Insights
What we’ve learned building companies.
Lessons from the businesses we’ve built with founders, and the ones that taught us the most.
Page 15 of 17
How to write the perfect intro email to VC investors.Having worked as a semi-professional investor, and done over 70 early-stage deals, I’ve read my fair share of intro emails. Most suck.Read the post →
What should I do with $5m?This article is the second instalment of a series of posts written by Evan Larbi. You can read the first here. Evan runs the strategy practice Studio Junction. His focus is on creating compelling brands, helping startups to create compelling a brand voice, business vision, and product suite.Read the post →
Update: July 2022Hi everyone – we just circulated a report to our investors, which means it’s time for a wider update on what we’ve achieved and learned in the last few months. In this update DQventures update Private investments Public markets Articles and posts Work, work, work.Read the post →
I was an MD of a global business and loved my job. So why did I launch a startup?Article by Rob Bryson, friend of DQ and Managing Director of WeNetwork Asia, DQventures’ first portfolio company. As someone in their mid/late 40s, leaving the corporate world and setting up my own business was obviously a risk.Read the post →
How investors think according to Australia’s most successful VC.If you’re an investor or startup founder, and haven’t listened to Blackbird‘s Niki Scevak talk about the Blackbird Ventures philosophy, we’ve listed two podcasts at the bottom of this article. They’re both full of actionable insights. Treat yourself.Read the post →
Should I take $5m as an early-stage investment?This article was written by Evan Larbi, who runs the strategy practice Studio Junction. His focus is on creating compelling brands for startups. He works with companies on their brand voice, business vision, and products.Read the post →
How to combine a corporate job with startups for a life of purpose, passion, and potentially life-changing outcomes.I recently spoke at an event about starting, advising, and investing in startups. The audience mostly comprised senior professionals, who were living the corporate life in Singapore, my former home, with varying levels of startup experience. Some were investors, others advisors, and in several cases, they were founders themselves.Read the post →
What do investors want to see in a pitch deck?This article comes from Eva Dobrzanska, who helps early-stage founders with advice on capital raising, scaling, and accessing the right funding. If you’re a founder currently raising capital, you can reach out to Eva here. Understanding how investors think and work will dramatically improve the results you get when reaching out.Read the post →
How do I raise money to start my own business?Founders: warning, investors may be less excited about your idea than you are. As someone who has pitched to hundreds of investors, I can safely say that, no matter how strongly you believe in your idea, or how unique you think you and your startup are, it is likely that investors will be underwhelmed.Read the post →
How does it feel to sell a business for $100m?In this video DQventures founder, Oliver Palmer, talks about his experience growing and selling his previous business, TigerSpike, for more than $85m. Some of the takeaways from this interview are: Sometimes investors can do right by everyone by allowing founders to take money off the table.Read the post →
Update: April 2022Hello friends! We already shared pics of Ol and James, so now it’s Arjun’s turn. Here he is with the other love of his life (outside of DQ)… his favourite sunglasses daughter, Thea. (By the way, we thought founding startups was hard… until we tried getting a photo of Arjun.Read the post →
Finding angel investors, purpose, and pole dancing.Watch DQventures co-founder, James Green, speaking with Stakeholderz VP of Operations, Megan Snijman, about the best ways for early-stage startup founders to connect with angel investors. A former founder herself, Megan has seen hundreds of different pitches, and is often surprised about the chasm between founders and early-stage investors they often seek to impress.Read the post →