Comments on: Angel Investor Ron Conway Speaks (About His Wise-Up-Silicon-Valley Missive)

By: BoomTown’s Annual Chat With Silicon Valley Angel Investor Ron Conway! | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD

Wed, 06 May 2009 21:20:41 +0000

[...] I talked to Conway last fall, it was a different story, since he had just sent a stink bomb of an email to start-ups he had invested in, as the econalypse [...]

By: Sam Harrison

Sam Harrison — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:40:52 +0000

to be honest, u.s. venture capital has been lame for 8 years now, sine the ipo market has dried up for most companies

on top of that, there has been a lack of real risk taking by venture firms across the board

most/many just follow the trends and hope for a quick payday

it’s why the u.s. will fall behind china and india in innovation

because u.s. venture partners lack the cajones to take risks — risks that they are supposed to be taking according to their limited partner agreements (the capital they invest, it’s from pension funds and endowments)

you’d think at some point the limited partners who invest would make the venture firms actually work for the capital and fees

the venture industry is broken and has a lack of real leadership at any of the firms

By: RIP Twitter | Mark Evans

RIP Twitter | Mark Evans — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:40:21 +0000

[...] there was one message delivered from the venture capital pulpitly recent (aka Sequoia, Ron Conway, et al), it’s that if you don’t have a business model, you’re [...]

By: Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:08:06 +0000

Ed:

I think you are dead-on on valuations.

By: Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:07:34 +0000

Sam:

Good point to running into the breech now!

By: Hitchhiker’s Guide to 650 :: Stop the In-Breeding! :: October :: 2008

Hitchhiker’s Guide to 650 :: Stop the In-Breeding! :: October :: 2008 — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:52:11 +0000

[...] help myself and chime in on this web 2.0 is dead thing. (joining the illustrious rank of Conway, Wilson, Sequoia, Patricof, and Benchmark.) Here is the deal, it sucks for us all – from one end of [...]

By: Ed Zschau

Ed Zschau — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:38:30 +0000

Ron’s message to his portfolio companies is on point. He’s reminding entrepreneurs of a core business principle: cash is king. Reduce spending where you can, raise money if you can, prove the business model and figure out a path to profitability. It’s sound advice in good, bad or uncertain economies.

He’s not saying don’t invest, in fact it sounded like he is going to expand beyond video and search technologies where he’s been focused the last few years. He’ll be able to command lower valuations just like VCs – it’s the entrepreneurs / founders who will take the valuation hit for the most part.

By: Sam Harrison

Sam Harrison — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:23:12 +0000

i disagree with ron, this is the best time to invest in startups since values are better and the ideas must be stronger than a “web 2.0″ reflecting logo

but small vc like ron are beholden to the larger vc firms who will now stiff his portfolio valuations and his preferred shares

By: Ron Conway: Out with the New, In with the Old : The Drama 2.0 Show

Ron Conway: Out with the New, In with the Old : The Drama 2.0 Show — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:12:38 +0000

[...] perfect example of this fact is Ron Conway, who sat down with Kara Swisher yesterday in San [...]