SIERRA Ventures

A fun new ASCEND podcast with the incredible Jerry Brooner! In the ever-evolving world of startups, there's a relentless search for the ultimate playbook. But according to Jerry Brooner, President at Enable, the key to building successful companies isn't about following a pre-defined strategy. In a recent chat with SIERRA's Anne Gherini on the SIERRA ASCEND podcast, Jerry shared his unique perspective on leadership, hiring, and company culture. Here are some standout insights: 📔 No Universal Playbook: Every company, product, and market is unique. Fundamentals matter, but a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work. 🎯 Choosing the Right Company: Look at the market segment, simplify the business problem, and check for top-tier investors. 🛠 Building Culture and Teams: Consistent values, bringing familiar faces, and deeply understanding your team's goals are crucial. 🥵 Avoiding Sales Burnout: Ensure the right role fit and minimize unnecessary tasks to keep your team energized. 🤝 Sales and Marketing Alignment: Align goals and incentives focused on closed revenue, not just inputs like leads and events. Check out the full blog post for more insights from Jerry Brooner and to hear his masterclass on navigating the complexities of the business world. Blog post + Video: https://lnkd.in/gz6MyDDf Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gj5rzUmX Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gNixsCNX #Leadership #Startups #Sales #CompanyCulture #BusinessGrowth #SierraVentures #Enable #Insights

SIERRA's Vignesh Ravikumar discussed the fundraising environment in the Daily Journal. According to CB Insights, the Bay Area saw about $17.9 billion in funding last quarter, comprising almost half of the entire country’s venture investments. Link in the first comment to read more.

As July comes to a close and the back-to-school emails flood our inboxes, we wanted to give a shout-out to our two fantastic summer interns, Adam Perez and Rachel Stav. Rachel is a rising junior at New York University, and Adam is a rising senior at the University of Mississippi. Thank you both for joining the SIERRA team this summer and for all your hard work.

Fun event in Boston this week with our friends at Service Provider Capital. It's great to have so many investors, founders, friends, and East Coast SIERRA team members join together for a summer happy hour.

Nice interview with Sierra's Shashank Saxena, in which he discusses what he is looking for before investing. Shashank was an F500 innovation and strategy leader and an exited founder before moving to venture capital. He brings a great perspective on investing in the next generation of enterprise technologies. https://lnkd.in/eF5Rt4bS

Our partnership with Endor Labs empowers seamless management, prioritization, and remediation of supply chain risks. Here's a breakdown of how we integrate to streamline your software supply chain security... https://lnkd.in/gYrDKU9H #integrationpartners #softwaresupplychain #shipsecurecode

SIERRA Ventures is excited to announce our Series A investment in Eden, transforming radiology in Latin America. Eden's journey began with CEO Julián Ríos Cantú's Mother's battle against breast cancer, exposing the shortcomings in the health system. Eden's advanced AI technology processes vast amounts of medical data, allowing for quicker and more accurate diagnoses. Eden currently processes over 6 million studies annually, serving over 1,500 institutions across 17 countries. "Eden's innovative approach to medical diagnostics is set to transform the healthcare landscape in Latin America by delivering life-changing technology to millions of patients, starting with medical imaging. There is a lot of talk about AI in the medical industry, and Eden is one of the first companies implementing it at a massive scale." - Mark Fernandes Other investors include KASZEK, Alt Capital, Y Combinator, and Khosla Ventures. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gyTbBCQg Check out the announcement in Axios: https://lnkd.in/gDUSZRsN

SEO can pay dividends that your startup can benefit from for years. SIERRA Ventures partnered with our friends at SmartBug Media to create the SEO Playbook early-stage founders need. Here are the top tips you need to know: What is it? SEO maximizes your brand’s visibility, driving organic traffic from search engines like Google and Bing. It involves optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) by aligning with search engine algorithms. Keyword Research Identify relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition. Use primary, semantic, and long-tail keywords to cover a broader range of search queries. Avoid keyword stuffing; instead, aim for a natural keyword density. On-Page Optimization Incorporate your primary keyword in the following areas: - Copy: Aim for a keyword density of 1-2%. - Page Title: Make it relevant to the search query. - Introduction: Ideally in the first paragraph. - URL: Optimize your URL to include the keyword. - Meta Description: Include the keyword, preferably at the beginning. - Headings: Especially in the first header. - Image Alt Text: Use keywords in alt text and image file names. - Hyperlink Text: Use keywords as anchor text for internal links. Key Elements of a Strong SEO Strategy - Local SEO: Target customers in specific areas for better local search results. - Technical SEO: Improve site architecture, speed, mobile-friendliness, and crawlability. - User Experience (UX): Ensure quick load times and accessible design to reduce bounce rates. - Mobile Optimization: Ensure content displays properly on all devices. - Content Creation: Develop SEO-friendly, engaging content across multiple channels. - Link Building: Acquire high-quality backlinks to boost credibility and SEO. Assessing and Maximizing Performance - Analytics and Tracking: Use tools like Google Analytics to track performance and make data-driven optimizations. - Ongoing Optimization: Regularly update content and maintain website performance to retain high SERP rankings. SEO is an ongoing effort, but with these best practices, you can significantly enhance your startup’s online visibility. For a deeper dive, read the full blog post here: The Ultimate SEO Playbook: Best Practices for Optimal Website Results https://lnkd.in/eRUFQBqz #SEO #Startups #DigitalMarketing #Entrepreneurship #SmartBugMedia #SierraVentures Jen Spencer Tonia Flores Speir

Fun to have the SIERRA team together last week and catch a Giants game!

Join us in NYC this July! SIERRA is excited to support and participate in a casual networking happy hour for diverse innovators. Thank you to VamosVentures, Techstars, Two Ravens VC, and LaFamilia Foundation for partnering. Monday, July 15th, at 6 PM EST. Register here: https://lu.ma/9ez7k0sj.