Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

'I just returned from 3 days in Cincinnati including attending the annual meeting of one of Upfront’s LPs – Cintrifuse. I have never been more optimistic about the impact that the tech startup community is having on cities in America or about the role that cities outside of San Francisco / Silicon Valley can play in our future. Cincinnati, like many startup communities in the US over the past 5 years, has revitalized important regions in its urban core, created accelerators, built co

Startup 390

Startup Venture Capital Capital Funding 390

Berkonomics

JUNE 5, 2014

'Dave’s note: Popular Bill Payne returns this week with a thoughtful take on valuations. By Bill Payne. One entrepreneur has a company which appears to be scalable to a $30 million exit value in five to eight years, and a second entrepreneur’s venture seems to be scalable to $200 million in exit value in the same time frame. Yet, at the pre-revenue stage of development, angel investors price both companies at a pre-money valuation of $1.5 million.

Startup 232

Startup Pricing Invest Email 232

InfoChachkie

JUNE 23, 2014

'A version of this article previously appeared in The Wall Street Journal. It has never been easier to network with really busy thought leaders who can have a huge impact on your career. Ironically, the same tools that facilitate connecting with people beyond your current network, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora and Facebook, also make it more difficult for highly networked individuals to sort through their inbound messages and determine which are meaningful and which should be ignored.

Networking 241

Networking Software Review Email Press 241

socalTECH

JUNE 9, 2014

'Viral videos are great -- attracting millions and millions of views, and spreading far and wide--but how do you monetize those viral videos? And, even more, how to do you manage the jump on the viral video train again, and keep those viral hits coming? Los Angeles-based Jukin Media (www.jukinmedia.com) thinks it has figured that out, and instead of trying to create viral videos, has been buying up the rights to those videos--before they really go viral--to create not just a one-hit, viral video

Media 235

Media Content Startup IP 235

Advertiser: Aggregage

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

Company

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2014

'Winning customers as an entrepreneur in a startup has many parallels to a young army trying to penetrate some formidable new and unfamiliar territory. You need a strategy as well as a goal, and you need to pick your battles well. Even in this age of purpose before profits, a business won’t survive by pretending there are no competitors out there to worry about.

Entrepreneur 119

Entrepreneur Resource Training Competition 119

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 2, 2014

'Join us June 3-4 as we bring you GLAZEDcon live! That’s right! TechZulu will be onsite streaming the most inspiring and innovative executives in Wearable, IOWT, government, gaming, health and fitness, and lifestyle industries to this year’s conference. GLAZEDCon speakers bring groundbreaking business solutions to life on-stage, illustrating the newest advancements in strategic success.

Venture Capital 110

Venture Capital Conference Design Technology 110

Berkonomics

JUNE 12, 2014

'It is rare when one person starts a company, supplies all the funding, and shares no management tasks or equity with others, and still grows the company to any significant size, worthy of a multi-million dollar opportunity to cash out at exit. We should think of the creation and growth of a high valued company as the sum of three parts, with three distinct classes of participants helping to make real value out of a raw start-up.

Startup 214

Startup Equity Invest Class 214

InfoChachkie

JUNE 9, 2014

'A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. I just suffered through the worst "can you help me" call of my career. It was a rather hapless soul who was seeking my help networking within Santa Barbara''s startup community. Fortunately, this particular call was brief. In the fifteen minutes that we chatted, the caller made some shocking networking mistakes.

Networking 232

Networking Santa Barbara Research Blogging 232

socalTECH

JUNE 11, 2014

'Irvine-based virtual reality headset maker Oculus VR is continuing to build out its team, and has snagged one of the co-founders of game maker Naughty Dog--Jason Rubin--as head of worldwide studios. Oculus VR said that Rubin will head up first-party content initiatives in Seattle, San Francisco, Menlo Park, Dallas and Irvine for the company. Rubin is best known for his role in shaping Naughty Dog''s Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter series.

Content 227

Content Develop Development Company 227

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2014

'Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that the strength of their initial idea somehow defines them as a leader, as well as the success potential of their derivative business. In my experience, it’s a lot more complicated than that. It takes leadership ability, as well as a good idea, to make a successful entrepreneur, and great leaders evolve from key leadership decisions along the way.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Ideas Framework Tips 111

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 3, 2014

'Indiegogo is no longer just for filmmakers. The largest crowdsourcing campaign in history was on Indiegogo… and it wasn’t a film, it was tech; Ubuntu Edge open source , a smartphone and desktop PC device getting over 12 million dollars in contributions. There are 3 vital questions to ask when putting together a campaign; 1- Is the thing I’m raising money for a great product?

Startup 109

Startup Examples Social Media Media 109

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

'Startups are hard. You’ve heard that a million times. Those that we survive with become family. It’s something you can’t know unless you’ve ever been in the trenches. Working hard together at a big company just isn’t the same. The truth is you really don’t know how your teammates or your bosses will perform in good times and bad.

CTO Hire 320

CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach Venture Capital 320

Berkonomics

JUNE 19, 2014

'If you seek funds from an organized investment group such as an angel fund, venture capital entity, or even an investment club, the first thing you want to do is to find one person to buy into your vision, become excited by your enthusiasm and be willing to become the internal champion for your fund-raising effort. In some groups, if you cannot find such a person, you cannot even find the way to apply for funding, as some groups make it imperative that any introductions come from the inside, fr

Technical Review 207

Technical Review Tech Coast Angels Summary Email 207

InfoChachkie

JUNE 2, 2014

'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Always the bridesmaid? While it still emotionally sucks, at least it will no longer break the bank; that is, if Kelsey Doorey has it her way. Warning: Kelsey''s idea will make you ask yourself, "Why didn''t I think of that?". Ms. Doorey, Founder and CEO of Vow To Be Chic , believes that men have had it too easy for too long.

Design 208

Design Customer Custom Satisfaction 208

socalTECH

JUNE 10, 2014

'Los Angeles-based payment processing technology developer CheckAlt , which is led by Shai Stern, said this morning that it has acquired a subsidiary of Diebold , in the area of item and payment processing. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. CheckAlt said it acquired Diebold''s ERAS subsidiary, which provides item and payment processing solutions for regional banks, community banks and credit unions.

Mobile 213

Mobile Acquisition Los Angeles Help 213

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2014

'Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Competition Patents Resource 110

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 10, 2014

'Malibu and Beverly Hills have long been hot neighborhoods for entertainment execs. But the tech culture of Los Angeles is shifting real estate’s center of gravity. As the line blurs between tech and entertainment, and as Silicon Valley seeks synergy with L.A.’s creative talent pool, Silicon Beach is the new center for both homes and headquarters. The real estate dimension of Silicon Beach is part of an undeniable economic force.

Entertainment 108

Entertainment Santa Monica Journal Belkin 108

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2014

'By now almost everybody knows that Marc Andreessen has taken Twitter by storm. By Tweetstorm, that is. Marc seems to single handedly have changed all conventions in Tweeting by dropping 7-10 rapid Tweets in a related stream-of-consciousness labeling each Tweet with a number and a slash before it. Fred Wilson wrote a Tweetstorm and then did a blog post on the topic.

Social Media 307

Social Media Blogging Media Startup 307

Berkonomics

JUNE 26, 2014

'Angel investors, particularly those in organized angel groups, are typically former entrepreneurs who have had successful liquidity events in their pasts, or executives of companies who’ve retired with the funds from their stock options. Occasionally, an angel is a member of a wealthy family, having little experience managing a business. But most often these angels are skilled at growing companies, calling on their past experience to evaluate and then help entrepreneurs in their early s

Angel 191

Angel Technical Review Coach Entrepreneur 191

InfoChachkie

JUNE 30, 2014

'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Dirty Franks is a dive bar located in Philadelphia, which is also home of The Wharton School. Although only a short Uber ride away, it is seldom frequented by the business students. Too bad, as they would be well served to study Dirty Franks marketing plan, which has withstood the test of time.

Marketing 193

Marketing Software Review Product Social Media 193

socalTECH

JUNE 19, 2014

'A new, Los Angeles startup, Yacha , said this week that it has launched a new, mobile app to send multimedia messages. The company said that, unlike other mobile messaging apps, users can send any combination of photos, text, audio, drawings, or video in a single message. Yacha is led by Asa De Alwis. The company''s app is currently only available on iOS, but the company says an Android version will be available soon.

Mobile 212

Mobile Los Angeles Startup Angel 212

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2014

'Starting a new business is a serious undertaking. Yet many aspiring entrepreneurs I know approach it as a fun project, get-rich quick scheme, or perhaps an expensive hobby. Others quit their day jobs and commit everything to their new passion, without regard for their own well-being, or the welfare of others around them. Neither of these approaches bodes well for success.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Framework 106

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 16, 2014

'We recently sat down with Luc Berlin, co-founder of Miigle, a SoCal startup that has an aggressive global mission to bring entrepreneurs together from around the world. We first interviewed Luc in 2012, just as he was launching the prototype for Miigle. Back then, it was just him following his dream. Fast forward a year and a half later, and a lot has changed for Luc and Miigle.

SoCal 104

SoCal Southern California Startup Platform 104

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2014

'Update : Bothsides TV is now available on iTunes , Soundcloud , Stitcher , or any RSS podcast player you use, and don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube. I also added a little Soundcloud widget on the sidebar (if you’re viewing on web – not on mobile or RSS reader) that you can listen to each episode with. In the most recent episode, I interviewed Joe Perez , Founder of Tastemade.

Product 292

Product RSS Social Media Content 292

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2014

'Yesterday MiTú Networks announced that Upfront Ventures led a $10 million financing in what is now the largest producer of Latino online videos – primarily driven through YouTube. As you may know we co-lead the first round of financing of Maker Studios, the largest overall producer for online video content, along with Greycroft Partners. I was an early and tireless advocate for the growth of the Internet video ecosystem and as virtually every article I wrote made clear I believe the 800-

Invest 291

Invest Content Media Networking 291

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 24, 2014

'For 2 years I interviewed VCs & founders for a show called This Week in VC. If you want to see any back interviews you can click on that link. I’ve been promising to relaunch a new show for the past 18 months but needed to find somebody to help me with cameras, filming, editing, distribution, etc. Luckily the supremely talented Kyle Taylor joined Upfront Ventures and has helped kick me in the arse to get the show going again.

Los Angeles 288

Los Angeles Venture Capital Email Content 288

socalTECH

JUNE 10, 2014

'Add another, big exit to the list of the growing list of companies in Southern California: Media Temple , the premium hosting provider founded by Demian Sellfors. The company was actually acquired in October , however, no financials on that acquisition were announced at the time. However, thanks to the IPO filing of acquiring company GoDaddy last night, we now know how much was paid for Media Temple: $94.48M in cash.

Media 210

Media Southern California Truecar Internet Brands 210

socalTECH

JUNE 3, 2014

'El Segundo-based Internet Brands said this morning that it is being acquired by private equity firm KKR , from its current owners, Hellman & Friedman and JMI Equity. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Internet Brands said that CEO Bob Brisco and the company''s existing management team will continue to hold a minority stake in the company, and continue to run the business.

Internet Brands 208

Internet Brands El Segundo Equity Acquisition 208

socalTECH

JUNE 17, 2014

'Silicon Beach Fest , the technology festival which celebrates everything about Silicon Beach, is kicking off Wednesday night at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, and runs through Saturday the 21st. The festival--which is in its third year--features a long list of keynotes, panels, showcases, and parties, as well as beach games on Saturday. The event--which is run by Kevin Winston of Digital LA, and also includes a long list of Southern California''s technology and media movers and shakers--inc

Southern California 207

Southern California Santa Monica SoCalTech Conference 207

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2014

'We spoke with Kevin Winston, the organizer of Silicon Beach Fest (www.siliconbeachfest.com), which is currently going on in Santa Monica and runs through Saturday, about the energy here in Southern California, as well as a little bit about what''s going on with the event this year. Kevin is also well known as the organizer of the Digital LA networking group (digitalla.net), which hosts dozens and dozens of events in Silicon Beach every year (Editor''s note: socalTECH.com is a media sponsor of t

Santa Monica 205

Santa Monica Conference Belkin Southern California 205

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2014

'Paul Bricault of the AmplifyLA startup accelerator in Venice, has scored an exit with one of his companies. Twitter said Thursday that it has acquired SnappyTV , a San Francisco developer of software which helps people capture live event video, edit that video, and post it directly to Twitter. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced.

Venice 196

Venice Acquisition Software Help 196

socalTECH

JUNE 19, 2014

'Anyone who is into action sports know that GoPro has absolutely changed how the market since its debut, where it''s more odd to see action sports athletes not using a GoPro than using one. As part of that, a healthy market for accessories for the camera has developed, including for the photo filters from Newport Beach-based PolarPro (www.polarprofilters.com), which makes special photographic filters specifically to fit the GoPro.

Startup 196

Startup Van Nuys Patents Santa Barbara 196

socalTECH

JUNE 5, 2014

'San Diego-based communications service provider Voxox announced this morning that it has named Kyle Lee as the company''s new Chief Operating Officer. Lee was previously the co-founder of Enevor, a clean technology company; he also served at MIOX Corporation and Intel. Voxox said that Lee has more than 20 years of experience in finance and technology.

San Diego 196

San Diego Services Technology Company 196

socalTECH

JUNE 9, 2014

'Santa Monica-based Washio , which operates a smartphone driven, laundry and dry cleaning pickup and delivery service, said today that it has raised $10.5M in a Series A funding round. The funding came from Canaan Partners, and also included A Grade Investments, Pejman Mar Ventures, Sherpa Ventures, and Jerry Yang (Yahoo). The company--think "Uber for laundry"--let users request that their dirty laundry be picked up and washed.

Santa Monica 193

Santa Monica Seed Funding Yahoo Venture Capital 193

socalTECH

JUNE 24, 2014

'Los Angeles-based drivers for on-demand ride service Uber --with the help of the Teamsters--are looking to organize, according to a report from KPCC. According to the report, around 500 drivers for Uber are holding a demonstration this morning in Santa Monica, in front of Uber''s offices here, to protest Uber''s treatment of drivers. A spokesperson for those drivers told KPCC that Uber is "not a very good partner" and often gives drivers the "short end of the stick".

Organization 190

Organization Santa Monica Demand Report 190

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2014

'A new, Los Angeles startup has its eyes on Uber and Lyft, saying that is it looking to "one up" those ride sharing apps with its own transportation app. Opoli said its new app lets license, commercially insured professional drivers bid for your ride, letting users select the driver they prefer and get upfront pricing on a ride. The service--which is initially launching in Los Angeles County--said it avoids the issues with surge pricing, final fare surprises, and safety.

Startup 189

Startup Los Angeles Pricing Mobile 189