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Spncrinc (
talk·contribs) has been paid by FlexTeam on behalf of Upfront Ventures.
Edit request
This
edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.
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.[1][2][3] Since its founding in 1996, Upfront Ventures has invested in more than 200 companies, with notable exits including
Ulta (ULTA),[4] Overture,[5] BillMeLater,[6]TrueCar (TRUE),
Maker Studios (acquired by Disney, now Disney Digital Network), Kyriba[7] and
Ring, among others.
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!
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.
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.
NI could not locate the 200 companies figure, TrueCar, and Ring in the sources, nor should this be a laundry list of investments.
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.
This
edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.
@
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.
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.
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:
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.[1][2][3] Since its founding in 1996, Upfront Ventures has invested in more than 200 companies,[4] with notable exits including
Ulta (ULTA),[5] Overture,[6] BillMeLater,[7]TrueCar (TRUE),
Maker Studios (acquired by Disney, now Disney Digital Network), Kyriba[8] and
Ring, among others.
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
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, Spintendo00:50, 15 June 2019 (UTC)reply
This
edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.
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.[1] GRP Partners was best known for retail investments but also invested in tech companies such as
Envestnet (now PayPal Credit) and
Qualys.[2] Mark joined in 2007 and became a Managing Partner in 2011.[3][4]
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.[5] In July 2017, Upfront created a $400 million fund, specifically established for investing in startups over the next several years.[6] The company named rap artist
Chamillionaire as its "entrepreneur-in-residence" in 2015.[7]
Upfront Ventures also hosts the
Upfront Summit tech conference, held in Los Angeles.[8]
Funds
2013 - The company announced its fourth fund of $200M and renamed itself to Upfront Ventures.[5]
2015 - Upfront announced its fifth fund, of $280M.[9][10]
2017 - Upfront created a $400 million fund for investing in startups.
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. Spintendo17:41, 17 June 2019 (UTC)reply
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:
Upfront Ventures was formed in 1996 in Century City, Los Angeles under the name GRP Partners, founded by Yves Sisteron. Approved.Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the
help page).
GRP Partners was best known for retail investments but also invested in tech companies such as Envestnet (now PayPal Credit) and Qualys. Declined.[note 1]
Mark joined in 2007 and became a Managing Partner in 2011. Clarification needed.[note 2]
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.[note 3]
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.[note 4]
In July 2017, Upfront created a $400 million fund, specifically established for investing in startups over the next several years. Declined.[note 5]
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.[note 6]
___________
^This part of the edit request proposal was declined because the reference is nonfunctional.
^This part of the edit request proposal requires clarification because it uses an individual's first name, which is not allowed in normal prose.
^This claim essentially states (a) the company moved to Santa Monica (b) Santa Monica is in close proximity to Los Angeles (c) the company makes investments "all over the world".
^This claim includes information about future events.
^This part of the edit request proposal was declined because it contains unspecified information ("entreprenuer in residence") and because it contains an external link.
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."
@
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)reply
@
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)reply
@
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.
@
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)reply
@
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). Orville1974talk23:36, 24 June 2019 (UTC)reply
Edit request 3
This
edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.
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:
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."
This
edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.
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.
^Cite error: The named reference GRP Partners Raises $200 Million Fund, Nabs New Office Space And Rebrands As Upfront Ventures was invoked but never defined (see the
help page).
@
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). Orville1974talk03:38, 28 June 2019 (UTC)reply
^Cite error: The named reference GRP Partners Raises $200 Million Fund, Nabs New Office Space And Rebrands As Upfront Ventures was invoked but never defined (see the
help page).
@
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:
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)reply
^For the purposes of this list, TechCrunch and internal Wikipedia links should not be used as references.[1][2]
References
^"WP:WINARS". Wikipedia. 12 June 2019. Wikipedia should not be considered a definitive source in and of itself.
^"Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Perennial sources/TechCrunch". Wikipedia. 14 July 2019. Careful consideration should be given to whether a piece is written by staff or as a part of their blog, as well as whether the piece/writer may have a conflict of interest, and to what extent they rely on public relations material from their subject for their writing.
Request edit
This
edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.
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.
The Vox and Venture Beat sources are both generally accepted as
reliable sources.
There is less information on AWN, but no evidence that it is an inappropriate source.
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.[a]
^The {{
promotional source}} inline template does not offer directions on its placement. Not wanting to prejudice the article, I've placed the inline template within the ref tags of the source so that it displays in the references section and not in the main article.