Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Access to intellectual property and current research.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, I’ve met many aspiring entrepreneurs, and I often get asked the question, “I have a great idea for a startup – do you agree that it real potential?” If you are dreaming of an opportunity to get rich quick, the entrepreneur route is not for you. You enjoy building relationships as well as products.

Entrepreneur 67

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Sample 67

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors. Solo entrepreneurs rarely find an investor. Investors talk to each other and they love warm introductions to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Startup 60

Startup Entrepreneur Software Review Technical Review 60

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2018

Editor's note: All this week, and into the start of next year, we'll be featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. He is also a long-time entrepreneur. You'll be able to browse all of those contributions here. www.science-inc.com).

Dollar Shave Club 113

Dollar Shave Club Tsavo Userplane Malibu 113

socalTECH

AUGUST 3, 2016

Los Angeles-based pet sitting marketplace DogVacay has announced its first, DogVacay Scholarship, a $3500 award which was open to any, entrepreneurial student either entering as a freshman to college in the Fall of 2016, or a student currently enrolled at a university. The company says it plans on another scholarship competition next year.

GRP Partners 100

GRP Partners Conference Venture Capital Ideas 100

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

While the market isn't short of spritely, innovative entrepreneurs, harsh economic headwinds combined with a pullback in investor spending have made it harder than ever for budding businesses to break through. 2023 hasn't been an easy year to be a startup.

Startup 196

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 196

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2016

As a startup advisor, I see too many entrepreneurs get distracted by technology or their favorite cause, and then wonder why they can’t find an investor, attract customers, or build a long-term business. These principles include the following: Free and ultra-low cost may no longer be competitive.

Customer 101

Customer Custom Competition Netflix 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2016

Too many entrepreneurs put their best creative thinking into the startup idea, and believe that the business implementation simply requires following tried and true business practices. Successful entrepreneurs call these paradigm shifts or disruptive technologies, where new solutions cause unanticipated opportunities.

Ideas 103

Ideas Competition Customer Custom 103

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 3, 2022

billion company in the brutally competitive beauty industry, especially one with such broad appeal. After all, Glossier’s founder and CEO Emily Weiss is very, very far from the first entrepreneur to profit off of our desire to look good. Glossier’s commoditized feminism aside, it’s no easy task to launch a $1.8 And who cares?

Startup 280

Startup Netflix Los Angeles Innocal 280

LATechDigest

JUNE 20, 2016

Women Entrepreneurs. EA Announces Weekly eSports Competitions ( link ). Bixel Exchange (@BixelExchange) June 15, 2016. LATech Digest (@LATechDigest) June 15, 2016. LATech Digest (@LATechDigest) June 16, 2016. LATech Digest (@LATechDigest) June 16, 2016. Suzy Ryoo (@suzywillow) June 16, 2016.

Snapchat 45

Snapchat Pasadena Southern California SoCal 45

LATechDigest

MAY 23, 2016

— Audrey Bellis (@audreybellis) May 19, 2016. NFTE Hosted Their Annual Entrepreneur Competition. — Scott Perry (@scottperry) May 18, 2016. — John Gutierrez (@johngutierrez) May 19, 2016. — John Gutierrez (@johngutierrez) May 19, 2016. — LA 2024 (@LA2024) May 18, 2016.

Snapchat 45

Snapchat Class Santa Monica Venice 45

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

The biggest challenge for every entrepreneur and every startup today is to get noticed and remembered in today’s information overload. The number of entrepreneurs worldwide is huge, starting an estimated 50 million new businesses in the past year, or 137,000 per day. Marty Zwilling First published on Huffington Post on 09/24/2016.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Customer Custom 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

In the same way, great entrepreneurs and company leaders should no longer rely on faceless and nameless processes to drive business strategy and innovation to stay competitive. Here is my adaptation of his engagement principles for all the aspiring entrepreneurs I advise: Learn to adopt an outsider’s perspective.

Social Media 99

Social Media Metrics Customer Custom 99

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2016

I’m a strong proponent of new entrepreneurs starting with a big vision, and believing anything is possible -- but I’m also a pragmatist who believes in factoring some realism into any plan. Entrepreneurs who expect funding at the idea stage are usually disappointed. First-to-market is a key competitive advantage.

Startup 58

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Ideas 58

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

Every new entrepreneur soon realizes he or she has some big ones, but very few figure out how to use these them to their advantage. I believe that the resourcefulness to turn constraints into competitive differentiators and new opportunities is a trait that separates the great entrepreneurs from the “wannabes.”

Startup 57

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Outsource 57

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Too many aspiring entrepreneurs I mentor can talk at length about their innovative ideas and passions, and ask lots of good questions, but never make much progress in building a real business. Most entrepreneurs work hard, but many don’t follow up often to check for completion. The best entrepreneurs finish something every day.

Writing 100

Writing Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2016

As a business advisor and advocate for entrepreneurs, I find myself almost always talking and writing about change. With a bit of humor, he provides some serious guidelines for struggling career professionals looking to move up, and new entrepreneurs looking to build a company. Anything less makes you non-competitive.

Startup 93

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 93

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2016

I believe these steps are especially critical to the success of entrepreneurs who are rolling out new businesses today. Competitive and leadership leverage. A good strategy provides opportunities for internal actions and leaders to optimize and extend a firm’s competitive advantage.

Customer 104

Customer Custom Social Media Competition 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

I find that this type offers the most value to new entrepreneurs or startups in the early idea stage. Here are some of the key parameters that will help you decide where you fit in this spectrum: Your commitment to the entrepreneur lifestyle. The process is often competitive and very difficult.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

In my role as an advisor to entrepreneurs, I often find founders who have such conviction and passion for their new idea, that they can’t believe anyone could challenge it. They bristle quickly when investors or even potential customers raise issues with real value, competition, risk, and sustainability.

Ideas 92

Ideas Case Study Mobile Resource 92

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

Others, like Guy Kawasaki , have irreverently called some of these “entrepreneur lies,” but I prefer to think of them as innocent enhancements or omissions that can kill your deal. Entrepreneurs in this category are usually dreamers. Investors are not looking for conservative entrepreneurs. None of these cases are credible.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2016

Every entrepreneur I know starts out with a strong conviction that their solution is a perfect match for their target market, and yet almost every one later admits a need to “pivot” before finding their groove. Few entrepreneurs know that even the most successful startups had pivots, which rarely get mentioned.

Entrepreneur 57

Entrepreneur Pricing Course Competition 57

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2016

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors.

Incubator 106

Incubator Startup Help Resource 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Every entrepreneur I know feels the pressure of the thousands of things that need to get done, all seemingly at the same time. I recommend that entrepreneurs test the market with a minimum viable product (MVP), before burning resources on the ultimate solution, only to find the market has changed. There is just not enough time!

Tips 100

Tips Activity Startup Product 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2016

Technical entrepreneurs love to compare the number of features in their product to competitors, and they love to keep adding features -- just because they can. Even worse, this “feature creep” often makes the final product late to market, sluggish and more expensive than competition. Define and enforce role and decision authorities.

Product 61

Product Competition Customer Custom 61

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

The bar is being raised, so every entrepreneur needs new initiatives just to stay in the ballgame. Some entrepreneurs are so focused on their technology, they assume their customers think the same way. It must be written down, with measurable team objectives, validated by metrics and compared against competition.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2016

For a software startup, a patent can be the intellectual property providing the key competitive advantage, or it can be an expensive non-defensible bureaucratic nightmare -- or both. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 01/15/2016. Unlike hardware, software is already covered by copyright.

Patents 53

Patents Software Review Software Technical Advisors 53

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Why is it that only the most successful entrepreneurs , including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson, admit to having a mentor and actually use them? Yet many entrepreneurs I know are too proud or too shy to even ask for advice. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 11/24/2016.

Mentor 95

Mentor Coach Metrics Entrepreneur 95

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

Entrepreneurs who are looking to attract investors need to develop and pitch a plan -- preferably written -- that answers every potential investor question about your startup before it is asked. This is also the place to first mention patents and any other differentiators that put you ahead of competition.

Invest 108

Invest Startup Slides Equity 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2016

After many years of working with angel investors seriously trying to find new ventures worthy of their hard-earned money, I find their frustration often exceeds that of entrepreneurs sincerely looking for financial help. For seed stage funding, entrepreneurs should be looking to friends and family, crowd funding, and relevant institutions.

Entrepreneur 57

Entrepreneur Invest Funding Patents 57

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2016

You can’t learn anything new while you’re talking, yet many business professionals and entrepreneurs seem to never stop. Responsible, effective communication will give you a sustainable competitive advantage over both your peers and your competitors, by allowing you to get more done in less time.

Activity 104

Activity Resource Email Competition 104

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

The new war for platforms has mostly been waged by Andreessen Horowitz who have raised astounding amounts of capital and therefore had the fees to put into providing more services for entrepreneurs. And there is often competition over marketing activities, fund raising ownership and the like.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Platform Startup Resource 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2016

Every entrepreneur knows what it’s like to face adversity. The best entrepreneurs tackle these one at a time without losing their stride or their passion and many secretly get their highest satisfaction from overcoming an impossible problem. Successful entrepreneurs are not afraid to reach out and ask for help from peers and advisors.

Satisfaction 59

Satisfaction Activity Entrepreneur Competition 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2016

I meet many entrepreneurs with a real passion for their new idea, but unfortunately they don’t all realize that passion is necessary but not sufficient fuel to turn their idea into a successful business. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 01/01/2016. Reality check your potential for building a business.

Startup 62

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Statistics 62

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2016

The challenge for every entrepreneur and every business is to understand the pragmatics of identifying and reacting to what their customers love and what they hate. If you are looking for a lasting competitive advantage, I recommend that you follow the steps outlined here to create experiences that your customers crave.

Customer 97

Customer Custom Social Media Training 97

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2014

zettabytes by the year 2016. As an entrepreneur, what steps can you take to help your business not only survive the data hurricane, but to thrive under these new and challenging conditions? Use the steps outlined here to stay ahead of it, and use its power to propel your startup into the future, ahead of your competition.

Startup 99

Startup Social Media Entertainment Metrics 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2016

Business success is all about having the best team, yet the average entrepreneur has little prior experience with hiring people and building top-notch teams. Most new entrepreneurs assume their passion will attract and motivate the right team members. Marty Zwilling First published on Forbes on 07/02/2016.

Organization 57

Organization Entrepreneur Satisfaction Screening 57