Mark Bivens
Rude VC: Feeling a part of something bigger
The RUDE VC offers a word of advice on one of the most important elements in working for a company: making your employees feel a part of something bigger.
Rude VC: How do VC's calculate valuations in Europe?
The question I am asked most frequently by European entrepreneurs I know is: “How much is my company worth ?” I’ll pull a Henry Kissinger and answer a slightly different and more precise question, which is that of how VC’s in Europe calculate valuations of tech companies. Even if it’s more precise, the answer still […]
Rude VC: To IPO or not to IPO? – Going public in France
Forgive the bastardization of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, because when it comes to French tech IPO’s, one could argue that MacBeth is more appropriate (“Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble…”). In my last two columns we reviewed the basics of IPO’s and examined some of the challenges that venture-backed companies like Facebook confront in […]
Rude VC – Going public: It's complicated (part 2)
In part 2 of his series on IPOs, Mark touches on the the recent Facebook IPO, what it does & doesn't mean, as well as a bit about the hype around IPO-ing in the US.
Rude VC: Intro to IPOs: US vs. France
If you’ve been reading the French press recently, you are no doubt aware that this week represents the start of a new adventure… I’m of course referring to the imminent road show for Facebook’s IPO. Already affecting a billion people on the planet, and probably 100% of RudeBaguette readers, Facebook strikes me as the perfect […]
European Entrepreneurs: Make your board work for you
VC's often dominate the boards of European startups, certainly in terms of influence if not in full legal voting majority. Board composition in European companies is closely correlated with the company's corporate form.
Rude VC: Rude on NDAs
Several times per week I’m requested to sign an NDA. Last I recall this practice was declining in the U.S. VC landscape, but it’s unfortunately alive and well in Europe. I say unfortunately, because excluding a few valid exceptions, an NDA strikes me as a productivity-killer that hurts both me and the entrepreneur. The process […]
Rude VC: Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic
Pardon the overused cliché, but I figured it was appropriate to pay homage to the 100-year anniversary of the Titanic’s fatal voyage since every media outlet seems to be doing so (my favorite was The Onion’s commemorative tribute in applying its rarely-used 100-point font to the headline). But the equivalent of rearranging deck chairs on […]
Rude VC: The easy money period (relatively)
In France we’re now entering what I think of as the “easy money period” for startups. The easy money period begins roughly around April 15 (purely coincidentally, the U.S. tax filing deadline) and runs until June 15 (the French wealth tax filing deadline, and that’s no coincidence). To be fair, fundraising in a startup is […]
The Disruption and Renewal of Sakura
As style entrepreneur and design authority Tyler Brûlé once astutely observed, it’s always a good time to visit Tokyo. I had the honor of spending the past week there on a business trip, which by stroke of good fortune, coincided with a week of cherry blossoms (sakura) in full bloom. Appreciation of the fleeting moment […]