Mark Suster | Fast Company

Why Reed Hastings Should Be Applauded For The Netflix Split

BY Mark Suster | 09-19-2011 | 11:40 AM | LEADERSHIP

With nearly 25 million customers using Netflix, it's clear that everyone will have an opinion on Reed Hasting's decision to split DVD and streaming businesses. And many short-termists think it's a bad idea. Here's why it's actually a great strategic decision. READ MORE›

Why Your Startup Doesn’t Need A COO

BY Mark Suster | 09-14-2011 | 11:45 AM | LEADERSHIP

It's very common for startup companies to have COOs. So I know I'm getting myself into a bit of trouble by writing this. But...Startups don't need--shouldn't have--COOs. I have this conversation with every startup that comes to see me ...READ MORE›

Why You Need To Take 50 Coffee Meetings

BY Mark Suster | 08-16-2011 | 3:40 PM | LEADERSHIP

Fifty coffee meetings. That number should stick in your head as a metaphor for networking. It's the entrepreneur's equivalent of "10,000 hours," and if you put it into practice next week, it will start paying dividends in the near future. There's a direct correlation to your future success.READ MORE›

Hackers Cruise In The Wake Of Booming Square And Facebook

BY Nidhi Subbaraman | 08-05-2011 | 1:48 PM | INNOVATION

The faster tech businesses boom, the faster scam artists see opportunities to exploit them. Two hacks targeting Facebook and credit card service Square offer further lessons in failure at the speed of light. READ MORE›

Failing At The Speed Of Light

BY Austin Carr | 08-04-2011 | 7:37 AM | INNOVATION

New tech startups are moving with the speed and force of tsunamis. And a few crash that way, too. Airbnb is the latest example of how rapid growth demands rapid response to failures. Top VC Mark Suster tells Fast Company what Airbnb did right--and what it should have done better.READ MORE›

Don't Cede Control: Why You Need To Cut Out Middle Men In Negotiations

BY Mark Suster | 07-21-2011 | 10:44 AM | LEADERSHIP

Middle Men. Middle People? They exist in all forms of work and life. They're essential in helping us get our jobs done because they specialize in something we do not.READ MORE›

Twitter, Jobs, Democracy, And The U.S. Elections

BY Mark Suster | 07-20-2011 | 10:37 AM | LEADERSHIP

It's easier to write "horse race" stories about who's signing up more users or raising more funding. But something more nuanced is at hand that is worth debating -- is the future of the Internet more open or more closed?READ MORE›

The Coming Brick Wall In Venture Capital And Why This Is Good For U.S. Innovation

BY Mark Suster | 07-01-2011 | 10:33 AM | LEADERSHIP

The venture capital business itself is going through an even more fundamental change than just the entry of a new category at the earliest stage.READ MORE›

Changes In Software And Venture Capital (Part II)

BY Mark Suster | 06-30-2011 | 10:43 AM | LEADERSHIP

The latest trends have put pressure on traditional VCs. Some have done earlier-stage deals and done well. Others have chased earlier-stage, but lack the skills or relationships to do this effectively. Some have moved into later stage investments in an effort to "put logos on their websites." People are moving into everybody else's space.READ MORE›

Understanding Changes In The Software And Venture Capital Industries

BY Mark Suster | 06-29-2011 | 10:36 AM | LEADERSHIP

In this three-part series I will explore the ways that the Venture Capital industry has changed over the past 5 years that I would argue are a direct result of changes in the software industry, not the other way around. READ MORE›

10 Marketing Lessons For Early-Stage Tech Startups

BY Mark Suster | 06-28-2011 | 10:40 AM | LEADERSHIP

I made every textbook mistake at my first startup, which is why I believe I was much more effective at my second one. READ MORE›

Angel / VC Funding In A Frothy Market

BY Mark Suster | 06-16-2011 | 11:06 AM | LEADERSHIP

I generally don't like to speak about fund raising in a frothy market. If you're bullish you seem like a Cramer-esque cheerleader and if you're bearish you sound like a party pooper.READ MORE›

What Should We Make Of Peter Thiel's "20 Under 20" Education Program?

BY Mark Suster | 06-02-2011 | 10:51 AM | LEADERSHIP

We need to take some risks in education and in innovation in this country so anybody that it trying to break through the traditional mold and try to create a new model ought to be lauded, not attacked.READ MORE›

The Harder I Work, The Luckier I Get

BY Mark Suster | 06-01-2011 | 12:03 PM | LEADERSHIP

Overnight success. It's one of the biggest myths in the tech industry.READ MORE›

The Importance Of The Narrative

BY Mark Suster | 05-18-2011 | 10:47 AM | LEADERSHIP

Whether you're presenting to a small group of people or a large audience your presentation must have a narrative to effectively get your points across.READ MORE›

Quick Practical, Tactical Tips For Presentations

BY Mark Suster | 05-17-2011 | 11:05 AM | LEADERSHIP

Today's post about positioning yourself in a presentation--this might be a VC meeting but also might just be a sales or biz dev meeting. It's any meeting where you are in a small room and are being called on to present.READ MORE›

The Co-Founder Mythology

BY Mark Suster | 05-10-2011 | 11:10 AM | LEADERSHIP

Conventional wisdom doesn't account for all of the things that go wrong in partnerships over time; especially ones that are formed quickly and without a long gestation period.READ MORE›

"Spolsky On Software" On Both Sides Of The Table

BY Mark Suster | 05-09-2011 | 11:41 AM | LEADERSHIP

My technology team turned me on to "Spolsky on Software" a periodic newsletter served up blog style from Joel Spolsky of FogCreek Software. So it was a thrill for me last month to be able to have dinner with Joel. I interview himed for "This Week in VC" and we filmed it in the offices of Stack Overflow--his new company.READ MORE›

Want To Know How First Round Capital Was Started?

BY Mark Suster | 04-21-2011 | 10:46 AM | LEADERSHIP

What people don't know is how First Round got started, and often people know less about the amazing background of one of its co-founders, Howard Morgan.READ MORE›

Master of Customer Acquisition, Matt Coffin, On Startups

BY Mark Suster | 04-20-2011 | 1:00 PM | LEADERSHIP

I recently sat down with Matt Coffin, the founder of LowerMyBills, which sold for $400 million but was very nearly a bankruptcy only a few years early, and talked "startups."READ MORE›