David Cohen Quotes
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We think of the Techstars product as not really the accelerator but the network. That's what entrepreneurs should be valuing here. I think it's the most undervalued thing that many entrepreneurs don't get.
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The hot deal is often the one that does not work.
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We're pretty broad as investors. Our thesis is work with great entrepreneurs that believe they can change the world. But there are specific areas that we get excited about - areas like hard tech, deep tech, companies that deal with really difficult technology, etc.
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Our goal is simply to make entrepreneurship more accessible to everyone around the world throughout the entrepreneurial journey, from inspiration to IPO.
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In Boulder entrepreneurship circles, there is a genuine desire to see others succeed and a general belief that karma matters. There's a sense that together we're building something here, and that we're all a meaningful part of it.
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Deciding whether or not to bring in an outside CEO is one of the most gut-wrenching decisions that a founder will ever need to make.
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I think motivation and drive, coupled with raw talent, help make founders successful.
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When fundraising, your network is critical. Leveraging it early and often is the key. Don't make the mistake of waiting until you need money to engage sources of capital.
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Techstars has done a great job accelerating and providing venture capital to the most promising companies to make the biggest long-term economic impact.
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Aspiring entrepreneurs are often advised to work at a startup for a couple of years first, to understand what's involved. But often, each company's approach to success is very narrow. So my advice is, 'Just do it.'
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Going public is one step in the life cycle of a company; it's not the last step.
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There's no law that says you have to do what your mentor suggests. And the sooner you learn how to say 'no' confidently, the easier it will be to manage these key relationships.
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Ultimately, even if you follow the advice of a mentor or board member, it's still your fault if they were wrong!
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People are starting companies at young ages. They fail fast, learn a lot, and keep going.
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I had to quit a 'real job' to start my first company.
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I had done six or eight traditional angel investments and basically just thought it sucked.
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We believe that startups can be built anywhere.
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There will always be a capital shortage from the perspective of entrepreneurs.
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Twilio is a great example of a company executing tremendously well on its vision and delivering a beautiful set of products that solves real problems.
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Rules designed to ensure competition ensure that innovators with new ideas can challenge incumbents on a level playing field.
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Consumers have zero time for products that are not simple, intuitive, and attractive to use. This is especially true with Internet products, where clean and useful design is a prerequisite to keeping anyone on your site for more than 30 seconds.
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The best mentors present their opinions simply as data and not as direction.
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I think there are ways that perhaps organic partnerships can occur in local geographies with groups that are extremely focused on their communities. That's really how Techstars began, as a grassroots movement in Boulder, Colo., that happened to catch fire and expand around the world.
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Ultimately, we measure ourselves on the success of our investments.