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<br>The web and technology bubble has a lot in common with the rest of the business world in that there are essentially two disparate groups - the haves and the have nots.<br><br><br>The "haves" possess money, power, influence, or the right friends with those qualities. And for those in the coveted in-crowd, Silicon Valley, San Francisco and the greater tech community become a world of opportunity where you're only limited by the quality of your idea and the caliber of your friends.<br><br><br>This [http://Thesaurus.com/browse/dynamic%20births dynamic births] serial entrepreneurs and  Angel Investors motivates angels and venture capitalists to pull their friends into investment deals.<br><br><br>For the first-time entrepreneur or founder looking for seed stage funding, this circle can be especially difficult to penetrate. Mashable reached out to angels, seed stage investors and VC firm partners and asked them to share their wisdom with the rest of us. What follows is the best advice and  [http://www.schattentraum.net/Wiki/index.php?title=Benutzer:AngelinaCantu Angel Investment] tips from these interviews.<br><br>The Investors<br><br>In researching this post,  Corporate Innovation we solicited the advice of a number of investors. Here's an overview:<br><br><br>Mitch Kapor:  [https://www.mobileocta.com/open-a-package-to-watch-premier-league-football-for-free-via-trueid/ Angel Investment] Kapor is founding partner of Kapor Capital, a firm that invests in seed and early stage startups. Kapor is the original designer of Lotus 1-2-3 and former CEO of Lotus Development. He also sits on the board of the Mozilla Foundation and created Second Life. In 2006, Kapor founded Foxmarks,  [https://www.amigas.ch/fr/component/k2/item/96-brunch-obra-social.html Angel Investment] a popular Firefox add-on later renamed Xmarks. Kapor Capital's expansive portfolio includes Bit.ly, Federated Media, Get Satisfaction,  Venture Capital The Fridge, inDinero, Posterous, StickyBits and Twilio.<br><br><br>Bing Gordon: Bing Gordon oversees the newly established $250 million sFund for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. This is the man you'll need to impress should you wish to slice off a piece of the sFund pie for your startup. Gordon spent 10 years as chief creative officer at EA and has an active interest in console and MMORPG games (some of which he helped create). Gordon is also operating director of Zynga and director at Amazon, both sFund partners.<br><br><br>Bryce Roberts: Bryce Roberts is co-founder of O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV), a firm that invests seed-stage funds in startups with big, first-time ideas and technologies that have the potential to change the world. Roberts investments for OATV include Foursquare, Get Satisfaction, Bit.ly and Path Intelligence.<br><br><br>Nagraj Kashyap:  [http://xgrace1.godohosting.com/xe/index.php?mid=sub4&document_srl=156675 Angel Investment] The Qualcomm Ventures vice president oversees the telecommunication giant's investment arm, Qualcomm Ventures. The group seeks out technologies that are complementary to the company's core operations, including applications, software and infrastructure startups. Qualcomm Ventures is invested in a number of startups including Livescribe, Obopay, Arieso and Zeebo.<br><br><br>Brad Feld:  Angel Investment Feld is co-founder and managing director of Foundry Group, a Boulder, Colorado venture capital firm that focuses on early stage investments ranging from $250,000 to $500,000. The firm's portfolio includes the likes of Gist, Lijit, Brightleaf, Memeo, SimpleGeo, StockTwits and Zynga.<br><br><br>Gary Vaynerchuk: Personal branding master and creator of Wine Library TV, Gary Vaynerchuk is also an angel investor with an expanding portfolio of companies. Vaynerchuk has made investments in Rapportive, Gowalla, Venmo, Daily Booth, Postling and most recently makeup discovery service BirchBox.<br><br><br>Paige Craig: Adrenaline-junkie Paige Craig is a former marine and intelligence consultant who's now a prolific angel investor  [http://www.umubanotours.com/uncategorized/climb-nyiragongo-volcano-and-track-gorillas-in-3-days/ Angel Investment] and startup advisor based out of Los Angeles. Craig's investment portfolio includes Graphic.ly, Klout, Postling, Mobile Roadie and MogoTix. Craig is currently the CEO and founder of stealth-ish startup BetterWorks.<br><br><br>Ted Serbinski: Angel investor Ted Serbinski sold his startup MothersClick to Lifetime in 2008 and joined the cable network as CTO of the ParentsClick Network. Serbinski has since gone on to invest in a handful of stealth startups in the gaming,  Angel Investors mobile and location arenas.<br><br>How to Reach Investors<br><br>It's common practice for VCs and angels to talk to and partner up on investments with peers and founder friends.  If you beloved this article and you would like to get a lot more data concerning Angel Investment ([https://Www.Specificfeeds.com/user/NEXEAAccelerator https://Www.Specificfeeds.com/user/NEXEAAccelerator]) kindly stop by our website. If you want your startup to get talked about in these influential circles, it's imperative you know how to get your foot in the door.<br><br><br>To reach Kapor, you can find him (and many other investors) on Angel List, a site that the investor says he pays a lot of attention to.<br><br><br>Reaching Gordon via e-mail will be a challenge. Things that may get his attention - but not necessarily lead to a meeting - include "poetry, fun PowerPoints, boxes of goodies." Considering Gordon's poetic take on sFund, we anticipate that poems might work especially well.<br><br><br>On a more serious note,  [https://emulation.wiki/index.php?title=9Means_You_Should_Utilize_Start-up_Funds_To_Turn_Into_Irresistible_To_Potential_Customers Angel Investment] Gordon has a laundry list of founder qualities or experiences that will pique his curiosity: "Have a resume I envy and admire; make a significant contribution at a company I am fascinated by; write a great book or make a great game or TV show; [develop] significant software engineering experience and/or education."<br><br><br>Kashyap, with Qualcomm Ventures, admits that referrals from industry connections are the best way to get his team's attention. Founders can make in-person connections, however, with Qualcomm Ventures at various demo events, conferences and trade shows. The group also hosts its annual QPrize competition, awarding winners with $750,000 in seed funding.<br><br><br>Roberts talks of social networks as mediums that may very well help your product or name attract VC attention. But, he says, "If you're looking for funding for a prelaunch product or service, you'll need a to be a very interesting person with deep expertise in your field. Amplifying that expertise through blogs, Twitter, live streams will get you the attention of VCs, too. If you don't qualify as either, all the right intros in the world won't get you VC funding."<br><br><br>Angel investor Craig feels most comfortable working with complementary investors, but founders can strike his fancy if their projects align with his own. "I pre-stage my investments by developing my own ideas of great business models & frameworks - when I meet a founder doing something similar I can make a quick decision," says Craig.<br><br><br>Getting Vaynerchuk to invest in your startup is more complicated than impressing him with a big idea. "It's far more interesting for me to be invested in people I believe in," he says.<br><br><br>And  Angel Investors for Serbinski, it's a combination of the network referral effect and team personality. On past investments, he explains, "The teams behind them [investments] were very engaging; I enjoyed the vision and just generally hit it off with the team."<br><br>Advice for First-Timers<br><br>If you're a first-timer, Kapor highly recommends building a working product prior to [http://www.usatoday.com/search/pitching/ pitching]. He goes on to add, "Having revenue is even better, though not applicable to every startup ... Passion, skill, vision and maturity really matter."<br><br><br>While pedigree is often a factor for funding consideration, some investors simply don't care. Feld is one of those guys. "I don't care about pedigree at all. If I get excited, I'll likely dig into your background some, but I never start there. Rather, I start with what you are working on and what you have done," he says.<br><br><br>Feld also encourages first-timers to "look at what we've invested in and read the posts on why we invested. Talk to people that know us and get hints about us. And don't wait - just e-mail me at brad@feld.com and I'll respond quickly."<br><br><br>When it comes to the right time to go after funding, Kashyap says, "Founders should raise money after they have developed a solid business plan and require additional capital to develop or expand their business."<br><br><br>Craig advises first-timers to "beg, borrow and do anything possible to forgo outside funding and learn from the experience."<br><br><br>On the second time around, "invest in your own idea and get a great group of angel investors and ... a great VC to back you on excellent terms," says Craig. "Don't compromise too much - no one will believe in your vision as much as you and your founders will. Don't be forced down, insulted or negotiated into a crappy investment ever."<br><br><br>Vaynerchuk also recommends self-funding the incubation process, unless the industry you're in is about to explode. "I'm a big fan of not raising money if you can afford [not] to. I think too many people are not building sound enough businesses ... but if you start popping and you feel like it's a land grab (like Groupon) ... there's certain industries where money can be very impactful [sic] to scale awareness."<br><br><br>If, however, you choose to go after funding, he says, "Look for a lead - someone who's got a lot of street cred and can build a network. When you get a Chris Sacca, or a Dave Morin, or a Chris Dixon on board first, it's going to lead to a lot of deal flow."<br><br><br>Serbinski,  Angel Investment once himself a first-time founder,  [https://bigdataonlinetraining.us/community/index.php/19791/great-10-ideas-to-develop-your-start-up-investment Angel Investment] has some excellent words of wisdom around funding. "If you're raising money, you're not focusing on building your product but your competitors are. A well-funded startup with no product is still behind a startup with no money but a product and customers."<br><br>Pitch Tips<br><br>Knowing when and how to pitch investors is just as important as your bright idea. When asked about whether founders should pitch with PowerPoint, Kapor talks up the value of a presentation in general. "I like a cogent, coherent presentation. A good PDF, Keynote or PowerPoint presentation can provide that but there are other ways as well," he says.<br><br><br>Here's something encouraging: Feld makes pitching him sound relatively easy, pain-free and fruitful. He'll try to respond to all unsolicited pitches, regardless of how they come to him (though he prefers short e-mails). Just don't call Feld on the phone. "I hate the phone," he says.<br><br><br>If you're lucky enough to score a meeting with Gordon, make the most of it - and don't forget to talk revenue potential. "For [the] investment meeting, don’t show a single bad slide. Show passion for your big opportunity, your best and most unique execution ideas, and why your team is awesome. And then an income projection for as many years as you think it will take to reach a 'good' and profitable place."<br><br><br>If that sounds stressful, you might find Robert's advice refreshing. "First meetings with seed investors just aren't that formal. Your projections alone will give us all a good laugh, so don't sweat it," he says. "The first meeting is all about telling a story. A killer demo can tell the story just as well as a perfectly honed PPT."<br><br><br>Pitching Vaynerchuk will be a hit or  [http://ndjamena24.fr/ive-republique-une-ministre-refuse-de-preter-serment-et-demissionne/ Angel Investment] miss experience depending on his schedule and state of mind. "I'm always open. I'm always closed ... I don't mind Twitter; I don't mind Facebook; I don't mind e-mail; it's a complete roll of the dice," he explains.<br><br>The Deal Breakers<br><br>Oftentimes, the best advice can be gleaned from learning the mistakes of others. Just as is the case with relationships, when it comes to engaging with investors, you'll want to avoid making deal breaker mistakes.<br><br><br>Feld tells Mashable that he recently walked away from a deal at the last minute. "As we worked through the deal process, it became clear - at least to me - that they weren't really ready to dive in with both feet. Even though it was a seed investment, the commitment on the part of the founders to each other and the business wasn't there," explains Feld.<br><br><br>You also won't win over Feld or the Foundry Group with secrecy. "I hate it when people beat around the bush about what they are doing ... just lay it out there and let me react," he says.<br><br><br>Vaynerchuk's deal breakers include entrepreneurs who lack passion, ideas that are "10 minutes too late" and ideas that aren't mainstream enough.<br><br><br>Passion was certainly a recurring topic of conversation amongst the investors we interviewed. Craig's sentiments on deal breakers very much echo Vaynerchuk's thoughts; he cites "lack of passion" and "lack of vision" as reasons why he would walk away from a deal. "I don't care if you have great investors and advisors - it's all about you, your team and your vision."<br><br>Opportunity Knocks<br><br>Every entrepreneur and founder should do their homework when researching investors and firms to ascertain the types of ideas and technologies that each is looking to invest in - needs vary firm by firm and interests are likely to be unique to each angel.<br><br><br>If you want in on sFund, you'll need a pretty big idea. Gordon says he's interested in the "reinvention of proven business categories on the new social graph, especially health, travel, dating and friend management, entertainment/media, advertising, commerce, education, finance."<br><br><br>Kapor  [http://www.slicedblu.com/wiki/index.php/User:LashundaArringto angel Investment] Capital has a current want for "companies that are both killer startups measured on an absolute scale and are also high-impact social enterprises."<br><br><br>Identifying and matching themes are key if you're looking for  Startup Accelerator a way in at Foundry Group. "We are always looking for new companies that fit in our themes ... go to www.foundrygroup.com and search on 'theme,'" explains Feld. We followed his advice and found that the firm is especially keen on e-mail, implicit web and digital life.<br><br><br>If you're looking to position your startup under Qualcomm's telecommunications umbrella, "We have a strong interest in companies that enhance the wireless ecosystem and, at same time, demonstrate a robust financial profile," Kashyap explains.<br><br><br>OATV is tracking the Quantified Self vision around automated personal assistants,  [https://chicagopixels.net/uncategorized/pritzker-hospital-space-supplies-holding-up-as-coronavirus-curve-bends-in-illinois/ Angel Investment] but has yet to make any investments in this area (hint, hint). Other interest areas include sustainability, "the phone as a sensor and what kinds of natural applications fall out of that," and "applications and services that encourage people to push away from their computers, put down their phones and go out to have real world experiences."<br><br><br>Vaynerchuk's current investment interests include virtual currency and retail. He also talked about looking for entrepreneurs who have a deep understanding of game mechanics.<br><br><br>Craig says he's busy investing in his own company, BetterWorks, but eventually he wants to invest in platforms that serve small to medium enterprise businesses. Other areas of interest include, "new models of crowdsourcing; new models to harness collective inventories (Airbnb, Loosecubes, Neighborgoods). I also love models that leverage cultural shifts towards transparency and mobility (don't think just about technology - think where society is going!)," he says.<br><br><br>Serbinski seems to think that we're only at the beginning of the online gaming trend. "The gaming space is also seeing a major shift," he says, and it's an area he's especially interested in right now.<br>