Building & Funding a Startup
Mark Suster - @msuster October 2013

Background  2x Entrepreneur (sold
2nd to Salesforce.com)  Partner, Upfront Ventures (large LA-based VC fund)  Blog http:// www.bothsidesofthetable.com  Lived in Europe 11 years Blog: BothSidesoftheTable Video: http://www.youtube.com/show/thisweekinventurecapital 2

Agenda  What’s it Really
Like?  Getting Started  Raising Capital  Some Final Thoughts 3

How most people imagine startup
life

What It Really Feels Like

How You Imagine You Spend
Your Days

Your
Actual
Days

Raising
Money in
the Press

You
Raising
Money

Truthfully
Startups
are a
Grind

We’re All Naked in the
Morning Mirror

Agenda  What’s it Really
Like?  Some Tips When You Get Started  Raising Capital  Some Final Thoughts 12

Take 50 Coffee
Meetings

Create a
Sense of
Urgency

Prove You Can Ship Product

You Manage What you Measure

Don’t Hire People Just Like
You

Agenda  What’s it Really
Like?  Some Tips When You Get Started  Raising Capital  Some Final Thoughts 18

You Need to Meet Investors
Early

Otherwise They’re Judging Your Presentation
Skills

Frankly You Don’t Want to
Judge Investors Quickly Either

Over Time I Start to
See a Patterns

It’s Part of CEO’s Fulltime
Job. ABR. Always. Be. Raising. Biz Dev Recruiting HR Customer Mktg Product Mgmt Acctng Tech Raising Capital

If Raising Angel / Seed,
You Need an Anchor

Get As Long of a
Runway as You Can (18 months the norm)

Agenda  What’s it Really
Like?  Some Tips When You Get Started  Raising Capital  Some Final Thoughts 27

There are 99 Wantrapreneurs For
Every One Who Just Starts

There’s a Huge premium for
taking the first leap

Triangulate

In the End Trust Your
Own Judgment

Only start with an idea
you’re passionate about

Thank You Mark Suster -
@msuster October 2013