Ballard Spahr LLP’s Post

Standing out can be scary. It can also be a great way to build trust. People can tell when you are speaking authentically or when you are just saying the “right” things. Speaking your mind can sometimes get you in trouble, but it also makes it clear where you stand; repelling those who are not for you and attracting those who are. One way to build trust and stand out at the same time, address the elephant in the room. Speak your mind. I love how Concept Ventures did this on their home page. They took 3 toxic traits about VC that irritate founders and acknowledged them front and center. By addressing the elephant in the room instead of ignoring it, they showed that they listen to founders and they also assumed a commitment to be different. Because they’d be worse off having said this if they didn’t act on it. P.S. What’s something that bothers you about your industry that you’d like to fix?

Preview of Monday's episode is up! Special thanks to Mirit Lugassi of Laconia for discussing her transition from law to venture capital and intentional approach to investing. In this episode, you will learn the importance of... 👉 Leveraging your legal background to excel in VC 👉 Supporting diverse, underrepresented founders 👉 Addressing systemic and structural challenges in the VC industry #venturecapital #diversity #investing #intentionalinvesting #femalefounders

🚀 Busy founders looking for funding, I'd love to help you boost your odds! Having worked with investors since 2015 from a merger and due diligence perspective, I've noticed some patterns. 📊 After talking to fellow DD consultants last year and examining repeated patterns across many projects, I recognised there are common areas that founders are penalised for—areas they could address well before negotiations. 💡 The problem is that you're too busy, and many people don't know what good looks like. That's why we're running a 5-day challenge in July. We'll teach you about the common, usually quite simple, problems that will come up during due diligence. 🏢 My view is that a firm worth selling is worth keeping, which involves bringing your firm up to 'investor grade'. 🎯 This challenge is for those seeking Seed and Series A funding. For more information, check out the link below. 📣 And apologies if I get a bit more vocal promoting this over the next few weeks. Details here: https://lnkd.in/erAv8TDF Emjoi'd out. Hutton

Wiggin and Dana was once again recognized by PitchBook as one of the most active firms in Venture Capital and Private Equity transactions in its 2023 Annual Global League Tables. To learn more, click here: https://lnkd.in/eNZrhKMY #venturecapital #corporate #privateequity

A very common problem that we frequently encounter with our clients is the issue of dilution of power within their businesses. Many founders are unaware of the long-term consequences of relinquishing control over their companies, particularly in the early stages of growth. At our firm, we've had the opportunity to work closely with numerous clients facing this challenge. Through our tailored guidance and strategic counsel, we've assisted these founders in regaining and maintaining control over their enterprises. Decoding Growth with Raman Suraya Turk #dilutionofpower #startuplegal #founders

If you're a young VC, please read this. I try to give Associates time because I understand how hard it is as a young Associate and I also think they can make things happen. I've done it and I've seen it. But I'm pretty much at the point where I completely ignore every Associate's email (even ones I've talked to). Why? Because I've noticed that the majority of young VCs (doesn't matter the firm), do not follow through. If you say, you'll get a meeting scheduled with a partner/customer/etc, then do it. Or respond back and say why you couldn't. The fastest way to lose a founder's respect is to not follow through. We'll respect you if you tell us why something couldn't happen and how to make it happen in the future then if you just ghost. Delivering "bad" news to founders is like 98% of what you do as a VC. Get good at it. Follow through.

As a GenZ Investor, my biggest value add to any young founder is a sincere lack of judgment towards mistakes and blindspots. I am navigating through life and career as much as if not more than a 19-year old founder we speak to. Bhavish Aggarwal (Ola) once said, when you’re young you feel like Investor is your Guru and you put them on a pedestal. I believe the founder-investor relationship is one of companionship and I strongly feel the need for more GenZ investors in the ecosystem to empathise with young founders in their journey. Hershel, Brendan and the entire 2am VC team are very early proponents of this belief.

Take a moment to watch this short clip of Angel Investor Blair Heavey sharing why he chooses to go with Gesmer! Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/e8WbTbSS

Don’t forget to register for this VC Ops focused event! We have a great panel of experts and will open up for questions at the end. If you have questions or thoughts you want to ensure are addressed during this hour, feel free to send them to me ahead of time. #venturecapital #operations