Funds EIR visa program
Feld announces that he and Batchelor are funding the first year of an an entrepreneur-in-residence program at Colorado University, Boulder. The EIR program is a way to help founders and entrepreneurs who aren’t US citizens get the necessary visas to stay, work, and build innovative companies in the US without having to worry about immigration issues. The program uses a loophole in immigration law that allows visas to be granted to foreign graduates working in some capacity at a local institution of higher learning, while they are also building a startup. Foreign entrepreneurs will be employed part time by CU-Boulder, making them eligible for visas sponsored by the school.
I’ve gotten worn out on the federal level immigration fight. I’m happy to continue to participate in advocacy for change around visas for entrepreneurs, but I’ve decided to focus my energy, and money, on exploring and experimenting with state-oriented solutions.
Startup Life book release
In Startup Life: Surviving and Thriving in a Relationship with an Entrepreneur, Feld and Batchelor, share their personal experiences of living in an entrepreneurial relationship. The book offers strategies for balancing entrepreneurship with relationships, including waiting for a good time for real conversation, life dinners, quarterly vacations off the grid, no TV in the bedroom and always answering your phone when your beloved calls.
Venture Deals 2nd edition release
The Second Edition of Venture Deals is released. The book builds on the first edition by outlining the essential elements of the venture capital term sheet, introducing readers to the various participants in a funding situation, and includes strategies to getting to a fair deal
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Venture Deals book release
Feld and Mendelson compile blog posts with new material to create a guide for entrepreneurs seeking Vventure capital financing. The book includes analysis of the Term Sheet, details the differnt stages of the fundraising process, explores the venture capital ecosystem and gives tactics for negotiations.
My favorite entrepreneurs to fund are those that have had at least one success and one failure. While it is a cliche, failure teaches the big lessons. Most importantly, entrepreneurs that have some failure under their belt have humility and perspective that I think is deeply useful in the creation of the company.
Do More Faster book release
Feld and Cohen identify the key issues that first-time entrepreneurs encounter, and offer proven advice from successful entrepreneurs who have worked with the TechStars program. The authors organize the most critical issues into seven themes: Idea and Vision, People, Execution, Product, Fundraising, Legal and Structure, and Work and Life Balance. Many of the examples are personal experiences from the entrepreneurs themselves. Throughout the book, they debunk numerous myths about startups and reveal some surprising truths.