Costanoa Ventures
We back tenacious and thoughtful founders who change how business gets done.
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Keep the conversation going with Seat @ the Table Events
Keep the conversation going with Seat @ the Table Events
What if we could accelerate the learning that helps more women acquire the skills they need to get to the next level of management …
Sarah, Selena, Lauren, Annie and Kelly
Sarah, Selena, Lauren, Annie and Kelly
I met Kelly over dinner as she explained some of the important things she’s learned about recruiting top talent at Riveria and Oracle. Her…
Costanoa Access Fellowship
Costanoa Access Fellowship
There is a lot of discussion about the lack of women and underrepresented minorities in venture capital. Many debate if it’s a problem of…
Steve Young: “Life is more athletic than just wearing one pair of shoes.”
Steve Young: “Life is more athletic than just wearing one pair of shoes.”
Last week, we were honored to have Steve Young, three-time Super Bowl- winning quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer, speak to a…
The Power of Messaging Platforms
The Power of Messaging Platforms
Messaging-based interfaces are transforming the way business gets done — and how businesses interact with their customers. Messaging-based…
Startups: When and how to go vertical
Startups: When and how to go vertical
In their early days, many software companies find themselves asking which customers to target. That may mean choosing between small…
A New Year’s Checklist for Sales Leaders
A New Year’s Checklist for Sales Leaders
The Holiday Season, and New Year’s in particular, has never been a favorite holiday for anyone in Sales. For many companies, the last two…
Costanoa Ventures
Costanoa Ventures
As the year comes to a close, we want to express our gratitude to everyone in the Costanoa community for making this a memorable year for…
Innovation Journal: Customer In and Technology Out
Innovation Journal: Customer In and Technology Out
A few years back, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos was receiving an award as Entrepreneur of the Year from Stanford GSB. Several of us…
Putting Together a Board Deck — Tips and Techniques
Putting Together a Board Deck — Tips and Techniques
A few weeks ago, Casey Ellis, CEO of Bugcrowd, emailed the Costanoa CEO group looking for tips on the mechanics of assembling a board deck…
Bringing the ‘Ed’ to NovoEd
Bringing the ‘Ed’ to NovoEd
We are thrilled to announce Ed Miller has joined NovoEd as CEO.
Be a quilt maker, not a puzzle builder
Be a quilt maker, not a puzzle builder
Last week, Dr. Tina Seelig, Stanford Professor on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship, introduced our LPs and portfolio CEOs to…
Your First Marketing Hire
Your First Marketing Hire
As many have written (most recently Jason Lemkin on Quora), B2B marketing contains at least four really discrete disciplines: demand…
“Closing the Deal” with your Top Sales Candidates
“Closing the Deal” with your Top Sales Candidates
One of the hardest parts at an early stage startup is building out the initial sales and marketing team. A lot has been written about when…
Let’s Start Selling: Welcome Jim Wilson, our newest Operating Partner
Let’s Start Selling: Welcome Jim Wilson, our newest Operating Partner
A few weeks ago, Jim Wilson officially joined Costanoa as an Operating Partner focused on Sales. Jim brings a unique set of skills to the…
Welcoming Propeller Aero
Welcoming Propeller Aero
I am thrilled to announce that Costanoa has led a $3.1M seed investment in Propeller Aero, with participation from our friends at Accel…
You Got This: Cultivating a Culture that Celebrates Effort and Innovation
You Got This: Cultivating a Culture that Celebrates Effort and Innovation
I enjoy traveling but I always love coming home to Silicon Valley. Recently, I had a particularly arduous trip with a flight delay and a…
What Investors Look for in Technical Founders: the Four Archetypes
What Investors Look for in Technical Founders: the Four Archetypes
Most of the companies in which Costanoa invests has at least one technical founder*, often more. I’ve found taking the time to assess each…
Why I joined Costanoa Venture Capital
Why I joined Costanoa Venture Capital
Last week I joined Costanoa Venture Capital as an Operating Partner. My charter is something I’m very passionate about: helping companies…
Giving and Getting Engaged: Just Do It
Giving and Getting Engaged: Just Do It
This is the third of a three part series on giving in its different forms.
Why classic B2B positioning statements don’t work
Why classic B2B positioning statements don’t work
Positioning statements are one of the most foundational marketing tools for any company. So why are so many of them bad?
What You Can Do to Close the Opportunity Gap and Why It’s Bigger Than You Think
What You Can Do to Close the Opportunity Gap and Why It’s Bigger Than You Think
This is the second of a three part series on giving in its different forms.
Learn Faster: Why You Should Combine Customer Success with Pre-sales
Learn Faster: Why You Should Combine Customer Success with Pre-sales
While working with one of our portfolio companies the other week, I was reminded of a really smart model to help enterprise software…