Setting Sail with Geeks on a Boat: A Journey of Innovation and Connection
In tribute to Clive Cussler (and ChatGPT)...! Ahoy, Adventurers! Gather 'round for a tale of startups and camaraderie - Geeks on a Boat. Amidst Seattle Tech Week's bustling narrative, a joint effort by Startup Haven Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank etched an event in history. On a sun-drenched August 4th, a troop [...]
Startup Poker 2.0 Event: A Night of Innovation, Philanthropy, and High-Stakes Fun
Hello, Seattle! Last evening, August 2nd, nearly 100 brilliant minds and ambitious souls gathered together at Madrona Ventures space for a special Startup Poker 2.0 event -- a highlight of the inaugural Seattle Tech Week. The event was hosted by two of Seattle's most active pre-seed investors, Bob Crimmins of Startup Haven Ventures and [...]
Startups are a Rollercoaster Ride… For Everyone
-- for investors and employees for sure, but most of all for founders. One moment you're on a rocket ship ride to the moon; the next moment you're wondering how to make payroll. Of course, the ups and downs are not always so dramatic or existential. Often the highs are smaller things like closing a [...]
FOUNDER BURNOUT
Founder #burnout is real and serious. As a former founder myself, I've felt it. As a mentor, advisor and investor, I've seen it in others many times. But before I go further, I will say that I am not a mental health professional. Founder burnout can lead to serious mental health issues and if you [...]
A FORCING FUNCTION FOR FOUNDERS
Over the past 20+ years mentoring, advising, and investing in startup founders (and being one, too), I've come to believe in the principle that if you find yourself having to force things too much, then you may be on a fool's errand. Startups are so ridiculously hard even in the most favorable conditions. Even startups [...]
Size Doesn’t Matter
I don't care how many slides you have in your deck. There is no magic number. What I care about is understanding all and only what's relevant for me to figure out if this investment is a). sufficiently in my wheelhouse -- i.e., stage, sector, model, traction, team, and, b). that the story is presented [...]