According to the
#1. Unique Product
Anyone can sell a cup of dirt and call it top-grade soil. If a business isn’t unique and can be easily repeated and sold by others, chances are it will. Venture capitalist should always be looking for the next big product that is sure to get the consumers hyped up. If there is nothing special about the product then there is nothing stopping every average Joe off the street from getting in on the action.
#2. Market Proven
Imagine the most amazing, ingenious, revolutionizing product in the world, coupled with a fantastic marketing plan and sales pitch. That unfortunately doesn’t say a lot if the product has never actually made a sale. According to the Venture Capital Association only .4 percent of new companies in the USA receive capital funding. With such few funds being invested into new businesses it is important for the startup to prove it’s relevance before the money is wasted.
#3. Savvy Founder
When considering a startup to invest into it is important to know exactly whom you are getting into business with. Even if the product is unmatched, a poor businessman can quickly run it into the ground. Some important traits to look for in a founder are as follows:
- Energy and Passion
- Industry expertise and creditability
- Listening and communication skills
- The ability to comprise and problem solve
Someone like Gabriel Venture Partners – Rick Bolander has led over fifty venture deals into over 100$ millions. What is his secret? Identifying the startups with the strongest founders and working with them for success.
#4. The Perfect Team
Sometimes it just comes down to having the right person for the right job. If the right person isn’t doing the right job, it can become a huge burden for the entire company. Jim Collins says it best in his book Good to Great, “Widen your definition of ‘right people’ to focus more on the character attributes of the person and less on specialized knowledge. People can learn skills and acquire knowledge, but they cannot learn the essential character traits that make them right for your organization.”
Being a venture capitalist is a risky, sometimes terrifying career. But the reward almost always outweighs the risk involved. The more you research and learn, the more you’ll discover anyone can do it with the right skill set and knowledge backing them up. You may still make some mistakes but that is a small price to pay for a hefty paycheck and distinguished career.
Images: ”Signpost with Venture Capital wording / Shutterstock.com“
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