Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

Unfortunately, many of the business professionals I meet these days in my mentoring and consulting activities feel perennially stressed and out of control, versus calm and satisfied with their position. Find an activity to clear your head and refocus on the positives. Practice patience to listen before reacting out of emotion.

Demand 103

Demand Activity Email Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2022

In my experience as a mentor to entrepreneurs, I find that self-doubt and lack of confidence are the primary constraints people have to overcome to move ahead. He writes from first-hand experience, and is now a recognized business leader, motivational speaker, and mentor to many entrepreneurs.

Mentor 134

Mentor Slides .Net Writing 134

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them nearly ten years ago. As a partially-retired baby-boomer in business, I’ve spent much of the last few years mentoring aspiring millennial entrepreneurs, and I’m always looking for more insights into how to help them.

Tips 127

Tips Mentor Coach Guide 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2021

In my role as mentor to many of you aspiring entrepreneurs, I often find you convinced that all you need to start is a unique innovation or idea , and now you are ready to jump in with both feet and enjoy the ride. Actively share info with entrepreneur peers. Enlist a mentor and advisor who is not a ‘yes’ person.

Satisfaction 135

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Startup Mentor 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2023

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. Writing something down is the first step toward moving forward and making it real. List items to achieve the goal, and network now.

Writing 92

Writing Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 92

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

The challenge is to adequately define leadership in terms of everyday activities. Thus I’m always looking for more practical guidance on the right activities to be perceived as a business leader. These authors bring a wealth of experience in this domain from their workshops, writing, and lecturing on business leadership worldwide.

Startup 133

Startup Activity Mentor Writing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Your brain has leveled all events and activities into a desert of sand dunes, where just getting from one to another is a struggle, and there is nothing new to see over the next hill. Ask a mentor for support. Choose a friend or mentor (not your spouse) whom you trust to tell you the truth, and ask for help.

Startup 129

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 129

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

If you are active in helping others with what you know, they will be much more open to help you when you need it. Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Give and you will receive.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

You probably already know the key challenges to complete each step, but it helps to write them down, review them with peers, and have a written list to update as you learn more. Prioritize the activities and execution within each step. Stop talking and writing, and start executing the plan. So don’t give up your dreams.

Writing 139

Writing Startup Summary Activity 139

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Startup 171

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Ideas 171

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

As an experienced business professional and mentor, I find that most successful peers will admit that they love what they do. If the plan requires many steps and many details, it helps to write down the plan to make sure it is clear and complete before starting. I’m finally convinced that only you can change yourself.

Coach 110

Coach Satisfaction Activity Startup 110

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

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. Writing something down is the first step toward moving forward and making it real. List items to achieve the goal, and network now.

Ideas 121

Ideas Writing Startup Entrepreneur 121

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 70

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 70

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Huddlewoo a live video platform set to launch early 2013 to give people the ability to access extraordinary people for one-on-one conversations and mentoring. Our focus is providing anyone who is active online already with the ability to leverage their existing social networks for monetized one-on-one conversations.

Mentor 94

Mentor Platform Social Network Chief Technology Officer 94

Berkonomics

MAY 22, 2014

Bill Payne has been actively involved in angel investing since 1980, funding over 50 companies and mentoring over 100 more. In most cases, those entrepreneurs choosing to raise capital using PPMs retain specialists (many of whom are lawyers) to write their PPMs – a rather expensive undertaking. By Bill Payne.

Writing 199

Writing Invest Entrepreneur Equity 199

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. Pitch your company, not your product.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Tech.Co

JANUARY 29, 2018

Add Mentors to Your Roster. Regardless of one’s stage, mentors are a must have for any founder. Through the CTA Mentor program, these individuals can help founders foresee roadblocks and challenges, work through regulations, offer perspectives, help one fine tune pitches and asks, introduce them to the right people, and more.

Startup 87

Startup Mentor Artificial Inteligence Research 87

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2021

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I don’t believe that it is only a birthright, and there are several key strategies, including the following, that you can learn and practice which will lead to success: Give your own judgement a high priority in decisions. Demonstrate integrity and strong ethics in all activities.

Entrepreneur 132

Entrepreneur Course Satisfaction Guide 132

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

With some coaching and mentoring from other leaders, I was able to do it myself, so I know you can do it too, by committing to the following strategies: Train yourself to always look for positives, not negatives. Write down your top 5 core values and review them often. Define a clear break between work and private activities.

Coach 137

Coach Training Satisfaction Mentor 137

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

If you’re an early investor like I am that often means writing the first $2-3 million check into a business that previously had either survived on fumes or on a $500,000 angel round. But you do need to find a way to do activities that are more scalable. You’re the coach, mentor, cheerleader. But at what cost?

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Your brain has leveled all events and activities into a desert of sand dunes, where just getting from one to another is a struggle, and there is nothing new to see over the next hill. Ask a mentor for support. Choose a friend or mentor (not your spouse) whom you trust to tell you the truth, and ask for help.

Startup 82

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 82

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Able to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 100

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. Writing something down is the first step toward moving forward and making it real. List items to achieve the goal, and network now.

Writing 100

Writing Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2014

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. Pitch your company, not your product.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Slides 108

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

If you are active in helping others with what you know, they will be much more open to help you when you need it. Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Give and you will receive.

Startup 75

Startup Social Network Networking Mentor 75

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2015

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. Pitch your company, not your product.

Startup 104

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Slides 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2015

If you are active in helping others with what you know, they will be much more open to help you when you need it. Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Give and you will receive.

Startup 108

Startup Social Network Mentor Entrepreneur 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2017

The challenge is to adequately define leadership in terms of everyday activities. Thus I’m always looking for more practical guidance on the right activities to be perceived as a business leader. These authors bring a wealth of experience in this domain from their workshops, writing, and lecturing on business leadership worldwide.

Activity 55

Activity Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 55

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2012

See my recent article “ Smart Entrepreneurs Plan Key Networking Activities ” on how and where to get started. If you are active in helping others with what you know, they will be much more open to help you when you need it. Nominate someone as your mentor. Give and you will receive. Cultivate existing allies.

Startup 97

Startup Tips Social Network Networking 97

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2013

If you are active in helping others with what you know, they will be much more open to help you when you need it. Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Give and you will receive.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Social Network 108

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Ability to balance right-brain and left-brain activities.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 110

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2017

Your brain has leveled all events and activities into a desert of sand dunes, where just getting from one to another is a struggle, and there is nothing new to see over the next hill. Ask a mentor for support. Choose a friend or mentor (not your spouse) whom you trust to tell you the truth, and ask for help.

Startup 61

Startup Product Mentor Satisfaction 61

InfoChachkie

MARCH 10, 2014

Jackson Brown sat at his kitchen table, pulled out a pad of paper and began writing advice to his son, who had just entered college. Become someone''s hero - when someone asks you to be their mentor, smile and say, "I would be honored.". Strive for excellence, not perfection - activity beats contemplation, seven days a week.

Competition 274

Competition Mentor Entrepreneur Startup 274

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Chander Dhall , a microsoft MP, anuthor, trainer, mentor, professional software architect/lead developer, INTETA speaker, open source contributor, community leader and organizer with years of experience in enterprise Software Development. Troy Miles , A designer and developer of software since 1979 writing games in assembly and C.

JavaScript 93

JavaScript Long Beach Java .Net 93

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2017

Recently the firms two founding partners (and also Managing Partners) —  Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham  — decided to transition management of the firm to Andy Weissman (who joined in 2012) and Albert Wenger (joined in 2008 and writes one of the most thoughtful blogs in our industry ).

Venture Capital 161

Venture Capital Funding Capital Startup 161

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 14, 2015

I just write. I told her I need “20 minutes” to write a blog post. Keep on writing. I took 2 of those morning to write blog posts and then read. Why do I write all of this? When the family wakes up I stop, cuddle, hang out and start the morning activities. I don’t write perfect blog posts.

Blogging 150

Blogging Writing Startup Email 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2013

Your brain has leveled all events and activities into a desert of sand dunes, where just getting from one to another is a struggle, and there is nothing new to see over the next hill. Ask a mentor for support. Choose a friend or mentor (not your spouse) whom you trust to tell you the truth, and ask for help.

Startup 101

Startup Mentor Satisfaction Writing 101