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Instigator Blog

Lean Analytics, startups, angel investing, product management and more!

Clean Up Before Raising Funding

February 21, 2012 by Ben Yoskovitz

Raising money is a dirty job, but someone has to do it right? Very true, but it’ll go a lot easier if everything behind the scenes is clean, well-organized and ready to go. If you get to the point where you’re about to marry a VC and take their money, there will be a due […]

Filed Under: Startup Fundraising

There’s No Such Thing as a Nominal Investment

February 16, 2012 by Ben Yoskovitz

Micah Baldwin has a great post on the confusing roles and responsibilities between mentors, advisors and investors. It’s a must read for any entrepreneur (particularly those in accelerators where the roles are often mashed together even more.) Micah makes the point that even small investment amounts from mentors ($5-$10k) are important. And he’s absolutely right. […]

Filed Under: Startup Fundraising

Launching Year One Labs – An Early Stage Seed Accelerator

September 5, 2010 by Ben Yoskovitz

Today is a big day. After 6 or so months, I’ve launched my new startup: Year One Labs. Year One Labs is an early stage seed accelerator that will help fund and build startups, primarily in the web and mobile spaces. Although we’ll be in the business of helping others launch their startups, Year One […]

Filed Under: Startups

Startup Funding Doesn’t Always Create the Right Type of Acceleration

August 24, 2010 by Ben Yoskovitz

In a recent conversation with a friend (and fellow entrepreneur) we were discussing a couple of his bootstrapped initiatives. He’s struggling with the pace at which things are going, partially because he has to “pay the bills” through consulting. That time away from his startup and startup projects is hugely distracting. I know the feeling, […]

Filed Under: Startup Fundraising, Startups

Don’t Try to Get Funding Before You Know How It’s Done

November 30, 2009 by Ben Yoskovitz

If you don’t know how the process works to raise capital and get funding from angel investors or venture capital investors, you will never succeed at raising capital. What this means is that if you feel like raising angel investment or venture investment is critical for the success of your business, you need to go […]

Filed Under: Startup Fundraising

Raising Startup Capital is an Achievement, But Not the Most Important One

October 26, 2009 by Ben Yoskovitz

HubSpot recently raised $16M dollars in a new funding round. The total capital they’ve raised to date: $33M. That’s a huge amount of money. Dharmesh Shah, one of HubSpot’s founders isn’t in love with the idea of raising venture capital (but he did it, and explains why too.) He considers himself a bootstrapping guy. After […]

Filed Under: Startup Fundraising

What Does Your Brain on Funding Look Like?

November 26, 2007 by Ben Yoskovitz

This is your brain. This is your brain while you’re trying to get funding.

Filed Under: Startups

Ben Yoskovitz

Founding Partner at Highline Beta, a hybrid venture studio and VC firm that works with large, ambitious companies to identify new areas of opportunity through internal and external innovation.

Previously I was VP Product at VarageSale and GoInstant (acq. $CRM), and Founding Partner at Year One Labs.

Angel investments include: Breather, Spoiler Alert, SendWithUs and others.

My bio »

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