Rick Onyon

The Art of the VC Pitch: A Brief Guide to Maximizing Your Chances With Venture Capital Through Giving Better Pitches Pitching to a Venture Capital firm is different from any other kind of pitch. It's not like a sales pitch, a product pitch, or any other kind of presentation. This guide is a road map to the nuts and bolts of maximizing your opportunity when you manage to get in front of VCs

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That’s very accurate. PE Buyout Funds. Publicly traded parent companies with corporate VC arms scooping up the most profitable sector-specific subsidiaries. Fund of Funds get more popular and much more strategic. Family Offices dominate the landscape. Not investment advice.

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Want to know what metrics venture capitalists really care about? Aumni's latest analysis dives into 10,000+ data points from portfolio companies at all stages. Here's what we uncovered: 1️⃣ Revenue, net burn rate, FT headcount, and gross margin are the hottest metrics. 2️⃣ Most VCs request 6-9 specific metrics per quarter from each portfolio company. 3️⃣ Cash is king in the early stages but loses its throne as companies grow. 4️⃣ Operational metrics dominate at Series D+, taking up half of the top ten. Key insights: - Cash-on-hand and cash runway plummet in importance from a combined ranking of 3.5 in the seed stage to barely making the top ten by Series D+. - Metrics spotlighting operational efficiency, like gross margin, total OpEx, EBIT, bookings, and debt balance, become crucial as startups scale. PS. check out 🔔 for a winning pitch deck the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel https://lnkd.in/ejp-Bhnu

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Movac KiwiNet Deep Tech is difficult because you do not comprehend 95% of the universe using the Standard Model of Particle physics. Either learn that measurement is flawed due to human bias or experience and unbiased state through transcendence experiences corresponding to Christ consciousness. The physics of life is based on LENR and not the Standard Model of Particle physics. Unfortunately, scientific research has been captured by the materialism perspective. This is mutually exclusive to the light observed in consciousness. Physics of life. Deep Tech https://lnkd.in/gKqC3PAR Gateway into the aromatic ring Faraday cage system. Time to see the light 😁.

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Rippling, 7 years into its existence, has more than $450M in ARR with a goal to hit $580M by the end of the year. It's grown 35x since 2019. How did Parker Conrad do it? It's the best Silicon Valley comeback story since Jobs and Apple. Conrad resigned from his last rocket-ship startup Zenefits after controversy over culture and cheating regarding broker credentialing. Not long after his disgraced exit, he started Rippling. This time around, he's learned a thing or two. And with a chip on his shoulder, he's more determined than ever to build a beast of a business. Rippling can be boiled down to one simple idea: build a multi-product company with employee data as the foundation. With full knowledge of all employee data, Rippling can create a fully seamless experience across all the employee-centric needs of the organization: HR management, benefits, hiring, payroll, spend management, IT, and more. Each vertical is a huge market worth billions of dollars. Expanding into multiple products isn't a new idea. But few do so BEFORE saturating their initial core market segment. It's hard enough to build one great product. It's 100x harder to build 100 great products. I'll admit, I've always been skeptical of CEOs that lack focus. But with Rippling, Conrad proved that it can be done. The bet's paid off. Being able to use ONE vendor for all your employee-related needs turns out be highly desirable. Why deal with 50 different pieces of software that store employee data in different silos with overlapping capabilities and different interfaces, if you could satisfy all your needs from ONE trusted vendor? And from a sales perspective, it's much easier to convince an existing customer to buy a new solution than to try to sell a new customer, creating GTM efficiencies that compound on each other. Software is eating the world, and Rippling is eating all other software. The strategy isn't without its costs. Literally. The company has raised $1.4B in its relatively short existence and is spending ~80% of it on R&D (to be fair, Uber raised $12B in its first 7 years... so Rippling is quite efficient by comparison). Employees report high levels of stress. And given the number of companies Conrad has declared war on with his "compound product approach," I'm sure that's resulted in a number of enemies over the years. That said, all of it does seem to be paying off. The company was most recently valued at $13.5B in May (~35x ARR multiple) and continues to grow at a ferocious pace. Does this mean all founders should copy Rippling's strategy? Probably not. Pulling it off requires high levels of conviction in what to build, how to build, and constant fundraising to fuel ever higher R&D costs. But Rippling's success does pose an important question for all founders: what is the proper level of "focus"? How should founders trade off focus vs building the next big thing? *revenue data from Forbes and The Information, 2020 & 2021 data not public #Startups #VC

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Here's a hot take: most startup founders cling to vanity metrics, believing that growth equals success. Sure, likes, downloads, and sign-ups look impressive on paper, but they don't always translate to profitability or sustainability. That’s why founders often get blindsided when their business starts to tank. Let's break down the typical reasons folks chase those flashy stats. They feel good, they make you look relevant, and everyone loves a success story. But let's not kid ourselves. The pitfalls? Vanity metrics can lead to misguided decisions, wasted resources, and an inflated sense of security. Just because people are clicking doesn’t mean they’re buying or sticking around. Now, what if we flipped the script? Instead of chasing numbers that sound good, why not focus on metrics that matter? That means diving into customer acquisition costs, lifetime value, and churn rates. These stats aren’t just numbers; they help you understand your actual business health. What’s great about this approach? It drives sustainable growth. You gain real insights into customer behavior, enabling targeted strategies that foster retention and profitability. On the other hand, it’s not all roses with this strategy either. Focusing solely on deep metrics can drown you in data and analytics paralysis if you don't have the right tools or knowledge. So, here's the sweet spot: a balanced approach. Look at both vanity metrics and meaningful KPIs. Use the former to attract interest but lean on the latter for strategic decisions. Prioritize the numbers that drive real value. How do you apply this? First, set clear, actionable goals that align both types of metrics. Then, employ analytics tools to cut through the noise and focus on what truly moves the needle. Finally, foster a culture of data-driven decision making among your team; they need to understand why metrics matter. If you want to dive deeper into actionable strategies and insights, check out my newsletter, 5 Minute Founders. It breaks down essential business knowledge fast and easily. And remember, great content and promotion can also fuel your success—two areas where Quuu and QuuuPromote excel, founded by myself and Matthew Spurr.

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VC Secondaries are 🔥 (hot), but how do they actually work? 🤷‍♂️ Secondaries in venture capital/private companies have been extremely hot right now. The lack of IPOs over the past few years means there are tons of liquidity needs from founders, investors, and employees. Those of you who are part of my syndicate know that we have been increasingly active in secondary investment opportunities, buying either common or preferred shares from early investors or employees/founders. The process of investing / finding a seller is quite different from a traditional primary round of financing. The company is typically less involved in the process yet needs to approve the transaction and typically has ROFR rights (along with other major investors) who can also buy the shares from the seller if they’d like/find the deal being offered attractive. The pricing of the shares being purchased gets agreed upon from the buyer and seller, unlike a lead VC setting the pricing directly with the company. Brokers play a major role here as they typically take the lead in finding both buyers & sellers. It’s not very easy to understand who is selling, at what price, and what block size they are willing to do, therefore brokers can support all of this. In the world of running SPVs, even when you agree to a price and block size with a seller, there is more to it in closing and an extended timeline typically. It’s clear that this is not well understood among many folks, and for that reason, I am excited to dedicate a Last Money In Media post to go into much greater detail on this process to provide much greater transparency to those interested. Stay tuned - post on the secondary transaction process coming in a few weeks via Last Money In Media. -- I write Last Money In Media w/Zachary Ginsburg. We share tips/discuss all things Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) within the world of Venture Capital.

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Up to series A, all that TAM, SAM, SOM stuff in pitch decks is 💩. Sure, put it in the doc if you must. Lots (and lots) of advice says you should. But I challenge you to find any VC that gives it any more than 3 seconds of attention. Or thinks it is anything other than a work of fiction. And I guarantee none of them has had their investment decision influenced by it. So, whether you put it in or not, don’t spend too much time on it and focus your attention and impact on other things. Such as team, mission, metrics. Pretty much anything else in the pitch deck templates!! #founders #startups #vcfunding

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You don’t need to raise VC to build a business with big impact, *even in a market that has heavily VC-funded players*. Case in point: Excalidraw is an open source alternative to Miro. Excalidraw is bootstrapped and revenue-funded, Miro is VC-funded ($476M raised). Miro just added a comparison page to Excalidraw - meaning that they saw enough demand for people searching for Miro vs Excalidraw that they added this page.

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𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 & 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗸: 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Crafting a compelling pitch is essential for startups seeking funding. Here’s how to structure your approach for maximum impact: 1️⃣ Introduction: Begin with who you are and what your company does. Example: "I’m Jane, CEO of Wanoxy, a platform that integrates Google Docs across all devices." 2️⃣ Current Status: Highlight where you are now. Example: "We’ve launched iOS v2.0 and gained 2M users in 6 months." 3️⃣ Next Steps: Share your immediate plans. Example: "We’re launching our Android version next quarter." 4️⃣ Market Opportunity: Illustrate your market size and potential. Use data to show growth opportunities. 5️⃣ Milestones: Explain how you’ll use the funding to achieve specific goals over the next three quarters, such as product releases, team growth, and market penetration. 6️⃣ Team Strength: Highlight why your team is uniquely suited to execute this vision. 7️⃣ Financials: Present realistic, scalable projections that support your valuation. 8️⃣ The Ask: Clearly state how much you’re raising and how the funds will be allocated. Example: "We’re seeking $1M to scale operations and expand our platform." PS. check out 🔔 for a winning pitch deck the template created by Silicon Valley legend, Peter Thiel https://lnkd.in/ejp-Bhnu

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Suppose you are a VC, Early investor, or CIO trying to keep your eye on the industry trends. In that case, you’ve probably heard already about hallucinations, context shifts, and accuracy measurement problems in LLMs. These scary concepts kill motivation to invest in LLM-based projects and build RnD departments. Are they really so scary? Yes, but just for now, you have a good strategy to cope with them. Is this strategy already known? Yes, old but still one of the most effective approaches- knowledge graphs in combination with fresh new RAGs will allow you to keep your models free of hallucinations, stable in accuracy, and easily adaptable for context change. Btw, do you know that knowledge graphs are seeing as one of the most impactful AI enables during this year?🙌🏻 How big companies like Deutsche Telekom and Microsoft are seeing the future of LLMs adoption you can find here https://lnkd.in/d4B3t56z

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15 Lessons from the book titled: Why Startups Fail: A New Roadmap for Entrepreneurial Success by Tom Eisenmann 1. Poor Market Fit: One of the leading causes of startup failure is launching a product that doesn’t adequately solve a customer problem or meet a significant need in the market. 2. Mismanaged Finances: Many startups fail due to improper financial planning—spending too much too quickly or not raising enough capital to sustain growth, leading to cash flow problems. 3. Premature Scaling: Expanding too fast without confirming product-market fit or establishing a solid business foundation often causes startups to collapse under the weight of scaling. 4. Founder Misalignment: Co-founder disputes and misaligned goals, values, or work ethics can tear apart a startup from the inside, making it difficult to navigate challenges. 5. Ignoring Customer Feedback: Failing to listen to customers or pivot based on their feedback leads to startups missing opportunities to refine their products or services to better meet market needs. 6. Weak Business Model: Startups can falter when they lack a clear, viable business model that outlines how they’ll generate revenue and achieve profitability in the long term. 7. Operational Inefficiencies: Problems with execution, such as poor hiring, ineffective team management, or inadequate operations, can create roadblocks that slow progress and deplete resources. 8. Product Launch Timing: Launching too early or too late can drastically affect a startup’s success. Entering the market too soon may result in a poorly developed product, while entering late may mean missing key opportunities. 9. Underestimating Competition: Startups that don’t adequately research or prepare for competition can find themselves unable to compete effectively, especially if incumbents or other players enter the space with more resources or better solutions. 10. Lack of Focus: Distraction or pursuing too many ideas at once can dilute efforts, leading to a loss of focus on the core business mission and reducing the chance of success. These lessons provide a roadmap for entrepreneurs to avoid common pitfalls and increase their chances of building successful startups. #ceoclubpakistan #worldceoforum #ceosummit #100ceos #ijaznisar

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The Ultimate Learning Collection for SaaS Leaders and Founders. With 15+ incredible learning resources on: → Marketing → Sales → Pricing → Leadership → Fundraising → Pitch decks And more. You can also find the links to each individual resource below 👇 1. How to Price and Package Your Software: https://lnkd.in/eDmWrSJs 2. The Five Prospect Stages: https://lnkd.in/eyaU_r73 3. How Fundable Is Your Company? https://lnkd.in/eDSvWSDb 4. Leadership Transitions at Different Stages of Growth: https://lnkd.in/eZPQDypQ 5. SaaS Monetisation in 8 Steps: https://lnkd.in/ednZ8h_w 6. The Only 10 Slides You Need In Your Pitch: https://lnkd.in/eDPbadCy 7. Paul Graham’s 9-Step Guide to Convincing Investors: https://lnkd.in/eBiC_erY 8. The 4 Types of Questions Investors Frequently Ask: https://lnkd.in/eF9bRmxe 9. The TAM-SOM Paradox: https://lnkd.in/eZfmqKPP 10. The Only Pitch Deck Guide You’ll Ever Need: https://lnkd.in/eCmU4MZ2 11. How to Skyrocket SaaS Sales: https://lnkd.in/ejzxQuCv 12. How to Identify and Focus on the Right Customers (The ICP Grid): https://lnkd.in/eXEGbzTD 13. The Anatomy of a Perfect Pitch Deck: https://lnkd.in/ewgb_GnD 14. How to Prioritise: https://lnkd.in/eXaqSqjX 15. Goal-Setting for Founders: https://lnkd.in/e8vrPVvt - - - Did you enjoy this post? Feel free to repost it for your network, too ♻️ #BrainDumps 🧠 💩 // The Ultimate Brain Dump Collection

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From documentaries to selling his first SaaS company - here’s how he did it. Jordan started DropFunnels out of frustration.  He was promoting a new documentary–and it became a full-time job. He learned:  ↳ Launching a small business is hard.  ↳ It takes 5 different software tools  ↳ Those tools don’t work well together He decided to streamline the process with 1 platform: DropFunnels Jordan’s strategy? Sell the product before building it. Here’s what he did: 1/ Launched a Facebook group of founders with similar problems  2/ Gave that community free sales funnel templates  3/ Got feedback from users in real-time  4/ Recruited developers from the group  5/ Sold DropFunnels to his community (at a locked rate for life)  6/ Used that profit to build out the company COVID struck, everyone was selling things online and DropFunnels snowballed. Jordan’s business was thriving, but he was itching to build the next thing—so he decided to pursue an acquisition with us. After a competitive process, we found the right buyer who had a plan to keep the company growing without Jordan needing to stick around. Now, Jordan is building Revatto, a tool that’s already reducing churn by 50-70% for his clients & growing 70-90% month-over-month. Jordan’s new goal? A 9-figure exit for Revatto.  Our new goal? Help him achieve that exit. Thanks again for trusting our team Jordan Mederich – cannot wait to see what you build 💪

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How I build Seasonality forecasts 👇 ~~~ 𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥: grab the template here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKDEu5Rt ~~~ 1. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 In the "Historical Revenue" section I pull together several years of history (if available) and stack them together by month. At the bottom I calculate "Total of All Years" which gives me a grand total by month over the last [6] years. 2. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 I take the respective monthly totals and divide them by the grand total Revenue over that time period. This gives me my "Seasonality Curve, As Calculated," which serves as a reference point for the forecast (a weighted-average of the history). Then, right below that, I have "Seasonality Curve, for Model," which allows the user to make any changes to the expected seasonality curve for this year. (Default is just to leave the curve alone) 3. 𝗣&𝗟 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 Now that I have my curve, I simply punch in the expected Revenue and Gross Margin (the two light-yellow input cells), and extrapolate those figures for each month based on the seasonality curve. The Revenue and Margin forecasts come from the Management Team. My job as the FP&A Professional is challenge their assumptions: - Will our seasonality be different this year? - Why $2.7mm? - Why 20% Margin? 4. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 The Revenue and COGS get linked back to my Three Statement Model. If I need to make changes, I come back to my seasonality tab, make the change, and trust that my Three Statement Model will update accordingly. (meaning my Working Capital will also change correctly) 5. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 Lastly, I will always have double-checks confirming: - My seasonality curve equals 100% - The Revenue and COGS in the Schedule match the Three Statement Model - The Gross Profit in the Schedule matches the Three Statement Model All of these double-checks will feed into a Control Panel I have as the first page in my model. 6. 𝗗𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 For a new product line I just type "Alt + e + m," create a copy of the tab, and rename for a new product line. I'll build as many small, simple schedules as I need to create a comprehensive model that is easy to follow. (I just find it easier this way than stacking multiple seasonality curves on a single tab, but you can do that too if you'd prefer) ~~~ 👋 Hey, I'm Chris Reilly, and I teach Financial Modeling based on real Private Equity and FP&A experience. 𝘱.𝘴. don't forget to grab the template (link at top of post 👆)

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How I build Seasonality forecasts 👇 ~~~ 𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥: grab the template here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eKDEu5Rt ~~~ 1. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 In the "Historical Revenue" section I pull together several years of history (if available) and stack them together by month. At the bottom I calculate "Total of All Years" which gives me a grand total by month over the last [6] years. 2. 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 I take the respective monthly totals and divide them by the grand total Revenue over that time period. This gives me my "Seasonality Curve, As Calculated," which serves as a reference point for the forecast (a weighted-average of the history). Then, right below that, I have "Seasonality Curve, for Model," which allows the user to make any changes to the expected seasonality curve for this year. (Default is just to leave the curve alone) 3. 𝗣&𝗟 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 Now that I have my curve, I simply punch in the expected Revenue and Gross Margin (the two light-yellow input cells), and extrapolate those figures for each month based on the seasonality curve. The Revenue and Margin forecasts come from the Management Team. My job as the FP&A Professional is challenge their assumptions: - Will our seasonality be different this year? - Why $2.7mm? - Why 20% Margin? 4. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 The Revenue and COGS get linked back to my Three Statement Model. If I need to make changes, I come back to my seasonality tab, make the change, and trust that my Three Statement Model will update accordingly. (meaning my Working Capital will also change correctly) 5. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 Lastly, I will always have double-checks confirming: - My seasonality curve equals 100% - The Revenue and COGS in the Schedule match the Three Statement Model - The Gross Profit in the Schedule matches the Three Statement Model All of these double-checks will feed into a Control Panel I have as the first page in my model. 6. 𝗗𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 For a new product line I just type "Alt + e + m," create a copy of the tab, and rename for a new product line. I'll build as many small, simple schedules as I need to create a comprehensive model that is easy to follow. (I just find it easier this way than stacking multiple seasonality curves on a single tab, but you can do that too if you'd prefer) ~~~ 👋 Hey, I'm Chris Reilly, and I can help you become the go-to Financial Modeler in just 8 hours. ⚡ p.s., Biggest sale of the year 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6B7y9yk

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴📚 This ebook dives deep into the entire startup funding life cycle—from seed to exit—exploring all the funding sources available. 💰✨ 🔍 Here’s what you’ll find inside: 1️⃣ The startup funding life cycle 2️⃣ Funding sources 3️⃣ Real-life stories—funding experiences from startups 4️⃣ How to prepare for fundraising Hope you find it helpful! 🤝 ~~~~ Credit: Standard Ledger “Startup to Stayup” ♻️Repost to inspire your Startup Network💡 LinkedIn: Dr. Michael Tadros Agile | PMP® | cPgM® | BSc. | MSc. | PhD. #startup #startups #michael_theprofessor #startupfunding #success #research #partnerships #fundraising #investing #entrepreneurlife #innovation #founders #projectmanagement #smallbusiness #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #entrepreneurs #venturecapital #investment #venturecapital #siliconvalley #technology

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