Comments on: Seed State of Mind http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/ Canadian Startup Community Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:10:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: » Just being a web startup shouldn’t be good enough for you | StartupNorth http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-7492 » Just being a web startup shouldn’t be good enough for you | StartupNorth Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:01:19 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-7492 [...] In the long term however, aggregators arise, and distribution gets consolidated. This same race is the one that killed movie producers decades ago, and indie game developers more recently. As Jonas pointed out, managing costs is only a small part of the equation. [...] [...] In the long term however, aggregators arise, and distribution gets consolidated. This same race is the one that killed movie producers decades ago, and indie game developers more recently. As Jonas pointed out, managing costs is only a small part of the equation. [...]

]]> By: » Just being a web startup shouldn’t be good enough for you | StartupNorth http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-11516 » Just being a web startup shouldn’t be good enough for you | StartupNorth Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:01:19 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-11516 [...] In the long term however, aggregators arise, and distribution gets consolidated. This same race is the one that killed movie producers decades ago, and indie game developers more recently. As Jonas pointed out, managing costs is only a small part of the equation. [...] [...] In the long term however, aggregators arise, and distribution gets consolidated. This same race is the one that killed movie producers decades ago, and indie game developers more recently. As Jonas pointed out, managing costs is only a small part of the equation. [...]

]]> By: Rick Segal http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-8281 Rick Segal Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:58:00 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-8281 It's about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:<br><br>- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don't know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, "jump-start", and anything else that smacks of 'give it a shot/I don't know/let's play it out and see." The current crop (for the most part) don't have the DNA for it.<br><br>- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don't get borked, VCs paperwork so that don't have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.<br><br>- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn't a bank loan, dad's retirement, or grandma's inheritance; it's professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.<br><br>- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.<br><br>I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010 It’s about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:

- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don’t know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, “jump-start”, and anything else that smacks of ‘give it a shot/I don’t know/let’s play it out and see.” The current crop (for the most part) don’t have the DNA for it.

- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don’t get borked, VCs paperwork so that don’t have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.

- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn’t a bank loan, dad’s retirement, or grandma’s inheritance; it’s professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.

- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.

I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010

]]> By: Rick Segal http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-11517 Rick Segal Sun, 27 Dec 2009 01:58:00 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-11517 It's about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:<br><br>- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don't know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, "jump-start", and anything else that smacks of 'give it a shot/I don't know/let's play it out and see." The current crop (for the most part) don't have the DNA for it.<br><br>- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don't get borked, VCs paperwork so that don't have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.<br><br>- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn't a bank loan, dad's retirement, or grandma's inheritance; it's professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.<br><br>- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.<br><br>I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010 It’s about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:

- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don’t know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, “jump-start”, and anything else that smacks of ‘give it a shot/I don’t know/let’s play it out and see.” The current crop (for the most part) don’t have the DNA for it.

- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don’t get borked, VCs paperwork so that don’t have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.

- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn’t a bank loan, dad’s retirement, or grandma’s inheritance; it’s professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.

- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.

I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010

]]> By: DShan http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-8282 DShan Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:04:00 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-8282 Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver's tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in. Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver’s tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in.

]]> By: DShan http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-11518 DShan Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:04:00 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-11518 Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver's tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in. Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver’s tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in.

]]> By: Rick Segal http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-7485 Rick Segal Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:58:47 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-7485 It's about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:<br><br>- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don't know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, "jump-start", and anything else that smacks of 'give it a shot/I don't know/let's play it out and see." The current crop (for the most part) don't have the DNA for it.<br><br>- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don't get borked, VCs paperwork so that don't have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.<br><br>- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn't a bank loan, dad's retirement, or grandma's inheritance; it's professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.<br><br>- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.<br><br>I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010 It's about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:

- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don't know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, “jump-start”, and anything else that smacks of 'give it a shot/I don't know/let's play it out and see.” The current crop (for the most part) don't have the DNA for it.

- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don't get borked, VCs paperwork so that don't have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.

- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn't a bank loan, dad's retirement, or grandma's inheritance; it's professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.

- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.

I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010

]]> By: Rick Segal http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-11515 Rick Segal Sat, 26 Dec 2009 22:58:47 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-11515 It's about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:<br><br>- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don't know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, "jump-start", and anything else that smacks of 'give it a shot/I don't know/let's play it out and see." The current crop (for the most part) don't have the DNA for it.<br><br>- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don't get borked, VCs paperwork so that don't have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.<br><br>- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn't a bank loan, dad's retirement, or grandma's inheritance; it's professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.<br><br>- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.<br><br>I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010 It's about the attitude, Jonas. The DNA of the people putting out the money as well as those taking it. It is sustainable, can grow, can be amazing, provided:

- Get the current crop of VCs out of the seed business. Stage agnostic is code for we don't know WTF we are doing. Focus, get specialized and stay out of seed, “jump-start”, and anything else that smacks of 'give it a shot/I don't know/let's play it out and see.” The current crop (for the most part) don't have the DNA for it.

- Get a set of deal structures that are friction free for people to invest at the stage where they play. Get Angels paperwork so they don't get borked, VCs paperwork so that don't have to bork the Angels, and documents that people will sign up for without arguing over every syllable.

- Give the entire entrepreneurial community a set of documents/structures that are market and bitch slap these folks into understanding this isn't a bank loan, dad's retirement, or grandma's inheritance; it's professional money with all the overhead that comes with. Deal with it or pass and grow the bad boy on your own which is, at the end of the day, just as (or likely more) sweet as a term sheet.

- Finally, give the angel community the respect it deserves and some serious tax breaks to encourage the risk taking. The Government can stay out of this part of the money deployment as they are not experts in the field. Leave it to the angels and give them a reward for taking the risk.

I join you in wishing for a kick butt 2010

]]> By: DShan http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-7484 DShan Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:04:27 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-7484 Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver's tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in. Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver's tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in.

]]> By: DShan http://startupnorth.ca/2009/12/23/seed-state-of-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-11514 DShan Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:04:27 +0000 http://www.startupnorth.ca/?p=1604#comment-11514 Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver's tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in. Our team at foodtree is really excited to head north to join the Boothup cohort. We think the model there is uniquely beneficial to young companies, in that it gives us a window of about nine months to grow. Vancouver's tech and entrepreneurial scene amounts to one that rivals nearly all of the cities that the American accelerators/incubators have established themselves in.

]]>