David Cohen

“If you're pitching to investors for the first time and expecting them to be so blown away by how thoroughly amazing your pitch is that they write a check on the spot - well, prepare to be disappointed.”

“The best mentors present their opinions simply as data and not as direction.”

“There are not enough female VCs in an industry so traditionally dominated by males. There are not enough female mentors who are actively engaged with female founders. We need women VCs and entrepreneurs to stand up, get loud, and help guide their peers.”

“I think motivation and drive, coupled with raw talent, help make founders successful.”

“At TechStars, I have the privilege of working with hundreds of the best and brightest start-up mentors on the planet. We coach our mentors to take a Socratic approach and to provide data rather than decisions.”

“I've done a bunch of consulting; I've actually spent time in Singapore, England, Denmark, all over.”

“Ultimately, we measure ourselves on the success of our investments.”

“Deciding whether or not to bring in an outside CEO is one of the most gut-wrenching decisions that a founder will ever need to make.”

“Because one of the main jobs of a CEO is to set the vision and strategy for the company, I'm a big believer in making one of the founders the default CEO.”

“We believe that startups can be built anywhere.”

“Focusing on the right priorities can help you do more faster.”

“TechStars is mentorship-driven.”

“There's no law that says you have to do what your mentor suggests. And the sooner you learn how to say 'no' confidently, the easier it will be to manage these key relationships.”

“Our goal is simply to make entrepreneurship more accessible to everyone around the world throughout the entrepreneurial journey, from inspiration to IPO.”

“There will always be a capital shortage from the perspective of entrepreneurs.”

“Every year, it seems to be there are more people right out of college who are willing to jump into a start-up.”