The Startup Velocity Question: What Hinders Acceleration in VC Funded Companies?

I have been running 1Mby1M since 2010. I find myself saying to entrepreneurs ad nauseam that VCs want to invest in startups that can go from zero to $100 million in revenue in 5 to 7 years.

Startups that do not have what it takes to achieve velocity should not be venture funded.

Experienced VCs, over time, have developed heuristics to gauge what constitutes a high growth venture investment thesis. 

1Mby1M Udemy Courses with Sramana Mitra: Bootstrapping

Over the course of two years, we have released over 70 courses on Udemy with the aim to democratize entrepreneurship education at scale globally. This series of posts aims to help you find the one you need easily and provide you with discount coupons.

Bootstrapping A Software Company From Minnesota: Vicki Raport Of Quantum Retail (Part 1)

If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. 

Vicki Raport is the CEO and co-founder of Quantum Retail, a company that delivers a software platform that optimizes and automates retail processes related to localized forecasting and advanced order planning; allocation and replenishment; and assortment and range planning. Prior to co-founding Quantum Retail, Vicki held executive positions in strategy, strategic alliances, sales and business development, services, and customer support with Retek Inc., a provider of mission-critical software and services to the retail industry.

Sramana: Vicki, let’s start with your personal background. Where do you come from?

Vicki Raport: I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both of my parents were from the area. I went to the University of Minnesota and got my undergraduate degree in finance and accounting in 1985. >>>

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Building A Nearshore Outsourcing Company In Ann Arbor, Michigan: Systems In Motion CEO Neeraj Gupta (Part 1)

Neeraj Gupta is the CEO and co-founder of Systems In Motion, a nearshore outsourcing company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Previously, Neeraj was a member of the executive team at Patni, a $700 million Indian IT services company, and founder/CEO of Cymbal, a services company focused on the telecom sector. He is an investor in and board member of various technology startups.

Sramana: What is the background story of the three founders of Systems In Motion? How did you meet?

Neeraj Gupta: The genesis of the organization came from all three founders, each of whom had experience working in global services. >>>

Building An Outsourcing Company In China: Bleum CEO Eric Rongley (Part 1)

Eric Rongley founded Bleum, an outsourcing provider to American and European companies, in August 2001. Prior to founding Bleum, Eric established and ran the Navion (Shanghai) Software Development Company for Capital One Financial. Before his career led him to China, Eric was the general manager for IVR’s (International Voice Register) software development center in India. Eric currently serves as the chair of the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) Shanghai and is the former chair of the ethics and IT committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

Sramana: Eric, tell me a bit about yourself. What is your background?

Eric Rongley: I was born in Pennsylvania. I graduated from Skidmore College in 1989 with a degree in economics. After graduating I went overseas and worked as a broker in London for a year. >>>

Become The CEO Of Your Own Destiny: LiveOps CEO And Former eBay COO Maynard Webb, Santa Clara, California (Part 1)

Maynard Webb is the chairman and CEO of LiveOps, which delivers an on-demand contact center platform as well as call center outsourcing services. Prior to LiveOps he was the Chief Operating Officer of eBay where he directed engineering and technology operations, product development, customer support, trust and safety, global billing, human resources, and legal functions. Prior to eBay, he was a senior vice president and chief information officer for Gateway, Inc. He has also held management and leadership positions at Bay Networks, Quantum Corporation, Thomas-Conrad Corporation, and IBM. A respected member of the Silicon Valley technology community, Maynard sits on the boards of several successful companies, including Salesforce.com and Admob. Maynard holds a bachelor of arts degree from Florida Atlantic University >>>

Building A Software Company From Toulouse, France: Jacques Soumeillan, CEO Of Cameleon Software (Part 1)

Sramana: Jacques, to start, let’s go over your background. Where do you come from?

Jacques Soumeillan: I am from Toulouse. My parents came to Toulouse from the countryside, so I was raised in the city with a very modest upbringing. I did all of my studies here, including college. I was able to study engineering at ENSEEIHT, which gave me a very good technical background. >>>

Capturing Intent In Non-Search Performance Marketing: Zephrin Lasker, CEO Of Pontiflex (Part 1)

Zephrin Lasker is CEO and co-founder of Pontiflex, a mobile and online sign-up ads platform. He has been involved with online marketing since its inception more than a decade ago. Zephrin is a serial entrepreneur, having launched Beautility.com prior to Pontiflex.

Sramana: Zephrin, let’s start at the beginning of your story. What is your background? Where do you come from?

Zephrin Lasker: I have always been somebody who has had problems with authority. I was born in a small town in north-central Chile. I came to the United States when I was 11 years old. My parents were expatriates. My father founded the first astronomical observatory in the Southern Hemisphere. >>>

Building An Open Source ERP Company From Pamplona, Spain: OpenBravo CEO Paolo Juvara (Part 1)

Paolo Juvara is the CEO of OpenBravo, an open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) company. Prior to joining OpenBravo in 2007, he was based in Redwood Shores, California, working for Oracle Corporation in applications development. He held a broad range of development and management roles within Oracle’s Applications business, including positions on the financials, supply chain management, CRM and business intelligence development teams. Paolo also worked in Paris, France, as part of Oracle’s Globalization team. An Italian, Paolo graduated from Politecnico di Milano with a degree in electronic engineering and a specialization in software engineering.

Sramana: Paolo, what is the genesis of your story? Where are you from?

Paolo Juvara: I am Italian and was born in Milan. I went to school in Milan, and after I graduated I knew I wanted to have an international experience. >>>

Open Source Go-To-Market Success: Liferay CEO Bryan Cheung (Part 1)

Bryan Cheung is the CEO and co-founder of Liferay. Drawing on his technical experience, understanding of customer needs, and a passion for end users, Bryan leads Liferay in meeting its commitment to deliver focused and effective business solutions to its customers and its community. He graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and is a frequent keynote speaker at industry events such as JavaOne, JAX Asia and Europe, and Open Source Meets Business.

Sramana: Let’s go back to the beginning of your story. Where do you come from?

Bryan Cheung: I was born in Los Angeles in 1977. I have lived in California pretty much all my life. I went to school in Southern California. When it came time to go to college, I was choosing between Berkeley and UCLA and my parents told me that Berkeley was a great school and would give me a lot of opportunities, so I took their advice and went there. >>>

Rolling Up Professional Networks: Dan Serfaty, CEO of Viadeo (Part 1)

Dan Serfaty is the founder and CEO of Viadeo, a company he launched with Thierry Lunati in September 2004. Today it is one of the leading worldwide professional social networks. Viadeo was initially conceived as a club to build bridges between private equity groups and entrepreneurs. Prior to launching Viadeo, he founded a tourism company, DIMO, and an import-export company, GEN. He is a graduate of Ecole des hautes études commerciales (HEC).

Sramana: Dan, let’s start by reviewing your background and the path that led you to become an entrepreneur.

Dan Serfaty: I am French, but my family tree has a lot of branches. I was born in eastern France. My parents come from Morocco. They are Jewish and left to come to France. I married an Italian girl! I now live in Paris and have lived there for the past 20 years. >>>

Rolling Up Mystery Shopping: Market Force CEO Karl Maier (Part 1)

Karl Maier is the founder and CEO of Market Force Information. Prior to founding Market Force Information, he was the executive chairman of the board of Vector ESP, a provider of professional information technology services. Before Vector, Mr. Maier was the chief executive officer of VIA NET.WORKS, a public international Internet service provider. Prior to VIA, he was the president and CEO of Cordillera Communications, Corp., a Latin American wireless service provider that was acquired by Nextel International. Before Cordillera, Mr. Maier worked in Germany, serving as vice president of Freyberg Hambros, a Frankfurt-based investment banking boutique, and as CFO of Berlin Kosmetik GmbH, a cosmetics manufacturer in Berlin. Previously, he was an assistant vice president at the Bank of Boston. He received a B.A. from Bowdoin College.

Sramana: Karl, where did you grow up and what kind of background do you come from?

Karl Maier: I had three sisters in my family and we moved around a ton when I was a kid. My father worked in sales for Boise Cascade and focused primarily on newsprint. >>>