FounderLine

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Kent Goldman of Upside Partnership answer viewer questions including: If you're joining a startup of about 50 people, how can you really tell if they're doing well? I work for a ‘unicorn' company in SF. Are there ways a startup employee can cash out of some of their stock options without upsetting the company? Today's NY Times has an article about there being too much capital available right now. Do you anticipate a market correction? Do you think this would be a benefit? How much customer traction do you need to see to make an investment in a startup? I've been working for 3 years in a large tech company. I've been considering joining a startup vs. getting an MBA. Do investors value MBAs? What would you recommend I do?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Katherine Barr of MDV answer viewer questions including: Given rising valuations, do you think a market correction could have a positive impact if it normalized expectations in growth and hiring? What metrics are you looking at to stay ahead of a potential correction? How much time do you spend evaluating a company before you make an investment? What are the key attributes that get you interested in a company when you first hear about them?  How do you decide if a company you’re thinking of investing in is going to be disruptive?  How can I get the most out of the VC GP who sponsors the investment in my company?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Satish Dharmaraj of Redpoint Ventures answer viewer questions including: Zimbra was quite ahead of its time, integrating both cloud and mobile when mobile was still young and the cloud didn't yet exist.  What was the process for coming up with the product?  How did you describe Zimbra when pitching it to VCs? How does a seed stage company get noticed by an investor like you? What are the main advantages and disadvantages of an uncapped note versus a priced round? What are the characteristics of the most successful founders you've worked with? Any patterns? It seems there are too many startups and not enough great employees to go around. Would a correction that culled some weaker start-ups be a net positive in the long run?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Josh Stein of DFJ answer viewer questions including: People talk about a valuation "bubble". What would it look like if this bubble pops, and how can we hedge against it? How quickly do you make a decision on an investment? What are the key things you look for? Is it team? Product? Something else? How do you envision deal terms changing for later stage investments due to the increase in non traditional investors (e.g mutual funds) with different risk tolerances and liquidity expectations? How does DFJ make a decision to invest in a revolutionary technologies that are aimed at the distant future like SpaceX, Planet Labs, Tesla, SolarCity…?  I’m choosing between two startup jobs:  one has a team I know well but I don’t really believe in the product, and the other where I believe in the product but don’t know the team.  Do you have any advice?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Philip Rosedale of High Fidelity answer viewer questions including: What are some of the differences between starting a company today vs back in the 1990's, aside from lower cost of starting? You've been able to raise a lot of money from some great investors. What are the key reasons you're able to do that? Any insights for a first-time CEO? Ray Kurzweil and Andrew Ng are advancing AI with their work at Google Labs and Baidu Research Lab.  What advantages do you have in advancing Virtual Reality in startups as opposed to joining a large company like Google or Baidu? We are deciding between taking money from a lead investor we don't like and waiting for the right investor to come along. Any advice for weighing the pros and cons? What are your thoughts on employee compensation? Do you do anything out of the ordinary for your teams?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Jason Calacanis of Inside answer viewer questions including: - Some startups are hugely successful and others aren't able to raise money. What separates the companies that can raise more money from those who can't? Is it all about the metrics, the people, or...? - Given your involvement in many different activities and now with the announcement of Jack Dorsey taking on two separate CEO roles, how do you successfully manage your time and be effective at multi stressful tasks? - We've raised $700k and are not yet to the point where we can raise an A round. What are the best ways to position ourselves to raise $2-3 million given this situation? - Where do resourceful, scrappy, first time founders go, if they happen to live in a less tech-forward location? - How should a founder strike the right balance between bootstrapping a startup and raising money from investors who can add value not only in money, but also advice, mentorship and network?  

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Jessica Livingston of Y Combinator answer viewer questions including: - What are some definitive steps that founders can take to define a lasting culture for their startups? - If you were to name a few of the common attributes of the unicorns that have come through YC, what would they be? - How do you keep an investor from poaching your startup's product/idea - developing it with another team? - We are considering applying for YC. What are some of the things that stand out in the applications and make it more likely to get accepted? - As a mom and startup founder myself, I'm wondering how to fit it all in...being a good employee, wife, mom, etc. Any tips?  

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Jason Lemkin of Storm Ventures answer viewer questions including: - In your experience, is there a good/systematic approach that your product Dev team should take in determining how the product needs to evolve to match the needs of the larger enterprise? - While founders would love to hire only A+ players, it's a tough market, so that's often easier said than done. What are some underrated characteristics in potential hires that you should consider when you can't hire the perfect candidate? - How can Zenefits possibly be worth $4 billion after just 2 years? - Do you have any advice for SaaS companies that are outside of the SF/SV vortex trying to get traction and raise money in a NorCal centric startup environment?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures answer viewer questions including: - What are the key factors in your deciding to meet with an entrepreneur about their company? What are the key factors in your deciding to invest in that company? - How does your firm handle a portfolio company that becomes somewhat successful, but is not a home run? How does that impact your investment in other companies in a similar space? - Thank you, Kirsten, for your leadership as a woman in venture capital. Do you find the Silicon Valley community to be an "old boys network" where you are not taken seriously and/or have to work harder than the men? - How much traction or sales growth is required in an e-commerce business before you'll decide to invest? Do you ever invest in an e-commerce idea that hasn't sold anything yet?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Mike Maples of FLOODGATE Fund answer viewer questions including: - What are some of the mistakes you’ve learned from?  Investments you shouldn't have made, or opportunities you've missed? - Please share some unexpected characteristics you have observed in entrepreneurs that have gone on to have a high-level of success - What impact does having two women partners in your firm have when analyzing female founders? - Your site says that you invest before traditional VCs are ready.  This sounds risky.  What secrets do you know about picking the winners early?  What different methods do you use than traditional VCs?    - Our lead investor thinks it may be time to bring in a more experienced CEO and the founders don't agree. Any advice for how to handle this?  

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Patrick Chung of Xfund answer viewer questions including: - As a startup I’m competing with Google for the valley’s top engineers and can’t give the benefits or pay that they do. What are some suggestions to help me convince people to work with me instead of for Google? - Today Secret announced that they're shutting down. How does a company with lots of capital and millions of users fail? What lessons can be learned from their rise and fall? - Startup hiring is so difficult. What advice do you give your companies and how do you personally help them out? - What are the most important characteristics you look for in a founder before funding them? What are some signals you look for? How would a woman have an advantage or disadvantage? - If someone wanted to pitch you about their company, what's the best way to gain an audience with you?

FounderLine is a live weekly webcast devoted to helping startup founders succeed, hosted by seven-time startup entrepreneur and investor Joe Beninato. Each week, Joe welcomes an experienced entrepreneur or investor to discuss startup-related topics and field questions from entrepreneurs around the world. FounderLine is broadcast live, and viewers are welcome to send questions via email or twitter. For more information, go to founderline.com. In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest Mike Cassidy of Google’s Project Loon answer viewer questions including: - What are some best practices for CEOs working with a board member? - A competitor has emerged from stealth development. They appear to be strong, and several months ahead of us. How should we respond? What are the top priorities? - Do you think it's fair for founders to pay themselves a market salary or do you think that they should live on half salary or something similar? - When your companies were acquired, did you go out to find the acquirers or did they come find you? Any advice for how a startup can make itself most desirable to acquirers?

FounderLine host Joe Beninato and guest Bill Trenchard of First Round Capital answer listener questions including: - As an investor, how do you and First Round deal with something like YC Demo Day, where there are over 100 companies all at once? Do you divide them among partners? Focus on certain areas only? - Pinterest has just announced a change to give employees 7 years, instead of the typical 90 days, in which to exercise any vested options. What does such a policy cost an employer? Will this position influence other companies? - Do you believe Meerkat's success will diminish without the help of Twitter's social graph, and Periscope will dominate? Or maybe neither of them will succeed and we are just experiencing the peak of a hype cycle? - As a startup founder/CEO, how did you structure your day? How did you make sure you were focusing on the right things every day? - Do you believe that all original angels and early stage VC's should receive pro rata rights if they want them?

FounderLine host Joe Beninato and guest Dave McClure of 500 Startups answer listener questions including: - So many people who worked at PayPal went off to found companies like Tesla, YouTube, LinkedIn, Yelp, Yammer and 500 Startups…how was Paypal able to hire such great people? What did you learn there? - What benefits are typically offered to or expected by employees? Do the benefits change as a company grows and matures, or is an early stage company expected to offer benefits comparable to a mature one? - What services do you provide your investments after you invest? With so many companies, how can you keep track? - How is a seed financing different than a Series A? What happens to seed financing when Series A funding comes through? - How do we get into 500 Startups? We've applied for the upcoming batch…any tips in improving our chances of getting in?

In this episode, host Joe Beninato and guest David Wu answer viewer questions including: - What are the things I should do to help you decide to fund me? What are some of the things I shouldn't do? What materials should I show up with? What materials are a turn off? - What unicorns did you miss out on? Why did you miss them? What are the investments you regret passing on? - I've heard people say that they went with a VC that was a better match but not the VC with the best term sheet. What do they mean by this? - How do new investors react to a CEO not drawing salary when self-funding, but then drawing a salary when new money arrives? - How do convertible notes work? What are the advantages of them for me?