Category archives: Insane Perseverance

Startup Metamorphosis: The Story of Bugsee

By Manu Kumar | January 24, 2017

We’ve all heard over and over again that “Startups are hard,” but it’s a hollow statement that just bounces off until you really experience it yourself. You have to feel it viscerally in order for it to really sink in. That very experience however, makes startup success that much more gratifying. The story of Bugsee […]

You Can’t Spell Hardware without H-A-R-D

By Manu Kumar | July 21, 2016

I started my tinkering with hardware first. As a kid I used to trek down to the “electronics bazaar” in New Delhi, known as Lajpat Rai Market, and go store to store to try and find the components I needed for whatever I was building. It was both fun and frustrating at the same time. […]

Founders on a Mission

By Manu Kumar | February 26, 2015

I’ve often repeated that the definition of entrepreneurship is “Insane perseverance in the face of complete resistance” (something I learned from my professor and mentor the late Jack Thorne). Put differently, there are some founders for whom failure simply isn’t an option. They’re on a mission and they’re not going to let anything stand in […]

Manu Kumar in discussion with Joe Beninato

By Manu Kumar | January 20, 2015

Last fall, Joe Beninato interviewed K9 Ventures founder and Chief Firestarter, Manu Kumar, on his weekly webcast FounderLine Manu talks about the history of K9 Ventures including the origin of the firm’s name. Joe and Manu also talk about K9 Ventures’ investment focus (hint: new technology/new market), investment stage (hint: frighteningly early), teams (hint: need a […]

Tips for TechCrunch50 DemoPit companies

By Manu Kumar | September 15, 2009

Yesterday, while attending TechCrunch50, I tweeted some tips for the companies presenting at the conference and those participating in the demo pit. By popular demand, I’m aggregating these tweets in a blog post:

Insane Perseverance in the Face of Complete Resistance

By Manu Kumar | June 26, 2009

It was 2:00 AM and I was still sitting in ‘The Cave’ — the name we affectionately gave to the cubicles in the bowels of Wean Hall at Carnegie Mellon. It was called ‘The Cave’ because it’s all under ground, with no natural light portals whatsoever. The cave was kinda like Vegas — once […]

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