The Pointy Story: First Principles Thinking Wins
The History of Pointy I first got introduced to Mark in 2012 by his college friend Lucinda, whom I worked with at the time. We kept in touch and in 2014, Mark told me about his plans for Pointy. The vision at the time was to make all products in physical stores searchable. Indexing the […]
How to write a perfect cold email to VCs (with examples)
It’s not that going in cold to a venture capital fund is bad, it’s that most cold emails are poorly put together in the first place. Whether it’s the info@email, a form submission, or cold emailing investors directly, there are usually a number of routes to get in touch with investors without needing a warm […]
How this VC thinks about pre-seed investments
When we say we invest early, we mean it. At Frontline, 70% of our investments have been pre-revenue and 60% pre-product. At Pre-Seed and Seed, there is little to be learned from intensive quantitative analysis pre-investment (woo). That said, over the past year and a half at Frontline, I’ve built a qualitative framework, designed around four key questions, […]
Using data to shorten VC learning cycles
Max Niederhofer recently wrote a very thoughtful piece reflecting on the psychology of venture capital called “Fear and loathing in Venture Capital”. One of the core points he discusses is how difficult it is for VCs to learn because of the painfully slow feedback cycles on our investment decisions. According to VentureBeat, the median time for an […]
10 reasons startups struggle when raising VC funding
A version of this article was originally published here. There’s nothing easy about raising venture finance for your startup. The odds are massively stacked against you as a founder. Statistically, roughly 1 in 100 startups that pitch to a particular venture fund are successful. That’s better odds than the Lotto, but tough odds without doubt. […]
When we say early, we mean it
Before I became a VC -as an early stage entrepreneur pitching to early stage investors- I always sought feedback on rejections to better prepare for the next pitch, but there was one response that always bothered me, “You’re too early”. This line of conversation was often cloaked in inventive wording: “Come back to me […]
How to hire fast when you’re small
Making employee Referrals work in practice Twitter’s (very ugly) EMEA headquarters in 2012. There was a smell of rotting animals under the floorboards. I joined Twitter in early 2012 during a period of rapid growth. While the product was a global sensation, the company’s headcount and revenue outside the US were small and I was […]
Don’t wrestle a croc in the river
How startups should hire from the tech giants “How can we compete with Google and Facebook for talent?” I’ve heard this question many times from entrepreneurs. There is a perception that European startups can’t compete with the cash and equity and lunches and massages of the US multinationals stationed here. It’s an understandable concern. And […]
The USA Playbook
The comprehensive playbook for international entrepreneurs expanding to the US. Covers pre-expansion prep work, logistics (legal, finance, and corporate structure implications), best practices, and other personal tips & tricks. Necessary Prep WorkConsiderations for why, when, and where in the US to expand to LogisticsImportant legal, finance, and corporate structure implications Best PracticesFundraising, business culture, hiring, […]
From Operator to Investor
Four months spent at Frontline After 19 years in operating roles, last summer I left my job as a VP at Twitter to learn a new trade, startup investing. Many people have asked what the transition is like. So here goes… It’s the 12th of September, 2016. My first day as a VC. I’m listening […]
Rejection followed by Failure: a career in venture capital
I often get approached by folks looking to start a career in venture capital. They’ve read all the investor blogs, can quote the latest high-profile fundraisings and acquisitions, and have concluded that venture is a game of playing Midas. Early on in these conversations, I try to set the picture straight by telling them this: […]
The Series A Board
A deck on how to create, manage, and update your board of advisors – learnings about The Series A Board from the Frontline Ventures’ portfolio community and team. Download The Playbook
