Understand if your startup opportunity is a calculated investment or a risky gamble — I frequently hear venture capital investments described as “bets” and I bristle against this characterization. This is because my first boss in venture capital taught me that gambling is the opposite of investing: Gamblers walk into a transaction (the casino) with a rational expectation of losing money, despite the hope…

Don’t break the link between strategy & transactions — In under a decade, our firm Touchdown Ventures has accumulated a wealth of practical experience launching and running more than 25 corporate venture capital (CVC) programs. As a result, my partners and I are frequently asked, “What are the key ingredients to be a successful CVC?” There are a handful…

Corporate innovation executive with 25+ years experience will be based in Miami as a venture partner — We are excited to announce that Dr. Peter Ulrich has joined Touchdown as our newest Venture Partner. Peter brings a wealth of experience in strategy consulting, digital technologies, sustainability, M&A, and venture capital. Having served in senior roles at EY, IBM, and BCG, Peter is well versed in working with…

Luke Skywalker offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and VCs in The Last Jedi — Star Wars Episode VIII, The Last Jedi, garnered mixed reviews from audiences, but the most powerful reaction may have come from Mark Hamill, the actor who has portrayed Luke Skywalker since the original Star Wars release in 1977. …

Simplicity promotes transparency and fairness — Before the Covid pandemic changed the way business was conducted over the last few years, I published in article in early 2020 about how Touchdown “crowd-sourced” our values from our entire company. …

How to apply discipline to pricing in early stage venture capital — I’m frequently asked by journalists whether I think venture capital valuations are too high in the current environment. Because the average venture capital fund returns only 1.3x committed capital over the course of a decade according to the last reported data from Cambridge Associates, and 1.5x …

Scenario planning can avoid overreacting or under-reacting — Experienced sailors know that if they turn the wheel too hard, they will quickly need to compensate by turning in the other direction, or worse, they will capsize the boat. The same holds true for startup entrepreneurs and venture capitalists attempting to manage through lean times. Unfortunately, many startups and…

The fact that nobody knows what will happen in the economy provides surprising clarity for decision making — In April of 2020, the stock market crashed and venture capitalists thought this was finally the downturn everyone had been expecting. As investors, we fancy ourselves to be armchair economists, and we trotted out advice to help our portfolio companies survive the financial winter that appeared to be upon us.

Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi offer lessons for corporate innovators & startup CEOs — “In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way.” — Jedi Grand Master Yoda As leader of the Jedi council in Star Wars, Yoda was essentially their CEO. It was his job to see the future, a talent specifically honed by the visionary warrior…