David Mandel "Super Angel investor” Blog

The Unicorn Startups Are Becoming Zombies At Pace. ❌WeWork raised >$11B ❌Hopin raised >$1.6B ❌Zeus raised $150M ❌Plastiq raised >$226M ❌Bird (scooters) raised > $776M And the list goes on... Most of these startups have closed, initiated massive layoffs, or sold at bargain prices versus their initial value. Employees, Investors, and Founders are directly affected. It’s very sad to read more of these headlines every other day, But, it’s a strong cautionary tale for the future - I firmly believe we can do better: 1. Investors/ LPs/ Media: Stop glorifying Unicorns We’re here because the ecosystem promoted an unsustainable model of business. a.Burn cash and raise money. b.Burn even more cash and raise even more money. In this capital-fueled euphoria, we veered away from the fundamentals of investing. I’m hopeful we’ll see more businesses that generate good cash flow by delivering real value. 2. Startups: Keep it real, make hard decisions swiftly Don’t chase shiny trends and ground yourselves with hard truths early on. Know that high valuations can be a double-edged sword making it harder to raise - don’t make it a vanity metric! Instead, focus on going back to basics: ✅Treat your best customers right and focus on delivering value to them over the long term. ✅Positive unit economics. ✅Make the tough decisions to the right size early before it gets out of hand. It is ok to slow down to go further. From the ashes, I believe our ecosystem will rise like a phoenix, we just need time. Where do you think we go from here? . Source: The New York Time Follow @venturecrews to get daily tactical advice from the greatest founders & investors. #startups #VentureCapital #funding #Entrepreneurship #jeffbezos

When Do You Know You Have PMF? In the clip below - Elad Gil shared an interesting perspective on how you can recognize that you've achieved Product-Market Fit (PMF). "There are 3 signs that can show you that you've achieved PMF. 1. If you have a broken product - still people are using it or have more retention. 2. If people/users/major brands can find you organic and pay for your product. 3. Whether you have strong feedback from a small group of people." There 3 sign generally shows that you've found PMF. . Follow @venturecrews to get tactical advice from the greatest founders & investors. #startups #startup #Entrepreneur #EntrepreneurLife