Chris Neumann's Top 10 Posts of 2023
When I launched chrisneumann.com, I committed to publishing a new post and accompanying newsletter every Wednesday. No repeats. No missed weeks. No excuses.
I also promised my wife that I wouldn’t do any work between Christmas and New Years (except in the case of a portfolio company emergency).
So here is my annual unapologetic cop-out: Chris Neumann’s Top 10 Posts of 2023 (in reverse order…so there’s a bit of drama):
#10
One of the most frustrating experiences for startup founders is to have multiple calls with a potential investor, only to hear…nothing. Why do VCs act like this?
#9
I'm going to be blunt. Angel investors or VCs asking for advisory shares as a condition of investment is not okay. Full stop.
#8
It's been nearly 15 years since I founded DataHero. To this day, I viscerally remember how I was treated by each and every investor I met. All founders do.
#7
I was recently asked by a founder to explain why early-stage VCs ask for side letters when investing using SAFEs. “Isn’t the point of a safe that it’s a standard agreement?”
#6
Countless stories have been written about founders using FOMO to catalyze a fundraising process to stratospheric heights. What too many founders misunderstand is that FOMO only works when applied to a well-run fundraising process. It’s not a replacement for actual investor interest.
And it’s not something you can fake.
#5
Just as first-time founders in Canada often struggle to find early investors, emerging managers in Canada struggle to find LPs willing to invest in a new VC firm. If we want to pour rocket fuel on Canadian tech, we need to make it easier for the next generation of Canadian investors to start their own funds.
#4
Founders get a lot of VC diligence requests during fundraising. Here are 6 examples of appropriate VC diligence requests and 6 examples that should set off your alarm bells.
#3
The uncomfortable truth is that the majority of startup ideas are fundamentally not a fit for VCs. And it’s because of the size of the market that they’re going after.
#2
Monique Woodard of Cake Ventures, Marvin Liao of Diaspora Ventures, advisor Mike Sigal, Web Summit host Casey Lau and I recently met with startup founders across Scotland. The one topic we kept returning to? The fact that VC isn’t right for 99% of startups.
#1
I’m very vocal about the fact that Canada is severely lacking in early-stage venture capital. Yet despite that, I don’t believe that we will see a sudden explosion of home grown venture capital firms. Nor should we want one.
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