Notes from Rendon Street

A Word to the Resourceful

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:19:13 -0600

A year ago I noticed a pattern in the least successful startups we’d funded: they all seemed hard to talk to. It felt as if there was some kind of wall between us. I could never quite tell if they understood what I was saying.

This caught my attention because earlier we’d noticed a pattern among the most successful startups, and it seemed to hinge on a different quality. We found the startups that did best were the ones with the sort of founders about whom we’d say “they can take care of themselves.” The startups that do best are fire-and-forget in the sense that all you have to do is give them a lead, and they’ll close it, whatever type of lead it is. When they’re raising money, for example, you can do the initial intros knowing that if you wanted to you could stop thinking about it at that point. You won’t have to babysit the round to make sure it happens. That type of founder is going to come back with the money; the only question is how much on what terms.

It’s no wonder I drive a VW, since their ads are targeted...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:52:38 -0600

It’s no wonder I drive a VW, since their ads are targeted for me perfectly.

Video

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:59:29 -0600

Launch Pad Ignition: Launch Pad Ignition and Abstraction Ventures Partner to Provide Seed Funding to New Orleans Startups

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:06:03 -0600

Launch Pad Ignition: Launch Pad Ignition and Abstraction Ventures Partner to Provide Seed Funding to New Orleans Startups:

lpignition:

NEW ORLEANS, LA – January 11, 2011 – Launch Pad Ignition is announcing today a partnership with Abstraction Ventures to provide seed funding to select startups accepted into its accelerator program. Launch Pad Ignition is embarking on its second accelerator class in the spring of 2012,…

brycedotvc: Top Funding Sources For Startups: 1. Personal...

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:28:39 -0600

brycedotvc:

Top Funding Sources For Startups:

1. Personal Savings
2. Credit Cards
3. Friends and Family
4. Banks
5. VCs

Interesting to note that less than 20% of the fastest growing companies in the US were VC backed.

A great reminder that the traditional venture capital product is not for everyone. Nor is it a predictor of future success.

bijan sabet: American Censorship Day

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:28:24 -0600

bijan sabet: American Censorship Day:

bijan:

A few weeks ago, I went to Washington DC with a number of other venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to meet with various members of Congress and in President Obama’s administration to discuss important legislation (here and here) that was being pushed through the process.

It’s an awful…

This 9:57 minutes made my week.

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:44:00 -0600

This 9:57 minutes made my week.

Umair Haque's Is America Giving Up on the Future?

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:42:34 -0500

Umair Haque's Is America Giving Up on the Future?:

If I had to pin those realities down, I’d say the following deserve a place on the list: That the wealth of a nation isn’t merely the sum of its tradable riches; that a thriving marketplace isn’t a big box store; that industrial output matters less than human outcomes; that work that matters yields accomplishments that endure; that Goldman Sachs probably shouldn’t be as profitable as Apple, because builders should earn more than shufflers; that the worth of an enduring achievement is denominated in more than mere profit; that how we feel about our lives is worth more than how enviably glamorous they look; that tomorrow matters more — not less — than today.

a blog by pud: Fucking Sue Me

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:28:46 -0500

a blog by pud: Fucking Sue Me:

pudjam666:

So,

It was 1998 and the dot-com boom was in full effect. I was making websites as a 22 year old freelance programmer in NYC. I charged my first client $1,400. My second client paid $5,400. The next paid $24,000. I remember the exact amounts — they were the largest checks I’d seen up til that…

Who knew that Al Scramuzza was a record producer as well. Pure...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:58:29 -0500

Who knew that Al Scramuzza was a record producer as well. Pure New Orleans. Thanks to @ballzack for digging this up.

animalstalkinginallcaps: THE 1886 ‘SANTA CLARA COUNTY VS....

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:05:47 -0500

animalstalkinginallcaps:

THE 1886 ‘SANTA CLARA COUNTY VS. SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD’ SUPREME COURT CASE THAT ARGUABLY GRANTED CORPORATIONS “PERSONHOOD” UNDER U.S. LAW COULD AND SHOULD BE REEVALUATED AND, IN POINT OF FACT, RESCINDED AS THE SUBSEQUENT EXPLOITATION OF THAT STATUS IN THE FOLLOWING CENTURY IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE NATION’S TRAGIC SLIDE INTO ECONOMIC DISPARITY.

YOU MEAN, MOO.

YEAH, FUCKING MOOOO.

cajunboy: A buddy of mine in Green Bay for the game just sent...

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:24:55 -0500

cajunboy:

A buddy of mine in Green Bay for the game just sent this to me.

Bill Nye = intelligent & reasoned | Fox News Anchor =...

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:45:28 -0500

Bill Nye = intelligent & reasoned | Fox News Anchor = petarded & annoying

I've been wondering about this for a long time

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:00:44 -0500

I've been wondering about this for a long time:

Restaurant sites as a whole tend to be shit. Let’s dump flash animations, vanity shots, and all the other crap. It’s astounding how few restaurant sites have the operating hours, address, and phone number easily available. All I really have to know is: When are you open? Where are you located? What do you server?

Really valuable for startups in markets like New Orleans.

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:46:55 -0500

Really valuable for startups in markets like New Orleans.

quotevadis: “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just...

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:09:27 -0500

quotevadis:

“Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.”

— Chuck Close, an American painter and photographer who achieved fame as a photorealist, through his massive-scale portraits. Though a catastrophic spinal artery collapse in 1988 left him severely paralyzed, he has continued to paint and produce work that remains sought after by museums and collectors.

"I suspect domain prices and pre-money valuations of newly launched startups are highly corrrelated."

Thu, 05 May 2011 09:37:14 -0500

“I suspect domain prices and pre-money valuations of newly launched startups are highly corrrelated.”

- A VC: Finding And Buying A Domain Name (via taylordavidson)

Perspective, with a little help from Carl Sagan.

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:30:39 -0500

Perspective, with a little help from Carl Sagan.

betashop: 13 Things You Must Do Every Week As A Startup CEO

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:15:21 -0500

betashop: 13 Things You Must Do Every Week As A Startup CEO:

betashop:

Being the CEO of a startup is a hard and complex job. Here’s my quick list of the 13 things every startup CEO should make sure to do each week:

Remember your One Thing. Your startup can only do one thing well at a time. Know Your One Thing. Write it on the wall. Repeat it every day. Put it…

Startup Weekend | Baton Rouge | April 8 - 10

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:09:06 -0500

Louisiana’s first Startup Weekend will be held April 8-10. Open to all, it will be held on LSU campus in Baton Rouge, in Pleasant Hall.

Startup Weekend is a non-profit organization with a mission to build entrepreneurial and startup communities, and to help launch companies. They facilitate weekend-long events that attract developers, web and graphic designers, marketing and social media experts, business managers, and startup enthusiasts who pitch ideas Friday night, form teams, and develop those ideas into workable business models by Sunday night, when they present in front of a panel of entrepreneurs and investors. These events are run around the globe, organized by local community coordinators, and it’s exciting to see that Louisiana’s first Startup Weekend will be right here in Baton Rouge.

It’s a fun, hands-on experience for those who wish to test the entrepreneurial waters, in a risk-free setting. Some teams continue on after the weekend to develop their concepts into viable businesses, others find the weekend to be a valuable learning experience. Whether the weekend inspires attendees to launch into the startup world or simply to approach their current job with a fresh perspective, it’s a chance to network with other talented people on an authentic level.

This event is part of the innovation renaissance of Louisiana and has a tremendous amount of support from the entrepreneurial community throughout south Louisiana. We want to inspire, attract, and grow a new generation of entrepreneurs and innovators and get the word out to the talented members of our community to inspire them to dream big.

Speakers, mentors, and panelists include Chris Schultz of LaunchPad Ignition, Jennifer Medbery of Drop the Chalk, and Clayton White of South Coast Angel Fund.

Sponsors and supporters include: Entrepreneurial Headquarters, Advantage Capital Partners, LSU Continuing Education, Regional Innovation Organization, Louisiana Technology Park, Opportunity Machine, Entrepreneur Rising, LSU Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute, LSU Innovation Park, and Louisiana Business & Technology Park.

Here are the event specifics:

Startup Weekend
April 8-10, 2011
LSU Campus, Pleasant Hall
batonrouge.startupweekend.org
Tickets: $99 regular, $50 students

Use promo code “startuptech” for 25% off the regular ticket.

Open to all.

Follow on Twitter: @swbtr
Facebook and LinkedIn groups: Startup Weekend Baton Rouge