Learning to Raise Investment – A Must Read
May 30th, 2006 by Owen JohnsonA friend of mine, Matt Cutler, recently advised me to read the Venture Capital section of Brad Feld’s blog – Feld Thoughts. I’ve always enjoyed my inconsistent reading of Brad’s blog over the years, so when my 10 month old woke me up at 2am this morning, I decided I had the perfect opportunity to take Matt’s advice.
If you are actively considering raising any kind of investment capital (angel or VC), do yourself a favor: stop what you are doing and read the VC section of his blog now. He presents good information in a clear and entertaining way and also points to some very good writings on other sites. His blog is a must read for the uninitiated.
You have a kid??? Send some pics homey.
Speaking about sources to look at before seeking investment capital, I’m hoping to one day gain VC backing for a project I’ve been working on for a couple years now. I was just wondering what your thoughts would be about using a show like “Dragon’s Den†as a guide to how raising capital plays out. I’m actually surprised that a lot of people haven’t heard of the show, but the whole show will consist of entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to the “dragons†(VCs). I’m following the buzz on the show via blogs (http://www.insidethedragonsden.com/), and I know it’s been a successful series in England and Australia prior to coming to CBC this fall; do you think this series is an accurate portrayal of the VC funding process?
Wow. I love it. The show’s website needs a bit of polish, but what could be more exciting than competing for investment backing. Trump can eat his heart out. Who would want a job working for Trump when one could win venture funding instead?
Seriously though, this is an interesting idea. Contestants get publicity for their companies as well as a chance to win money. Not sure how they handle the negotiation of the terms once the investors decide to invest.
As far as using the show as a guide. It seems unlikely that a “reality” TV show will be a good guide, but I suppose we’ll have to watch the show to know for sure!