Comments on: Pitch yourself, not your idea http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:40:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Reading materials for building a digital media startup | cybersam.com http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-2/#comment-16942 Reading materials for building a digital media startup | cybersam.com Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:44:26 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-16942 [...] Pitch Yourself, Not Your Idea – Chris Dixon It’s about you and your team. Ultimately, you need to articulate to the investors that you and your team can build the product. [...] [...] Pitch Yourself, Not Your Idea – Chris Dixon It’s about you and your team. Ultimately, you need to articulate to the investors that you and your team can build the product. [...]

]]> By: Notes on raising seed financing | Entrepreneurial http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-2/#comment-14375 Notes on raising seed financing | Entrepreneurial Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:02:53 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-14375 [...] Pitch yourself first, idea second. (more) [...] [...] Pitch yourself first, idea second. (more) [...]

]]> By: Notes on raising seed financing | Wordwide News Exposed http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-14358 Notes on raising seed financing | Wordwide News Exposed Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:48:29 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-14358 [...] Pitch yourself first, idea second. (more) [...] [...] Pitch yourself first, idea second. (more) [...]

]]> By: cdixon.org – chris dixon's blog / Notes on raising seed financing http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-14351 cdixon.org – chris dixon's blog / Notes on raising seed financing Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:04:07 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-14351 [...] Pitch yourself first, idea second. (more) [...] [...] Pitch yourself first, idea second. (more) [...]

]]> By: Reading materials for building a digital media startup – Cybersam http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-11636 Reading materials for building a digital media startup – Cybersam Mon, 08 Nov 2010 19:17:27 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-11636 [...] Pitch Yourself, Not Your Idea – Chris Dixon It’s about you and your team. Ultimately, you need to articulate to the investors that you and your team can build the product. [...] [...] Pitch Yourself, Not Your Idea – Chris Dixon It’s about you and your team. Ultimately, you need to articulate to the investors that you and your team can build the product. [...]

]]> By: Sean Kean | Blog | Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9717 Sean Kean | Blog | Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:29:51 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9717 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...]

]]> By: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors « TRUtricks http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9689 Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors « TRUtricks Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:05:48 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9689 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...]

]]> By: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors | nyutrendy.com || News and Trends In The World http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9688 Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors | nyutrendy.com || News and Trends In The World Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:01:30 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9688 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...]

]]> By: ArticleSave :: Uncategorized :: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9683 ArticleSave :: Uncategorized :: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:04:50 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9683 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...]

]]> By: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9680 Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:39:47 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9680 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...]

]]> By: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors | ECtimes.com http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9677 Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors | ECtimes.com Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:09:48 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9677 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it's important to be able to [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it's important to be able to [...]

]]> By: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9676 Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:02:26 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9676 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it's important to be able to [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it's important to be able to [...]

]]> By: Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors | Tech News Ninja http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-9675 Avoid These Mistakes When Pitching to Investors | Tech News Ninja Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:01:44 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-9675 [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...] [...] Chris Dixon suggests, you want to pitch yourself not your ideas. In other words, it’s important to be [...]

]]> By: 向风投推销的艺术：6个风险投资家给你的建议 » Innobolt http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-8748 向风投推销的艺术：6个风险投资家给你的建议 » Innobolt Mon, 31 May 2010 14:26:23 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-8748 [...] 克里斯·迪克森-——推销你自己，而不是你的想法 [...] [...] 克里斯·迪克森-——推销你自己，而不是你的想法 [...]

]]> By: The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips | DAILY BREAKING NEWS UPDATE http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7864 The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips | DAILY BREAKING NEWS UPDATE Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:41:17 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7864 [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, “The reality is ideas don’t matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, [...] [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, “The reality is ideas don’t matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, [...]

]]> By: The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7861 The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips Sat, 17 Apr 2010 08:23:56 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7861 [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, “The reality is ideas don’t matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, [...] [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, “The reality is ideas don’t matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, [...]

]]> By: The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips | Tech News Ninja http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7860 The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips | Tech News Ninja Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:02:52 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7860 [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, “The reality is ideas don’t matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, [...] [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, “The reality is ideas don’t matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, [...]

]]> By: The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7859 The Art of the Elevator Pitch: 10 Great Tips Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:01:48 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7859 [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, "The reality is ideas don't matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, the idea [...] [...] Pitch yourself, not your ideas. As Chris Dixon writes, "The reality is ideas don't matter that much. First of all, in almost all startups, the idea [...]

]]> By: The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs – ReadWriteStart « Tech4buziness – Eng http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7601 The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs – ReadWriteStart « Tech4buziness – Eng Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:12:01 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7601 [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...] [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...]

]]> By: ArticleSave :: Uncategorized :: The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7542 ArticleSave :: Uncategorized :: The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:07:45 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7542 [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...] [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...]

]]> By: The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs | Techdare http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7539 The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs | Techdare Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:13:27 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7539 [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...] [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...]

]]> By: The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7535 The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:00:56 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7535 [...] Chris Dixon - Pitch yourself, not your idea [...] [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...]

]]> By: The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs | HERTZ RENTAL http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7534 The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs | HERTZ RENTAL Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:57:18 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7534 [...] Chris Dixon - Pitch yourself, not your idea [...] [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...]

]]> By: The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs « Coworking Congress http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-7533 The Art of the VC Pitch: A Roundup of Advice from 6 VCs « Coworking Congress Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:56:37 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-7533 [...] Chris Dixon - Pitch yourself, not your idea [...] [...] Chris Dixon – Pitch yourself, not your idea [...]

]]> By: Yinglan Tan http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-5730 Yinglan Tan Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:20:15 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-5730 A VC can assist the entrepreneur in many ways when the entrepreneur rolls out new products: Positioning of product, (ii) Working with channel partners (iii) Direct sales. The measure of VCs¡¯ contribution is their value creation. The entrepreneur can spend 99 hours on product development while the VC spends only 1 hour introducing the product to customers-and nonetheless, the VC has created more value than the entrepreneur.To understand the pulse of the market, a VC cannot depend solely on industry surveys (just as you cannot judge would-be employees by the resumes they send in). Any industry survey is a representation of the past, and the window of opportunity is apt to have narrowed by the time there is clear data. Surveys may be marginally useful for long-term trends but have limited value for short-term trends. Finding the right people to talk to is critical. A VC cannot be an expert in every field.<br><br><br>Tan Yinglan<br><br>The Way Of The VC - Top Venture Capitalists On Your Board (Amazon: <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/wayofthevc" rel="nofollow">http://www.tinyurl.com/wayofthevc</a>)<br><br>Blog: <a href="http://www.wayofthevc.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.wayofthevc.com</a> A VC can assist the entrepreneur in many ways when the entrepreneur rolls out new products: Positioning of product, (ii) Working with channel partners (iii) Direct sales. The measure of VCs¡¯ contribution is their value creation. The entrepreneur can spend 99 hours on product development while the VC spends only 1 hour introducing the product to customers-and nonetheless, the VC has created more value than the entrepreneur.To understand the pulse of the market, a VC cannot depend solely on industry surveys (just as you cannot judge would-be employees by the resumes they send in). Any industry survey is a representation of the past, and the window of opportunity is apt to have narrowed by the time there is clear data. Surveys may be marginally useful for long-term trends but have limited value for short-term trends. Finding the right people to talk to is critical. A VC cannot be an expert in every field.

Tan Yinglan

The Way Of The VC – Top Venture Capitalists On Your Board (Amazon: http://www.tinyurl.com/wayofthevc)

Blog: http://www.wayofthevc.com

]]> By: Yinglan Tan http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-5679 Yinglan Tan Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:20:15 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-5679 A VC can assist the entrepreneur in many ways when the entrepreneur rolls out new products: Positioning of product, (ii) Working with channel partners (iii) Direct sales. The measure of VCs¡¯ contribution is their value creation. The entrepreneur can spend 99 hours on product development while the VC spends only 1 hour introducing the product to customers-and nonetheless, the VC has created more value than the entrepreneur.To understand the pulse of the market, a VC cannot depend solely on industry surveys (just as you cannot judge would-be employees by the resumes they send in). Any industry survey is a representation of the past, and the window of opportunity is apt to have narrowed by the time there is clear data. Surveys may be marginally useful for long-term trends but have limited value for short-term trends. Finding the right people to talk to is critical. A VC cannot be an expert in every field.<br><br><br>Tan Yinglan<br><br>The Way Of The VC - Top Venture Capitalists On Your Board (Amazon: <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/wayofthevc" rel="nofollow">http://www.tinyurl.com/wayofthevc</a>)<br><br>Blog: <a href="http://www.wayofthevc.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.wayofthevc.com</a> A VC can assist the entrepreneur in many ways when the entrepreneur rolls out new products: Positioning of product, (ii) Working with channel partners (iii) Direct sales. The measure of VCs¡¯ contribution is their value creation. The entrepreneur can spend 99 hours on product development while the VC spends only 1 hour introducing the product to customers-and nonetheless, the VC has created more value than the entrepreneur.To understand the pulse of the market, a VC cannot depend solely on industry surveys (just as you cannot judge would-be employees by the resumes they send in). Any industry survey is a representation of the past, and the window of opportunity is apt to have narrowed by the time there is clear data. Surveys may be marginally useful for long-term trends but have limited value for short-term trends. Finding the right people to talk to is critical. A VC cannot be an expert in every field.

Tan Yinglan

The Way Of The VC – Top Venture Capitalists On Your Board (Amazon: http://www.tinyurl.com/wayofthevc)

Blog: http://www.wayofthevc.com

]]> By: Finance Geek » Stealth mode, schmealth mode http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-5207 Finance Geek » Stealth mode, schmealth mode Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:56 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-5207 [...] Pitch yourself, not your idea (cdixon.org) [...] [...] Pitch yourself, not your idea (cdixon.org) [...]

]]> By: miguelsampedro http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4901 miguelsampedro Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:30:08 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4901 Totally agree with you!! Is hard for new entrepreneurs to really get it though. Totally agree with you!! Is hard for new entrepreneurs to really get it though.

]]> By: woman entrepreneur http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4855 woman entrepreneur Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:05:47 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4855 I understand the 'scary alien' look. Like you, I too believe in my business and not in the elevator pitch - which btw I have owed never to practice. I understand the 'scary alien' look. Like you, I too believe in my business and not in the elevator pitch – which btw I have owed never to practice.

]]> By: Backup Brain » Blog Archive » Come back when you have a demo http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4852 Backup Brain » Blog Archive » Come back when you have a demo Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:57:13 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4852 [...] “Many VCs tell entrepreneurs to ‘come back when you have a demo.’  They aren’t wondering whether your product can be built – they are wondering whether you can build it.” – Chris Dixon. [...] [...] “Many VCs tell entrepreneurs to ‘come back when you have a demo.’  They aren’t wondering whether your product can be built – they are wondering whether you can build it.” – Chris Dixon. [...]

]]> By: TC http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4819 TC Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:10:01 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4819 Chris, any investment in 1 founder startup? Chris, any investment in 1 founder startup?

]]> By: Pitch yourself, not your idea | Igniting Startups - nPost http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4818 Pitch yourself, not your idea | Igniting Startups - nPost Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:23:35 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4818 [...] From cdixon.org [...] [...] From cdixon.org [...]

]]> By: julespieri http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4816 julespieri Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:15:32 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4816 Chris...That's worth a heck of a lot. Good on you! Chris…That's worth a heck of a lot. Good on you!

]]> By: chris dixon http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4815 chris dixon Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:55:23 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4815 for what it's worth, Founder Collective made 2 investments in the last month where the founder/CEO's are women<br><a href="http://foundercollective.com/companies/20x200" rel="nofollow">http://foundercollective.com/companies/20x200</a><br><a href="http://foundercollective.com/companies/Giiv" rel="nofollow">http://foundercollective.com/companies/Giiv</a> for what it's worth, Founder Collective made 2 investments in the last month where the founder/CEO's are women
http://foundercollective.com/companies/20×200
http://foundercollective.com/companies/Giiv

]]> By: Vijaya Sagar http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4813 Vijaya Sagar Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:34:49 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4813 Microloans and women: Yes I agree. It has been a consistent pattern across the world. Which is why, it is generally believed in the developing world, that educating & empowering a woman in the house yields the best possible results.<br><br>> I need to be in the fray, forming the future.<br>:-) Great thing to say and to hear. Yes, if creating companies is what you do best, I wish you keep doing it for a long time to come. Microloans and women: Yes I agree. It has been a consistent pattern across the world. Which is why, it is generally believed in the developing world, that educating & empowering a woman in the house yields the best possible results.

> I need to be in the fray, forming the future.
:-) Great thing to say and to hear. Yes, if creating companies is what you do best, I wish you keep doing it for a long time to come.

]]> By: Ankesh Kothari http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4812 Ankesh Kothari Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:06:33 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4812 Thanks Chris. I agree with you - people are more important than ideas. Love the story of how Sony started hiring scores of smart engineers after WW2 even when they had no idea what to do with all of them. They bet on "First Who - Then What." And did very well.<br><br>But at the same time, I think judging people's worth is very inaccurate. I mean - you can't go by that person's history at all - can you? Case in point: Abe Lincoln. He failed. And he failed. And he failed. He had a total of 8 election losses and 2 business failures. Before suddenly he surprised everyone to become the president of USA (using a very very smart strategy of focusing himself to be the #2 choice of every body out there when the fight for #1 was intense).<br><br>So how do we make sure that we don't miss the Abe Lincoln's of this world? Or do you just evaluate people based on the attempts they make - and not on their successes and failures? Thanks Chris. I agree with you – people are more important than ideas. Love the story of how Sony started hiring scores of smart engineers after WW2 even when they had no idea what to do with all of them. They bet on “First Who – Then What.” And did very well.

But at the same time, I think judging people's worth is very inaccurate. I mean – you can't go by that person's history at all – can you? Case in point: Abe Lincoln. He failed. And he failed. And he failed. He had a total of 8 election losses and 2 business failures. Before suddenly he surprised everyone to become the president of USA (using a very very smart strategy of focusing himself to be the #2 choice of every body out there when the fight for #1 was intense).

So how do we make sure that we don't miss the Abe Lincoln's of this world? Or do you just evaluate people based on the attempts they make – and not on their successes and failures?

]]> By: Dan Martell http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4811 Dan Martell Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:47:58 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4811 Dinesh,<br><br>I ideas don't matter as much as you think.<br><a href="http://www.danmartell.com/startups-its-ok-to-change-your-mind-product/" rel="nofollow">http://www.danmartell.com/startups-its-ok-to-ch...</a><br><br>Any great entrepreneur will "pivot" if there's no traction until it works, sometimes outside of the original industry / customer type they were trying to address. Dinesh,

I ideas don't matter as much as you think.
http://www.danmartell.com/startups-its-ok-to-ch…

Any great entrepreneur will “pivot” if there's no traction until it works, sometimes outside of the original industry / customer type they were trying to address.

]]> By: julespieri http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4810 julespieri Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:54:08 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4810 I think that is a great idea for someone who is passionate about getting the best possible returns from funding startups. Look at the Third World microloan records...women have a 99% repayment rate. Men are far lower. Women create 60% of the new businesses in the world, and will soon control 60% of the wealth. Women are a great investment.<br><br>But....my passion is building companies. I am on my third startup. I once worked in a VC office helping an incubating portfolio company for a few months. I am deeply grateful for the people who do that work, but I would go nuts in that environment. Way too quiet. Not enough tangible evidence of my work. Not enough diversity. I need to be in the fray, forming the future.<br><br>Beyond that I have found that the best way to fight professional prejudice is not to create segregation but rather to just deliver the goods. Sales, profits, customers, meaningful ongoing enterprises, great products. I am proud that my first startup is top five in its industry, 20 years later, and going strong. <br><br> I can do more for women entrepreneurs by doing that than anything else. I think that is a great idea for someone who is passionate about getting the best possible returns from funding startups. Look at the Third World microloan records…women have a 99% repayment rate. Men are far lower. Women create 60% of the new businesses in the world, and will soon control 60% of the wealth. Women are a great investment.

But….my passion is building companies. I am on my third startup. I once worked in a VC office helping an incubating portfolio company for a few months. I am deeply grateful for the people who do that work, but I would go nuts in that environment. Way too quiet. Not enough tangible evidence of my work. Not enough diversity. I need to be in the fray, forming the future.

Beyond that I have found that the best way to fight professional prejudice is not to create segregation but rather to just deliver the goods. Sales, profits, customers, meaningful ongoing enterprises, great products. I am proud that my first startup is top five in its industry, 20 years later, and going strong.

I can do more for women entrepreneurs by doing that than anything else.

]]> By: Vijaya Sagar http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4809 Vijaya Sagar Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:11:51 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4809 :-) Yes, that blog post of yours clearly does qualify as playing with clear & present danger. Congrats!<br><br>And yes, mere talk about discrimination is indeed a waste of your time & energy.<br><br>Another free and unasked for advice: Look at what cdixon did. He launched Founder Collective to address some issues that he would've faced when he was probably looking for VC money in his formative days. So, you too can bring together successful women folks who share your angst and start a angel/VC fund, with a publicly stated goal of funding women entrepreneurs. Start off with a small corpus. Look for small exits. Keep iterating.<br><br>Didn't Gandhi once tell as of us to "Be the change that you wan't to see in the world"?<br><br>Founder,<br>Althea Systems. :-) Yes, that blog post of yours clearly does qualify as playing with clear & present danger. Congrats!

And yes, mere talk about discrimination is indeed a waste of your time & energy.

Another free and unasked for advice: Look at what cdixon did. He launched Founder Collective to address some issues that he would've faced when he was probably looking for VC money in his formative days. So, you too can bring together successful women folks who share your angst and start a angel/VC fund, with a publicly stated goal of funding women entrepreneurs. Start off with a small corpus. Look for small exits. Keep iterating.

Didn't Gandhi once tell as of us to “Be the change that you wan't to see in the world”?

Founder,
Althea Systems.

]]> By: julespieri http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4808 julespieri Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:48:07 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4808 Well does my once writing a blog post titled "Seeking Investor with Balls" qualify as taking sufficient risk? I am pretty open about this issue, but sort of intermittently. I find it distracting, honestly, and a waste of my energy. I'd rather focus on my business than on what VC's do and don't do. And I still believe there must be a VC or two out there who can get over his history of never funding a woman Founder and change things up. Ever the optimist! You have to be, as an entrepreneur.<br><br>Jules Pieri<br>Founder, Daily Grommet Well does my once writing a blog post titled “Seeking Investor with Balls” qualify as taking sufficient risk? I am pretty open about this issue, but sort of intermittently. I find it distracting, honestly, and a waste of my energy. I'd rather focus on my business than on what VC's do and don't do. And I still believe there must be a VC or two out there who can get over his history of never funding a woman Founder and change things up. Ever the optimist! You have to be, as an entrepreneur.

Jules Pieri
Founder, Daily Grommet

]]> By: BerislavLopac http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4807 BerislavLopac Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:34:34 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4807 Hinting? ;) Hinting? ;)

]]> By: Vijaya Sagar http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4806 Vijaya Sagar Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:31:25 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4806 > I think Derek has overvalued the idea.<br>Did he? I re-read his words many times and couldn't find anything to that effect. Unless you are hinting that an idea w/o execution isn't even worth $20 :) > I think Derek has overvalued the idea.
Did he? I re-read his words many times and couldn't find anything to that effect. Unless you are hinting that an idea w/o execution isn't even worth $20 :)

]]> By: Vijaya Sagar http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4805 Vijaya Sagar Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:26:53 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4805 @Julespieri<br><br> MBA and tech geek. Hmmm I'll talk to the tech geek in you :)<br><br>> we need capital like anyone else and can't risk pissing off VC's. <br><br> Yes. It is hard for women to raise VC money. So, you don't lose too much by discussing it aloud :-)<br><br> More seriously: Entrepreneurs don't ever say "can't risk". Be prepared to wage everything you have on your gamble and then go tell the VCs that if they don't open their wallets to someone like you, it is going to be their loss and not yours. Good luck with your risks. @Julespieri

MBA and tech geek. Hmmm I'll talk to the tech geek in you :)

> we need capital like anyone else and can't risk pissing off VC's.

Yes. It is hard for women to raise VC money. So, you don't lose too much by discussing it aloud :-)

More seriously: Entrepreneurs don't ever say “can't risk”. Be prepared to wage everything you have on your gamble and then go tell the VCs that if they don't open their wallets to someone like you, it is going to be their loss and not yours. Good luck with your risks.

]]> By: Pitch Yourself, Not Your Idea | Start Philly - Startups in and about Philadelphia http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4803 Pitch Yourself, Not Your Idea | Start Philly - Startups in and about Philadelphia Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:28:45 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4803 [...] post by @cdixon reminding us that pitching yourself and your team is more important than pitching your idea. Ideas are all over the place but the credibility of a team with a track record is significantly [...] [...] post by @cdixon reminding us that pitching yourself and your team is more important than pitching your idea. Ideas are all over the place but the credibility of a team with a track record is significantly [...]

]]> By: julespieri http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4802 julespieri Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:54:19 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4802 I am an MBA and a tech geek. I know how to sell myself. However, I would take being a somewhat awkward tech geek pitching a VC any day over being a woman MBA. You have no idea how few women founders VC's see....and they just don't know what to do with us when they do. VC's give you guys some benefit of the doubt for being good at what you do (and don't underestimate your ability to bamboozle an investor with tech speak). We just look like scary aliens, from what I hear from virtually all female founders. But you won't see this honestly discussed much in public by women entrepreneurs because we need capital like anyone else and can't risk pissing off VC's. <br><br>Why am I breaking ranks? I guess because it's Saturday night, I am still working after a very long week, and I guess I am feeling wild and crazy. :) I am an MBA and a tech geek. I know how to sell myself. However, I would take being a somewhat awkward tech geek pitching a VC any day over being a woman MBA. You have no idea how few women founders VC's see….and they just don't know what to do with us when they do. VC's give you guys some benefit of the doubt for being good at what you do (and don't underestimate your ability to bamboozle an investor with tech speak). We just look like scary aliens, from what I hear from virtually all female founders. But you won't see this honestly discussed much in public by women entrepreneurs because we need capital like anyone else and can't risk pissing off VC's.

Why am I breaking ranks? I guess because it's Saturday night, I am still working after a very long week, and I guess I am feeling wild and crazy. :)

]]> By: dbv http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4800 dbv Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:04:12 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4800 Chris<br><br>Not really. The statement "The reality is ideas don’t matter that much" bugs me a lot. Ideas do matter. They matter a lot to everything we as humans and particularly what entrepreuners do. What you're talking about is execution of an idea to bringing it to fruition. And, the entrepreuner and his/her team that does this is the team that you want to work it. I understand that completely. But, ideas matter - they matter a helluva lot.<br><br>Dinesh Chris

Not really. The statement “The reality is ideas don’t matter that much” bugs me a lot. Ideas do matter. They matter a lot to everything we as humans and particularly what entrepreuners do. What you're talking about is execution of an idea to bringing it to fruition. And, the entrepreuner and his/her team that does this is the team that you want to work it. I understand that completely. But, ideas matter – they matter a helluva lot.

Dinesh

]]> By: Elie Seidman http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4799 Elie Seidman Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:55:55 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4799 I agree with a lot of this - particularly the parts about ideas changing over time and execution being the differentiator. But I'd caution that this not be taken to imply that ideas don't matter. I strongly believe in what Andy Rachleff - of Benchark - said a while back that "when a great team meets a lousy market, the market wins". No matter how great the entrepreneur or the team, it can't fix a market where you can't make money. I agree with a lot of this – particularly the parts about ideas changing over time and execution being the differentiator. But I'd caution that this not be taken to imply that ideas don't matter. I strongly believe in what Andy Rachleff – of Benchark – said a while back that “when a great team meets a lousy market, the market wins”. No matter how great the entrepreneur or the team, it can't fix a market where you can't make money.

]]> By: chris dixon http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4798 chris dixon Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:43:21 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4798 Think you missed the point. Think you missed the point.

]]> By: dbv http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4797 dbv Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:19:46 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4797 Crikey! Was this post really necessary? All ideas have to be translated into a prototype or model or whatever is required to demonstrate that it will work in the large. You can't build a prototype of nothing ie. you need an idea first. Crikey! Was this post really necessary? All ideas have to be translated into a prototype or model or whatever is required to demonstrate that it will work in the large. You can't build a prototype of nothing ie. you need an idea first.

]]> By: TheWaterRat http://cdixon.org/2009/11/14/pitch-yourself-not-your-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-4789 TheWaterRat Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:39:27 +0000 http://cdixon.org/?p=1893#comment-4789 [...] November 2009 Would anyone pay for MySpace Music? Pitch yourself, not your idea Blackberry will remain market leader Can India take on Silicon Valley? An Entrepreneur in [...] [...] November 2009 Would anyone pay for MySpace Music? Pitch yourself, not your idea Blackberry will remain market leader Can India take on Silicon Valley? An Entrepreneur in [...]

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