Kanye West Quotes

Our third partner [with Neal Dodson] was this other guy called Corey [Moosa], and he came in with good ideas and also some access to money, and so we joined forces and drew up a business plan and got financing for the beginnings of the company. We had no idea what we were doing really. We just started looking through material and started producing our own stuff.

When my co-founder and I first had the idea for IronPort, an email security company, we triangulated a list of the 20 most relevant people in email - former CEOs, open source technologists, investors and thought leaders.

So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'

Investors like to invest based on traction, so it's always better to raise money when you've got more traction than less.

Eventually, I want to have my own clothing line.

We need to encourage investors to invest in high-technology startups.

Kai-Fu's Innovation Works is the top very-early-stage fund in China. We are proud to be an investor, and hope that IW will help to produce in China companies on the scale of Facebook, Zynga, or Groupon.

I would love to do my own line of clothes - something small.

Most venture capitalists won't read a business plan unless the entrepreneur is introduced to them by a contact.

The problem with taking venture capital is if you take $5m from someone, it may feel great; you may feel like they're validating your business model. But they're giving $5m out to 20 different people, hoping one of them will be a hit. They don't really care if it's you.

I watch a TV show called 'Shark Tank.' It's one of my favorite TV shows. It's basically self-made millionaires who have either come up with their own business or clothing... I came up with the idea of designing clothes.

Little startups are ridiculously overfunded.

I always wanted to have my own boutiques. I'm so passionate about clothing and always have been so business-minded.

I called up a bunch of the CEOs of Silicon Valley companies and said, 'Hey, can I come and see you? And I'd like to learn about what you're doing.' And I don't know, most of them said yes.

Good companies are always fundraising. Whether you're meeting people or considering firms, you're always fundraising.

Money is available from investors as long as you have a great business model and a talented leader.

You've got to really enable the next generation of start-ups.

I don't know the venture fund terms. I don't know what a seed round is. I want nothing to do with it.

I've always wanted to start my clothing line.

You need to begin to network with angels and VCs while you are still ideating. It is easier to ask someone you know for funding than a stranger. Build your financial network by attending as many industry functions and reaching out for advice from experts online.

I really have become very interested at working with and helping entrepreneurs at the early stages of their growth.

When you have a failed pitch, you meet many more venture capitalists than you really want to.

I ran a profitable boostrapped company for five years, then raised $40 million from Andreessen Horowitz.

I've always been into fashion and thought it would be amazing to have a clothing line. I just never thought I would have a chance to do something like that.

I really want to get into the clothing business.