Mike Maples Jr.
Floodgate
Mike Maples Jr.

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Clip 7 of 9
Clip 7 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Have a Sense of Urgency

Floodgate's Mike Maples Jr. sums up the story of how NASA's first moon landing was the result of many teams who overcame resistance all along the way through sheer will to achieve the mission. Maples says entrepreneurs must work with just as much intensity: "The goal is super-important and you can make it happen. And in fact, if you don't make it happen, it won't happen."
Video Clip 2 minutes
Clip 1 of 9
Clip 1 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Exponential Edge for Startups

Mike Maples Jr., co-founder of venture capital firm Floodgate, explains how three laws of exponential growth favor tech entrepreneurs: Moore's law ensures products will possess unprecedented computing power; Metcalfe's law of network effects compounds the number of users; and the "power law" shows that top performers can achieve runaway success if they get everything right.
Video Clip 6 minutes
Clip 9 of 9
Clip 9 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Make Your Life Legendary

Silicon Valley veteran Mike Maples Jr. shares heartfelt advice urging aspiring entrepreneurs to "only do things that you think have a chance to be legendary." By committing to always doing exceptional work and being around inspiring people, Maples says you will reap the cumulative benefits of a lifetime of excellence, and be able to enjoy it again whenever you look back.
Video Clip 2 minutes
Clip 4 of 9
Clip 4 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Network-Effects Businesses

Venture capitalist Mike Maples Jr. talks about how businesses seeking to exploit network effects must deeply understand the network itself, its nodes and the role of the operator. He points to railroads, record companies and TV stations as historical examples of network-effects businesses and urges present-day founders to have an ongoing hypothesis of their network that evolves over time.
Video Clip 2 minutes
Clip 2 of 9
Clip 2 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Technical and Management Debt

Floodgate Co-Founder Mike Maples Jr. describes two types of conceptual debt that founders should avoid. One is technical debt, where a startup resolves a problem with a short-term fix that ultimately creates costlier issues in the future. The other is when a firm's management system is weak or non-existent at the start, and then fails the business when it scales up.
Video Clip 2 minutes
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]

Mike Maples Jr., co-founder of the venture capital firm Floodgate, explains what entrepreneurs can learn from the very few technology startups that achieve hyper-exceptional success and market disruption. The Silicon Valley veteran urges tomorrow's innovators to "only do things that have a chance to be legendary" – because it takes just as much work to do something mediocre.
Video 58 minutes
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate
Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., co-founder of the venture capital firm Floodgate, explains what entrepreneurs can learn from the very few technology startups that achieve hyper-exceptional success and market disruption. The Silicon Valley veteran urges tomorrow's innovators to "only do things that have a chance to be legendary" – because it takes just as much work to do something mediocre.

Video Clips

Clip 8 of 9
Clip 8 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Create New Categories

Companies that top their category don't just sell more product than their competitors, they likely created the category and made people see the world in a new way, according Mike Maples Jr. of Floodgate, which has invested in groundbreaking startups such as lyft, TaskRabbit and Twitter. He points to how Apple essentially created the categories of digital-music players, smartphones and tablets.
Video Clip 3 minutes
Clip 5 of 9
Clip 5 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

The Dance of Product-Market Fit

Mike Maples Jr., co-founder of Floodgate, describes the dynamic between a company's product and its intended market: If demand is high, the market essentially pulls product out of the company. However, a great product and team will inevitably fail if the market isn't there. Maples says success also depends on a product or service delighting customers beyond belief, not just satisfying them.
Video Clip 6 minutes
Clip 6 of 9
Clip 6 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Clarity of Business and Price

Floodgate Co-Founder Mike Maples Jr. explains how a venture's business model is rooted in the uniqueness of its product and a clear understanding of how much customers want it. Establishing those will guide pricing and profit, according to Maples, who adds, "Customers often will pay more money when the price is clear. And they will often resist paying less money when the price is unclear."
Video Clip 2 minutes
Clip 3 of 9
Clip 3 of 9 from: Dare to Do Legendary Things [Entire Talk]
Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Capitalism and Competitive Advantage

Floodgate's Mike Maples Jr. discusses how startups in the bustling tech sector do best when they have a "structural competitive advantage," rather than just proving they are better than others. A unique advantage at the core of a business will scale as it grows and ensure it retains a dominant position, according to Maples, an early investor in Twitter, Lyft, TwitchTV and other successful startups.
Video Clip 3 minutes
Ron Conway, Angel Investors LP Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

An Angel Investor’s Strategic Advice for the Start-Up

A million dollars should last any new venture at least a year. And companies are most productive when they're less than ten people strong. These business axioms are good advice for any enterprise, says Ron Conway, investor in over 500 companies, and fellow investor Mike Maples. A lean and mean staff gets the most accomplished, and a low burn rate and ample experimentation are nearly always a calibrator for success. In addition, simultaneous customer development along with product development is what gives a successful concept legs.
Video 4 minutes
Ron Conway, Angel Investors LP Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Attrition Rates for Potential Investors

The numbers are stacked against the inspired business owner-to-be. Seasoned angel investors Ron Conway and Mike Maples talk about how many ideas they receive, how many executive summaries they peruse, how many meetings they call, and the shockingly few ventures - roughly one out of 150 - that end up receiving their investment of time and money. Also, Conway points out that investing is a risky business, with an even split between those that fail, those that earn just enough to pay back their investors, and those that turn a profit.
Video 5 minutes
ETL Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcast
Ron Conway, Angel Investors LP Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

Angel Investing Revealed

Experienced angel investors, Ron Conway, Founder of Angel Investors LP, and Mike Maples, Founder of Maples Investments, provide a rare look into the ins and outs of angel investing. Conway and Maples discuss how angel investors assess opportunities, provide assistance to entrepreneurs and transition start-ups to larger venture investments or exit. In addition, Conway and Maples provide advice to entrepreneurs about finding one's passion and developing that passion into new ventures, including insight into how much money to raise and how to manage that money after it is in the bank.
Podcast 61 minutes
Ron Conway, Angel Investors LP Mike Maples Jr., Floodgate

A Match Made in Heaven? Your Angel Investor and You

How should an aspiring entrepreneur choose an angel investor? And, more importantly, how will an angel investor select you? Entrepreneurs need to gain access to the right angel - one that will add value to their growing enterprise. The top angels in the business, says investor Mike Maples, are seeking ideas that have been tested for market viability - an essential criteria before they'll consider cutting a check.
Video 4 minutes