About Us


 

August 12, 2008 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Sierra Ventures

2884 Sand Hill Rd., Suite 100 | Menlo Park, CA 94025 MAP

As a startup, there’s no shortage of goals and metrics to achieve, but there are countless ways to thwart your own success. To go from startup to stardom, you need to know which factors to focus on first and how to measure the effectiveness of your strategy.

 


In this Strategy Series, we'll discuss:


  • Product Development: How to set appropriate goals & success metrics as well as develop an iterative process to improve performance
  • User Activation & Retention: Defining CTAs, conducting A/B & landing page tests to optimize for conversion, usability testing, and retention tactics
  • Creating a Web 2.0 Marketing Plan: How to design a marketing plan for acquiring users from multiple marketing channels, and how to prioritize & mix channels based on stage of startup growth.
  • Referral & Viral Marketing: Finding & Empowering Customer Evangelists via viral marketing, social networking & bookmarking, widgets, and affiliate marketing  


Moderator:

Mark Fernandes, Managing Director, Sierra Ventures


Speakers: 
Dave McClure, Angel Investor, 500 Hats

Jeremiah Owyang, Forrester

Ro Choy, VP Business Development, RockYou 

Raju Vegesna, Evangelist, Zoho 


 

 



July 15, 2008 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm 
Battery Ventures | 2884 Sand Hill Rd., Suite 101 | Menlo Park, CA 94025


Whether you're a broke entrepreneur with a game-changing idea or a seasoned veteran who's used to swimming with the sharks, there is no avoiding the constantly-changing climate of Startup-ville. In this land, the decision to bootstrap, raise angel money, or take the VC highway is a complicated one, and it could be the main factor in your success...or your failure.

In this Strategy Series, we'll discuss:

  • The Decision: When should a startup consider outside funding? What are the landmarks entrepreneurs should be aware of to help them make the right calls on which options to pursue at each stage of their venture?
  • Choosing Your "Green" Path: VC vs. Angel - How do they evaluate startups? What are the differences in their investment criteria?
  • Filling Your Pipeline: All investors are ellusive prey, often heavily camoflauged and difficult to spot. What are the different techniques that the hunter can use to locate investors? Networking? Conferences? What works, what doesn't?

MODERATOR: 
Mark Sherman, General Partner | Battery Ventures

PANELISTS: 
Jonathan Abrams, CEO | Socializr
Manish Chandra, CEO | Kaboodle
Jeff Clavier, Managing Partner | SoftTech VC
Erik Stuart, Director, Corporate Strategy | eBay

SPONSORS:  

Manatt, Microsoft, Opsource 

 

LAST 3 EVENTS SOLD OUT!

May 21, 2008 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

One Embarcadero Center, 30th Floor | San Francisco, CA 94111


Most content companies today are relying on advertising as their main business model. However, there's only so many ad dollars and eyeballs to go around. To grow your business in a competitive landscape, you'll need to know:

→ Which metrics are advertisers looking for today?
→ How do you get advertiser's attention?
→ How effective are ad networks?
→ What should be the trigger for wanting to have your own sales team?

 

Moderator:

Hale Boggs, Partner, Manatt Phelps & Phillips

 

Panelists:

Amir Ashkenazi, CEO, Adap.tv

Brad Murphy, VP - Ad Sales, Revision3

Keith Richman, CEO - Break Media

 



LAST 2 EVENTS SOLD OUT!


April 10, 2008 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm 
Morgenthaler | Sand Hill Road, Suite 100 | Menlo Park, CA 94025

Can they hear us now? They may not have a choice. From Google's Open Handset Alliance and Android platform to Verizon's new love for developers, the "walled gardens" of the giants appear to be crumbling. Suddenly, carrier networks are becoming dumb pipes, and mobile innovation is no longer an oxymoron - it's happening.

The ground is shifting for startups in this space, but beware...times, they are a-changin', and if you're playing this game, your strategies for gaining traction better change too.

We’ll discuss:

  • Given the success of the iPhone, Google's Android platform and Verizon's Open Development Initiative, what will be the tipping point that forces carriers to really open up?
  • If the carriers become open, how open will they actually be?
  • If this happens, what will the new revenue models look like?

SPONSORS:  Manatt | Microsoft | OpSource.net

 




February 7, 2008 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Hummer Winblad Venture Partners | One Lombard Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA

Back by popular demand! The January Strategy Series sold out in less than 2 weeks, so we're bringing you the sequel....

Outrageous acquisitions, ridiculous valuations... welcome to the return of Silicon Valley. No matter how you slice it and dice it, social networking is still the hottest ticket in town, encapsulating every market segment and daily function. But the game has just begun, and in this sport, the first to the finish line will need more than just a good product and a few million fans in the bleachers.

Join us as we uncover the social networking roadmap for '08: What's going to happen, who's going to benefit, and what you may be doing wrong.

Discussion points include:
  • Outlook: How will social networking change in '08 and what should you be doing to stay ahead of the game?
  • Business & Revenue Models: The winners vs. the losers & 2007 vs. 2008
  • OpenSocial: Will it actually take hold? What impact will it have on the sector?
  • White Space: What are the "under the radar" opportunities being created by the continued surge?

 

 



SOLD OUT!


January 16, 2008 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Shasta Ventures | 2440 Sand Hill Road, Suite 300, Menlo Park, CA

 

Outrageous acquisitions, ridiculous valuations... welcome to the return of Silicon Valley.  No matter how you slice it and dice it, social networking is still the hottest ticket in town, encapsulating every market segment and daily function. But the game has just begun, and in this sport, the first to the finish line will need more than just a good product and a few million fans in the bleachers.

Join us as we uncover the social networking roadmap for '08: What's going to happen, who's going to benefit, and what you may be doing wrong.

Discussion points include:

→ Outlook: How will social networking change in '08 and what should you be doing to stay ahead of the game?
→ Business & Revenue Models: The winners vs. the losers & 2007 vs. 2008
→ OpenSocial: Will it actually take hold? What impact will it have on the sector?
→ White Space: What are the “under the radar” opportunities being created by the continued surge?

MODERATOR: 
Jason Pressman, Partner | Shasta Ventures 

PANELISTS: 
Allen Blue, VP, Strategy VP, Product Strategy | Linkedin 
Dave McClure, Startup Advisor & Angel Investor | 500 Hats
Jia Shen, CTO | RockYou

SPONSORS:  Manatt | Microsoft | OpSource.net  

 


April 30, 2008 | 12:00PM - 6:00PM (Lunch Included)

Fenwick & West | Mountain View, CA

 

At last, even Google is spooked. Whether you're on the bandwagon or on the fence, there's no doubt that social media's seismic effect has arrived. Facebook, a 3-year old company that has yet to master monetization, is being valued on par with Ford. From social networks to business networks, and conversational marketing to virtual worlds, this is the new Wild West of technology.


Analyzing business models, go-to-market strategies and exit options, the Dealmaker Forum is a half-day event designed to dispel the hype and uncover the specific moves required to win this game.

Schedule:

10:30am – 12:00pm – Private Speed-dating (click here for more info)

12:00pm – 1:00pm – Registration & Lunch

1:00pm – 2:00pm - New Super-Models of Social Media

• Which companies in the social media space have the most effective business models today and why? 
• What's actually working and driving revenue?  
• Are ad-based models sustainable, and if not, what will the new "super-model" look like?  
• Will it be a hybrid of ad revenue and monetized services?  
• Will business models begin to resemble cable TV and premium cable options?  


Moderator: 

•Dave McClure, Startup Advisor & Angel Investor, 500 HATS 


Panelists:

• Nicolas Kardas, Sr. Product Manager, Windows Live Platform, MICROSOFT 
• Jim Scheinman, EIR, CHARLES RIVER VENTURES 
• Steve Jang, CMO & Head of Business Development, IMEEM     

• Mark Silva, Founder & Managing Director, REAL BRANDING


2:20pm – 3:20pm - Go to Market Strategy

• Once you've identified your business model, how will you grow your audience? 
• Do partnerships help build a targeted audience? 
• If gaining mass adoption is difficult even for the giants, what are your chances for market penetration? 
• What are the key advantages that emerging companies have over the giants? 
• With the debate of eyeballs vs. engagement, what should the focus of a startup be? At what point should they change their focus?


Moderator: 

Vineet Buch, Partner, BlueRun Ventures

Panelists:

• Charlene Li, VP & Principal Analyst, FORRESTER RESEARCH

• Jason Oberfest, VP Business Development, MYSPACE.COM
• Sergio Monsalve, Principal, NORWEST VENTURE PARTNERS 
• Deborah Shultz, Strategist, DEBORAHSCHULTZ.COM


3:50pm – 4:50pm - What's the Future for Social Media Startups?

• Given that IPO's are not yet a viable option, should you flip or grow your company? How should you decide? 
• What should you be doing today that can impact your exit options and success? 
• If the Microsoft/Yahoo deal goes through, how will that affect the acquisitions landscape? 
• If the market slows (we're not saying the "R" word), will valuations start to decline?


Moderator: 

• Sam Angus, Partner, FENWICK & WEST

Panelists:

• Jeff Clavier, Managing Partner, SOFTTECH VC

• Seth Goldstein, Co-founder & CEO, SOCIALMEDIA NETWORKS
• Michael Jensen, Director - Technology Group, CREDIT SUISSE

• Jason Shellen, Founder, THE SECRET AGENCY


5:00pm – 6:00pm – Reception and Cocktails


The 2007 event brought together participants from these‚ and many more‚ companies: Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Amazon, AOL/Userplane, Sun Microsystems, SAP, Intuit, HP, Palm, Bit Torrent, Salesforce.com, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Goldman Sachs, Photobucket, Sony, Netvibes, IBM, Orange Labs, First Round Capital, Moto Development Group, Zoho, Dow Jones, TSX Venture Exchange, Fenwick & West, Norwest Venture Partners and more.


To see agendas and speakers from past Dealmaker Forum events use this link.

 

 



August 19, 2008 | Clearstone Venture Partners

1351 4th Street, 4th floor, Santa Monica, CA 90401 MAP


Join Dealmaker LA as we host a candid conversation called "Mobile Advertising: Getting a Piece of the $14.4 Billion Pie", featuring 4 of the hottest players in this space discussing what's selling, where the untapped opportunities are, and what every entrepreneur should know about mobile advertising.


Join us after the roundtable to mingle with leading tech startups, founders, developers, investors, and industry executives.


Moderator:

Daniel Blackburn, Mobile Marketing Consultant to Brands and Agencies | db I mm  


Speakers Include:

Jason Spero, VP Marketing | AdMob 

Margo Epstein, Head of Sales, West Coast | Nokia Interactive 

Malene Sam | CBS Interactive

Frank Barbieri, CEO | Transpera

William Quigley, Managing Director | Clearstone Venture Partners


Discussion: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Mixer: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

 


  

July 29, 2008 - Strategy Series/Mixer


Manatt, Phelps & Phillips 
11355 West Olympic Boulevard, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90064


Join Dealmaker LA as we host over 300 leading tech startups, founders, developers, investors, and leading industry executives for an exciting night of networking and mingling. The event will start with a panel called Founder Wisdom: "I wish someone had told me that!," featuring advice from 4 successful founders who've built and sold their business. Listen and ask questions about what they wish someone had told them when they started their company.

Following the panel will be a mixer.


Discussion: 6:00 PM -7:30 PM 
Cocktails & Mixer: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM


Speakers Include:
Michael Jones, CEO | Userplane & SVP, AOL 
Matt Coffin | Former President & Founder | LowerMyBills.com  
Frank Addante | CEO | Rubicon Project 
Kamran Pourzanjani | Former CEO & co-Founder | PriceGrabber


Map: http://tinyurl.com/3un862

Parking: There is plenty of street parking 

 

  

May 5, 2008 | 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Join Dealmaker LA on May 5, 2008 at MTV Networks in Santa Monica as we host over 300 leading tech startups, founders, developers, investors, and leading industry executives for an exciting night of networking and mingling.


Hosted by MTV2600 Colorado Avenue Santa Monica, CA 90404

**Parking available in Garage at 2700 Colorado Ave.
**ENTRANCE TO EVENT IS AT 2700 COLORADO AVE.

 

 

March 27, 2008 | 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Clearstone Ventures | 1351 4th Street, 4th Floor | Santa Monica, CA 90401 


Please join us at Dealmaker Media's premier LA event on March 27, 2008 at Clearstone Ventures in Santa Monica. Dealmaker LA will host over 200 leading tech startups, founders, developers, investors, and leading industry executives.

On the heels of our private L.A. beta launch at the office of Michael Ovitz, we've been welcomed by the SoCal tech community with open arms. Our goal is to bring the LA community together as well as unite Silicon Valley and SoCal for harnessing stronger and more strategic relationships.


From 5pm - 6pm we will offer 20 select startups the opportunity for 5 minute speed-dating sessions with: Rustic Canyon Ventures, GRP Partners, Userplane/AOL, Clearstone Ventures and Greycroft Partners. All startups are invited to apply.


Dealmaker Media produces conferences, roundtables, industry blogs, and research that connect CEOs, technology executives, investors, and press in Silicon Valley. The company is now expanding its unique formula to Southern California to cultivate networks, investments, and visibility into a rapidly evolving and important market for new tech. 

 

 

Term Sheet Negotiation | August 21, 2008 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Storm Ventures | Menlo Park, CA


Designed exclusively for the Bay Area startup community, Startup Labs are evening courses taught by leading VC’s and centered on the most pressing topics for entrepreneurs today. Admission is selective and will give you face-time not only with the venture capitalists teaching the lab, but also to other startup CEO’s and founders in the Bay Area community. 


At this lab, Ben Choi will cover some of the major points when negotiating a term sheet as well as recent trends in term sheets for early stage financings.  The session will be interactive and is intended to help entrepreneurs understand what the guys on the other side of the table are thinking.  


**Admission is open only to startup CEO’s and Founders.** 

 

 

Raising Your First Round | June 19, 2008 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Clearstone Venture Partners | Santa Monica, CA


Designed exclusively for the L.A. startup community, Startup Labs are evening courses taught by leading VC’s and centered on the most pressing topics for entrepreneurs today. Admission is selective and will give you face-time not only with the venture capitalists teaching the lab, but also to other startup CEO’s and founders in the L.A. community.


**Admission is open only to startup CEO’s and Founders.**


 

 

Raising Your First Round | July 23, 2008 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Norwest Venture Partners | Palo Alto, CA


Designed exclusively for the L.A. startup community, Startup Labs are evening courses taught by leading VC’s and centered on the most pressing topics for entrepreneurs today. Admission is selective and will give you face-time not only with the venture capitalists teaching the lab, but also to other startup CEO’s and founders in the L.A. community.


**Admission is open only to startup CEO’s and Founders.**