• Topics
    • AI & Big Data
    • AR & VR
    • Blockchain
    • Clean Technology
    • Content & Games
    • Cybersecurity
    • Enterprise & SaaS
    • FinTech
    • Gadgets & Electronics
    • Health & Bio
    • IoT
    • Marketplaces & E-commerce
    • Robotics
    • Transportation & Logistics
    • Investments
    • Ecosystem & Lists
  • Interviews
  • Events
    • ComeUp
    • NextRise
  • Governments
    • KISA
    • KISED
    • KOCCA
    • KOTRA
    • MSS
    • NIPA
    • SBA
  • Programs
    • LAUNCHPAD
    • COMEUP STARS 120
    • K-Startup Grand Challenge
    • TIPS X beSUCCESS Global Project
  • Investment Opportunities
    • Launchpad France Demoday
    • TIPS Global Demoday
    • Launchpad USA Demoday
    • Launchpad Indonesia Demoday
  • Submit an Article
  • Forums
  • register
  • login
Monday, January 18, 2021
KoreaTechDesk
No Result
View All Result
Koreatechdesk
No Result
View All Result
Home INTERVIEWS

James Currier, NFX:  The Angel Investor behind ‘Lyft’ can be relied on for grand business success

 591 total views,  1 today views

Be one of the first to comment
KoreaTechDesk Writer by KoreaTechDesk Writer
PUBLISHED: April 15, 2019 UPDATED: June 4, 2019
in INTERVIEWS
0
Bookmark(0)

Please login to bookmark

No account yet? Register

James Currier, NFX:  The Angel Investor behind ‘Lyft’ can be relied on for grand business success
21
SHARES
243
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

READ ALSO

Startup-X & KOCCA’s ‘Second Chance Program’ helps startups restart business in times of COVID-19

Korean startup SG Entertainment COO Thomas Summer on his plan to market K-Pop globally & train future artists

He is one of Silicon Valley’s foremost experts in growth and network effects. James Currier, a four-time CEO of VC-backed companies, including Tickle (acq Monster), WonderHill (acq Kabam), Iron Pearl (acq PayPal) and Jiff (acq Castlight), is a pioneer of user-generated models, viral marketing, A/B testing, crowdsourcing, and myriad other growth techniques that have since been adopted by nearly all technology companies, including LinkedIn and Facebook.

In 2015, James co-founded NFX, a $150M early-stage venture capital firm focused on network effect businesses along with Pete Flint and Gigi Levy Weiss.  You can read his world-leading analysis of network effects and growth at www.nfx.com/essays.

Koreatechdesk.com had a chat with James Currier regarding his opinions and advice for the startup industry.

1. As an investor, what kind of startups have you invested in?

As an angel between 2004 – 2015, I invested in 50 startups, most with network effects and viral effects at their core.  Companies like Flickr, Goodreads, Lyft, Houzz, Patreon, and Poshmark. As someone running an accelerator 2015-17, I invested in 80 companies of the same type.  Now running a venture firm, we’ve invested in 25 companies with the same focus.

2. How did you find those startups to invest in?

In founding four VC-backed companies, I had many investors and hundreds of teammates.  I made them all money, so they were glad to send me other investment opportunities. Also, I work hard to be useful and insight with Founders, so people will be eager to send me good companies.  Most companies I invest in are sent by former employees, former investors, and former Founders I invested in or advised. I’ve been working with startups since the 1990s.

3. What would be the core factors (reasons) that you invest in those companies?

Great Founders is the number one criteria.  What is a great founder? Fast, smart, determined, confident enough to admit mistakes and change direction, able to raise money, and able to attract the best talent to work with them.  After great Founders, I look for businesses with network effects that allow them to be defensible. Then they must be at the seed stage, which is the stage I invest in.

4. What is the investment range? How much do you put into each startup? and in a typical year, how many startups do you invest in?

We typically put $1-$3 million for 15% of a company.  We invest in 15 companies per year.

5. What are the main factors (reasons) that startups fail that you have experienced or noticed so far? and How to prevent those mistakes in advance from your personal perspective?

They can’t find the product-market fit. They can’t find what customers want.  Another reason they fail is they come too late to a market, so customers are busy buying products from competitors that got there first.  Another reason they fail is they are not targeting a market that is big enough to attract capital or the best talent. Many company ideas are “good” ideas, but they are big ideas.  With so many big ideas around, few people want to put money and energy into small ideas.

6. What’s your advice for entrepreneurs who meet (or pitch to) investors like you?

Use www.thecompanybrief.com to explain your business to investors before the meeting.  There are great videos there explaining how to pitch well to investors.  Be succinct. Investors see 6 new companies per day. You must be short and get to the good parts of your story right at the beginning.

7. What’s your general thought (definition) about the term “Global”?

I mean you build a business that can expand beyond its country of origin into more markets.  Having that vision and drive to take it all is a great thing.

8. What are the important factors (criteria) for Korean startups to consider for a US expansion?

Hiring the right person in the US to lead the effort.  Very simple. It’s a hiring challenge. Nothing more.

9. Our media group company name is “beSUCCESS”, what’s your definition of the term “success” as an investor or as an individual human being?

Create something valuable to others.  Create something you can share with people.  Something that excites people, employs people, inspires people.  Touch the world. Make a dent in the universe.

10. What are the things (one or two) that you would do differently if you could go back to 10 years ago?

I would have become a full-time investor sooner. I used to think it was a negative job, meaning it was about saying no all the time, and the more negative you were the better you were at your job.  But now I see how much positive I can create by being an investor.

11. When you come to Korea next time, what kind (entrepreneur type or startup industry) of Korean entrepreneurs and startups you want to meet?

Gaming, marketplaces, payments, e-commerce, SMB software, viral enterprise SaaS…. all these can have network effects.

What’s your thoughts?
+1
0
Upvote
+1
0
Clap
+1
0
Clap
+1
0
On fire
+1
0
Meh
+1
0
Clap
+1
0
Tags: InvestorKorean StartupLyft Angel InvestorNFXVCVenture Capital
KoreaTechDesk Writer

KoreaTechDesk Writer

KoreaTechDesk is a trustworthy source for news on the start-up industry in South Korea. It focuses on various tech start-ups, which are developing some unique and interesting products. press@18.206.160.104

Related Posts

Startup-X & KOCCA’s ‘Second Chance Program’ helps startups restart business in times of COVID-19#INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS

Startup-X & KOCCA’s ‘Second Chance Program’ helps startups restart business in times of COVID-19

December 22, 2020
SG Entertainment#Entertainment
Entertainment

Korean startup SG Entertainment COO Thomas Summer on his plan to market K-Pop globally & train future artists

November 12, 2020
Korean startup VODA BI’s CEO JinKook Lee on how their app will revolutionize sales calling#AI & Big Data
AI & Big Data

Korean startup VODA BI’s CEO JinKook Lee on how their app will revolutionize sales calling

October 28, 2020
Korean startup Rezi’s founder Jacob Jaquet about sustaining a successful resume service#AI & Big Data
AI & Big Data

Korean startup Rezi’s founder Jacob Jaquet about sustaining a successful resume service

October 28, 2020
Korean startup founder Julie Choi shares details about creating Pickit – the world’s first K-Pop digital collectible marketplace#Content & Games
Content & Games

Korean startup founder Julie Choi shares details about creating Pickit – the world’s first K-Pop digital collectible marketplace

October 28, 2020
Korean startup QSTAG Inc.’s CSO Cheong (Lucas) Shin on how the change in healthcare management will propel growth for their products#Health & Bio
Health & Bio

Korean startup QSTAG Inc.’s CSO Cheong (Lucas) Shin on how the change in healthcare management will propel growth for their products

October 28, 2020
0 0 vote
Article Rating
Subscribe
Sign up Login
Notify of
Please login to comment
3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
trackback
Fake Rolex - Best Replica Watches On The Official Website
1 month ago

… [Trackback]

[…] Information on that Topic: koreatechdesk.com/james-currier-nfx-the-investor-you-can-rely-on-for-grand-business-success/ […]

0
trackback
เซ็กซี่บาคาร่า
21 days ago

… [Trackback]

[…] Read More here on that Topic: koreatechdesk.com/james-currier-nfx-the-investor-you-can-rely-on-for-grand-business-success/ […]

0
trackback
Research
18 days ago

… [Trackback]

[…] Find More on on that Topic: koreatechdesk.com/james-currier-nfx-the-investor-you-can-rely-on-for-grand-business-success/ […]

0

FREE NEWSLETTER

No Result
View All Result

TRENDING POSTS

  • Vietnamese startup Loship upgrades the customer experience game by combining food delivery and podcasts

     875 total views,  7 today views

  • Korean startup Twinny Robotics’ autonomous navigation robots help logistics companies reduce cost and save time 

     1,348 total views,  15 today views

  • Korean startup Letsee to launch a global version of Web-AR solution

     825 total views,  3 today views

  • Korean startup IMEMINE CEO Iksoo Park about how the SizeMine app will help fashion e-commerce reduce returns cost

     788 total views,  7 today views

  • Korean startup Riiid’s AI Education Challenge attracts over 2,700 teams around the world

     886 total views,  3 today views

  • Korean Startup Seoul Robotics’ 3D engine for Lidar sensors to make autonomous driving smarter 

     651 total views,  6 today views

  • Korean Startup J&T Biotech develops self-use auto-injector for allergy medication

     841 total views,  10 today views

  • COMEUP 2020 DAY 1: COMEUP STARS pitches & K-Startup Grand Challenge Awards, Special sessions & side events

     872 total views,  3 today views

  • Korean startup Vogo safeguarding environment with its eco-friendly vessels for the marine industry

     753 total views,  3 today views

  • Korean startup Exosystems makes smart knee care solution Exo-Rehab for elderly

     581 total views,  5 today views

More from our network


  • ktd

  • atd

  • itd

  • ktt

  • kgd

  • kpp

  • ktp

  • kpoppost

  • ustechtimes
  • About Us
  • Account
  • Account
  • Alertme test
  • Ask Question
  • Connections
  • Cookie-policy
  • Dashboard
  • dashboard
  • DWQA User Profile
  • Edit
  • Edit Company
  • Edit Company
  • edit form 5
  • edit form 8 copy testing page
  • Events
  • Followers
  • Followers
  • Following
  • Following
  • for_companies carousal
  • homepage
  • Investment Opportunities
  • Investment Opportunities test
  • Investment Opportunities with filter
  • judges
  • login
  • Login
  • Logout
  • Logout
  • mailchimp
  • Member Directory
  • Member Directory
  • Mentors Community
  • My Bookmarks
  • my companies
  • My Points
  • My Saved Deals
  • Newsletter
  • Order Received
  • Payment
  • poll test
  • post submitted
  • Privacy Policy
  • profile
  • Questions
  • register
  • Registration
  • Sample Page
  • Sitemap html
  • Sponsorships
  • Submit post
  • Submit your Startup Profile here
  • Subscription
  • team memeber
  • Terms of Use
  • test
  • test
  • testdate
  • Thank You
  • Time Zone Test
  • TIPS X beSUCCESS KOREAN STARTUP SHOWCASE
  • User login
  • wp forms add company
  • you want to logout?

Copyright © 2020 KoreaTechDesk | About Us | Sponsorships| Terms of Use |Privacy Policy |Cookie Policy Contact : press@koreatechdesk.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • AI & Big Data
    • AR & VR
    • Blockchain
    • Clean Technology
    • Content & Games
    • Cybersecurity
    • Enterprise & SaaS
    • FinTech
    • Gadgets & Electronics
    • Health & Bio
    • IoT
    • Marketplaces & E-commerce
    • Robotics
    • Transportation & Logistics
    • Investments
    • Ecosystem & Lists
  • Interviews
  • Events
    • ComeUp
    • NextRise
  • Governments
    • KISA
    • KISED
    • KOCCA
    • KOTRA
    • MSS
    • NIPA
    • SBA
  • Programs
    • LAUNCHPAD
    • COMEUP STARS 120
    • K-Startup Grand Challenge
    • TIPS X beSUCCESS Global Project
  • Investment Opportunities
    • Launchpad France Demoday
    • TIPS Global Demoday
    • Launchpad USA Demoday
    • Launchpad Indonesia Demoday
  • Submit an Article
  • Forums
  • register
  • login

Copyright © 2020 KoreaTechDesk | About Us | Sponsorships| Terms of Use |Privacy Policy |Cookie Policy Contact : press@koreatechdesk.com

wpDiscuz
3
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply

Insert/edit link

Enter the destination URL

Or link to existing content

    No search term specified. Showing recent items. Search or use up and down arrow keys to select an item.