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Thoughtful and Open Minded
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by newmkt on 2007-09-08
We pitched Howard on our consumer product business. Our market is outside their stated focus on technology, yet Howard was open to learning about out company, and immediately able to give good feedback. Rhonda Stinson also contributed to the conversation, and was great to have involved. If she's available, I recommend having her join your meeting. She's very smart and is influential within the team. Bill stepped into the meeting as well, and seemed to be very personable, and similarly open-minded. I have not had the opportunity to meet Robin.
PRIVATE: Members Only (352 Characters)Howard and Bill Care
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-09-07
Our experience with Bill and Howard was extremely positive. They were highly engaged during the pitch and provided thoughtful feedback. Bill focused on the team and Howard on the business model. Although they did not invest they went out of their way to help by providing introductions to potential investors. They followed up immediately; Bill even called one investor while we were meeting.
PRIVATE: Members Only (349 Characters)My Experiences
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-06-14
I've met Howard a few times over the last 6 months and continue to have contact with him over email. I am at a loss to understand some of the negative feedback that people have about him. My experience with him has been very pleasant, educational, and fruitful.
PRIVATE: Members Only (1244 Characters)Howard is Different
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-06-05
I had a meeting with DFJ people and, to my surprise, Howard had "invited himself" (as he said) to the meeting. I must confess that I didn't know much about him or Draper Richards beforehand, but it turned out that he had experimented with our service, got our story immediately, and gave direct, but constructive feedback that sometimes was opposite to the views of all the other investors we have met.
A first meeting with a VC could not have been much better or nicer.
Howard Get's It; He's Direct, Helpful,
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-05-24
* Howard took just one meeting to decide that he was going to back us.
* He gave us direct -ve feedback about UI when he didn't like it. Sent us a congratulatory note when the UI was redesigned.
* Consistently urged us to build a "great product" before spending money on marketing. He helped convince other board members that this is the right approach to take.
* Saved us money with introductions to lawyers, valuation experts, PR agencies.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyDraper Richards Pros Across the Board
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by andrewl on 2007-05-07
I've been working with Haward and Bill for a over two years and I've been constantly impressed with their professionalism and support. They know everyone and are more than happy to open their network and have made some great introductions.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyOver Rated Team. They are 'Ok'
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by FloridaCEO on 2008-07-21
I really wasn't impressed with the quality of the team's questions or their due diligence. Not sure they could grasp the value proposition.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyDown for the Count" Hartenbaum Bails...
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-05-01
http://venturebeat.com/2008/04/15/how...
I was reading that the infamous, blunt, and outspoken general partner, Howard Hartenbaum, has left Draper Richards for another venture firm. From my dealings, Howard is definitely rough around the edges, but he was the face man of the firm.
Since almost all of the reviews here are of Howard's performance, ranging from "Really Conceited" to "Howard Is Human," I am not sure what the future hold for Draper Richards. Draper Richards needs to move quickly to separate its image from Howard and build a new reputation.
It's also not a great sign that the face man has left. Are they out of money"
PRIVATE: Members OnlyAsks a Lot of Questions, Some of Them Good!
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-11-17
My experience with HH is that he asks more questions during a meeting than other VCs, really listens to your answer about as often as other VCs and figures things out pretty quickly. Some of the things he figures out are actually correct.
PRIVATE: Members Only (672 Characters)Pitched, Turned Down, and Love Howard
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-02-02
Yup, he turned us down, but then kept helping us.
Unlike his peers at DFJ, Howard delivers when he offers to help. DFJ folk seem to just want volume, and don't care for you. Howard is different and I suspect the part of the ego that offends others as reviewed above, is probably a way Howard establishes whether it's worth to help them going forward. If you are weak skinned, why bother, since the vc world is going to be tough"
PRIVATE: Members Only (409 Characters)Efficient Meeting, Helpful Follow Up
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-09-02
I met with Bill recently to get his advice on an early stage social network recently. Bill was personable, sharp and when the conversation moved to business, he called in his CFO Cynthia and the two peppered me with sharp, thoughtful questions. Before the meeting was over, Bill made a call to introduce me to another investor. Very helpful and personable all around.
PRIVATE: Members Only (239 Characters)West Coast Focus
Fund: Draper Richards
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-03-31
Does not seem interested in deals outside of the bay area.
PRIVATE: Members Only (83 Characters)