Insights
What we’ve learned building companies.
Lessons from the businesses we’ve built with founders, and the ones that taught us the most.
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4 excellent fundraising tips you probably haven’t seen beforeA lot of fundraising advice on LinkedIn has been regurgitated umpteen times, but here are four excellent tips I haven’t seen elsewhere… ↓↓ The first two are from VC, Casey Flint: At the start of a meeting with a VC, ask what concerns or questions they have, based on what they know so far. ThisRead the post →
How the DQventures team can work from anywhereOne of my colleagues, Darius, just went to China for a holiday. He never came back. OK, I’m being dramatic… He decided to stop and work from Thailand for a while. The thing is… I actually have no idea how long he plans to be there. But, as long as he’s happy and getting hisRead the post →
How the best founders and investors play an infinite gameMany outsiders think Venture Capital is all about exits & valuations. But game theory suggests it’s about much more than that. The best founders and VCs play an infinite game, not a finite one. Here’s what I mean ↓ They use capital as fuel.Read the post →
Should you find a technical cofounder or outsource?Should you find a technical co-founder and give them 50% of your company, or should you outsource? Having now started or invested in >70 companies, here’s what I’ve learned… I believe I’ve tried all the options. I’ve had technical cofounders; Employed developers in-house; Outsourced to teams in… … Singapore … Vietnam … Poland … Ukraine … Myanmar …the U. K.Read the post →
Sometimes success means giving upWhen it comes to starting companies—or observing other people starting one—it’s common to hear cries of “never give up!”. But entrepreneurship isn’t about never giving up. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Sure, tenacity and determination are absolutely prerequisites. I’m not challenging that for a second. But let’s be honest for a second.Read the post →
The shortcut to raising vanture capital for your startupIs there a shortcut—an easy way—to raise venture capital? Sort of, yes. As we hear constantly, there is a vast amount of capital looking for ideas that will change the world. And that’s the key. What do investors believe will transform our world?Read the post →
5 lesser-known tips for cold pitching VCsAre you a founder trying to cold-pitch VCs? Keep these 5 things in mind↓ Double down on your homework. Don’t waste time pitching to VCs who aren’t interested in your sector. Example: If they’ve made it clear they’re not looking at med-tech, don’t send that cold email. Instead, try connecting on LinkedIn.Read the post →
Before raising investment ask yourself: what phase is my startup in?Before you raise money for your startup, ask yourself what phase you’re in. Paul Graham says that, at Y Combinator, founders are advised to raise money in phase 2 This is when the company already has traction but needs to accelerate.Read the post →
Why it’s never too late to start a businessDid your opportunity to start a business pass you by? Nope, and here’s the proof… ↓↓ Harland Sanders — KFC (age 62) Charles Flint — IBM (age 61) Dietrich Mateschitz — RedBull (age 60) Ferdinand Porsche — Porsche (age 56) Nicolas Hayek — Swatch (age 55) Julie Wainwright — The RealReal (age 53) Ray…Read the post →
How startup founders should use LinkedinI often run experiments to try to help our portfolio companies. One of these has been running for the last month here on LinkedIn. Maybe you noticed?Read the post →
How to improve your investor outreach by 2500%Here’s how to improve your investor outreach by literally 25x (no hyperbole!)… Dori Stein raised more than $30m for his last startup, and he’s obsessed with creating a part-automated fundraising process that actually works. Here’s what he told me: ↓↓ Emailing investors you don’t know almost NEVER works. The response rate is shocking: approx.Read the post →
How services can de-risk your startup journeyMost founders who present their idea to DQ pitch us some kind of product, but our 3 most successful portfolio companies all sell services. Here’s what they do, plus the common thread that’s driving their success.Read the post →