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Accelerators as an API (Vancouver Aug 2012)
1. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
ACCELERATORS AS AN API
PAUL SINGH
500 Startups
@paulsingh・paul@500startups.com・angel.co/paulsingh
2. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
GETTING TO KNOW
500 STARTUPS BECAUSE WE’RE KIND OF A BIG DEAL
PAUL SINGH
@paulsingh・paul@500startups.com・angel.co/paulsingh
3. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
THE BIG OPPORTUNITY IN EARLY STAGE TECH INVESTING:
API TO VENTURE CAPITAL
& FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE
(FOR FOUNDERS. FOR INVESTORS. FOR GOVERNMENT.)
4. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
FOUNDERS:
BUILD SOMETHING
PEOPLE WANT
5. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
INVESTORS:
WRITE CHECKS AND
ADD VALUE
6. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
GOVERNMENT:
MAKE LIFE EASY
FOR INVESTORS &
FOUNDERS
7. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
“ VENTURE CAPITAL IS
OPEN TO ATTACK BY
DISRUPTIVE NEW
BUSINESS MODELS AND
TECHNOLOGY.
-- NAVAL RAVIKANT (@naval)
9. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
EARLY STAGE
STARTUPS
HAVE CHANGED
10. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
CLOUD, OPEN SOURCE AND ONLINE DISTRIBUTION DRIVING
STARTUP COSTS
LOWER THAN EVERBUT SCALING STILL COSTS MONEY
11. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
WEB GETS BIGGER.
WORLD GETS SMALLER.
12. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
TRACTION IS THE NEW
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
PLATFORMS (SEARCH, SOCIAL & MOBILE) PRIMARILY DRIVING THE CHANGE.
NO LONGER “GOOD ENOUGH” TO DEPEND ON TECH DIFFERENTIATION.
13. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
CAPITAL
INCREASINGLY
COMMODITIZED
RISE OF THE ANGELS, YO!
14. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
NEW REALITY:
MONEY FOLLOWS
FOUNDERS
15. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
EARLY STAGE VC
IS CHANGING
HAS CHANGED
16. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
STATE OF THE ART IN EARLY
STAGE INVESTING IS NOT
VERY SOPHISTICATED
TRUST REFERRALS. MOVE FAST. KEEP LEGAL/FINANCE SIMPLE.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER INVESTORS, SYNDICATE EVERYTHING.
17. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
DIFFERENTIATE VIA
ACCESS TO
FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE
500 METHOD: FOCUS ON DESIGN, DATA, DISTRIBUTION. INVEST IN
DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS TO CONNECT FOUNDERS AND MENTORS.
18. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
PRO TIP
FOUNDERS NEVER CALL
A VC “JUST” TO ASK
HOW THEY’RE DOING
FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WANT, THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
19. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
“THE MANAGEMENT TEAM ISN’T
THE DECISION MAKING TEAM.
IT’S A SUPPORT FUNCTION.
-- JOEL SPOLSKY (@spolsky)
20. 500.co/challenge #acceleratorsFTW!
THE BIG OPPORTUNITY IN EARLY STAGE TECH INVESTING:
API TO VENTURE CAPITAL
& FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE
(FOR FOUNDERS. FOR INVESTORS. FOR GOVERNMENT.)