TSP011 | Randy Rayess – Patience + Persistence = Innovation
Posted by John Livesay in podcast | 0 comments
Listen to the podcast here
Episode Summary
Randy Rayess is the co-founder of Venture Pact as well as an angel investor. Randy was the finalist for the Innovative Awards in 2014 and has a lot of valuable insight for tech entrepreneurs. On the show, Randy talks about the importance of screening a good team, solutions to tough problems do not happen overnight, and much more on today’s show.
Key Takeaways
- 01:45 – How did Randy get the entrepreneur bug?
- 03:40 – How did Randy come up with Venture Pact?
- 04:10 – Work on solving a tough problem no other startup can solve.
- 05:50 – Running a start up is a crazy marathon with a bunch of obstacles on the run.
- 06:35 – It takes time to find the right market and to have a scalable business model.
- 10:00 – Randy looks for a team to vet, not just one person.
- 15:45 – It’s important to find investors who are in the same field you’re in.
- 19:05 – Warm connections are the best way to reach out to an investor.
- 20:30 – Short pitch decks let you focus investors’ attention better than longer pitch decks.
- 21:15 – What should developers do if they’re in the game industry?
- 23:08 – Randy lists a couple of his favorite books.
Tweetables
[Tweet “Startups require a lot of patience and extreme persistence.”]
[Tweet “Work on solving a tough problem no other startup can solve.”]
[Tweet “Running a start up is a crazy marathon with a bunch of obstacles on the run.”]
[Tweet “Short pitch decks let you focus investors’ attention better than longer pitch decks.”]
Links Mentioned
The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle
Drive by Daniel Pink
Only the Paranoid Survive by Andrew Grove
Lean Startup by Eric Ries
@RandyRayess
Randy Rayess LinkedIn
[email protected].
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How to become the Picasso of Pitches
Posted by John Livesay in blog | 0 comments
Everyone knows that the best pitch paints a picture.
Five years ago I had the opportunity to meet Francoise Gilot in her charming New York apartment that had her paintings as well as those of Picasso all around in every room. Picture being in an art gallery that just happened to be a place where she lived.
Francoise Gilot is the mother of Paloma Picasso and lived with Picasso during the 1940s and is a painter in her own right. She speaks with a charming French accent and has a light that sparkles in her eyes even though when I met her she was in her late 80s.
She said to me that “During the 1940s there was a shortage of canvas because of the war. ”
What she and other artists did was paint over their masterpieces. She said it very matter of fact with no remorse or sadness. She looked at one painting and said to me :
“This is the 5th painting I painted on this canvas. I think the 3rd one under it is my favorite.”
I asked her “What does it feel like to paint over your masterpieces?”
She said to me “When you have to express yourself, you can’t stop yourself. I still hold the memory of what I created in my mind and that is really where art lives after all.”
To me it was sad that the world would never get to see her favorite painting that was long ago painted over and lost forever. However, the story has stayed with me all these years and I get to share it with people who then are inspired to “paint over their masterpieces” or pivot as startups call it today.
Even when you have a shortage of materials in your startup, you still have the urge to create something that is your unique expression. Some creations become world famous and change the world and some are secrets only known to the person who created it.
Are you willing to paint over your Picasso?
Are you willing to become the Picasso of Pitches?
Are you showing as much passion and drive to your clients as an artist like Francoise Gilot did so that your pitch makes an emotional connection like a piece of art?
Click here to learn more.
TSP010 | Danny Cohen – Moneyball Is The Same Game As Getting A Funding Home Run
Posted by John Livesay in podcast | 0 comments
Listen to the podcast here
Episode Summary
Danny Cohen is the General Partner at Carmel Ventures, which is based out of Israel and has been a Venture Capitalist for the past 15 years. He says his company receives over 500 pitches a year, yet they only do about 7 deals. He gives the honest truth about what a VC looks for in an entrepreneur and talks to John about his favorite pitch, successful startups, and much more.
Key Takeaways
- 02:00 – Why did Danny decide to become a VC?
- 05:10 – The amazing story behind Watch Doc being sold to Blackberry.
- 09:10 – What is OutBrain?
- 12:15 – You can’t fire your investor, which is why you have to choose them carefully.
- 17:50 – The entrepreneur has to understand the market dynamics and their customer base.
- 20:55 – Don’t try to raise funds all in one week. Schedule 3-4 meetings, get feedback, and try it again.
- 23:45 – Danny really loves business books catered around sports.
Tweetables
[Tweet “Relationships are so important no matter where you live.”]
[Tweet “Tell a story that everybody can understand.”]
[Tweet “What is your motivation beyond money that made you do your startup?”]
Links Mentioned
Viola Notes
Israel Venture Capital 3.0
Want the Transcription?
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