Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. Some startups do nothing to prepare for the due diligence process, assuming the people and business plan documents will speak for themselves.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 152

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2010

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. Some startups do nothing to prepare for the due diligence process, assuming the people and business plan documents will speak for themselves.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 91

SoCal CTO

MARCH 9, 2010

In my post, Technology Roles in Startups , I described some of the different ways I engage with startup companies such as CTO Founder , CTO , Part-Time CTO , Acting CTO , Consultant, Advisor and Advisory Board Member. Now, most often technical advisors are part of a broader advisory board. In Why assemble an advisory board?

CTO Coach 150

CTO Coach Technical Review Technology CTO Hire 150

socalTECH

JUNE 12, 2012

Santa Barbara, one of Southern California's technology centers, has a unique problem: how do you scale out your technology staff, despite intense competition from the firm's large number of technology companies, expensive cost-of-living, limited real estate, and a fairly long trek from the rest of the region for commuters?

Santa Barbara 145

Santa Barbara Technical Review Southern California Competition 145

InfoChachkie

APRIL 21, 2011

Part I of this series describes the 360-review that I conducted at a growing, dynamic SaaS business which has recently graduated from the startup stage and entered the early-growth phase. One of the most compelling conclusions I drew from the reviews is that both Founders need delegate more of their day-to-day tasks.

Technical Review 182

Technical Review Software Review Startup Outsource 182

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2013

Southern California's Most Popular Tech Stories. LaunchpadLA Opens Up Spring Applications. In our features section: Interview with Blair Harrison of Frequency. 9 Ways socalTECH Can Help You With Your New Year's Resolutions. How to find a startup mentor.

Southern California 168

Southern California Technical Review SoCal San Diego 168

Tech.Co

JANUARY 3, 2020

However, as a business owner, you know that resting on your laurels can be dangerous, which is why staying up to date with the latest business technology is a necessity. And if you aren't making good use of this business tech, you're missing out. The post The Business Tech You Need in 2020 appeared first on Tech.co.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Software Review Social Media Platform 91

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2011

I often hear the qualms of business-smart but non-technical entrepreneurs, wondering if they really have a chance in this high-technology marketplace. I tell them that if their idea or solution is technology intensive, they clearly need technology strength on the team. Outsource your technical requirements.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Entrepreneur Outsource Development Outsource 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

TechEmpower

DECEMBER 11, 2023

Are specific technologies or platforms involved in your project? This article will primarily focus on locating and evaluating development companies, rather than design firms. Do they have experience with the technologies involved in your project? What are the review periods and your responsibility in the process?

Software Development 295

Software Development Software Review Develop Development 295

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2019

How many times have investors heard startups start their pitch by touting that their technology is “disruptive?” What entrepreneurs forget or don’t realize is that most customers are wary of all technology, educating the market on new technology is expensive, takes a long time, and people buy problem solutions rather than technology.

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Technology Startup Social Media 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2012

I often hear the qualms of business-smart but non-technical entrepreneurs, wondering if they really have a chance in this high-technology marketplace. I tell them that if their idea or solution is technology intensive, they clearly need technology strength on the team. Outsource your technical requirements.

Technical Review 92

Technical Review Technology Startup Outsource Development 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

According to an old Harvard Business Review article, many people in history, famous for their inventions, like Thomas Edison, were entrepreneurs who only later were remembered as inventors of the products they commercialized. Of course it helps to have innovative technologies before you start building a business.

Technical Review 156

Technical Review Funding Patents Ideas 156

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2014

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Marketing is everything these days. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Tips Marketing Entrepreneur 103

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Instead of a traditional business school''s case study and textbook approach, UCSB''s Technology Management Program (TMP) emphasizes experiential learning. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! Organic Academia.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Because of the rapid pace with which Venture Capitalists review investment opportunities, they must employ pattern matching techniques which include identifying common fundraising deal breakers. Breaking The Deal Breakers.

Technical Review 264

Technical Review Entrepreneur IP RSS 264

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! Venture Capital is a game of pattern matching. Hairy Pattern Matching. Know Thy Pattern.

Technical Review 244

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital RSS 244

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

The press around the raise & company was fantastic and the promise of their technology – wireless charging that works as easily as WiFi – would positively affect many of our lives. uBeam’s tech does work and I have safely seen it demo’d in the real life many times. Working on it. And being ambitious.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Startup Software Review Course 417

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2018

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. We began the exercise by asking each venture to select two executives, one technical and the other non-technical, to cover Techstar’s pitch rubric (shown below), in 90-seconds. I was invited to lead a Techstars LA workshop, focused on honing their elevator pitches.

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Entrepreneur Class Examples 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Equally bad is a full tutorial on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point.

Slides 147

Slides Funding Technical Review Startup 147

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 20, 2014

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! If an article has numerous social shares (i.e., For instance, Yelp calls out establishments which attempt to manipulate their reviews. What a bargain.

Social Media 274

Social Media Media Technical Review Software Review 274

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2012

The New York Times recently ran an article titled, “ Tech Companies Leave Phone Calls Behind.” But this article missed the real trend. Tech Companies most certainly do take calls. Tech Companies & Calls: I once read a quote on Twitter that said, If you use a tech service for free then product is you.

Mobile 311

Mobile Technical Review Google Screening 311

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 25, 2013

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Tech entrepreneurs' consternation with MBAs does not rise to the level of loathing. Rather, entrepreneurs' frustrations are often due to an incongruence between an MBA's expectations versus the value they can deliver to a startup.

Entrepreneur 279

Entrepreneur Technical Review Case Study Class 279

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Consistently review and respond to relevant online feedback. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 12, 2018

seems like an unlikely place to grow one of the next billion-dollar startups in the booming Los Angeles tech ecosystem. By and large, these workers have not benefitted much from recent technology improvements available to office-based workers—think new email and workplace-collaboration technologies, or advanced sales and HR systems.

Glendale 271

Glendale Los Angeles Startup Technical Review 271

TechEmpower

FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Often this situation is characterized as a “good problem to have” until you’re the technical person who needs to solve the problem—and quickly. Well, there are a number of technical reasons for applications suffering performance issues. Performance in your technology selection process. So, why does this happen?

Web 200

Web Technical Advisors Framework Technical Review 200

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2022

In my experience, the good news is that everyone is becoming more and more comfortable with relationships via the new media and technology. Maximize online referrals and positive service reviews. I still find too many service organizations that ignore or discount online reviews and satisfaction surveys.

Services 121

Services Technical Review Social Media Case Study 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2017

How many times have investors heard startups start their pitch by touting that their technology is “disruptive?” What entrepreneurs forget or don’t realize is that most customers are wary of all technology, educating the market on new technology is expensive, takes a long time, and people buy problem solutions rather than technology.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Technology Startup Social Media 60

InfoChachkie

MAY 5, 2014

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! Unlike pcAnywhere, GoToMyPC required no technical expertise. However, for many online startups, form should drive the design process.

Symantec 227

Symantec Technical Review Software Review Design 227

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2014

There’s an article making the rounds in tech circles titled “ Growth Hacking is Bull ” written by Muhammad Saleem. I’d like to make the case that the article is wrong. they’ll flock to your channel with marketing budgets and tech prowess. I’d strongly encourage you to read it.

Technical Review 384

Technical Review SEM SEO Marketing 384

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

They cite sources like Profitable Venture Magazine, “ Why Business Plans are a Waste of Time ” and this Forbes article. Although the major crowd funding sites today, including Kickstarter and Indiegogo , don’t technically require a business plan, they do demand essentially the same information in a project format.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 126

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2011

Venice, California-based Tecca , the online and mobile site providing articles, reviews, how-to articles, and other information about electronics products, said Monday that it is now reaching over one million unique visitors a month. The site says it is now the largest technology website specifically catering to women.

Fandango 140

Fandango Technical Review Venice Yahoo 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2019

But people are still begging for more technology or laws, often to protect them from themselves. In this scam, you are offered a very attractive term sheet due to close in 90 days or so, with a deposit required to hold your position while due diligence is being conducted. Deposit required to hold your terms.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Funding Email Entrepreneur 91

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 23, 2021

Meatable has a long road ahead of it, because, as Gates acknowledged in his interview with MIT Technology Review (ed. These products don’t get at the full potential for cellular technology according to Daan Luining, Meatable’s chief technology officer. ” For Meatable right now, price remains an issue.

Chief Technology Officer 261

Chief Technology Officer Technical Review Software Review Product 261

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2019

Partially due to the economy, but also due to longer, healthier lives and changes in job tenure, Boomers are now expected to stay in the labor force longer, and according to a USNews article, will likely dominate the labor market by 2024. Here are some indicative entrepreneurial facts from recent Kauffman studies and others.

Startup 119

Startup Technical Review Technical Support Entrepreneur 119