November 2020

E-Commerce is sweeping the nation as one of the largest grossing markets in the world. Online shopping is very popular with the convenience and customizability offered through various stores. Business owners have gained an advantage compared to regular brick-and-mortar operations to personalize consumer interests giving the people exactly what they want when they want it.  E-Commerce has a way of reading our minds when it comes to buying beneficial products that influence daily lives. There’s never been a faster way to input desired products, and find results that will deliver within 2 to 5 days.

Continue reading Benefits of Starting a Custom E-Commerce T-shirt Business at StartUp Mindset.

Today we’re announcing that my partner Kara Nortman is becoming Co-Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to welcome her to her new role.

As with all promotions, the reality is that Kara was already acting as a senior leader at our firm and also in the industry at large. She had all of the skills and traits we sought — leadership, mentorship, competitiveness, communications, relationship-building — and of course a relentless pursuit of helping founders succeed.

I’ve become fond of saying “if I had a dollar for every person who told me just how much they loooooved Kara Nortman, I’d have a 10x fund.” So mostly we just had to listen to customer feedback from founders, VCs and LPs.

Why Kara?

Kara is a natural leader and loves taking ownership of tasks and over-performing. She has an amazing ethical compass with heart, compassion and drive. She’s empathetic and brings great humor to her work as well.

I remember years ago trying to recruit Kara. It took me three years to persuade her to join. I called an (ex) LP to tell him about her and my goals for her. He said to me (only 9 years ago), “I hope you’re not just hiring her because she’s a woman.” (I promise you, he really said this out loud.)

My literal response was, “She went to Princeton undergrad and has a Stanford MBA. She worked for 5 years as a VC at Battery Ventures and co-headed M&A at IAC working with Barry Diller. She took an operating role helping run Citysearch and Urbanspoon. On paper she’s more qualified than Yves or myself so with that out of the way can we now just focus on her skills and how you help me recruit her?”

Kara said “no” because she wanted to start her own company, which she did and I backed. At the end of that journey she joined Upfront as a partner where she’s been for > 6 years so she now has walked in the footsteps of the people she will back. She made the right decisions not joining back then because that founder empathy is the “++” that makes a difference in this business.

But if you know Kara, you likely already know all of this. So why now? And what does that really mean for the firm?

Why Now?

In any job you either find leadership opportunities for your best people BEFORE they ask or other people start asking them to become leaders somewhere else. Leadership is about recognizing your next generation of talent and helping lift them up. Or, maybe it’s just about getting out of the way and watching what they can achieve.

Our industry needs more female leaders and they shouldn’t have to all quit their respective firms and raise their own funds to get a shot at running things. The fact that Kara doesn’t have what my wife likes to refer jokingly as my “Y chromosome problem” is beside the fact. She’s more qualified than I and I know she’ll eventually eclipse the things that Yves and I have built over the past couple of decades.

Venture capital is about backing the leaders of tomorrow who imagine the world as it should be and aren’t constrained by what it is today. As an industry we’re not always as good as we could be about our own “creative destruction” to create the tomorrow of venture capital. It’s time to prepare Kara to help smash some more glass ceilings.

So What Does All This Mean?

The core of the investing job of course is investing dollars into startup companies and helping as a mentor, advisor and board member on the companies in which you’ve invested. But there is so much more that goes into running a successful fund, including:

• Planning reserves for follow-on investments
• Building portfolios of risk by sector, geography and stage
• Raising capital from LPs and then communicating and reporting back to them
• Recruiting and training staff at our firm
• Handling legal issues, accounting and annual audits
• Regularly reviewing the competitive strategy of your firm to make sure you don’t become complacent
• Oh. And all the platform stuff. Marketing, recruiting, building data products & tools, event management, analyzing the portfolio, etc.

In reality we have an amazing team for which we have dedicated staff who manage many of these functions but as a leader, as a Managing Partner, you have ultimate responsibility. Kara will now be really involved with what goes on to successfully create and run a firm but while still handling her core duties of funding great entrepreneurs.

Does This Mean You’re Retiring?

Fuck no. I’m only 52! I’ll still work with Kara managing the next few funds, but I’ve already been pushing for our firm to do more to diversify our activities and this will allow me to focus on some of that. For example, we’re now already well into our third growth fund that we started in 2015 (the first returned 2x cash in 3.5 years). So beyond running our flagship “Series Seed / A” fund there is much more to be done and I’m confident Kara will step up to that task.

Wait, What About Yves? And Greg?

Just as Yves mentored me when I became his co-managing partner in 2011, he didn’t seek to ride off into the sunset either. Instead he championed our investment themes into sustainability and food technologies having invested in companies like Apeel Sciences and Ynsect. He’s helped me run the Upfront holding company activities for all of these years and will continue to do so. Yves enjoys the same things I do — investing in the brightest and most driven entrepreneurs we have access to and helping guide them as they build amazing companies and industries. So Yves thankfully isn’t going anywhere either! We’ve worked together for more than 20 years now. And it would be my great pleasure to work with Yves for another 20 years. Just you watch.

And that Greg Bettinelli chap? What’s he doing? Listen, I think most of us if you gave us a choice would prefer “just” to be great investors and to spend all of our time on portfolio work. Greg has always been clear that he loves investing the most and he’s been incredibly successful having led our investments in GOAT, Ring, ThredUp and now more recently in companies like Rally. Greg is part of our executive leadership team and already helps run the firm. He launched our scout program as an example. But when we sat down one-on-one 18 months ago and talked about what the firm should look like in the future he proactively said “Kara is the best person to help run the firm. I’ll help own functions but I mostly just want to back great founders and not have to own all the other BS.”

So There You Have It

We have an amazing team including our newest Partner, Aditi Maliwal, who runs our FinTech investment practice and is based in San Francisco. In fact, Kara led the effort to recruit our newest partner and it was then that it was first clear to me how amazing she would be at the role.

Please help me welcome Kara into her role as Co-Managing Partner. I am truly thrilled to see what she makes of it.

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Kara Nortman Was Just Promoted to Co-Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures. Here’s What it All Means was originally published in Both Sides of the Table on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you accidentally leave the gate open and foragers end up destroying 1000 acres of crops, the guilt feels different than if you went and actively burned down the fields, even if the damage is identical.

In our society, we treat errors of omission differently from the decision to commit a crime.

But there are countless places in between.

What if you should have known?

What if you could have known but didn’t bother to do the work?

What if you promised you’d do the work to find a path, but then didn’t?

One reason we hide is that we’re afraid of being on the hook, of making a promise we can’t keep, of showing up and taking responsibility for our intentional actions. But, as information becomes more widespread and our leverage increases, we’ve already put ourselves on the hook. Could, should and would not only rhyme, they exist on a continuum.

What is crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is a collective of people cooperating to network and pool their money and resources together, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other organizations. Unlike angel investments, in which an investor takes a large stake in a small business, with crowdfunding, you can literally attract a “crowd” of people – each of whom takes a small stake (if any) in a business idea by contributing towards an online funding target. Read more…

Recommended: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know About Equity Crowdfunding to Raise Money

When I began my journey on Instagram, I had no idea that one day I would become a “top influencer.” In the beginning, companies reached out to me to review their products, seeing as I was CEO of the startup Garnysh.

From there, things took on a life of their own, and now I have over 191,000 followers on Instagram, and counting. More than 500 brands have approached me for sponsorship and promotions, including Target, Bumble Bizz, Amazon, Fresh Beauty, and Sephora.

Would you like to know my 10 key steps to becoming an Instagram influencer? Read on.

1. What’s your Instagram niche?

It sounds clichéd, but this is vital. Not only should you examine what you’re passionate about, but you also need to be honest with yourself about what you’re good at.

Sports, cooking, beauty, art, interior decorating? Do you love making funky sushi dishes? Maybe you can create some bomb hairstyles that no one has seen before. Whatever it is, that’s your niche. For me, beauty and fitness were an instant fit, and being a mom of two kids in the entertainment industry only expanded my horizons.

While you’re throwing yourself into Instagram, go ahead and create a blog. This will strengthen your brand.

2. Instagram analytics (sigh)

It may sound boring, but you’re going to need an Instagram Business Account to read those analytics. Learn about Instagram Insights. It gives you all the demographic data that you need about who follows you. You can also track profile views and audience activity times.

Since you have your niche, you’re not posting things randomly, but strategically. What posts are your followers loving? Which ones create less interest? All of this will help you build your status on Instagram.

I have to be honest, not everyone loves analytics—I think it’s fascinating. While starting out, learning this for yourself is going to put you at an advantage.

3. Focus on your Instagram bio

You know what it’s like when you’re applying for new jobs, slaving over your CV and resume. That’s the same kind of precision you need when writing your Instagram bio.

Don’t worry, you only have 150 characters to work with, but that short paragraph is your pitch. It’s the introduction to your brand, what you’re about, and what it is you seek to do. Your bio should capture the essence of who you are. Be sure to hook up a link in your bio if you have a website or blog.

4. It’s all about Instagram aesthetics

Have you noticed that when you’re surfing Instagram you always tap on the photos with a cool or interesting aesthetic? This vibe can come across in many different ways.

Learn how to take great photos. If you don’t know how to do this yet, start learning! Have the cash to hire a good team? I suggest that you do that. Most influencers focus on a color scheme so that their photos are cohesive—it becomes their signature palate. While you don’t have to do this, it does make your posts easily recognizable. My posts don’t all look the same, but I go for a similar feel: glamorous but down-to-earth; sassy but still authentic.

Don’t worry about being or looking perfect. Focus on professionalism, good quality, and a solid vibe.

5. Don’t forget your Instagram captions

The photos engage your followers, but the short captions speak a thousand words. Don’t ignore this small but significant element. You’re not writing a sonnet. This is haiku. The captions make a brand seem interesting and real. This is your voice talking to your followers, so show some personality.

Start by asking yourself, What is my brand’s voice? You know your niche, you know your aesthetic, but how are you speaking? Are you chill, feisty, fun, humorous? Your language and tone are as interesting as your images. Pick a voice that speaks to you and remain consistent.

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6. Select great Instagram hashtags

#InfluencerLifeGoals. Did you know that hashtags can increase your following on Instagram? Posts with hashtags lead to more engagement and views.

Say you’re reviewing a new skin-care brand from Sephora. Do you think that post will be found with the hashtag #skincare? No! You need to be specific and you need to use many hashtags to ensure that post gets seen. For instance: #SephoraWatermelonMask, #SplurgingAtSephora, #BestUnderEyeCream. You get the gist.

Aim for between 5 and 30 hashtags for every post—somewhere in the middle works for me. You also want to avoid placing too many hashtags. Find your magic number. Also, never be afraid to see what hashtags other influencers are using. Instagram Insights will tell you how your hashtags are performing.

7. Create an Instagram posting schedule

I can’t emphasize this enough: you must consistently post new content and determine your optimal posting frequency. Top influencers will post 1.5 times a day, studies suggest. You don’t have to do this—I certainly don’t and have still found success. When you frequently engage, you stay relevant to your followers. A lot of this comes down to Instagram’s algorithm. If your weekly frequency goes down, you’ll be ranked lower on the algorithm, meaning you show up less.

I find the best way to organize my time and schedule is to have a day each week where I take several photos and plan with my team when these posts will go out. You can try a scheduling tool like Sked Social. No matter how you schedule your posts, be consistent in everything you do.

8. Your Instagram followers want to hear from you

Have you ever reached out to a favorite influencer and heard back from them? If you have, you know what an amazing feeling that is.

At the end of the day, Instagram is a social platform, and interacting with your followers creates excitement and loyalty. Reach out to other influencers, comment on posts that are relevant to your brand, and keep your presence strong on Instagram. When you leave comments, you jump-start relationships and conversations; replying to comments that others leave on your posts can be fun and gratifying.

Taking the time to network and communicate with your followers on Instagram is essential to being an influencer. Always thank people for their support.

9. Do you reach out to brands, or do they come to you?

It’s a good question, and it depends. I was in a lucky position. I had brands coming to me from the get-go, and they still do. If you’re not the CEO of a company, you might want to consider taking all the steps I’ve mentioned: choosing your niche, finding your voice, being consistent with posts—until you have thousands of followers under your belt.

Once you have achieved this, it’s possible to reach out to brands. You want to get your account on their radar. Send them a DM or contact them via email; use brand-related hashtags in your posts. And don’t be afraid of rejection. It’s impossible to avoid when you’re finding your feet.

10. Own your influence

Did you know that top influencers can make thousands of dollars per post? An influencer is a trendsetter, a trusted expert, and a valued online personality. In fact, in today’s modern world, major brands actually can’t compete with influencers. Thanks to social media, a CoverGirl ad with a popular celebrity isn’t as powerful as it used to be. People want to see something real.

When major brands, or even smaller brands, partner with influencers, they create a larger net that reaches the online community in a way that traditional advertising can’t. This is also a wonderful avenue for brands to get the word out about new products.

Don’t write your Instagram presence off as a hobby. Embrace your power.

Final note

To become a successful Instagram influencer, you need passion. My passion for Instagram shows through in my posts, and it resonates with my followers as well as the companies I partner with. I single-handedly took my passion for taking pics and selfies, and turned that into a business where I now get paid to do what I love.

My journey on Instagram started as a side-hustle and is now a full-blown business—something I’ve added to my list of entrepreneurial accomplishments. My content is personal, and spending a few minutes on my page gives you a very clear idea of who I am as a woman, mother, and CEO.

RELATED: The Instagram Influencer in High Demand: How She Got There

Photo credit: © Alex Matt

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