Real-Life Lessons From Shark Tank

North was recently quoted dropping some knowledge in the article, Real-Life Lessons From Shark Tank on Entrepreneur.com.
Here’s an excerpt:
Know when to pitch. Entrepreneurs with a well-developed product and proven financial success have the best luck with the “sharks,” says David Brody, a managing partner at the venture analysis firm North. “Nothing builds momentum like demonstrating [...]

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Startup Weekend Teams Up With Venture 360

The crew at Venture 360 (a North venture…) has just teamed up with Marc and Clint over at Startup Weekend to bring their throngs of ambitious entrepreneurs some valuable insight and to support Startup Weekend in their mission to foster more innovation around the globe.

Startup Weekend is a 54 hour startup event that provides networking, [...]

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5 Lifelines For Your Startup

North was recently quoted dropping some knowledge in the article, 5 Lifelines For You Startup on Entrepreneur.com.
Here’s an excerpt:
Evan Solida was stuck.
Solida, founder of Cerevellum, which sells digital rearview mirrors for bicycles, had posted his business plan on several websites promising to connect him with investors in exchange for a few hundred dollars.

Time passed. Investors never [...]

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New Venture Evaluation #21

Is Your Revenue Model Automated?

The purpose of this element is to determine whether or not the company can automate the revenue model. Transactions and sales take time (time is money); even retailers spend a fortune on making checkout happen just a few seconds faster. For a business to successfully scale and grow, a turn key [...]

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How do you Measure Up?

Innovation is the backbone of our economy.
Without it, we simply won’t have the game-changing economic growth needed to end the global financial crisis.
Even with nearly six million new businesses started every year, the process for creating American innovation remains remarkably inefficient.* The time, effort, and capital wasted on genetically-flawed businesses represents the loss of [...]

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New Venture Evaluation #14: Operational Speed

This  element is designed to look for a key trait in the management team of nearly all successful new ventures: speed. While some people can drive a car comfortably at 100 MPH, others start to panic and constantly ride the brakes. Key entrepreneurial instincts and the ability to move quickly (combination of confidence, analysis, and [...]

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North Mindmeld: The Rise of Pitch Farms

The scarcity of capital for early stage companies in recent years has lead to the creation of literally thousands of businesses focused on helping entrepreneurs raise money for their start-ups. At North, this subject is close to our hearts, as we’ve made it our mission to make the entire process for fostering, filtering, and funding [...]

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Think Rubber Bands or Elastigirl: New Venture Evaluation #11

This  element looks at “the type” of manager that is leading the charge. There are legendary stories about leaders who no matter what changes take place, stick to the original plan. While sticking to the game plan is a good thing, if it means heading in the wrong direction for several years, it is a [...]

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Are Jellyfish the Answer?

I came across an article in the New York Times entitled “Weary of Looking for Work, Some Create Their Own,” which really brightened my day. Amidst all the economic turmoil it’s great to see the entrepreneurial spirit strengthen as a response. Innovation is the backbone of our economy. Without it, we simply won’t have [...]

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