| Venturespeak | English Translation |
| A bit optimistic | Completely unrealistic |
| Acquisition strategy | The current products have no market |
| At times controversial | Universally despised |
| Basically on plan | Revenue shortfall of 25% |
| Bio-tech business model | Have yet to identify a way to make money |
| Board offers multiple perspectives | Board can’t even agree on where the bathroom is |
| Chemistry may not be right | We don’t like you |
| Complete confidence in the CEO | Checking with attorneys prior to terminating |
| Consensus oriented | Hopelessly indecisive |
| Considerably ahead of plan | Beat numbers in one of the last few months |
| Core business | Obsolete products |
| Currently revising the budget | Financial plan is in a state of total disarray |
| Cyclical industry | Just posted a huge loss |
| Difference in operating philosophies | Hate each other’s guts |
| Entrepreneurial CEO | Totally uncontrollable, bordering on maniacal |
| Good news and bad news | Mostly bad news |
| Great co-investor | Can get tickets to most sporting events |
| Highly leveragable network | Plays a lot of golf |
| Independent thinker | Complete crackpot |
| Ingredients are there | Have yet to find a coherent strategy |
| Interesting financial play | An operating disaster |
| Investing heavily in R & D | Have fallen far behind the competition |
| Leading edge technology | No customers in sight, synonymous with “pushing the engineering envelope” |
| Learning experience | Sheer hell |
| Left to pursue other opportunities | Summarily fired |
| Limited downside | It can’t get much worse |
| Long selling cycle | Customers don’t like the product |
| Major opportunity to restructure the capitalization | We’re desperate |
| Niche strategy | Hardly anyone likes the product |
| On a manufacturing learning curve | Can’t make the product with positive gross margins |
| Opportunistic investing strategy | All over the map |
| Passive investor | Phones yearly to see if company is still in business |
| Plan has gone through several iterations | Management team in state of total confusion |
| Possibility of slight shortfall | A revenue shortfall of at least 50% |
| References raised a couple of issues | Complete loser |
| Recently became an independent consultant | Recently was fired, synonymous with “Left to pursue other opportunities” |
| Repositioning the business | Have just written off multi-million dollar investment |
| Selective investment strategy | Spends lots of time on yachts |
| Solid citizen | No redeeming characteristics |
| Somewhat autocratic | Totalitarian dictator |
| Somewhat below plan | Revenue shortfall of at least 75% |
| Strategic investor | Someone who will pay a high price |
| Thanks for your input | I’m going to completely ignore your advice |
| Think more tactically than strategically | Not very smart |
| Too early to tell | Results to date have been dismal |
| Turn-around opportunity | Pretty much a lost cause |
| Unique | No more than six competitors |
| Upgrading the management team | In the process of cleaning house |
| Value-added investor | Generally comes to board meetings, but spends most of the time on “emergency” phone calls |
| Volume sensitive | Massive fixed costs |
| Well below plan | Complete, unmitigated disaster, synonymous with “ran into a slight hiccup” |
| Window of opportunity | About to be blown away by the competition |
| Works closely with management | Monthly telephone call |
Kinetic Energy Ventures 