Author Archives:

How to build a sales-driven financial model (a.k.a. The post I ALMOST wrote)

Posted on August 4, 2011

We’ve all had it happen. One evening, you sit down at your dining room table to write a killer blog post. You fire up your Mac Book Pro, brew some herbal tea, and put WordPress.com into “quiet mode.” With a … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Venture capital | Leave a comment

3 reasons why it’s ok for MBAs to seek jobs in tech.

Posted on July 26, 2011

Last week, the WSJ raised alarm bells by reporting that 5 of the top 10 desired employers of MBAs this year are consumer technology companies. Long-standing service firms like McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Goldman Sachs, and Blackstone were joined by likes … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, MBA, Technology | Tagged | 7 Comments

Focus, focus, focus.

Posted on July 18, 2011

Last week, my friends at OpenView Labs published an interview of me and a few other VCs (Phin Barnes, Brad Feld, and Rob Go). Each of us was asked the same two questions. You can read the full article here, … Continue reading →

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Education is viral.

Posted on July 6, 2011

Investing in education is the new black for venture capitalists today. The once unsexy sector is finally getting its moment in the sun, and it isn’t hard to understand why: Huge markets (e.g. $355B in post-secondary revenues in 2008-9, split $267B … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 1 Comment

Are you practicing too much?

Posted on June 22, 2011

Practice makes perfect. Whether memorizing lines for a play, learning to play a rockin’ guitar solo, or pitching your company, practice is an important part of getting your message across. Everyone knows this, so everyone practices as much as they … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Entrepreneurship | 1 Comment

The puzzle piece that doesn’t exist.

Posted on June 10, 2011

(Warning: this post gets a bit “meta.”) After 10 years of iTunes usage, I finally shelled out $17.99 to buy my first audiobook: Malcolm Gladwell’s What the Dog Saw. With Gladwell seemingly whispering in my ear in his unmistakable tenor, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Entrepreneurship, Venture capital | 2 Comments

But, does it scale?

Posted on June 1, 2011

Venture capitalists can ask a bunch of dumb questions. Well, maybe “dumb” is the wrong word; “repetitive” is probably more accurate. How many times do you have to explain how you acquire users, how big your market is, or what … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Entrepreneurship, Software, Technology | 4 Comments

interview to venture: Episode 1, CampusLIVE

Posted on May 18, 2011

This week, I took a break from the written word and videotaped myself interviewing Boris Revsin, CEO and co-founder of one of Highland’s newest portfolio companies: CampusLIVE. I’ll be doing more of this in coming weeks, so stay tuned for … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Entrepreneurship, Interview | 1 Comment

VCs buy your stock, not your product.

Posted on May 12, 2011

Last Friday, I had the honor of speaking on a panel at the MIT Sloan Sales Conference, alongside Peter Levine (MIT, Andressen Horowitz), George Roberts (ex-Oracle, OpenView Partners), Jules Pieri (The Daily Grommet), and Lara Shackelford (QlikTech). No one has … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Entrepreneurship, Product philosophy, Venture capital | Leave a comment

3 traits of compelling internet products

Posted on May 3, 2011

While the world was celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden yesterday, my first post went up on Mashable. In it, I talk about the 3 qualities I look for in compelling consumer internet products: ego, serendipity, and familiarity. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Product philosophy | Leave a comment