Venture Curator

Venture Curator offers insider tips on startups and venture capital, sharing insights from leading figures like Paul Graham, Steve Jobs, and Marc Andreessen. It covers product-market fit, fundraising strategies, valuation discussions, and startup development tactics. The content targets founders and investors, emphasizing practical advice for success in the venture ecosystem.

Startups Venture Capital Product-Market Fit Investor Relations Startup Fundraising Startup Valuation Startup Scaling Market Analysis Artificial Intelligence Customer Acquisition

The hottest Substack posts of Venture Curator

And their main takeaways

How To Determine If You Have The Product-Market Fit - From a16z & Sequoia Capital. | VC Jobs

419 implied HN points • 28 Jun 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Tech news Decision-making
  1. Product-Market Fit is crucial for startups; it means customers are buying and using the product enthusiastically.
  2. Metrics are key to determine Product-Market Fit; track factors like customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, and retention rates.
  3. If you haven't achieved Product-Market Fit, focus on customer feedback, keep your team lean, and avoid ineffective shortcuts.

How To Measure If Your Startup Has Network Effects. | VC Jobs

319 implied HN points • 25 Jun 24
💼 Business Startup Evaluation User engagement Network Effects Competitor Analysis
  1. Network effects are crucial for the success of a startup, with big companies utilizing them to create sustainable businesses.
  2. Measuring if a startup has network effects involves evaluating metrics related to acquisition, competitors, engagement, and economics.
  3. Understanding the nature of a company's network effects and tracking metrics like user retention cohorts and pricing power are essential for founders.

VC's Framework for Evaluating an AI Startup's Tech Stack. | VC Jobs

419 implied HN points • 06 Jun 24
🕹 Technology AI Startups Tech stack Data Quality Decision-making
  1. The value proposition of AI companies now lies not just within models but predominantly in underpinning datasets, emphasizing the importance of data quality.
  2. When evaluating AI startups, VCs use frameworks to assess data quality, considering relevance, accuracy, coverage, and bias in the datasets used to train the AI models.
  3. To avoid investing in ineffectual AI startups, VCs focus on evaluating the processes behind data generation by asking questions about data automation, storage, access, processing, governance, and management.

Steve Jobs’ 9 Product Development Tactics For Startups & The 4 P’s of AI | VC Jobs

339 implied HN points • 13 Jun 24
💼 Business Startup Venture Capital Product Development AI
  1. Start with the customer's experience in mind: Steve Jobs emphasized beginning with the customer experience and working backward to the technology.
  2. Avoid asking customers what they want: Instead of focusing on functional needs, look at emotional and social goals to drive innovation.
  3. Disruptive innovation is key: Jobs believed in disrupting industries with low-cost, simpler solutions to stay relevant and drive success.

How Successful Startups Solved the Chicken and Egg Problem: A Case Study of Tinder, Uber and Airbnb! | VC Jobs

359 implied HN points • 30 May 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Marketplaces
  1. The Chicken and Egg Problem is common in marketplace-type businesses, requiring both supply and demand to succeed.
  2. Successful startups like Tinder, Airbnb, and Uber found creative solutions to attract their first users and overcome the challenge of building a two-sided platform.
  3. Timing is crucial for startups; being in a small market that is growing quickly can greatly increase your chances of success.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Antler's Framework for Finding the Right Problem to Solve | VC Jobs

319 implied HN points • 28 May 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Entrepreneurship Tech news Investing
  1. Great companies focus on solving heartfelt problems to create successful and lasting businesses.
  2. Identifying a heartfelt problem involves looking beyond surface-level solutions and understanding the emotional, functional, frequent, urgent, and unavoidable aspects of the problem.
  3. To determine if a heartfelt problem is worth solving, conduct market research, speak with target customers, and focus on building relationships within the industry by understanding the core customer problem.

Successful Startups Grow Quadratically, Not Exponentially. | VC Jobs

239 implied HN points • 11 Jun 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Marketing Job Opportunities Product Development
  1. Successful startups grow quadratically, not exponentially, debunking the common misconception about their growth pattern.
  2. A framework for finding the right customers for your MVP involves focusing on a special subset of users who are excited about the long-term vision of the product.
  3. Understanding the Power User Curve can help identify and cater to highly engaged users, leading to more targeted product development and growth strategies.

Y-Combinator's Framework: How Much Traction Is Needed To Raise Funding? | VC Jobs

319 implied HN points • 14 May 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Product-Market Fit Job Opportunities
  1. When seeking funding, having evidence of growth potential is essential, even without a built product. Investors look for scalability and market understanding.
  2. Successful startups focus on solving popular, urgent, and growing problems with frequent solutions. Frequency in addressing a problem can lead to exponential growth.
  3. For startups, having the right distribution channels can be more important than having a great product. Efficient distribution impacts customer acquisition cost and lifetime value.

Paul Graham: Are You Building Fake Product-Market Fit ? | VC Remote Jobs & More

939 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Product Development Entrepreneurship Investing
  1. Product-market fit goes beyond building a product people like; it involves understanding the numbers behind it.
  2. Founders can fall into the trap of 'Fake Product-Market Fit' by focusing on the wrong signs like securing funding or excessive spending.
  3. To achieve genuine product-market fit, founders need to monitor metrics, control spending, and ensure a strong connection between the product and the market.

PMF Score Vs NPS & Sequoia Capital's Runway Reality Check for Founders | VC Jobs

259 implied HN points • 17 May 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup Advice Financing Entrepreneurship Job Opportunities
  1. PMF score measures how well your product meets users' needs by asking how disappointed users would be without it.
  2. NPS measures customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend the product.
  3. Using clear opinions to make decisions, splitting equity equally among co-founders, and recognizing signs of a 'zombie' startup can lead to success in the VC world.

Founder Market Fit : An Unsuccessful Video Game Turned Into a $26 Billion Startup. | VC Jobs

279 implied HN points • 26 Apr 24
💼 Business Startup Success Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Investment decisions
  1. Founders with deep understanding and passion for a market they know well can achieve success like turning an unsuccessful idea into a billion-dollar startup.
  2. Building a product that solves a real problem, utilizing product-led growth, freemium model, strong focus on retention, and creating a unique brand can lead to rapid growth and success.
  3. Investors prioritize market opportunity over market size, seeking startups that challenge conventions, address future needs, and have strategies for customer acquisition and profitability.

A Framework to Prove Your Market Is 'Big Enough' to VCs! | VC Jobs

299 implied HN points • 19 Apr 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Market Analysis Job Opportunities
  1. VCs often need to see potential for at least one investment to have billions in enterprise value for a good fund return.
  2. Different approaches like top-down market size analysis and bottom-up market demand can help founders prove a market's size to VCs.
  3. Being aligned with broad mega-trends or using analogies can also help convince investors of a market's potential.

What Do Investors Need From The Problem Slide? & Do Startup Need Financial Model? | VC Jobs

219 implied HN points • 07 May 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Financial Models Job Opportunities
  1. Investors need a clear understanding of the problem a startup is solving, focusing on why it's worth solving and who faces the problem.
  2. For a successful pitch to investors, startups must present a business model beyond just pricing, detailing revenue streams, competitive advantage, and key economics.
  3. In the world of venture capital, the potential for startups to become billion-dollar companies is crucial for investors, impacting funding decisions and the overall success of the venture.

Why Do You Need a Moat? & Why Are Founders Afraid to Talk About It? | VC Jobs

219 implied HN points • 16 Apr 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Tech Innovation Investment Analysis
  1. Having a moat is crucial for startups to maintain a competitive advantage over competitors, and founders should be able to clearly communicate this to investors.
  2. Successful companies need strong moats, which are built by having bold statements or visions that provide a unique and valuable experience for customers.
  3. Equity among co-founders should be split equally or close to equal, focusing on the work and challenges ahead rather than early contributions.

How to Talk About Valuation Numbers When Investor Ask? | VC Remote Jobs & More

479 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investing Funding Entrepreneurship
  1. When discussing valuation with investors, it's important to provide general ranges without giving a specific price to anchor their expectations.
  2. VCs may ask about your past funding to assess fit and potential valuation issues, so it's beneficial to be transparent about your previous funding details.
  3. A delicate balance is required when discussing existing investors participating in a new round to ensure harmony between new and existing investors.

Why Do Great Ideas Often Fail The 'Elevator Pitch' Test? | VC Jobs

179 implied HN points • 30 Apr 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Market Strategies Investor Relations
  1. Raising capital is a sales process where founders sell trust and confidence in building something valuable. Understanding VC decision-making dynamics increases the likelihood of closing deals.
  2. Knowing the structure and decision processes of VC firms can help founders navigate partnerships and improve their chances of success.
  3. The key to success in VC pitch meetings is building relationships with various partners within a firm to gain broader support and increase the probability of getting to a 'yes.'

Are You Working On A 'Tarpit Idea?' | VC Jobs

219 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Entrepreneurship Job Opportunities
  1. Tarpit ideas can be deceivingly appealing at first but end up draining time and resources.
  2. Consumer ideas are common tarpit ideas due to the high bar set by successful consumer products and the crucial factor of timing.
  3. Recognizing and avoiding tarpit ideas, such as those with survivor bias or difficulty in scaling, is vital for a startup's success and founders should pivot strategically based on supply and demand dynamics.

12 Things That Get VCs To Write A Check (Backed By 100+ Founder Interviews) | VC Jobs

199 implied HN points • 11 Apr 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Tech news Job Opportunities
  1. Successful VC fundraising starts by identifying the right fit - pay attention to signals VCs give about the types of startups they want to fund.
  2. Pitch big visions to VCs, focusing on disruptive opportunities with outsized returns to stand out in the competitive startup landscape.
  3. Key factors for VCs to invest include unique insights, good timing, clear messaging, scalable growth plans, strong moats, early traction, and founder's passion.

How Did Successful Startups Use Paul Graham’s “Do Things That Don’t Scale” Strategy? | VC Jobs

239 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Investment Job Opportunities
  1. Successful startups often implement Paul Graham's 'Do Things That Don't Scale' strategy in their early stages to focus on learning and validating their business model rather than on rapid growth.
  2. Startups like DoorDash, Airbnb, Groupon, Reddit, and Zynga have effectively used manual and non-scalable tactics to kickstart their businesses before reaching product-market fit.
  3. Founders of successful startups need to embrace the less glamorous, hands-on work in the early days, shifting focus from high-flying leadership to getting deeply involved in all aspects of the startup.

How Startups Like Reddit Raised Funding With Just an Idea, Without Writing A Line Of Code? | VC Remote Jobs & More

399 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💼 Business Startups Funding Venture Capital Investors Technology
  1. Investors may fund startups based solely on the idea, without requiring traction or revenue.
  2. Startups aiming for funding should focus on a scalable business model with evidence of potential growth.
  3. Key aspects for successful startup ideas include solving popular, urgent, and growing problems, starting with the problem before the solution, and having a clear unfair advantage.

The Myth of Hyper-Growth: Successful Startups Follow Quadratic Hypergrowth, Not Exponential. | VC Remote Jobs

239 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Job Opportunities Community Building
  1. Successful startups often experience quadratic hypergrowth rather than exponential growth.
  2. Understanding the quadratic growth model is crucial for predicting and controlling growth in companies.
  3. To sustain growth, companies must launch new products into new markets, leading to a variety of quadratic growth curves over time.

The One Slide, Most Founders Get Wrong When Fundraising | VC Jobs

199 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Fundraising Investment
  1. The 'ask and use of funds' slide is a crucial opportunity for founders when fundraising; it should clearly state how much money is being raised, for what purpose, and avoid common mistakes like not including a specific dollar amount.
  2. Include SMART goals in the 'use of funds' slide, focusing on product, traction, market validation, and key hires; investors want to see a detailed plan on how the raised funds will contribute to company progress.
  3. Avoid including valuation on the 'ask' slide before securing a lead investor; the focus should be on the amount needed and what it will be used for, rather than terms of investment.

Steve Jobs: 'The Half-Truth of First-Mover Advantage' | VC Remote Jobs & More

319 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
💼 Business Market Analysis Job Opportunities Funding Updates Venture Capital
  1. Being the first to market doesn't always guarantee success - focus on product and marketing execution instead of just being the first.
  2. Many pioneers in industries did not become successful despite being first movers, showcasing the importance of execution over timing.
  3. Entering a market after pioneers can provide the advantage of learning from their mistakes and building a better product with secure marketing funds.

What Does It Take To “Do Things That Don’t Scale” For Your Startup? | VC Remote Jobs & More

359 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Innovation Market research
  1. To succeed as a startup, focus on solving unique problems that others haven't addressed.
  2. Embrace doing tasks that may not scale initially, like manual sales calls, to validate your business model.
  3. Founders of successful startups often start small, handle unglamorous tasks, and focus on learning and building their product before seeking rapid growth.

Netflix Co-founder's 'The Canada Rule' For Building Successful Startups 🧐 | Pre-Money Valuation Growing 💹| VC Remote Jobs

239 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Valuations Market Trends Funding
  1. The 'Canada Rule' advises startups to focus on one or two important things rather than chasing every opportunity.
  2. Pre-money valuations in Europe are showing growth across different stages, indicating market resilience.
  3. VCs are using 'Dry Powder' in convertible bridge rounds, showcasing creative financing strategies by founders.

YC Strategy 'Cash In, Cash Out, Milestones Achieved' To Raise Funding | Peter Thiel On 'Make A Product A Few Love' | VC Remote Jobs & More

439 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Funding Startups Remote Jobs
  1. Y Combinator's strategy for raising funding includes focusing on 'Cash In, Cash Out, Milestones Achieved' to impress investors.
  2. Peter Thiel emphasizes the importance of making a product that a few people really love, rather than trying to please a large group at the start.
  3. When seeking venture capital funding, it is crucial to have a clear plan for the amount of money you need, the runway required before the next round, and the milestones you aim to achieve.

When to Raise Funding? How much funding is too little? Too much? | VC Remote Jobs & More

259 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investment Insights
  1. Founders should not jump into fundraising when their business is not ready
  2. When raising funds, it's crucial to know the right timing based on market opportunity, customer needs, and product market fit
  3. Raising too much money can lead to cultural corrosion in a startup, which can affect hiring, management, product focus, and more

How Startups Like Reddit Raised Funding With Just an Idea, Without Writing A Line Of Code?

199 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
💼 Business Startup funding Market Analysis
  1. Startups can raise funding with just an idea, without a fully developed product. Investors look for scalability and growth potential in startups.
  2. Investors analyze startup ideas based on three main aspects: Problem, Solution, and Insights. Startups should focus on solving a popular, urgent, and scalable problem with a unique advantage.
  3. Successful startups have key elements like frequency in problem-solving, a clear differentiation in the solution, and an unfair advantage in the market. Founders should aim for these to attract investors.

How Many Investors Should You Talk to in a VC Fund Raise? And How Do You Prioritize? | VC Remote Jobs & More

239 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Investing Startups Fundraising Job Opportunities
  1. Fundraising is a sales & marketing process that needs careful planning and time management with prioritization of top investors.
  2. Founders should focus on engaging investors who show interest, authority to make decisions, and willingness to continue spending time.
  3. Having a balanced approach in engaging top and bottom of the funnel investors, using marketing techniques, and keeping a healthy pipeline is key to successful fundraising.

VC: "I Don't Care About Your LTV/CAC Ratio!" Why? | VC Remote Jobs

179 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Tech news Investment Analysis Entrepreneurship
  1. Investors value the velocity of return on customer acquisition cost (CACD) more than the LTV/CAC ratio. They want to know how quickly their investment in acquiring customers is returned as customer lifetime value.
  2. Customer cohorts are crucial: Not all customers have the same value. By tracking the LTV/CAC ratio by customer cohort, businesses can optimize their marketing efforts and focus on acquiring high-LTV customers.
  3. Startup success is tied to the correlation between customer acquisition cost (CAC) and customer lifetime value (LTV). A high LTV/CAC ratio indicates a successful business model, while a low ratio can lead to financial challenges and potential startup failure.

What Matters Most For Startup Growth? From VP of Growth at Facebook | 37% Of First-time VCs Might Not Able To Raise A Second Fund | VC Remote Jobs

199 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
💼 Business Startup Growth VC Funding Venture Capital Investment Trends
  1. For startup growth, focusing on retention is key. Many founders neglect retention in favor of customer acquisition, leading to business failure.
  2. Before pursuing growth tactics, startups should aim for product-market fit. Prioritize retention over growth hacking when the retention curve fails to flatten.
  3. Identifying the 'magic moment' for users, emphasizing tactics for virality, and aligning with the CEO as the north star for growth are essential strategies for sustained growth.

Silicon Valley's Cargo Culting Problem - Wearing A Black Turtleneck Doesn’t Make You Steve Jobs | VC Remote Jobs & More

239 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Innovation Market Trends
  1. Cargo Culting is the act of copying something without really understanding the reasons behind it, which can be harmful for startups
  2. Successful companies like Google, Facebook, and Uber were pioneers not just because of their actions, but because they deeply understood their strategy and market
  3. Founders should prioritize user needs over superficial details and learn valuable insights from successful companies rather than blindly following trends

Don't track LTV/CAC; Instead track LTV/CACD, Why? | VC Remote Jobs & More

259 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Customer Acquisition Investors Business Growth
  1. Successful startups track LTV/CACD instead of LTV/CAC for better insight into customer acquisition efficiency and sustainability.
  2. The cost of attracting a new customer should be lower than the value extracted from that customer; all customers are not equal, and tracking LTV/CAC by customer cohort can help optimize customer acquisition efforts.
  3. Investors focus on the velocity with which invested acquisition costs come back as lifetime value; tracking LTV/CACD, with 'D' for 'doubled,' provides a better understanding of return on investment in a shorter time period.

Investors Are Looking for Market Opportunity, Not Just Size | VC Remote Jobs & More

219 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Investors Pitching Startup funding
  1. Investors prioritize understanding the market opportunity over just focusing on market size. They want to see a detailed bottom-up approach that showcases how a business will attract and retain customers.
  2. Entrepreneurs should move away from the typical market size slide in pitches. Instead, they should emphasize showing investors a deep understanding of the market opportunity at an individual customer level.
  3. Investors are interested in startups that create new markets rather than compete in established markets. Building a bottom-up model focusing on customer acquisition and satisfaction is critical in pitching to investors.

Never express your ‘Use of Funds’ slide as percentages, why? | VC Remote Jobs & More

219 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Entrepreneurship Technology Job Opportunities
  1. When raising funds, focus on milestones rather than expressing your 'Use of Funds' slide as percentages to show understanding of the funding journey.
  2. Understand where the value increase in your startup will come from, ensuring the proper allocation of funds for operations, technology development, and growth metrics.
  3. Design your fundraising strategy around specific goals and targets, painting a clear picture of how the next round of funding will be achieved through key hires, customer growth, and revenue increase.