Startup Funding

April 9, 2020

How Are Startup Investors Reacting to the Coronavirus Economy?

The Coronavirus has sent the stock market into a wild ride of 1000-point swings every day. In talking with investors, I find the following: Early-stage investors continue to move forward with their investment plans. Later-stage investors are putting their investments on hold to see how the economy sorts out. Funds which have already raised their capital continue to do business as usual. Many investors are shifting their attention to their portfolio companies as a first step to ensure they have access to capital. Other investors are moving their investments into the higher-quality deals with stronger traction. Valuations are starting to come down with some investors moving aggressively into the market as they see it as a strong buying opportunity. Lenders are in the market as always, with their same criteria. Investors look for startups that are finding a new growth story in the Coronavirus economy and will prioritize those investments.

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Are They Serious?

The startup world is full of big ideas. Entrepreneurs have grand plans to make these big ideas a reality. It is the venture world, so you better have large ideas. However, the talk around the idea is often full of overstatements and amplification. It paints a picture of a future so bright that it’s blinding.  The problem is some entrepreneurs are full of big ideas and nothing more. The startup world is open to anybody. Since the space is so open, it seems like everybody comes through it at some point in time. Unfortunately, this leads to some individuals passing through who are not serious enough to propel a startup toward success.  Here are a few signs that an entrepreneur may not take the business seriously enough to be successful: Job titles are overly important to them. They are generally more concerned with receiving titles and credit for the work than they are about the actual work. They are not focused on the customer. In fact, they may not even have a clear understanding of who their customer is or what that customer wants. They don’t take responsibility for problems the startup may have. They blame others for the issues and may claim there is nothing they can do to fix the problem.  Know your entrepreneur. An entrepreneur who isn’t committed to the cause will raise funding and ultimately waste it. You do not want to invest money in those who aren’t going to see it through.

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