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VC Breakfast Club

I am volunteering at SVASE, the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs, and amongst others I sometimes moderate our VC Breakfast Club sessions. 

 
It’s an informal round-table where up to 10 entrepreneurs get to deliver a pitch, then answer questions and get critiqued by a VC Partner.    We’ve had VC’s from Draper Fisher, Hummer Winblad, Kleiner Perkins, Mayfield, Mohr Davidow, Emergence Capital …etc.
 
I think it’s an incredible opportunity for Entrepreneurs, most of who would probably have a hard time getting through the door to a mainstream VC.   However,  recently I’ve seen quite a few entrepreneurs “blow it”.
 
Yes, it’s a pressure-free environment, with no Powerpoint presentations, Business Plans…etc –  just casual conversation, but for God’s sake it does not mean Entrepreneurs should come unprepared!
 
Please:
  •  Don’t just talk freely about what you would like to do, or even worse, spend all your time describing the problem, without addressing what your solution is
  •  Follow a structure, and don’t forget “small things” like the Team, Product, Market..etc, and it would not hurt to mention how much you are looking for, and how you would use the funds.
  •  Write down and practice your pitch, and please be aware that whatever your practice time was, when you are on the spot, you will likely take twice as long to deliver your story.
 
Thanks for listening … and I hope we’ll have more productive sessions in the future
 
 

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