The hottest Venture Capital Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

How Did The Great Startups Like Airbnb or Instagram Make Pivot Decisions? | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 139 implied HN points • 27 Nov 23
💼 Business Startups Pivoting Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Innovation
  1. Pivoting in startups often involves changing direction when things aren't going as planned, but it should not be glorified as success.
  2. Successful startups approach pivoting as a learning experience rather than a badge of honor, with most effective pivots driven by passion or necessity.
  3. Not all pivots are equal; those driven by genuine passion or necessity tend to be more successful than those just brainstormed on a whiteboard.

Marc Andreessen: 'Founders Can't Raised Fund Without Understanding Risk-Cash Relation'| Running Great User Interview Using Y-Combinator Strategy | VC Remote Jobs and More

Venture Curator • 159 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
💼 Business Startup funding Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Remote Jobs
  1. Understanding the relationship between risk and cash flow is crucial for founders to successfully raise funding.
  2. Peeling away layers of risk with each funding round can help founders attract more investment.
  3. During user interviews, focus on understanding user problems rather than pushing product features.
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Real Estate, Business, & Life... Where do I find Inspiration?

PropTech Future • 176 implied HN points • 05 Sep 23
💼 Business Real Estate Venture Capital Commercial Real Estate Business strategy
  1. Engage with thought leaders and content creators from various industries to find inspiration and insights.
  2. Follow key figures and newsletters in the Real Estate industry to stay updated on trends and analysis.
  3. Explore resources in areas like Venture Capital, RevOps, Business Strategy, and Product/Growth to learn and grow in your professional journey.

Japan Reality Check #5: Are start-ups and VC a good investment in Japan?

Japan Optimist • 176 implied HN points • 25 Mar 23
💼 Business Investing Venture Capital Start-ups Economic Policy Entrepreneurship
  1. Japan's start-ups and venture capital outperform global peers with a 18% net IRR per year in the decade before COVID.
  2. Japan's venture capital ecosystem attracts top talent and continues to grow, showing a 7% outperformance over TOPIX.
  3. Japan's government actively supports entrepreneurship and innovation, aiming to create '100 Unicorns by 2027' through public-private partnerships and deregulation.

The crisis VCs face turning investments into cash returns

Alex's Personal Blog • 32 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Investments Startups Financial Markets Economic Trends
  1. Venture capitalists are struggling to turn their investments into cash returns. This means they are having a tough time selling their stakes in companies for a profit.
  2. There has been a significant drop in the number of venture-backed company exits. The amount of money made from these exits is now much lower than it was in previous years.
  3. The slow pace of returns is affecting the number of active venture funds. Many funds have stopped working or reduced in size because of the less promising investment environment.

How VCs Evaluate & Make High-Quality Investment Decisions?

Venture Curator • 179 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
💰 Finance Investment Startup Venture Capital ROI Financial forecasting
  1. To understand VC investment decisions, consider the Venture Capital Method, where earnings and market support determine the firm's future value.
  2. Investors aim for successful exits with specific returns and use metrics like ROI and IRR to evaluate startup potential.
  3. Negotiations between VC firms and founders often involve ownership percentages based on future valuations and return expectations.

Weekly Top Picks #63: OpenAI Edition

The Algorithmic Bridge • 180 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Venture Capital Lawsuit
  1. Sam Altman owns OpenAI's VC fund and the company is working on creating superintelligence before running out of cash.
  2. OpenAI is developing a web search product to challenge Google, and they are also improving YOLO runs and adding new controls to ChatGPT.
  3. There is controversy with Sarah Silverman's lawsuit against OpenAI, Andrej Karpathy has left the company, and there are debates around Sora being a 'world simulator' or an overhyped video-maker.

Charts on Venture Capital, some VC robotics articles, and startup failure advice

Robots & Startups • 39 implied HN points • 29 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Venture Capital Robotics Startups Autonomous Vehicles AI
  1. There are more startups in the US than VCs can support, leading to increased competition for funding and a rise in startup failures.
  2. Investors are showing increased interest and making significant investments in robotics startups, especially those focused on AI and autonomy.
  3. Success rates for founders improve with past experience, highlighting the importance of learning from failure in the startup world.

The VC Corner 📰 #3

The VC Corner • 119 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investing Entrepreneurship Resources
  1. The VC Corner is a weekly newsletter focusing on venture capital updates. It's designed for both experienced investors and those new to the field.
  2. The newsletter offers curated news and resources relevant to startups and investment. This can help readers stay informed on the latest trends in the industry.
  3. Readers can get started with a free trial to access past posts and insights. This is a great way to sample the content before committing.

Spotlight: Raphael Roettgen - General Partner @ E2MC

Space Ambition • 59 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Space Tech Venture Capital Deep Tech Entrepreneurship Investment
  1. E2MC is a global venture capital firm focusing on space technology. They invest around $500k in seed and pre-seed stages, and they're open to startups worldwide, except in geopolitically complex areas.
  2. Raphael Roettgen aims to engage more people in the space sector. He wrote a book explaining the space economy, making it easier for entrepreneurs and investors to understand and join the industry.
  3. He emphasizes the importance of diverse talent in space tech. E2MC has a higher percentage of female leaders in its portfolio than the industry average, and he encourages educational efforts to support women in STEM fields.

Performative Failure

Investing 101 • 69 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Investment Strategies Risk management
  1. Performative failure, where people act as if they are failing for show, can prevent real learning and growth. It's better to genuinely take risks and embrace true failure.
  2. Shame often stops people from trying because they confuse their self-worth with their success or failure. It’s important to separate who you are from what you achieve.
  3. Choosing the right challenges to pursue is key. Aiming for meaningful goals makes any failures valuable and worthwhile, as they contribute to growth and character.

Decoding Venture Capital Fund Performance: Unveiling the Distribution, Residual Value, and Total Value

Venture Curator • 179 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
💰 Finance Venture Capital
  1. Evaluation of venture capital fund performance involves three key terms: Distribution Paid In Capital (DPI), Residual Value Paid In Capital (RVPI), and Total Value Paid In Capital (TVPI)
  2. These terms help Limited Partners (LPs) assess the success of a fund and understand the returns generated beyond the initial investment.
  3. Understanding the relationship between these terms can provide insights into the performance and potential value of a venture capital fund.

Why Your Startup Idea Isn’t Big Enough for Some VCs? | Sam Altman Strategy - To Find The Right Problem To Solve? | VC Remote Jobs & More

Venture Curator • 139 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Venture Capital Startup Strategy Financial Analysis Remote Jobs
  1. Investors look for startup ideas with the potential to reach a billion-dollar valuation, known as 'big ideas,' and may reject ideas perceived to lack that scalability.
  2. Venture capital operates on a power law model, where a small percentage of investments drive the majority of returns, requiring each investment to potentially return the entire fund.
  3. Founders should focus on solving popular, growing, urgent, expensive, mandatory, and frequent problems to increase their startup's chances of success.

Different Strokes For Different Folks

Investing 101 • 69 implied HN points • 26 Oct 24
💼 Business Investment Venture Capital Strategy Startups Fundraising
  1. Different venture funds have unique strategies. Some focus on raising large amounts of capital for many investments, while others prefer to make fewer, more targeted investments.
  2. Success in venture capital isn't guaranteed, no matter how fancy the fund. It's crucial for firms to find their own style and approach to increase the chances of success for their startups.
  3. Having a clear focus can be a big advantage. Smaller funds can compete effectively by honing in on specific areas and being selective about their investments.

Breaking the Mold: Why Founders Should Ditch the Links and Just Send the Deck

Venture Curator • 179 implied HN points • 27 May 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Marketing Investment Entrepreneurship
  1. Send your pitch deck as a file instead of a link to make it more compelling and shareable
  2. Ensure your deck is visually appealing, concise, and focused, under 10MB for efficiency
  3. Include key elements in your deck like team, problem, unique approach, value proposition, market data, and financial projections, while excluding sensitive details

👊🏽 Special Edition: Ganas and I invested in Avify!

Lolita's Newsletter • 78 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investing SaaS Latin America
  1. Ganas Ventures and Lolita Taub invested in Avify, and you can too!
  2. Avify is addressing a $1.8 trillion inventory distortion challenge with strong traction and community support.
  3. Avify's team has a strong background, the market opportunity is significant in Latin America, and they are focused on revolutionizing SMB inventory management.

Is the "1% Market Fallacy" Holding Your Startup Back?

Venture Curator • 159 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
💼 Business Startups Venture Capital Market Analysis Entrepreneurship Job Opportunities
  1. Beware of the '1% Market Fallacy' where startups believe capturing a small percentage of a massive market will guarantee success.
  2. Building a successful startup requires focusing on a specific, well-defined market segment to understand customer needs and create a competitive advantage.
  3. It's more effective for startups to prioritize capturing a significant share of a smaller market first before expanding to larger markets.

Revisiting 2024 Predictions

next big thing • 44 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Tech Trends Market Analysis Consumer behavior
  1. Venture capital is expected to pick up in 2024 as many companies seek funding to survive and grow. More startups could get funded, especially those in AI, but some may struggle to raise money.
  2. AI technology saw incredible growth in 2024, with many new applications becoming popular. Despite some challenges, AI became a huge part of tech this year.
  3. There are hopeful signs for real-world uses of crypto, as new applications are being built. With better technology and user needs, crypto could see significant adoption this year.

Decoding Term Sheet: Liquidation Preference | Particiaption & Non-Participation Rights

Venture Curator • 179 implied HN points • 23 May 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup Financing Investments Startups
  1. Understanding terms like liquidation preference, participation, and non-participation rights is crucial for both investors and founders in startup financing.
  2. Liquidation preference refers to the priority investors have in receiving proceeds from the sale of a company.
  3. Non-participation means investors choose between a 1X preference or their stake, while participation involves investors receiving funds through both methods during liquidation.

What Went Wrong with the OpenAI Board?

Build To Scale • 118 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
💼 Business Venture Capital
  1. The board's primary role is to ensure proper governance, not run the organization. Their responsibility includes hiring and firing the CEO.
  2. For startups, having a balanced board with diverse views is crucial. Consider adding independent board members with operational experience.
  3. Operational issues and management conflicts should be addressed before they escalate to the board level. Keep the board updated and maintain high trust.

Visualizing Funding Runway & Burn Rate

Venture Curator • 159 implied HN points • 16 Jun 23
💼 Business Funding Startup Investment Entrepreneurship Venture Capital
  1. Understanding funding runway and burn rate is vital for startup founders to secure necessary resources.
  2. Calculating gross burn rate and net burn rate is essential to determine the financial health of a startup.
  3. Maintaining transparency about financial runway and frequently communicating with investors are crucial for successful fundraising.

Venture Capital Fund Modelling II : Masterclass

Venture Curator • 179 implied HN points • 16 May 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup Investment Career development Finance
  1. Discover how VC funds calculate target ownership in startups, providing valuable insights for founders and VC enthusiasts alike.
  2. Understand the costs associated with VC business, like organizational fees, operational fees, and management fees, to determine the total investment capital for startups.
  3. Learn about the average check size that VC funds invest in startups and how ownership percentage is calculated based on the investment amount and post-money valuation.

Why Founders Are Afraid to Talk About MOAT? | Investors Getting 64X Return From $975M Loom Sale | VC Remote Jobs and More

Venture Curator • 139 implied HN points • 13 Oct 23
💼 Business Startup Ecosystem Venture Capital Entrepreneurship Investments Tech industry
  1. Founders are hesitant to discuss their startup's competitive advantages, known as MOATs, due to lack of understanding and fear that their startup may not have a strong enough MOAT.
  2. A startup's MOAT includes characteristics like community, trust, network effects, and users that make it hard for competitors to replicate.
  3. Successful companies like Spotify built their MOAT on a bold vision and a statement that revolutionized the user experience, rather than just technology or features.

Four Blog Posts I Didn't Publish This Year

Venture Reflections • 8 implied HN points • 16 Dec 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Startups Investment Trends Market Analysis Business strategy
  1. Not every idea needs to be shared. Keeping a drafts folder helps organize thoughts while deciding what’s worth publishing.
  2. Some topics are better discussed in personal conversations, as they can be sensitive or complex. It's okay to hold back rather than add to negativity.
  3. Investor updates are common now, but many are lacking in quality. Providing meaningful information is key to keeping investors informed.

Soft landings in venture

The Down Round • 78 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Investing Startups Funding Financial planning
  1. Startups need to focus on building sustainable business models for long-term growth and survival.
  2. Companies with high valuations must navigate carefully to achieve a 'soft landing' without damaging their cap tables.
  3. Entrepreneurs should consider various strategic and financial options, including debt and unconventional fundraising, to ensure business continuity.

💰Q3 Predictions, $1M+ in Fresh Funding Opportunities, Fundraising Cheat Sheet, Spotting Cap Table Red Flags, and More

Lolita's Newsletter • 137 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
💼 Business Venture Capital Startup funding Entrepreneurship Finance Investing
  1. US economy is experiencing ups and downs with increased interest rates and reduced consumer spending
  2. Global VC funding dropped significantly in Q2 2023 but some areas like AI and female founders are showing promise
  3. Despite the challenges, tough times can present opportunities for staying informed, resilient, and adaptable

How to mess up a good company and not make any money along the way

SaaS Engineering • 137 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
💰 Finance Investing Venture Capital Financing Business Operations
  1. Investing early in a successful company may not guarantee returns if mispricing and over financing occur.
  2. Selling secondary shares at various funding rounds can lead to a more secure return than waiting for a long-term exit.
  3. Maintaining a conservative financing trajectory can lead to attractive outcomes, even if less exciting than high-risk strategies.