Does your product pass the toothbrush test?
Repeat usage is one of the most important success factors for building a large, stand-alone company. It’s hard to grab people’s mindshare and create a loyal user base when people only need to use your product or service occasionally. One of the best metaphors I’ve come across to describe this reality is Google’s “toothbrush test” […]
Best word of advice: Simplify
I’ve noticed a common theme carries across most of the advice I’ve given to entrepreneurs lately, and that’s to s-i-m-p-l-i-f-y. For example: 1. Simplify your vision. If you find yourself rambling for minutes on end, it’s time to reign in your mission statement. Nobody will remember a 2 or 3 paragraph description, but they will […]
Lessons from a founder: how to deal with rejection
Guest post by Mischa Steiner-Jovic, founder and CEO of Awesense Wireless. You can follow him on Twitter. My skin thickens every time I hear a VC say “You’re building what? Why? You’re selling to whom?” or just a flat-out “that’s not a good idea.” Stepping outside the norm often elicits strong reactions and disbelief. Of course, […]
2012 Recap and Final Close at $19M
While crunching the data and reflecting on the past year, it’s clear that 2012 was busy. Version One Ventures made eleven investments, including three angel investments that rolled over into the fund. Here are some of the more interesting details to share about our activity in 2012: Version One invested more than $2.5M in 2012 […]
Announcing our latest investment: GroupTalent
There’s a talent drain facing the tech industry today. We frequently hear about companies that can’t find enough skilled developers and positions are left unfilled for months. That’s why I’m particularly excited to announce Version One’s investment in GroupTalent, a talent-as-a-service platform that focuses on hard-to-fill software design and development roles. GroupTalent matches companies with […]