The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified

Semil Shah of Haystack joins Nick to cover The Path to Series A, Part 1. We will address questions including: Can you walk us through your background and how you became involved in startup investing? Can you first talk about why you've written about the path to A in the... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: - Heltzer - Guerrieri - Hamid Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Mark Peter Davis of Interplay Ventures joins Nick to cover The Hunt for Investors, Part 2. We will discuss the remaining questions including: When an entrepreneur gets a first meeting w/ an investor, what should they do, and conversely, what should they avoid doing in that meeting? After initial meetings, let's... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Mark Peter Davis of Interplay Ventures joins Nick to cover The Hunt for Investors, Part 1. We will address questions including: Can you walk us through your background and how you became involved in startup investing? Can you talk a little about the startup foundry concept and how Interplay differs from... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: - Struhl - Huston - Wilkins Each investor illustrates a critical lesson learned about startup investing and how it's changed their approach. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

David S. Rose is back on the program. He is Managing Partner of Rose Tech Ventures, Founder & Chairman Emeritus of New York Angels, Associate Founder of Singularity University and, of course, Founder & CEO of Gust. David joins us to cover recent news that the SEC has finally adopted rules on title 3... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: -Hamid -O'Donnell -Tunguz Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Leo Polovets of Susa Ventures joins Nick to cover The Value of Data, Part Two. We will address questions including: Transitioning to business models and the way data can be wielded to generate value. Can you provide an example of a business that relies on data within their business model to... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Leo Polovets of Susa Ventures joins Nick to cover The Value of Data, Part One. We will address questions including: As a startup investor, why did you decide to write your series of articles on the "Value of Data?" You released this series in three parts. At a very high-level... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Peter Wilkins of Hyde Park Angels joins Nick to cover Entrepreneur-Investor Fit. We will address questions including: Did you consider raising a venture fund as opposed to leading an angel group? What should entrepreneurs think about when targeting investors? How do you parse which businesses need Venture Capital vs. Angel... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: Huston Brown Heltzer Each investor describes their investment thesis and how they evaluate startups for investment. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Tom Tunguz of Redpoint Ventures joins Nick to cover The Must-Have Characteristics of Successful SaaS Startups. We will address questions including: Can you talk about your decision to blog, selling your partners at Redpoint, how it went in the early going and what results it's created for yourself and Redpoint?... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: Medved Neumann Gurrieri Each investor highlights a situation where they decided to invest in a startup and why they said yes. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this episode of The Full Ratchet Nick covers part 5 of Best Practices for Seed & Angel Investing including: Overview of Seed Investing Developing an Angel Investor Strategy Identifying startups: Deal-flow Evaluation & picking startups Overview The Team The Product The Market Deal-Structuring & Terms The Art of the... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: - Mirabile - Polovets - O'Donnell Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Jason Heltzer of Origin Ventures joins Nick to cover Negotiating a Term Sheet. We will address questions including: Can you first talk about why you chose to write about negotiation? One of the first things to understand is whether the negotiation is asymmetric or not. What does this mean and... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: -Gasser -Struhl -Day Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Sergio Gurrieri of Tech Coast Angels joins Nick to cover Why Angels Don't do Drugs | Life Sciences Investing. We will address questions including: Can you first talk about the sector at large and the sub components of investment opportunities within the life sciences category? Who are the traditional players... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Jonathan Struhl of Indicator Ventures joins Nick to discuss how he raised his first VC Fund. We will address questions including: What are the types of venture funds and what are their key differences? How do venture funds establish a strategy or investment focus? An LPA and PPM are necessary when... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: Hamid Polovets Medved Each investor describes their investment thesis and how they evaluate startups for investment. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

John Huston of Ohio TechAngels joins Nick to cover The Exit. We will address questions including: How should angel group leaders think about the exit as a part of their investment strategy? Not every geographic area has produced multiple unicorns or any unicorns for that matter. Why is this a... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: O'Donnell Blank Day Each investor highlights a situation where they decided to invest in a startup and why they said yes. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Jon Medved of OurCrowd joins Nick to cover Crowdfunding & The Socialization of Finance. We will address questions including: Goldman Sachs recently published a report on the Socialization of Finance. Can you first talk about what they mean by this term and what are the key factors are that are... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: - Wilson - Carter - Ahmad Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Rob Day of Black Coral Capital joins Nick to cover Cleantech. We will address questions including: As many in the venture space are aware the cleantech sector overall has underperformed over the last decade and many VCs and LPs have decided to no longer invest in Cleantech. Last year CBS'... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: -Polovets -Goldberg -Penchina Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Michael Goldberg of The Bridge Investment Fund joins Nick to cover Cross-Border Investing. We will address questions including: Can you first touch on the specific countries where you've either made investments or worked to help facilitate fundraising? What are the most significant challenges to cross-border, investing? Can you discuss the... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Leo Polovets of Susa Ventures joins Nick to cover The Algorithm for Raise Amount & Valuation. We will address questions including: You've outlined three major steps in "The Algorithm for Seed Fundraising." The first, is the amount of the raise and you cite revenues, expenses and timing as key variables.... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: Henikoff Penchina Neumann Each investor describes their investment thesis and how they evaluate startups for investment. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Mamoon Hamid of The Social+Capital Partnership joins Nick to cover SaaS Startup Investing. We will address questions including: In your words, can you describe what a SaaS startup is and the key elements that define a SaaS company? Can you give an example of what is and what is not... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: Carter Gasser Go Each investor highlights a situation where they decided to invest in a startup and why they said yes. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Eric Gasser joins Nick to discuss startup ecosystems and how his high-tech & high-touch screening process works at the Tech Coast Angels. We will address questions including: Can you start off by talking about the startup funding environment in San Diego a decade ago and where it has evolved to... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: - Brown - Blank - Berkus Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

As promised, today we are doing a comparison of the four major approaches by which earlier stage investors make venture investments. They include the lone-wolf angel investor, the angel group, the venture fund and the syndicate. We will be looking at categories such as fees, speed, dealflow access, decision autonomy,... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured: -Wheeler -Blank -Wilson Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or trends that may have significant impact in the future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Gil Penchina joins Nick on The Full Ratchet to discuss Syndicate Investing, including: Can you first provide an overview of your angel portfolio performance? Why is it that you decided not to raise a fund? How does the syndicate approach work on AngelList and why did you adopt this approach toward angel investing? How... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: Mirabile Wheeler Winblad Each investor describes their investment thesis and how they evaluate startups for investment. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Morris Wheeler & Mike Belsito join Nick on The Full Ratchet to discuss raising & investing capital outside of the Valley, including: What are the key challenges to raising outside of the valley? Does Crowdfunding for equity lower the barriers to raising for smaller market startups What advice would you have for... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

David Brown joins Nick on The Full Ratchet to discuss The Pitch Deck, including: Who is the target audience for the Pitch? Why is it preferred to a business plan? When is the right time for a startup to begin pitching for professional, seed capital? What are the basic elements of the... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Joanne Wilson joins Nick on The Full Ratchet to discuss predatory investor practices and the dark side of venure, including: On the founder-side… What are some of the activities you've seen from early-stage investors, that are predatory toward founders? What are some of the major differences between investor practices of the mid-90's... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this episode of The Full Ratchet Nick covers part 4b of Best Practices for Angel Investing including: Overview of Seed Investing, Developing an Angel Investor Strategy, Identifying startups: Deal-flow Evaluation & picking startups, Overview: The Team, The Product The Market: Structuring the Deal... Itunes: http://bit.ly/1xMDf4t Direct-audio: http://bit.ly/1BFyJWL SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/1HqnUgy To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Steve Blank joins Nick on The Full Ratchet to discuss the Investment Readiness Level, IRL, including: How have incubator and accelerator investors traditionally evaluated startups & what's changed that provides an opportunity for a much better approach? You talk about how the focus for startups should shift to evidence and trajectory across... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following investors are featured: - Henikoff - Neumann - Go Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out. To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this episode of The Full Ratchet Nick covers part 4a of Best Practices for Angel Investing including: Overview of Seed Investing, Developing an Angel Investor Strategy, Identifying startups: Dealflow Evaluation & picking startups, Overview: The Team, The Product, The Market, Structuring the Deal... Itunes: http://bit.ly/1yNvz3k Direct-audio: http://bit.ly/1xewycg SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/1fZU06S... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

Christopher Mirabile joins Nick on The Full Ratchet to discuss Angel Investing evolution and changes including: Can you briefly summarize the traditional Angel Group model from a decade ago and why it worked okay then? You highlight four major themes that have evolved with the modern angel group. The first is... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

On this episode of The Full Ratchet Nick covers part 3 of Best Practices for Seed & Angel Investing including: Overview of Seed Investing, Developing an Angel Investor Strategy, Identifying startups: Dealflow Evaluation & picking startups, and Structuring the Deal. Today we address item #3, Deal-flow, identifying startups to invest in. Itunes: http://bit.ly/1qrd41C... To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.