Course CTO Coach Mentor 
SoCal CTO
MAY 13, 2014
A large part of this conversation is what kinds of advisors startups should be looking for. A little while ago, I suggested that Every Web/Mobile Startup Should Have a Technical Advisor. The conversation with Bob was about what the composition of advisors should look like. Connected Advisors? Investors discount this.
SoCal CTO
JANUARY 26, 2010
I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. In December 2007, I described how I commonly take on an Acting CTO Role in a Start-up. I used an image from Roger Smith that describes the varying roles of a CTO as the company matures.
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Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 7, 2013
I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. In industry this is known as “yield management” and of course it needs to exist. Ethan took great inspiration in this from Alex Rampell of TrialPay (an advisor to the company) who had written about this concept of “ Service as a SKU.”
socalTECH
JUNE 1, 2012
Michael Wong: I was previously CTO of an agency called Breakthrough Ads. My cofounder, Steven Elliott, was CTO of a company doing artificial intelligence and automated chat technology. We had worked together for six years before starting MergeLocal, which came about on the golf course. What's the worst part of an accelerator?
Both Sides of the Table
AUGUST 30, 2014
Many startups now go through accelerators and have mentors passing through each day with advice – usually it’s conflicting. Of course triangulation is a mathematics term that is used in sailing and other activities to help you better navigate when you don’t have your bearings. What is a founder to do? Triangulate.
Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 23, 2014
And I spoke with the CTO of another great company I used to be on the board of and enlisted his support in potentially being an advisor to one company. Of course I could go on and on. Finally, I think it’s worth meeting “mentors.” Roger Ehrenberg. Fred Wilson. Greg Bettinelli. Tristan Walker. Manu Kumar.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 21, 2014
Our founder, Yves Sisteron, was my mentor and board member at my first startup. So he went on to become the CFO of Fab through their growth years dealing with warehousing, inventory management, facilities, CAC/LTV analyses and of course fund raising. Mafias matter a lot to me, as well. In a way my firm at Upfront is mafia.
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