Note: The views & opinions expressed in these essays are strictly my own, and not those of any entity I may be associated with as an employee, consultant, promoter, investor, etc.

ARCHIVES

Pune

› Technology Venture Investors in Pune

Technology Entrepreneurship in India - Teams

› Entrepreneurial traits

› Picking cofounders

Technology Entrepreneurship in India - Generating Revenue

› Is your business model well-defined?

› Your industry's value chain

› What is your value proposition?

› Which distribution channels will you use?

› Who will drive business development?

Technology Entrepreneurship in India - Raising Capital

› Venture capital & venture capitalists (VCs)

› Corporate venture capital

› Angels & angel networks in India

› Government support for Indian startups

› Proof-of-concept funding

› Do you need a business plan?

› How much money should you raise?

› Startup valuation

› Pitching to investors

› Figure out the term sheet

› Negotiating with investors

› Due diligence - A necessary evil

› Time to sign the investment agreements

Equities, ETFs, F&O

› Oct 2011: Equity Risk Premium for India

› Jun 2011: Investing in Indian equities

Technology Enterprises in India

› Nov 2010: Technology investment in India - WATER

› Aug 2010: Technology enterprises in India - 3 avatars

Risk Capital for MSMEs

› Mar 2010: Risk mitigation for investors in MSMEs

› Mar 2010: Why don't (Indian) MSMEs get risk capital?

› Feb 2010: Angel investing - Will it work for Indian MSMEs?

› Feb 2010: What's so special about innovative MSMEs?

› Feb 2010: Where do Indian/NRI (V)HNIs invest?

› Feb 2010: Funding options for innovative MSMEs in India

› Jan 2010: Innovative MSMEs in India

"Entrepreneurship is the last refuge of the trouble-making individual."

- Natalie Clifford Barney

Every successful VC has a list of traits/factors they like to see in technology entrepreneurs. These usually include determination, patience, integrity, expertise, adaptability, salesmanship, and the like. Each person has case studies to justify their list, but these lists do not always overlap.

Academics like to debate on whether entrepreneurship can be taught; the old nature vs. nurture debate extended to startups. There may or may not be an entrepreneurial gene - even if there is one, it is quite difficult to identify it or measure traits such as grit and creativity.

But as an investor or founder, you need to have your own check-list of traits that you believe are vital to venturing success. Unless your investees, co-founders and/or early employees exhibit (most of) these, you are in for a rough(er) ride.

Technology entrepreneurs in India need an additional set of (tactical) skills, such as:

• Dealing with unreliable (technology) infrastructure
• Complying with a plethora of local, state & national government regulation
• Training (usually inexperienced) staff, amidst (usually high) turnover
• Factoring in India's economic and cultural diversity while targeting customers
• Building trusted relationships/networks, rather than solely relying on contracts

Perspectives

• What makes entrepreneurs entrepreneurial?

• What some angels/VCs look for: Ron Conway, Brad Feld, Paul Graham, Mark Suster.

• Why accountants don't run startups

• Rich vs. King entrepreneurs