Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

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. Failure to include company culture in the hiring criteria.

Organization 104

Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Screening 104

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 384

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 384

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

One of the realities of being an entrepreneur is that you have to keep learning and changing to survive. Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain. Optimizing risk, not minimizing it.

Satisfaction 124

Satisfaction Organization Customer Custom 124

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2010

Thursday night was the unveiling of the newest batch of Launchpad LA companies. The VC’s & executives were then asked to make “commitments&# (in writing) to 3-5 of the companies that they felt they could make some sort of contribution to. Have a look at the companies below.

Company 276

Company Companies Startup Southern California 276

InfoChachkie

MARCH 3, 2011

In the spirit of the “land grab” mentality of the day, we emphasized usage of our screen sharing technology with no thought applied to how we would convert such users into paying customers. Anyone, including well-healed, Big Dumb Companies, could offer state-of-the-art technical support for free. The Internet Should Be Free.

Customer 162

Customer Custom Technical Support Startup 162

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

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. Someone is always taking attendance.

Startup 153

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 153

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2020

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. Failure to include company culture in the hiring criteria.

Organization 135

Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Screening 135

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Equally, I encouraged entrepreneurs to spend time getting to know their future VCs early because getting a feel for your chemistry is far more important than how the VC is ranked in some survey. Equally, I encouraged entrepreneurs to thoroughly reference check their VCs – you’ll learn much more from this than anything else.

Entrepreneur 330

Entrepreneur Marketing Venture Capital Hulu 330

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Based on my experience as a business advisor, I recommend that every business owner and entrepreneur focus on the following tips to provide a better work culture: Invest in integrating new technology, not just forcing it. Spend more time mentoring and coaching your team. Giving orders and assignments is not coaching.

Tips 159

Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 23, 2019

Even Salesforce abandoned it’s silly “No Software” tagline, after the company had to explain in 2015 that it meant, “No legacy software, just cloud software.”. You’re not a SaaS company, you’re a software company. You’re not a SaaS entrepreneur, you’re a software entrepreneur. ASP To SaaS To Software.

SaaS 113

SaaS Software Artificial Inteligence ASP 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. The first words out of your mouth should be “Can everyone hear me, and read the screen?” Skip the acronyms, history of the company, and the colorful autobiography.

Slides 147

Slides Funding Technical Review Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2013

Many entrepreneurs I know don’t realize that the language they learned in the corporate world, or even their recent MBA class, won’t get them ahead in the startup world today. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. Super-angels.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Startup Web Equity 109

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

Other writers, like Guy Kawasaki, have irreverently called some of these “entrepreneur lies,” but I prefer to think of them as innocent over-enthusiasm or over-confidence that can kill your deal. It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 176

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 176

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2011

Making the decision to become an entrepreneur is a major commitment, with huge implications for skills and lifestyle. You will be controlled by your customers, investors, lenders – and you are personally responsible for answering to all of them, all of the time. It helps to work in a similar company before you start your own.

Screening 99

Screening Startup Statistics Guide 99

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Those who are more involved in traditional entertainment are seeing a major shift online which is why an additional one-day seminar was created to coincide with Silicon Beach Fest Hollywood as a partnership called, Idea to Screen. The staff is very helpful and provides great customer service too. Same with CreatorUp. See you there!

Hollywood 100

Hollywood Screening Ideas Entertainment 100

socalTECH

MAY 16, 2019

For our interview this morning, we caught up with Isaac Garcia , a serial entrepreneur who previously founded and sold his last company, Central Desktop, and now is working on a new startup, Sales Insider. How did you start Sales Insider from your past company, Central Desktop, after you sold it? It's very, very specific.

Sales 133

Sales Startup Software Marketing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

One of the realities of being an entrepreneur is that you have to keep learning and changing to survive. Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain. Optimizing risk, not minimizing it.

Satisfaction 57

Satisfaction Customer Custom Organization 57

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2010

Burstly, a Santa Monica based company, provides an open and free ad management platform that helps mobile application developers better monetize their inventory. As I naturally get asked all the time why we invested in Company A or Company B, I thought I’d just put forth my thesis in writing.

Mobile 282

Mobile Invest Company Companies 282

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

We caught up with Helen, the co-founder and COO of JOANY, to learn more about the company. How did you start the company? Helen Lee: Christina and I started the company back in 2014. We had our Joan of Arc moment in Decembre of 2014, and therefore called the company JOANY. What's next now for the company?

Startup 138

Startup Customer Custom Help 138

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 20, 2011

After months of submissions and the amazing help from our judges , the Spotlight is shinning down on awesome companies that were born right out of Southern California. For those who still might be wondering what Spotlight: LA Tech is all about, It’s a screening room for new technology homegrown in our region. 7:00 – 7:45pm – check-in.

UCLA 102

UCLA Company Companies Idealab 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

But many entrepreneurs don’t realize that Angels are also extremely discerning in the projects that they will invest in, rejecting approximately 97% of the proposals submitted to them, according to the California Investment Network. In today’s world, if you don’t have a web site up and running, you will not be perceived as a real company.

Angel 104

Angel Screening Summary Startup 104

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. Lead with your intent to offer the solution free to customers. Of course, customers love free, but investors hate it. Skip the hype.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

One of the realities of being an entrepreneur is that you have to keep learning and changing to survive. Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain. Optimizing risk, not minimizing it.

Satisfaction 106

Satisfaction Organization Customer Custom 106

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 30, 2012

Months of submissions and the amazing help from our judges , the Spotlight is shinning down on awesome companies that were born right out of Southern California. For those who still might be wondering what Spotlight: LA Tech is all about, It’s a screening room for new technology homegrown in our region. SuperDemo: Bill Gross.

CalTech 91

CalTech Company Companies Idealab 91

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. Someone is always taking attendance.

Startup 93

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 93

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 8, 2011

The Spotlight is shining down these amazing LA companies! For those who still might be wondering what Spotlight: LA Tech is all about, It’s a screening room for new technology homegrown in our region. And now without further ado I present the Spotlight: LA Tech Summer Winners: Spotlight Companies. wonder what that might be?

CalTech 100

CalTech Technical Review Company Companies 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2020

Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch. The first words out of your mouth should be “Can everyone hear me, and read the screen?” Skip the acronyms, history of the company, and the colorful autobiography.

Startup 118

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 118

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

If you truly believe that you, your company and your products are exceptional and your company will be valuable then you’re actually doing them a FAVOR by helping them invest in your startup. an investment in your company. In any event this is a “screening meeting” or as I’ve called on my graphics an “introduction” to the firm.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Tech.Co

JULY 12, 2017

What you might not realize is that the adorable droid was the brain child of Sphero, a robotics and digital technology company and an alumni to the Disney Accelerator program. “This year, more than ever, we are working with companies with the potential to help define the future of media and entertainment together with Disney.”

Artificial Inteligence 108

Artificial Inteligence Startup Entertainment Press 108

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). I hustled.

Startup 361

Startup Venture Capital Pricing Technical Review 361

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 6, 2012

Los Angeles-based Gumiyo (www.gumiyo.com) has been developing mobile websites for SMBs and publishers for a number of years, and recently started to offer up self-service tools to make it easy for those customers to create cross-device mobile websites. Customers are looking for something that works. That created two things for us.

Mobile 219

Mobile Marketing Customer Custom 219

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). I hustled.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 26, 2013

Understanding “The Funding Angle” I sit at enough board meetings to hear conflicting advice given to entrepreneurs about how to handle PR and announcements at startups. But succinctly this press places a marker in the ground for your company. I saw your big announcement ” Psychological I know. But trust me on this.

Startup 355

Startup Funding News Press 355

Tech Coast Venture Network

MARCH 9, 2011

Investors and entrepreneurs who won at the fundraising game during and after the Great Recession offer advice on landing equity money. To help you get a jump-start with fundraising, I’ve gathered tips from active early-stage investors and entrepreneurs who managed to beat the odds by raising capital during and after the Great Recession.

Tips 100

Tips Capital Tech Coast Angels Screening 100

Tech.Co

AUGUST 16, 2017

Finding potential customers continues to be a huge challenge not only for established marketing and sales teams but also for startup executives and solo entrepreneurs. Enter the person’s name and company domain. Customer Outreach Solution – Mailshake. Sign up and start using this solution’s simple search interface.

Tool 77

Tool Startup Help Template 77

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 8, 2009

Traction can simply mean showing that you’re making progress with customers, product development, channel partners, initial revenue as a proof point, attracting well-known angel investors, winning industry awards / recognition. Keep on the radar screen – I know the VC’s seemed to love you when they met you.

Venture Capital 309

Venture Capital Guide Startup Technical Review 309