I’ve always wondered who gets to name demographic groups.
My parents were pre-baby boomers, making them part of the silent generation. (I’m Generation X, so feel free to ignore me completely.)
Generation Z is perceived as materialistic, untrustworthy and highly dependent on personal technology. And now that they are entering the stage of venture capital, an investor said how these characteristics inform the deals.
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Tech investors born after 1996 “raised money, gathered social media followers and capitalized on the mindset of Gen Z,” said Andrew Chan, senior partner at Builders VC.
However, “Gen Z, no matter how you slice it, is still a lot of kids. I added myself,” he noted in a TC+ guest post. “Good for them. I don’t want to be a part of it.
According to Chan, many investors his age rely on “youth, groupthink, and self-confidence instead of hard work and experience.”
“It might work for now, but if this is a success for my generation of capitalists, I’d rather stay in my happy little bubble coding geochemistry at NASA JPL.”
Thank you very much for reading
Walter Thompson
Editorial Manager, TechCrunch+
@your main actor
6 ways to make sure your startup is using the right GTM model
Image Credits: Klaus Wedfelt (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
Years ago I borrowed a road bike from an acquaintance for a day trip. It was wrong.
Having never used a 10-speed bike before, I wasted time and energy struggling to climb hills, like an aftermarket climbing model that didn’t match their level of business.
“Before you can scale any kind of sales model, you need a pipeline to support it,” said Ali Mitchell and Laura Yao, partners at EQT Ventures.
GTM debugging is more than just following basic best practices: you have to know “what to do and when to do it.”
How to connect with your crypto community when things aren’t going well
Image Credits: Peter Dazeley (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
Because it’s a largely unregulated new industry, crypto companies are generally not adept at crisis communications, and I’m being generous.
When a bank or financial services company faces a major security breach or volatility shock, federal laws dictate how it must communicate with its customers. Crypto beginners, however, must rely on their own best judgment.
“Declaring the sky is falling and begging your community to invest doesn’t do much good, but an over-hyped attitude won’t fool anyone,” says Tahem Verma, founder and CEO of Mesha.
Most early stage VC deals are broken with due diligence
Image Credits: z_wei (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
It’s surprising how often investors say “no” to startup founders: If 100 early-stage entrepreneurs pitch to VCs, maybe three will be lucky to get a second meeting.
To find out why simple diligence is the end of the line for many hopeful entrepreneurs, HJ Jan Camps interviews Axel Bichara and Tyler Mince of VC firm Baukunst.
“If you feel like you need to write a script and prepare for everything to make a good impression, it’s probably not going to work,” Bichara said.
Investors list their red (green) flags for startups looking for dollars.
Image Credits: David Zeiss (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
To be clear: Most investors want to say “yes.” No one becomes a venture capitalist to stomp on someone’s dreams.
Reporter Rebecca Bellan spoke to several people focused on climate technology and mobility to learn more about how their research has changed in recent months and what this means for startups looking for follow-on funding:
- George Kellerman, Head of Investments and Acquisitions, Woven Capital
- Nate Jarrett, General Partner, Manive Mobility
- Alexandra Harbour, Principal, Prelude Ventures
- Cassie Bowe, Partner, Energy Impact Partners
- Andrea Walne, General Partner of Manhattan Venture Partners
“Investors are pursuing their thesis discipline as the biggest driver of diligence in today’s environment,” Walne said.
