venture capital

Effective fundraisers have mastered the art of risk framing, demonstrating the ability to clearly articulate the risks associated with each milestone. And then, reassure the investors on how they will meet each one of them. In return, investors have developed standardized expectations for each round of fundraising.

In that context, the onion theory... See more

I won’t expand on the onion theory itself, but it roughly follows the following sequential steps:

Team Risk: Is the team capable of executing their vision? Will the team work together effectively?

Building Risk: Can they develop a viable product?

Market Risk: Is there a substantial market for the product? Will customers use and pay for it?

Go-To-Market... See more

But the window doesn’t last long. As Paik thinks of it, “each time a new shift occurs, it is analogous to the formation of an unstable radioactive isotope. The radioactivity throws off a huge amount of energy in the form of capturable enterprise value, but is subject to half-life decay. Over time, the isotope decays and eventually becomes lead, at... See more