As an entrepreneurial VC, and founder of a financial services company, Duck9, I do and recommend things that disrupt. So I hold one opinion that runs very counter to Seth Levine’s recent post “I’m getting sick of the bullshit,” which boiled down to an indictment of the party scene at the South by Southwest Interactive … Continue reading “How to Host a Minimum Viable Party at SXSW”
Author: Larry Chiang
Silicon Valley "hyper-networker" Larry Chiang is the founder and CEO of credit advisory service Duck9, the author of the 2009 book What They Don't Teach You at Stanford Business School, and the author of a BusinessWeek MBA Blogs column, "What They Don't Teach You at Business School." He writes on granular, tid-bit tactics to help entrepreneurs. He runs a fund called "Larry Chiang Stanford G51 Fund of Stanford Founders."
7 Questions LPs Should Ask VCs (But Don’t)
It’s that time of year: annual investor meetings for limited partners (LPs). LPs are the people who fund venture firms and the general partners (GPs) are the people who lead them. At these meetings, LPs pour over general partners’ (GPs’) reports, calculate TVPI (total value: paid in)/ IRR (internal rate of return), digest confidential past … Continue reading “7 Questions LPs Should Ask VCs (But Don’t)”
Five Things I Learned at Startup School
Y Combinator has a brilliant franchise. It is called Startup School. This year it is at Stanford University on October 29 and co-hosted with BASES, the Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students. Some of Silicon Valley’s elite used to poo-poo Startup School as being too basic. I have always been in the camp supporting it. … Continue reading “Five Things I Learned at Startup School”
Moneyball—It’s Not Just About Baseball
Are we trying to sell jeans here or are we trying to win baseball games?—Billy Beane, Oakland A’s General Manager Baseball scouts used to judge players on looks. Moneyball, as a method, revolutionized the evaluation of baseball talent. It correlates, connects and coagulates all performance metrics (aka stats) to determine offensive or defensive production per player. … Continue reading “Moneyball—It’s Not Just About Baseball”
How to Launch Your Startup at SXSW for $460
Originally, I wanted to call this article “How to Launch at SXSW on a Shoestring Budget,” but it wasn’t specific enough. “How to Launch @ SXSW for $460” has a tactical, granular sound that resonates with what my mentor (see his book cover picture here) taught me about promotion at a real world event. It’s … Continue reading “How to Launch Your Startup at SXSW for $460”
The Seven Best Places to Close a Deal in Silicon Valley
I like studying what works and what doesn’t. I focus more of my time on the former, but often learn more from the latter. I compile tactical, earthy techniques from my mentors’ books and sprinkle in a bit of technology. Think of my maneuvers as real-world Google Analytics, but with a focus on extrapolating future … Continue reading “The Seven Best Places to Close a Deal in Silicon Valley”