l2o Ventures

And what does Britain do? Cynical, self-deprecating and FunFriday answers only. Bonus points for mentioning the weather, Brexit or the fact we're more interested in Sunak's trainers than being a world leader at anything any more. 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧 🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 & 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

CONTROVERSIAL: Pre-seed startup founders... Stop spending so much time on social - including Linkedin. Stop "building in public". Stop telling people how great your startup is. Stop networking with other founders. Ok, a little bit of all this can be good. But you've got 6-12 months and a finite number of hours each day to make or break. 60% of startups will crash and burn very early. Only do stuff that moves the needle, gets you to the next stage and moves you out of the 60% cohort. 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧 🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 & 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

Can someone tell me what "collaboration" is supposed to mean? It's become the most pointless business word, and I recommend founders steer clear of it during your early days. Most people think it means this... 👉 "We'd love to help promote or sell your widgets, and in return, you can promote and sell our widgets". That sounds all lovely and dreamy. Free support and promotion for each other's business. But what, in my humble opinion, it always, always, always means, is... 👉 "We'll pretend we're going to help promote or sell your widgets, but really, all we care about is that you promote and sell our widgets". Often, they're not being deceptive, there is a chance they would genuinely like to promote you. But far too often, they have fewer potential leads for your business than they make out. A lot less! So, founders, I truly believe that early on, "most" (but not all) offers of collaboration will detract you from your core purpose. At pre-seed and MVP stages, you have 6-12 months of being laser-focused. A slight wobble or loss of focus could possibly end things for your business. Startups are precarious, and I highly recommend you evaluate collaboration opportunities extremely quickly. Cut to the chase when discussing them, and be ruthless at discovering whether there is actually anything in it "in the short term" for your startup. You are not here to be nice by helping promote other businesses. Your startup needs to be the full focus. Nothing else matters at this stage. 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧 🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 & 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

Founders: put down your keyboards. Investors: put down your pens - unless you're writing a cheque, in which case carry on 😊 Whatever your beliefs, the 4-day Easter break is a time for you to step back and relax. I've worked in startups for 25 years, so I know how relentless it is. Trust me. After a few days off, you will return with ideas bouncing off the walls. #HappyEaster 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬 🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 🚀 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 + 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

I watched The Dropout last week (BBC iPlayer), about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos fraud. For those considering raising money for your startup, there was a line worth pondering, where Holmes asks: "Can the board fire me from my own company?". The reply that came back was quite chilling: "Of course they can. You took money from VCs. They own you." 😱 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧 🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 & 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

Founders: you're not working for someone else any more. It's your business. So try to figure out how you can build your new lemonade stand for $8, not kid your old boss that you need $10 in next year's budget! 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 + 360° 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬/𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐥 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

We all know startups are hard. But one of my clients has shown that big results can happen! So keep going founders, you'll get there too! Investors, they still have a little bit of their seed round available... 😊 #founders #fundraising #business #dealflow #pitchdeck #investing #venturecapital #entrepreneur #startups #angelinvestors

Startups are hard. But my client has shown it can happen! 🚀 FOUNDERS: keep going, you'll get there! 📈 INVESTORS: ask for my hand-picked deal flow, incl. this one (PropTech, £1.25m committed, £250k left. EIS). ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #founders #fundraising #business #dealflow #pitchdeck #investing #venturecapital #entrepreneur #startups #angelinvestors

Woohoo! So you've built an MVP. Great. But now what? Don't just stand there admiring your startup and waiting for investors to show up. Get selling! Trust me, other founders are already nibbling away at your idea! 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐚 360° 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬/𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐥 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness

CONTROVERSIAL: how much is too much when it comes to startup founder salaries? I just saw a deck for a pre-seed marketplace app, seeking £500k, with £150k of the raise to pay each of the 2 co-founders £75k/yr. Sure, as you get older and have kids and a mortgage, life aint cheap, especially in the south of the country and when you're used to a comfy BigCorp job that pays for two holidays a year, a nice BMW on the drive and fancy restaurant meals twice a week. But where has the founder's own risk-taking gone? It seems that too many founders think angel investors are just cash cows. One actually said to me recently "But angels are supposed to take all the risk, that's why they are there". Be careful with that line, founders. There is a sense of entitlement sneaking into the general startup conversation right now, which is not healthy. I don't honestly know if the £75k example above is unacceptable or not - I would love to hear some thoughts on this. Some founder's experience, plans and vision are certainly exceptional and worth every penny. But what I would say is, if you want to prove to an investor that they should cover a couple of significant salaries for a year or two (at least that before the startup might be profitable), then you need to show you've put much more effort into de-risking the opportunity for them by doing a lot of leg work to prove who the target audience is and that they're willing to pay you for whatever you're planning to offer. 🚀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 + 360° 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬/𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐥 ---------------------------- 😊 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 • 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 25+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 📌 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 #startups #angelinvestors #fundraising #founders #InvestmentReadiness