Dave Berkus

Dave Berkus is a noted speaker, author and early stage private equity investor. He is acknowledged as one of the most active angel investors in the country, having made and actively participated in over 87 technology investments during the past decade. He currently manages two angel VC funds (Berkus Technology Ventures, LLC and Kodiak Ventures, L.P.) Dave is past Chairman of the Tech Coast Angels, one of the largest angel networks in the United States. Dave is author of “Basic Berkonomics,” “Berkonomics,” “Advanced Berkonomics,” “Extending the Runway,” and the Small Business Success Collection. Find out more at Berkus.com or contact Dave at dberkus@berkus.com

Latest

How to Be a Dictator Enforcing Sales Offer Deadlines

Everyone who manages a company or its sales force wants to write as many new deals as possible, and is usually warry about doing anything that might threaten the positive outcome of a pending sale….

Rinse and Repeat: Revitalizing Your Business

Here’s a statement that you never thought would apply to your business planning. Sometimes we get stuck in the muck with our marketing, product, management focus, and in keeping up with trends. It is natural…

After 20 Years: Updating the Berkus Method of Valuation

Well, it had to happen.  Originally created in the mid 1990’s to help with the imprecise problem of how to value early stage companies, especially those in technology, I developed what soon became known as…

How Do You Focus Your Team for Action?

How do you get your team to focus and move forward effectively? A fellow CEO recently told me of her method of assuring positive movement within her team. She holds a weekly meeting of her…

It’s What You Ask, Not What You Know

A friend recently told me a story that had nothing to do with business, but unintentionally had a great lesson for all of us. He had asked his arborist if he could move a mature…

How to Battle the Dragon AND Avoid the Encounter

Sometimes a competitor is just too entrenched, too strong, too well equipped to directly face in battle. At least that is the conventional wisdom. Yet, there are constant examples of new entrants into a niche…

What Do You Wish You’d Known Yesterday?

Wouldn’t it be great if there were no more digital or printed reports to tell us what happened in the past? I know. We need financial data for comparison, and to a degree—for planning. But…

Eye of the Needle? Why to Worry Over Your Bottlenecks

Think for a minute whether there is any process or person that could be classed as the eye of the needle in your organization.  Is there anything, process or person, that stalls the flow of work…

How to Avoid “Death by Meeting”

Imagine yourself with a calendar requiring you to be in six meetings in a day. Day after day. How long would it take to induce you to rethink your use of time—and that of the…

How to Simplify Your Commission Structure

Is your commission structure so complex that even you must have help understanding it—and calculating a commission on a pending bid? Sales people are incentivized by money. They usually are able to calculate what’s in…