“It is a B2B2C business model.” is generally not what I am hoping to hear when I ask “What is your business model?” #BusinessModelGeneration — Brian Laung Aoaeh (@brianlaungaoaeh) February 2, 2015 Invariably, when I am meeting the founder of a startup for the first time to discuss the possibility that KEC Ventures might invest […]
Early Stage Startups
Case Study: Fab – How Did That Happen?
Recent reports in the press about the problems Fab is facing got me thinking about the lessons one might learn from its meteoric rise and spectacular crash. Professional investors always give this disclaimer; Past performance does not necessarily guarantee or predict future results. Similarly, Fab’s experience is not necessarily a precedent that will always be […]
Revisiting What I Know About Switching Costs & Startups
Switching costs are another aspect of a startup’s business model that I pay attention to. Together with Network Effect, Intangibles, Cost Advantages, and Efficient Scale they form the source of economic moats. 1Any errors in appropriately citing my sources are entirely mine. Let me know what you object to, and how I might fix the […]
Question Everything; My Remarks At FOCUS100 2014
Background: I gave these remarks at Digital Undivided’s FOCUS100 2014 Conference which was held between October 3rd and October 4th in New York City. A number of investors were invited to explain to the audience how they ought to pitch venture capitalists in order to win funding. Digital Undivided is a social enterprise that develops programs […]
Revisiting What I Know About Network Effects & Startups
‘One IPO that is probably worth the hype.’ – Chris Beauchamp on the # with @kerushton in the Telegraph. http://t.co/l8FqFRYwzJ — IG (@IGcom) September 1, 2014 The recently announced IPO of Alibaba got me thinking last week about network effects 1Any errors in appropriately citing my sources are entirely mine. Let me know what […]
Why Tech Startups Can Gain Competitive Advantage from Operations
Started From the Bottom Now They’re Here: Why Startups Are Racing to Build Operations Teams http://t.co/o2kMPA966I [new blog post] — Hunter Walk (@hunterwalk) August 8, 2014 Hunter Walk’s blog post serves as the inspiration for this one. He points out that operations is key for startups operating in the on-demand economy. I want to pick […]