Talk:Upfront Ventures

Edit request

I added a Paid Conflict of Interest template on the article. I’ve been requested by my employer, FlexTeam, on behalf of Upfront Ventures to modify the existing page.

In the introductory section, the first line says "Upfront Ventures, formerly known as GRP Partners, is a Santa Monica-based venture capital company."

Please, modify it to say "Upfront Ventures is a Santa Monica-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies."

The second sentence says "Upfront Ventures is the largest venture capital company in Los Angeles, with $2 billion in total raised funds."

Please, modify it to say "According to the Los Angeles Times and Recode, Upfront Ventures is the largest venture capital company in Los Angeles, with $2 billion in total raised funds."

Please, remove the final sentence in that paragraph completely and replace it with "Since its founding in 1996, Upfront Ventures has invested in more than 200 companies, with notable exits including Ulta (ULTA), Overture, BillMeLater, TrueCar (TRUE), Maker Studios (acquired by Disney, now Disney Digital Network), Kyriba and Ring, among others. "

I've attached the Wikipedia code below, so that the references, footnotes and internal Wikipedia article links will be added too.

If you have any questions for me, please, feel free to contact me at my user talk page.

Here's the code:

Upfront Ventures is a Santa Monica-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies. According to the Los Angeles Times and Recode, Upfront Ventures is the largest venture capital company in Los Angeles, with $2 billion in total raised funds. Since its founding in 1996, Upfront Ventures has invested in more than 200 companies, with notable exits including Ulta (ULTA), Overture, BillMeLater, TrueCar (TRUE), Maker Studios (acquired by Disney, now Disney Digital Network), Kyriba and Ring, among others.

Spncrinc (talk) 04:10, 7 June 2019 (UTC)

References

Reply 07-JUN-2019

  Clarification requested  

• It is not known what is meant by the phrase notable exits. Please advise.
• When ready to proceed with the requested explanation, kindly reopen this request by altering the {{request edit}} template's answer parameter to read from |ans=yes to |ans=no. Thank you!

Regards,  Spintendo  11:44, 7 June 2019 (UTC)

Edits completed

  Edit request partially implemented   I've completed your requested edits, for the most part. There are a couple things asserted in your request that didn't match the source material.

1. NRemove GRP Partners. The company was founded as GRP Partners, and all of the sources showed it was that company that did the investing to the notable companies you listed. The conversion to Upfront Ventures happened more recently, so I've left the clarification in the article that shows GRP Partners' investments.
2. NI could not locate the 200 companies figure, TrueCar, and Ring in the sources, nor should this be a laundry list of investments.
3. YI added most of the requested information to the article's content rather than the lede. I did not include technology as a qualifier in the lead as the sources don't support it.
4. NThe citations list the sourcing in the lede; there's no need to qualify the statements with according to . . .Orville1974 (talk) 12:04, 7 June 2019 (UTC)

Clarifications 15-JUN-2019

 Done

@Orville1974: Thanks for making edits. I've talked to the client and have some answers to your questions.

"Notable exits" - I'm an engineer and I wasn't sure what "exits" meant either. I'm told that in the investment world, it's common lingo for "the company was sold." So from a venture point of view, the investment worked out.

To see more about that lingo, you can go to: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/upfront-ventures#section-overview

and there's a section that says "Number of Exits" with the number 47 after it. If you click on "47" it will show you the 47 companies that sold. So, I've added this CrunchBase link as a citation in the proposed source code that I've included below.

I'm told that "notable" in investment lingo means "well-known and/or high valuation" - greater than $1 Billion.

Here's the same new citation (different section) as above that shows that Upfront Ventures has made 278 investments: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/upfront-ventures#section-investments

The client would like the layout of the Upfront Ventures Wikipedia article to look like those of other venture capital firms' Wikipedia articles. Others list their investments in prose and/or in a separate investments section. Here are some examples:

• FirstMark Capital
• Greycroft
• Union Square Ventures
• Lightspeed Venture Partners

Here's the source code that I propose.

Upfront Ventures, formerly known as GRP Partners, is a Santa Monica-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies. According to the Los Angeles Times and Recode, Upfront Ventures is the largest venture capital company in Los Angeles, with $2 billion in total raised funds. Since its founding in 1996, Upfront Ventures has invested in more than 200 companies, with notable exits including Ulta (ULTA), Overture, BillMeLater, TrueCar (TRUE), Maker Studios (acquired by Disney, now Disney Digital Network), Kyriba and Ring, among others.

Thanks,
Spncrinc (talk) 00:25, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

References

Hi @Spncrinc: - I've implemented the requested changes with two minor exceptions. I still did not include the wording "according to the Los Angeles Times and Recode" in the lede. It's not customary language in encyclopedia articles per our Manual of Style. I also left off "among others" at the very end for the same reasoning. Thank you for explaining the rest of the content and pointing out the source details. Orville1974 (talk) 03:26, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Reply 14-JUN-2019

• I did not implement the edits from your last request. That would be Orville1974 with this edit. The current request looks identical to the one that editor answered 7 days ago. If there are particular elements which were not addressed, it would be helpful if you could point them out. Thanks! Regards,  Spintendo  00:50, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

@Spintendo: Ooops, sorry. I'll reply to Orville1974 with the answers. Spncrinc (talk) 01:26, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Edit request 2

Please, make edits to the History section, and let me know if you have questions.

The client would like to add Yves Sisteron's name because he founded GRP Partners. They'd like to remove a few investments like P.F. Chang's and Starbucks because that is outdated information. They'd like to add newer information like Envestnet and Qualys. They'd like to clarify Mark Suster's role.

The client would like to list the years of their funds and I've proposed a bulleted list, because other venture capital firms on Wikipedia have funds listed that way.

The third fund, for 2017, has the same reference/citation as the line "In July 2017, Upfront created a $400 million fund, specifically established for investing in startups over the next several years." I was not sure if we should use the citation twice, or if there was no need to put a footnote after "* 2017 - Upfront created..." I'll leave that up to your discretion.

Here's the source code that I propose:

History

Upfront Ventures was formed in 1996 in Century City, Los Angeles under the name GRP Partners, founded by Yves Sisteron. GRP Partners was best known for retail investments but also invested in tech companies such as Envestnet (now PayPal Credit) and Qualys. Mark joined in 2007 and became a Managing Partner in 2011.

In 2013, the company renamed itself to Upfront Ventures. The name change reflected the transparent and open way the company does business, as well as 80 percent of the company's venture capital going to startups in their early stages and as reference to the entertainment industry's upfronts. The company also moved to Santa Monica, California, which is within close proximity to Los Angeles' tech and startup center, Silicon Beach, though the company makes investments in companies all over the world. In July 2017, Upfront created a $400 million fund, specifically established for investing in startups over the next several years. The company named rap artist Chamillionaire as its "entrepreneur-in-residence" in 2015.

Upfront Ventures also hosts the Upfront Summit tech conference, held in Los Angeles.

Funds

• 2013 - The company announced its fourth fund of $200M and renamed itself to Upfront Ventures.
• 2015 - Upfront announced its fifth fund, of $280M.
• 2017 - Upfront created a $400 million fund for investing in startups.

Thanks Spncrinc (talk) 17:32, 17 June 2019 (UTC)

References

References 3, 5 and 6 are missing from the request. Only original citations should be added here, not duplicate ref tags, which wont display without the original full cite.  Spintendo  17:41, 17 June 2019 (UTC)

References 3, 5 and 6 have just been added in full, above. Thanks Spncrinc (talk) 20:30, 17 June 2019 (UTC)

Reply 18-JUN-2019

Below you will see where proposals from your request have been quoted with reviewer decisions and feedback inserted underneath, either accepting, declining or otherwise commenting upon your proposal(s). Please read the enclosed notes within the proposal review section below for information on each request. Please note that feedback applies only to the text in the proposal, and does not apply to text already in the article. Also, fund information which deals with years and amounts would be better shown using a graph as displayed below:

Extended content
Funds Year Amount 2017   $10 million 2016   $3 million Sources:

Regards,  Spintendo  17:00, 18 June 2019 (UTC)

Proposal review 18-JUN-2019

Upfront Ventures was formed in 1996 in Century City, Los Angeles under the name GRP Partners, founded by Yves Sisteron.  Approved. GRP Partners was best known for retail investments but also invested in tech companies such as Envestnet (now PayPal Credit) and Qualys.  Declined. Mark joined in 2007 and became a Managing Partner in 2011. Clarification needed. In 2013, the company renamed itself to Upfront Ventures. The name change reflected the transparent and open way the company does business, as well as 80 percent of the company's venture capital going to startups in their early stages and as reference to the entertainment industry's upfronts.  Declined. The company also moved to Santa Monica, California, which is within close proximity to Los Angeles' tech and startup center, Silicon Beach, though the company makes investments in companies all over the world.  Declined. In July 2017, Upfront created a $400 million fund, specifically established for investing in startups over the next several years.  Declined. The company named rap artist Chamillionaire as its "entrepreneur-in-residence" in 2015. Upfront Ventures also hosts the Upfront Summit tech conference, held in Los Angeles.  Declined. ___________

Reply 19-JUN-2019

I like how you have modified certain phrases.

I like your suggestion for a graph to show the funds. If you are willing to create one, please do so.

To the Infobox, under key people, please, add two more names under the others, since there were 6 key people: Kobie Fuller Kevin Zhang

In the History section, I've added a source here at the botton of this reply.

Please, add a phrase after this part "Mark Suster joined GRP Partners in 2007 as general manager." Please, keep the reference/citation. Please, change it to "Mark Suster joined GRP Partners in 2007 as general manager and became a Managing Partner in 2011."

Add this reference/citation after "...in 2011."

Url: http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2017/apr/07/early-entry-upfront-ventures-investment/ Title: Upfront Ventures’ Mark Suster Quickly Bought in to L.A.’s Future as a Tech Development Hub Author: Caroline Anderson Website Name: Los Angeles Business Journal

Here's the code for the citation, if it is easier:

Thanks Spncrinc (talk) 00:40, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

References

Hi @Spncrinc: How many "managing partners" are there at the firm? Orville1974 (talk) 01:10, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

Hi @Orville1974: Let me check with my company and have them find out the number and I'll get back to you. Spncrinc (talk) 01:26, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

@Spncrinc: I ask because the website lists two managing partners (Suster and Sisteron), but then when clicking on Suster, it says he is the managing partner. (Another demonstration of why we don't rely on primary sources.) If both of them are, then both names should be in the info box. If only Suster is, then he should be the only name in the info box. It may be that in 2011 he was one of two, but is now the only one (which explains becoming a managing partner back then, but being the managing partner now). Either way, they need to update their website, and we need to update the infobox. Orville1974 (talk) 01:37, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

@Orville1974: Thanks for bringing that to my attention. My company's manager just replied to me and told me the answer is two, but her source is the Upfront Ventures website. So I'll point out what you just said and see if she can ask the contact that she's been working with at Upfront Ventures. Spncrinc (talk) 02:00, 20 June 2019 (UTC)

@Orville1974: Let's go with the answer of "two managing partners" unless I get written confirmation that the number has changed. This will be consistent with Upfront's website. And I will submit an edit request so that Mark Suster's page say a managing partner.

@Spncrinc: For now, I'll remove the rest from the infobox and head over to Suster's article to update it, too. Orville1974^talk 23:17, 24 June 2019 (UTC)

@Orville1974: Is the Infobox only supposed to have managing partners/CEOs/top leaders? I know the client wanted to list all 6 of the leaders (4 leaders, in addition to the two managing partners) as other venture capital firms on Wikipedia have listed. Thanks. Spncrinc (talk) 23:22, 24 June 2019 (UTC)

@Spncrinc: Yes, correct. The intent is not to have a list of employees filling the infobox. If you look at companies with tens of thousands of employees, there are still only four or fewer listed. In a company the size of Upfront, one is usually it (the CEO). Orville1974^talk 23:36, 24 June 2019 (UTC)

Edit request 3

 Done

In the History section

1) In this phrase "...as well as retailers like Costco and Ulta, but it also invested in tech companies such as PayPal Credit, Overture, and Disney Digital Network."

please, add the double brackets around the company names for the Wikipedia internal links:

• Costco
  
• Ulta
  
• PayPal_Credit
  
• Overture
  
• Disney_Digital_Network
  

2) Please, add a phrase after this part "Mark Suster joined GRP Partners in 2007 as general manager." Please, keep the reference/citation. Please, change it to "Mark Suster joined GRP Partners in 2007 as general manager and became a managing partner in 2011."

Add this reference/citation data after "...in 2011."

Url: http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2017/apr/07/early-entry-upfront-ventures-investment/
Title: Upfront Ventures’ Mark Suster Quickly Bought in to L.A.’s Future as a Tech Development Hub
Author: Caroline Anderson
Website Name: Los Angeles Business Journal
Ref: 7 April 2017

Thanks Spncrinc (talk) 23:52, 24 June 2019 (UTC)

Done. Thank you for being concise and providing a relevant source. Orville1974^talk 03:01, 25 June 2019 (UTC)

Edit request 4

Please, create a section called "Investments" and underneath that, add a line that says "The firm’s notable investments include:"

There are many investments. Many have internal Wikipedia links, and many have sources. But it's a long list. I can copy and paste the code with sources here, but please let me know if you know of a more efficient way of checking these, or if you'd like me to submit the edits in sections. For example, I could request that you add investments in alphabetical order and I could request 5 or 10 at a time.

Code:

Extended content

Investments The firm’s notable investments include: Adore Me Apeel Sciences Bevy BillMeLater Bird ChowNow CyberSource Dailylook Dealertrack Technologies Deliv Density DroneBase Envestnet FabFitFun Fame and Partners Fleetsmith GOAT GoodRx GumGum Happy Returns HopSkipDrive inVia Robotics Invoca Kyriba Maker Studios MetaCX Mitú Nanit Nima Overture Parachute Home Qordoba Qualys Rival Ring Ritual Seriously Stem The Wing thredUP TrueCar uBeam UGO Networks Ulta Waldo Photos Walker & Company References

Thanks Spncrinc (talk) 01:27, 28 June 2019 (UTC)

@Spncrinc: That's a massive list of investments, and frankly, overkill for this article. Limiting the list to only those items that have their own article on Wikipedia is more reasonable (and standard practice in most lists, since their notability is evident by the fact they have an article here). Otherwise, you'll need to provide more sources to show that each company without a Wikipedia article is indeed notable itself. Will you/your client accept just including the blue-linked items? If so, let me know and I'll start adding them. If not, please provide additional sources for the non-blue-linked companies demonstrating their notability, understanding that even if you go through the effort of getting everything listed above, another editor at any time can come by and remove some/all of them for being WP:NOTDIR (simple listings). Orville1974^talk 03:38, 28 June 2019 (UTC)

@Orville1974: I like your suggestion. Please, just list the items that have their own Wikipedia articles. Thanks! Spncrinc (talk) 18:29, 8 July 2019 (UTC)

@Orville1974: If it is helpful, I've pasted the new code below.

Investments

The firm’s notable investments include:

Spncrinc (talk) 18:41, 8 July 2019 (UTC)

Reply 08-JUL-2019

  Edit request declined  

• Including a link to one or two of the investments would work, but excessive lists can dwarf articles and detract from the purpose of Wikipedia.

Regards,  Spintendo  23:01, 8 July 2019 (UTC)

@Spintendo: I was shooting for the longer list based upon Orville1974's suggestion above which states "Limiting the list to only those items that have their own article on Wikipedia is more reasonable (and standard practice in most lists..."

The client's goal is to have a list of investments similar to the long lists of investments shown on these other pages by venture capital firms:

* Greycroft#Investments_2

* Lightspeed Venture Partners#Significant investments

* Benchmark (venture capital firm)#Investments

* Union Square Ventures#Portfolio

What do you both (@Spintendo: and @Orville1974:) advise? Thanks Spncrinc (talk) 19:37, 12 July 2019 (UTC)

Ensuring that the items in a list are WikiLinked is a prudent suggestion. This need to WikiLink is held in tandem with a need for articles to not to become a collection of links.  Spintendo  04:54, 14 July 2019 (UTC)

What_Wikipedia_is_not states "...excessive lists can dwarf articles..." So a short list should be fine, as long as it's not excessive. Please, come up with a number you think is not excessive and put a few things in a section about Investments. If you don't like the idea of a list, that's fine. Please, let me know and I can add some prose with short descriptions. Spncrinc (talk) 00:20, 16 July 2019 (UTC)

According to the citations you have, five or six (5-6) should be a good number, presented in MOS:EMBED format. Regards,  Spintendo  05:38, 16 July 2019 (UTC)

Notes

References

Request edit

I've selected 6 to present in MOS:EMBED format using a simple bulleted list. These 6 have citations that are neither Wikipedia links, nor TechCrunch.

Apeel Sciences, Deliv, Qordoba, Qualys, thredUP, UGO Networks

Here's code, if it helps. Would you also like me to add prose so that it's not just a simple list?

• Investments

The firm’s notable investments include:

• Apeel Sciences
• Deliv
• Qordoba
• Qualys
• thredUP
• UGO Networks

Thanks Spncrinc (talk) 06:26, 22 July 2019 (UTC)

References

Reply 22-JUL-2019

  Edit request implemented  

1. The list is of an appropriate size.
2. The Vox and Venture Beat sources are both generally accepted as reliable sources.
3. There is less information on AWN, but no evidence that it is an inappropriate source.
4. The Food Navigator USA source is industry related, and the reference itself reads very much like an advertisement for Apeel Sciences' invisible skin product. I've marked it with the {{promotional source}} inline template.

Regards,  Spintendo  08:49, 22 July 2019 (UTC)

Notes

@Spintendo: Looks great! Thanks for all your help! Spncrinc (talk) 21:08, 26 July 2019 (UTC)