Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 3, 2013

Startup Grind was a truly awesome conference and Derek the consumate host. We talked about how business school historically hasn’t positioned entrepreneurs well for success. I wrote about that before in a post about “ whether MBAs are necessary for entrepreneurs. I hope to be asked back for next year’s event.

Venture Capital 403

Venture Capital Education Offshore Outsource Development 403

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

I get paid (well) for interesting people to come in and tell me how they want to change the world – Being an entrepreneur is like having blinders on. At least for the best entrepreneurs. Some people do the conference circuit too much, get involved in lots of side projects and attend every entrepreneur dinner.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

TechCrunch LA

MAY 29, 2019

The company raised $46 million last year—its first year operating—with the vision that owning the infrastructure for competitions and expanding it to encompass other social elements of gaming can make it the largest gaming company in the world. Eric P: You have a fascinating background as a serial entrepreneur while you were a teenager.

Startup 204

Startup Coach Competition Los Angeles 204

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

I had a chance to discuss AngelList Syndicates with Naval at Michael Kim’s Cendana LP/VC conference on a panel with Naval, Roger Ehrenberg (IA Ventures) and Mike Brown, Jr. It should help some entrepreneurs to better access early-stage capital and should allow some angel investors better access to deal flow. Bowery Capital).

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2010

In fact, I said as much in September 09 at a Twitter conference in LA on a panel that Guy Kawasaki was moderating. Actually, the latter could be a reasonable strategy for super technical entrepreneurs who can sustain themselves without big financing needs (see: Atebits, owner of Tweetie). I don’t find this surprising at all.

Acquisition 287

Acquisition Develop Development Conference 287

Tech.Co

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

From apps to hardware, to KickStarter successes and international startups, we’re inching closer to finding out who will take home the title of Startup of the Year competition at our annual Celebrate Conference in October. Co: What was the road like leading up to your initial pitch for the competition?

Competition 110

Competition Mobile Startup Technical Review 110

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

Ability to source information easily to help build a thesis around companies / industries / competition. Great networking skills, which are critical when you want to be about to reference entrepreneurs & concepts and bounce your ideas off of other people in the industry. ” My experience tells me the same.

Help 365

Help Invest Venture Capital Technical Review 365

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

A few months ago I wrote about an entrepreneur, Sam Rosen, whom we brought on as an EIR at Upfront Ventures. Now remember that Sam is an entrepreneur. The first one out even won a major tech conference award. Of course there is competition! If you Can’t Make Time, MakeSpace. Today we announced our launch. Here’s the deal.

UCSD 340

UCSD Startup Ideas Course 340

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

Even though I’m a big proponent of becoming an entrepreneur, it is definitely not for everyone. In my view, entrepreneur roles need to be planned carefully rather than made on the spur of the moment. Adopt the Silicon Valley entrepreneur family model. Test your entrepreneur instincts through crowdfunding.

Sample 126

Sample Entrepreneur Ideas Startup 126

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 4, 2016

Modern-society is also littered with over-networkers and over-introducers and professional conference attendees. I try to steer entrepreneurs away from over-introducers and I often find myself wanting to be careful about them becoming an investor in companies I back. Focus is almost always the right answer.

Innocal 255

Innocal Conference Help Study 255

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 25, 2018

They soon learn that they are entrepreneurs who will launch a magical venture that involves a restorative meal, a communal celebration and reassurance that better days are ahead. Every entrepreneur is faced with making something out of nothing. Dishonest entrepreneurs are unsuccessful in the long run.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Ideas 153

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

He has it on stage, too, at conferences. Many through history became entrepreneurs precisely because they were unemployable. He had a philosophy that the future competition for startups would be design led and based on data analysis. I don’t know an entrepreneur or a VC who wouldn’t cut him in on any deal.”

Startup 309

Startup Venture Capital Email Writing 309

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

I’m an entrepreneur at heart so I’m always inspired when I hear stories about innovation. It’s why my investment philosophy is called, “ the entrepreneur thesis.&#. He listed all of the product releases that were up coming, the customers that were in the pipeline and where he saw his competition moving.

Venture Capital 317

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 317

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

If I’m covering a company can I get evidence of what the competition is doing so the story is balanced? Plus they run conferences with the top people (which is another form of POV marketing by the way). You can imagine the press release, “New innovative model allows us to do audits differently than the competition!”

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Overcoming obstacles and learning is one of the biggest inspiration for most entrepreneurs. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 11, 2011

PayDivvy , unveiled today at the Finovate Conference in San Francisco, was conceived a few years ago while Mike Melby was attending the Wharton School of Business. His idea and subsequent business plan won the Wharton Venture Award in 2009 and was a finalist for the Wharton Business Plan Competition.

Conference 96

Conference Orange County Technical Review Software Review 96

SoCal Tech Calendar

JANUARY 17, 2010

Saturday, January 23, 2010 -- Southern California Monte Jade (SCMJ) Fast-Pitch Competition. Formatted as a pitch competition, this is an educational opportunity to learn how to profile an enterprise and deliver a concise, effective pitch. This will be a good business networking opportunity for all.

Southern California 100

Southern California Technology Conference Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

With services, scaling the business often implies cloning yourself, since you are the intellectual property and the competitive advantage. For example, both need to provide exemplary customer service, build customer loyalty, and provide real value for a competitive price. You have no shelf life, so you can’t make money while you sleep.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. BlackTech Week was created in 2014, and in four short years, they’ve gained over 2700 participants, 150 speakers, and 3 pitch competitions. The barriers to entry when it comes to launching a company require less tension and a lot less capital.

Startup 137

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 137

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. If you are an entrepreneur, like Andrew Mason , CEO of Groupon, with a degree in music and no technical business partner to be found, your job is a bit harder.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Entrepreneur Outsource Development Outsource 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 10, 2015

Every entrepreneur I know can’t find enough hours in a day to do the good things they want, and yet they often find themselves saying yes to new requests. In addition to saying yes too often, some entrepreneurs under pressure say no poorly, by attacking the requestor or by avoiding any definitive response.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Tips Conference 104

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

So by offering convertible debt you can avoid a price discussion in the same way that angel investors sometimes do in order to win competitive early-stage deals. They might put the kibosh on company travel and not attend some key meetings or conferences. So my view is that VCs and entrepreneurs need to make tougher choices.

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

Much of this historically didn’t matter to entrepreneurs. ” In fact, I was at a recent early-stage VC/LP conference where this was accepted as conventional wisdom. ” Entrepreneurs can be caught in the middle. What a second, what about entrepreneurs? Sometimes entrepreneurs get screwed.

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 3, 2009

Out is the “cocktail only&# Twiistup and in is the new format of a conference that should take its rightful place on the national technology calendar. As should Eric Sikola and ExpenseBay who won the “Showoff&# judges competition ( Photos featured here taken by (cc) Kenneth Yeung – [link] ). ExpenseBay Wins Showoff.

Twiistup 228

Twiistup SoCal Southern California Yammer 228

socalTECH

MAY 24, 2011

Start up conferences and competitions. Today's Insights and Opinions article comes from Megan Lisa Jones , an investment banker and investor, who says: yes, it's a bubble, and gives her top ten reason to start a company, and ten reasons not to. LinkedIn valued at over $8 billion; Facebook at over $70 billion and star of a movie.

Company 150

Company Companies Startup Social Network 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

The recent pandemic was a strong signal for change, and I see most of you entrepreneurs and business owners responding to the business changes required and new opportunities presented. A good way to start this activity is to participate in industry conferences, and build relationships with peers and other leaders.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Customer 162

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 16, 2012

A Silicon Valley conference is a room full of suits, with the occasional skirt suite. pitch and technology competition at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, I couldn’t help but feel like it might be a hall of crickets with a few passionate women warming the front row. So when I heard about Women 2.0

Conference 77

Conference Startup Technical Review Software Review 77

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 23, 2011

One of the most frequent questions entrepreneurs ask about when they raise a little bit of money or are getting close to launching their first product is whether they should hire a PR firm. You need somebody who is thinking laterally about how to creatively get extra attention at conferences or trade-shows.

Startup 349

Startup Writing Press Blogging 349

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. Journalists don’t often write stories that talk about, “This cool new company I met at a conference.”

Startup 355

Startup Funding News Press 355

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

Big crowd of entrepreneurs, professors, students, and established professionals. I wanted to connect LA’s incredible entrepreneurs with the larger business community and with the resources of USC.”. Startup Pitch Competition. I tried to treat it as a learning experience and refined my pitch for this competition.”.

USC 98

USC Cornerstone OnDemand Southern California Netflix 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2021

Every entrepreneur I know can’t find enough hours in a day to do the good things they want, and yet they often find themselves saying yes to new requests. In addition to saying yes too often, some entrepreneurs under pressure say no poorly, by attacking the requestor or by avoiding any definitive response.

Tips 159

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Conference 159

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2010

10 Ways To Be Your Own Boss - A VC : Venture Capital and Technology , June 18, 2010 The folks at Behance and Cool Hunting asked me to talk at their 99% Conference a couple months ago. The 99% conference is aimed at creative professionals and is focused on Edison's "99% perspiration." Let's see why. And then I took a stand.

Startup 175

Startup Venture Capital Slides Blogging 175

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2021

It takes much the same preparation to make you the best entrepreneur, or the best job candidate. Here are some tips from both his perspective and mine to stave off the coming summer “brain drain” and focus on the next step of employment, or starting a whole new career as an entrepreneur: Create and control your Internet image.

Tips 168

Tips Startup Coach Networking 168

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 19, 2010

My partner, Brian McLoughlin , attends almost all Financial Services conference, makes a number of investments in the space and has relationships across the sector. As both an entrepreneur (in VC and sales meetings) and as a VC I’ve seen this happen many times. 30% of our last fund went into deals in this sector.

Venture Capital 318

Venture Capital Startup Sales Writing 318

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Overcoming obstacles and learning is one of the biggest inspiration for most entrepreneurs. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Startup 118

Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

As a VC I of course want you to come see only me because that means I have no competition and have time to properly get to know you. Remember, I was an entrepreneur for 10 years before a VC). even if it’s just a web conference call walk through. Most entrepreneurs don’t put enough effort into these phases.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

But I would posit that in order to sustainably build great products in an intensely competitive industry with skills shortages – people management is one of the most critical soft skills organizations need. If you give up after this you’re not an entrepreneur. We sat down the three of us.

Startup 340

Startup Technical Review Course Press 340