Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Freelancers and consultants have to demonstrate results, without training and mentoring, so they can help you more quickly and probably at a lower total cost. Prioritize demonstrated execution versus potential. Career hiring has traditionally focused on potential, but you need results now. This lets you evolve your strategy with the market.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Competitive (Athlete: skier & rowed at Princeton, hates losing at everything she does). Wonderful human being who is civically engaged, mother of 3, mentorer of younger founders, hard worker and arguer extraordinaire (so says her current Twitter bio). She is a coach and mentor to team members.

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 31, 2013

With over 350 participants expected, teams will compete in a 2-day coding competition to make local government more accessible and citizen-friendly while also getting a shot at fame, civic glory and cash / tech prizes totaling more than $20,000.

CTO Coach 295

CTO Coach Startup Mentor Ideas 295

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

leadership, mentorship, competitiveness, communications, relationship-building?—?and The core of the investing job of course is investing dollars into startup companies and helping as a mentor, advisor and board member on the companies in which you’ve invested. She had all of the skills and traits we sought?—?leadership,

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2023

In this context, even “satisfied” is only a “meets-minimum,” and does not put you ahead of your competition. Feedback from the field shows that a successful collaboration , whether with customers, employees, vendors, or other business partners, will make your company stronger and more competitive in the marketplace.

Competition 109

Competition Services Customer Custom 109

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2012

There is a large menu of startup accelerators in the Los Angeles, but one of more established efforts in the area is LaunchpadLA ([link] The effort actually started as an informal mentoring program, but has grown and expanded to follow the accelerator model. We're really excited for the next steps. Sam Teller: Great question.

Class 261

Class Mentor Startup Santa Monica 261

Tech.Co

MAY 31, 2017

When you’re in a competition and on the spot, answering questions to industry experts can be a nerve-wrecking process. This competition required the team to answer “…questions on a Food and Nutrition data set that contained 28 features and 30,000+ rows. This article is courtesy of the Galvanize blog.

Competition 88

Competition Slides Artificial Inteligence Tips 88

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2014

Local mentors matter. I figured if we couldn’t fund every company locally we should at least embrace them as a community and show that we’re willing to mentor them whether they raise their money in town or not. No – I’m not worried about the competition. Local capital matters. So what can a community do?

Company 369

Company Companies Startup Snapchat 369

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

btw: xitca-web (bench code not including dependencies) does not do 2,3,5 and still remains competitive in micro bench can be used as a reference. Context and use case determines how you optimize your code. synopse I have written a blog post about TFB and object pascal - yes, we added our object pascal framework in round 22!

Framework 410

Framework TechEmpower Java Paramount 410

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2011

Department of Energy to help foster student entrepreneurs via a business plan competition run by the group called First Look West. The new effort, led by Caltech's Resnick Institute, is hoping to tap into OnGreen's network to find mentors to guide student groups and clean energy projects.

CalTech 165

CalTech UCLA Southern California Pasadena 165

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

Investors are very focused on diligence, on business models that make sense, and those companies that have a definite competitive advantage and defensibility to what they're doing. They have to understand their markeing plan, know the competition, their competitive advantage, and how they are going to sustain that competitive advantage.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2022

The core message is that real innovation and competitive advantage are more people-based than product or process-based. Every good entrepreneur needs a people-centric focus to ferret out creativity and innovation in his team, and to build a sustainable competitive advantage. The “how” is always revealed in time.

Competition 153

Competition Mentor Ideas Organization 153

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 20, 2011

I was having a chat with an entrepreneur who I really like and who I try to mentor from time-to-time. If you’re hot you might be able to push this down to 15-20% depending on the investor and the competition. He has an interesting business and one that has a viable shot at being an innovative & profitable business.

Pricing 284

Pricing Venture Capital Competition Startup 284

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2018

The only “sustainable competitive advantage” in business is self-awareness. Most successful business leaders, including Richard Branson and Bill Gates, regularly called on their mentors, Freddie Laker and Warren Buffett, to test their perception of the right questions to ask, and the right issues to tackle. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Competition 81

Competition Startup Examples Coach 81

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 28, 2012

You will learn about our annual Business Competition, an opportunity to accelerate your cleantech startup with expert training, national visibility and up to $250,000 of cash and services. Beyond great networking, the event will include a brief presentation about how you can get involved as a volunteer, mentor, judge or more.

Mentor 113

Mentor Training Competition Networking 113

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

” Most VCs view it as their responsibility to mentor, debate, cajole and generally assist with investments they make. Thus, a desire to invest more locally where I think I have a competitive advantage. Before I explain, let me give you some backgrounds why it’s harder to raise money if you live outside “the zone.”

Venture Capital 365

Venture Capital Marketing Santa Barbara Startup 365

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. They provide peer group organizations, usually called incubators, with free resources, practice environments, and outside mentoring that can help you learn and pivot with minimal cost. Write a business plan and pitch deck for learning.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In my role as a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I find that most have the technical challenges well understood, but many are a bit short on some basic street smarts , or basic business realities. Intellectual property is required for a competitive edge. Even the best college degree is not a substitute. Neither is good.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Technical Review 173

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

He’s an incredibly smart investor and somebody that I actually consider to be a mentor to myself. Competition is fierce. The only thing worse than not being in a clubby deal where you might get to build a close personal relationship with somebody you deeply respect is being the sucker of that person you deeply respect.

Venture Capital 333

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Email 333

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

Utilize outside expertise and mentoring. No matter how much energy, experience, and passion you have, there is always more you can learn from an Advisory Board of external experts or a mentor. Track competition to stay ahead of copycats. Track competition to stay ahead of copycats.

Technical Review 160

Technical Review Technical Advisors Startup Mentor 160

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2021

She speaks from years of experience mentoring and facilitating independent contractors and helping large companies, since well before the term “gig economy” was even coined. As a new business advisor and mentor myself, I enjoyed her recommendations on many of these issues. Know your competitive value.

Pricing 149

Pricing Mentor Entrepreneur News 149

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

They've got a program called Springboard, which helps really young companies get set up with mentors, and guides you through the startup process. They act as mentors and help companies grow. Back to the service itself-- you've got lots of competition in the space, how are you going to get above that noise?

UCSD 185

UCSD Course Startup Sites 185

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Love that sustainable competitive advantage. Working on that unique design, or completing the breakthrough for an innovative patent, are moments of inspiration that you will never forget, especially if they become your competitive edge.

Startup 160

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Get connected to the right mentors and your business may catapult to the next level. I figured if Matt was on the verge of bankruptcy and one mentor changed his trajectory, what if we had a formalized, community-wide program? o Put a timeframe/money – competition in the picture. The answer? Something so simple.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring. Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. Overcoming obstacles and learning is one of the biggest inspiration for most entrepreneurs. Enjoy watching key members of your team grow from followers to leaders.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2021

As a mentor, I’m regularly frustrated by people who try to cover their lack of confidence with ego and arrogance , rather than working on the base issue. Show that others are an inspiration, not competition. Confidence and self-esteem are critical to your success as an entrepreneur, or any business role.

Mentor 174

Mentor Satisfaction Competition Marketing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2022

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Good hiring, training, and mentoring are the best motivators. If you can do it, motivation can easily be your biggest competitive advantage. Start today.

Examples 145

Examples Mentor Activity Product 145

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. In the same year they won Business Insider’s Startup competition. The company was called Red Beacon. I was standing with him when he won the TechCrunch 50 award. RedBeacon was the 3rd winner (year 1: Yammer, year 2: Mint.com) – not bad company. Nice sweep!

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2021

In these days of rapid change, the pandemic, and worldwide competition, you need to make sure your entire team is customer-focused, innovative, and always looking around the corner for the next big thing. Find folks who are customer-centric and sensitive to competition.

Coach 174

Coach Activity Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2021

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait. How entrepreneurs respond to these will become a larger and larger determinant of startup growth, competitive position, and success.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Most schools have a rich pipeline of real-world executive volunteers available for mentoring. These also get used for guest lectures in business classes, judges for business plan competition, and introductions to accredited investors.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2022

I call this linear thinking , and it’s a sure way to be ultimately overrun by your competition. One way to do this is to nurture mentoring relationships with experts in other disciplines, as Bill Gates did with Warren Buffet. You need to see these as opportunities for growth and a chance to get ahead of competition.

Competition 139

Competition Examples Customer Custom 139

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2020

In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground. Good hiring, training, and mentoring are the best motivators. If you can do it, motivation can easily be your biggest competitive advantage. Start today.

Product 129

Product Examples Mentor Activity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2014

The core message is that real innovation and competitive advantage are more people-based than product or process-based. Every good entrepreneur needs a people-centric focus to ferret out creativity and innovation in his team, and to build a sustainable competitive advantage. The “how” is always revealed in time.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Mentor Competition Ideas 111

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2020

Based on my experience and a business advisor and mentor, this is the ideal time to get back to the basics of business leadership and innovation. Be sure to tie changes back to the “why” – customer value, business objectives, and competition. He considers mentoring on of his most critical roles at work.

Mentor 122

Mentor Ideas Competition Examples 122

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2021

I’ve always wondered if there was some way that I could quickly deduce a new entrepreneur’s “sweet spot,” and optimize my mentoring to those strengths and weaknesses, maybe similar to the Myers-Briggs type indicator for business professionals. Ultimately, most get the best help from business advisors and mentors. Opportunist.

Entrepreneur 134

Entrepreneur Framework Mentor Web 134

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 23, 2012

1) Get A Mentor. "I " When asked about the competition he feared most, Bill Gates is alleged to have said, "the two guys inventing away in a garage somewhere." Note: This is an installment in the Iconic Advice series. Other installments include: Jeff Bezos , Steve Jobs , Richard Branson , Walt Disney and Michael Dell.

Startup 268

Startup Tips CTO Coach Technical Review 268