Seraf Investor Compass

In our previous article on recruiting new board directors, we discuss the importance of adding key skills to your board. Most early stage companies have a 3 or 5 member board. It’s not unusual for one or two of these board seats to remain unfilled after a company...

Why do web and software businesses seem to get investment traction while real, down-to-earth business and manufacturing-intensive companies flounder to raise capital? It has to do with the type of investor model involved. The investor model has to match the type of...

Have you ever been disappointed by someone or by some product that you purchased?  Nine times out of ten it’s due to not having the right expectations for one reason or another. Investments are no different from other purchases. If you are not clear on what you are...

In a previous post, we discuss ways in which a board can help make a CEO successful. One of the best ways to facilitate the CEO’s future growth and success is by providing her with an annual review detailing how she is doing in the job. It is the responsibility of the...

The first time I served as a deal lead was unintentional. I happened upon a team I really liked, going after a market I thought was really attractive, with a solution I thought was really smart. So I started telling other investors about it. Many perked up and took an...

The shift from building a company to becoming an investor is an experience I’ve realized can’t all be learned from a playbook. It’s a massive shift I didn’t fully appreciate until I experienced it firsthand. As a founder, I was used to a fast-paced, high-reward...

There is a lot of confusion amongst new entrepreneurs on the subject of advisory boards versus corporate boards of directors. Some of that confusion is justified because there is some conceptual overlap. But they are very different animals.

A group of angels turns up their nose at a company making a useful, well-targeted and well-validated computer peripheral product. The smart entrepreneur behind the company asks a pretty fundamental question in response: “Why do angel investors often turn up their...

Join Seraf for an engaging and informative webinar on VC investing in BRICS countries, with an emphasis on the exciting opportunities in Brazil. This event is tailored for venture capitalists, startup founders, and investors eager to delve into the high-growth...

We had the opportunity to interview Zain Jaffer, with Zain Ventures. Here, he provides insights in investing as a family office.