking" to get people to understand the value of your product and increase the willingness to pay for it - Definition of product market fit, is when customers are suggesting features (co-conspirators) - Defensibility is still important at pre-seed/seed; look at incumbents and think about your uniqueness Thanks Ilai Szpiezak Naomi Finkelstein Lev Perlman 🇬🇧 Tom Noble and Jack Battersby for setting it up! #VC #Seed #raisingcapital #entrepreneur #preseed #angelinvesting #angelinvestor #defensibility #productmarketfit #startup #startupfunding

 🌟 The countdown is almost over! Just 2 HOURS until the hottest startup x VC event of the year! 🌟 Are you prepared to dive headfirst into the exciting world of entrepreneurship and venture capital? This is your last chance to join our exclusive live Zoom session with Iron Key Capital and Ramana Capital. Learn elite capital-raising strategies directly from industry leaders. Aspiring founders and investors, this event is tailored for you! Discover: 🔥Strategic options for raising capital as a founder 🔥Insider tips from top VCs 🔥Proven bootstrapping techniques 🔥The critical role of angel investors and syndicates Don't miss out! This unique opportunity to gain insights from the best and network with other ambitious founders and investors won't be repeated anytime soon.  📆Date: TODAY, May 29th  🕕 Time: 5:00 PM EST  🔗Secure Your Spot Now - https://lu.ma/u7blq5e9 Time is ticking! Act NOW and take the first step towards becoming a successful founder. Spaces are filling up fast, so don't hesitate! #VentureCapital #StartupInvestment #Networking #IronKeyCapital #RamanaCapital #Fundraising #Investment We can’t wait to see you there!

Thanks to Phase One for a great session Thursday evening on Pre-Seed Investment with 3 VCs Sabrina Castiglione Olga Venosa and Guy Bentley. Gideon Hurwitz did a great write up which I'm reposting with my highlights below: 🔔 Patents - don't wast your time. Sabrina who has had 2 successful exits in the last 18 months 'never had one'. 🔔 What problem are you solving - is there a compelling reason to buy?  Anyone can love your product, anyone can use it. But will they PAY for it? 🔔 Are you targeting Enterprise customers or SMB? You usually can't sell to both. VCs usually understand the Enterprise market much better but deals take much longer to close. 🔔 VCs are looking for people who have the ability to do the hard work, detail orientated. Sending through a deck that hasn't been fact checked or has spelling mistakes shows a lack of attention to detail. 🔔 Know your market. Who are you competing against? What's the tech stack your prospect currently has? What would it be after they buy your product? 🔔 Podcast recommendation from Guy on Mike Maples and value hacking. Link in comments. Thanks to Ilai Szpiezak Lev Perlman 🇬🇧 Jack Battersby for hosting and another great night of insights! #vcfunding #startup #networking

Summary: Hannah Bronfman, a noted angel investor and content creator with over 1 million followers on social media, spoke at AfroTech and shared her journey as an investor and entrepreneur, as well as her future plans to become an institutional investor and create a Black-owned conglomerate for Black brands. Key takeaways: Bronfman learned valuable lessons as a founder, including how to handle co-founder fallouts, and now advises and invests in overlooked founders who receive less venture funding. She emphasized the importance of leveraging one's network for guidance and starting small when investing. Bronfman is looking to become an institutional investor and potentially raise a fund focused on Series A investments. Counter arguments: Some may argue that Bronfman's focus on overlooked founders excludes other marginalized groups. There may be concerns about potential conflicts of interest in her role as both an investor and content creator for the brands she invests in. #venturecapital #vc #startups

HOW TO BREAK INTO THE VC INDUSTRY 💡 The number #1 question I get asked when meeting with new people interested in getting into the scene. There’s the traditional route of working in private equity or investment banking. My favorite, though, is the former founder who has built a vision, raised capital, managed a team, and all the while ensured their customers and investors are well taken care of 😉, exit or IPO, and are now managing their own VC fund. Let's dive into this week's "Early Lessons in VC: How to Break Into VC" where I provide an overview of my unique path and my blueprint for maintaining excellence within the space. Hint: proactiveness. Here is my perspective—while it may not be the most common story you'll read about, but I have always preferred charting my own course rather than adhering to traditional definitions of success. My journey began at the Cal Lutheran School of Management, where I was a TRIO McNair Scholars and conducted research with Gerhard Apfelthaler (an expert in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems!) and had the privilege of collaborating with a general partner at a $100M VC fund. Before I knew it, I was on my entrepreneurial path. There was no predetermined strategy; my genuine curiosity about the field led me to explore the "VC Ecosystem" extensively (see parts 1 and 2). As a first-generation college student, I was initially unaware of venture capitalism’s complexities and challenges. Looking back, my sense of accomplishment upon earning my bachelor’s degree feels all the more humbling. Breaking into the VC industry requires patience, as there are times when funds grow slowly or are in the process of expansion. However, the field remains highly competitive. Understanding the value of knowledge, it is my pride and pleasure to share my insights with the goal to inspire individuals from diverse backgrounds to challenge and transform the VC ecosystem! "Early Lessons in VC" is a new series curated and written by Anastasia Martinez. Stay tuned for more insights into early impact investing and emerging VC trends. 🚀 #LatinaExcellence #VCEcosystem #ImpactInvesting #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Founders #Innovation #DiversityInTech #FutureOfInvesting #WomenInVC #StartupJourney #BreakingBarriers

Seeking angel investment? Look out for intellectual, social and financial capital. John G. At-Large Director, IEEE-CNSV (IEEE Consultants' Network of Silicon Valley) and Entrepreneur in Residence 1000 Black Voices provides advice on a regular basis through mentoring circles, pitch reviews, sessions on investment and more. Talking about angel investment, John mentioned that "…typically angel investors, many of them, made their money through a financial exit of a startup and they tend to invest either in that sector which they feel they know well, or they co-invest with other angels who they trust who know a different sector. You would like the angel to be involved in the startup community because you want that angel investor to be able to not just provide you money but to understand the sector that you’re in so he or she can... give you useful advise when there’s a problem." "...So, you want to look at how a potential investor has invested in the past and the sort of sectors they’ve invested in, and what sort of connections they have that can help you, and the different ways they can help you" "The better angel groups would have got good networks with later stage investors, you know, later stage angels and various levels of VC’s. A good place for you to be. And one of the reasons angel groups are better than individual investors is because they’re used to working together to help each other be successful. And so they’ve got a history of making connections work for the companies that they invest in." Think about this. Yes you want money. You also want sector experience. and you want, "Introductions to the people you need to meet, to accomplish what you need to accomplish to justify the next round, and for the next round of investors." Thank you for the support you provide to 1000 Black Voices, John G.. Appreciation too for your work towards our founders' growth and your conviction of their success. John G. is advisor to startups though his own companies and a number of communities in various startup ecosystems. John is CEO, Carvelon providing advisory and corporate Development Services to Hitech Startups between their 1st Seed Round and their A Round. 1000 Black Voices connecting founders to intellectual, social, financial capital. #fundraising #angel #blackfounders #investors #founders #startups #growth #investment #funding #1000BlackVoices

VC investors do have hearts. We found that out yesterday. Jokes aside, yesterday we ran the first VC Bootcamp at the #SchoolOfFounders with legendary coach and author Jerry Colonna. Twenty of Spain's best VC partners spent the day at IESE Business School to reflect on the emotional struggles that building and investing in startups entails. It was a fascinating day, as we usually hear about the founder's side in our programs. One important insight I took away from this wonderful session is the need for investors and board members to be honest: ✔ Honest about how they feel when they show up for a meeting. (A simple Red, Yellow, Green check-in would work wonders to sync emotionally with the founder.) ✔ Honest about their fears, doubts, and insecurities. (Imagine a young VC partner saying to the founder: "This is my first investment. I don't really know yet what I am doing, and I feel tremendous pressure to perform. Can you help me figure out how I can be most useful to you and together help the company perform?") ✔ Honest about their motives for making a particular comment. ("I'm asking you this because I'm very concerned about my reputation if this goes wrong. I'm raising my next fund, and this would make it very difficult.") Nothing fancy. Not authentic, not vulnerable, simply honest as Jerry taught us. Sharing empathetically and, with good intentions, what's really going through your head. This alone would tremendously improve the relationship between investors and founders. (Of course, the founder should do the same.) In any case, it was a fantastic event, and I'm very grateful to Jerry for sharing his enormous wisdom and skillfully guiding us through the day. I'm also grateful to Paula Sancho and her team at Finaves for the idea and for gathering her investor friends. And extremely grateful to our VCs for showing up and sharing so openly. We actually might do this again soon. Albert Botet, Enrique Penichet García, Guillem Masferrer, Isaac Mendoza, Javier Cebrián Monereo, Jordi Vidal, Marc Badosa Rigau, Marc Guasch Rodriguez, Marc Subirats, Marta G. Zanchi, María Romero Miguel, Marti Escursell, Mathieu Carenzo, Josep Casas Pérez, Pepe Agell, Samuel Gil, Sonia Fernandez, Tony Anagor, Stephen Stynes PS: Here is a great article by Allison Schultz, Jerry's cofounder at Reboot on the topic: https://lnkd.in/dPccnPSs

🌟 Excited 🌟 👼 Angel Investing: Unlocking Potential, One Investment at a Time! 👼 Are you ready to dive into the exhilarating world of angel investing? Brace yourself, because this post is about to take you on a thrilling journey that will have you itching to spread your wings and join the league of daring angel investors. ✨ Why Angel Investing? ✨ Angel investing, my friends, is not for the faint of heart. It's a thrilling roller coaster ride that takes you through uncharted territories of entrepreneurship. But hey, what better way to ride the waves of innovation than to be right in the center of it all? Angel investing lets you do just that! Here's why: 1️⃣ Potential for Mind-Blowing Returns: When you invest in early-stage startups, you're not just putting your money on the line; you're betting on the future. And this future has the potential to deliver mind-blowing returns that can make your heart skip a beat.