“ We (VCs) are like the entrepreneur’s older brother — we help them, support them, but we kick their ass when needed. ”

Jeff Clavier

“ People refer to powerpoint as a “deck.” There’s no rule that says you have to deal from the top of the deck in a pitch meeting. ”

Fred Graver

“ Actually if you have a thousand people going out launching shit, for 100k or 200k, the one that can raise 5 million and deploy that effectively has a huge competitive advantage. ”

Reid Hoffman (via jdg)

“ There’s always been too much money in venture capital. ”

Tom Perkins

“ Some entrepreneurs are able to use only their own money and get much richer than if they share the equity upside while at the same time reducing their own risk of loss. But most entrepreneurs who use only their own money end up sitting around broke, reading books about entrepreneurs who understand how to create companies at least partially with other people’s money. ”

Sam Wyly

“ Never, never, never give anyone a piece of your business. ”

Derek Sivers

“ With VCs, if you want money, ask for advice — and vice versa. When they offer money, make sure you get advice. When they go out of their way to offer advice, watch your wallet. ”

Scott Rafer

“ VCs aren’t ‘giving’ you money. They’re buying your stock. Don’t tolerate them acting like it’s a favor. ”

Chris Sacca

“ Taking money from someone else kills more start-ups than anything else does. Do everything you can to avoid taking money. If you must, your best prospects are potential customers. You have something they want, so if they invest in you, it can be a win-win situation. ”

Mark Cuban

“ I would absolutely say that a blog is better than a business plan. ”

Dick Costolo