http://ivybrain.com/wordpress Keep Winning! Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:30:58 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The first step to fundraising is crafting a killer executive summary that opens the doors for in-person meetings. Think of it as your business card -  compact, professional yet memorable. I spoke with several investors and distilled their input into the following 5 tips. Tip #1: It's a sales pitch, treat it like one. This is the ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/money-management/5-hot-tips-for-an-executive-summary Heidi Roizen has blazed a trail of success in her endeavors as an entrepreneur and then venture capitalist. Now she's on to something new and exciting SkinnySongs: Music to motivate you back into your skinny jeans. She's received some great publicity, so I recently sat down with her to get the ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/experts/national-media-blitz-skinnysongs-journey Free buzz has to be a priority for a startup marketer on a shoestring budget! But we all know how hard it is to get anything free in life. Kathy Johnson of Consort Partners shares tips and tricks on how to get the journalists at the NYTimes or the Wall ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/experts/how-to-get-in-the-nyt-free-pr-tips What can entrepreneurs do to guarantee funding?   "They can write themselves a check," says Brad Feld, a venture capitalist at Foundry Group and prolific blogger. Feld also shares what first-time entrepreneurs should keep in mind when trying to raise funds. He also gives insights on how to increase the odds of success. ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/experts/brad-feld-on-how-to-get-funding I spoke with Tim Draper, the Founder and Managing Director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a leading Venture Capitalist about fundraising tips and the process of getting funded. While his firm is investing in areas such as Clean tech and Healthcare, Tim shares he is looking for ideas that are critical to ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/experts/how-to-get-funded-by-tim-draper Joel York, VP of Marketing at Conduit, talks to IvyBrain's Reena Jadhav about tested strategies and tactics for marketing an on-demand business. Here's a quick look at the Top 4: 1. Have a very simple, focused value proposition. One great example -- Google's home page is simply about Searching the web. 2. Choose large ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/marketing/secrets-of-marketing-an-on-demand-business-with-joel-york There is some logic behind using 'quick and dirty' development methodology in early stage startups. You have to be 'quick' to beat or stay ahead of competition. That part is a given. But do you have to live with 'dirty'? Acceptance of the 'dirty' part is often driven by the following ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/technology/developing-software-quick-and-clean If you're negotiating or going to be negotiating a termsheet, this one's for you! Ted Wang, a partner with the Silicon Valley law firm Fenwick & West and a leading intellectual property  attorney, talks termsheets with Reena Jadhav of IvyBrain. Ted reveals VC motivations during negotiations, spills the top 5 reasons negotiations fall ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/experts/negotiating-a-termsheet-to-win-ted-wang-of-fenwick-west Guest expert and veteran recruiter Max Shapiro, CEO PeopleConnect Staffing, answered IvyBrain questions on recruiting the right team on a shoestring budget. I urge all young entrepreneurs to get a cup of coffee, turn off the Blackberry and listen to his insights. These simple words of experience could mean the ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/experts/don%e2%80%99t-hire-until-you-hear-this-ivybrain-interview-with-max-shapiro I've always thought of my banker as the guy referred to me by the VC funding us. It looks like the new banker is more than a piggy bank and fully on the Web2.0 bandwagon. They are offering unprecedented degree of strategic services, networking, community, and access. I hear they’re ... http://ivybrain.com/wordpress/experts/is-your-banker-web20-five-things-your-banker-must-deliver-ask-ed