Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2012

For the past several years I’ve undertaken many initiatives to “get more organized,” which basically means to make another attempt at implementing and running a solid task list that I can share with others with whom I collaborate. I seem to be really good at kicking off well-structured lists, but less good at “working them.” I know there’s no real point in creating a task list if you’re not actually going to open it up and parse through tasks.

Technical Review 332

Technical Review Tool Organization Startup 332

socalTECH

AUGUST 1, 2012

How do you crack the code and make online video easier to find and use? Last week, Los Angeles-based Chill (www.chill.com) made a stab at that, debuting a new front page meant to guide user to the most interesting videos on the web, through an easy-to-use interface. Brian Norgard , co-founder of Chill, sat down with us to talk about the new front page, and also how the company has made a name for itself with a highly product focused, agile development of its service.

Startup 254

Startup Guide Redpoint Content 254

Berkonomics

AUGUST 9, 2012

Over the years I have heard many stories from entrepreneurs, students, news reporters, even my children, all telling me that they could not get someone’s attention they wanted or needed until they used the words, “Help me.” The simple request is disarming, enlarging the object of the request to a status of importance in respect to the questioner that is difficult to ignore.

Help 217

Help Training Report Class 217

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 20, 2012

Rapidly and repeatedly hiring star employees is a competitive advantage. Although this is a core competency that must be honed over time, there is a cadre of SaaS hiring tools that the world’s leading tech companies deploy to their advantage. No matter how rapidly a startup is growing, it can never afford to sacrifice employee quality as a means of achieving its hiring goals.

SaaS 209

SaaS Tool Startup Screening 209

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

SoCal Tech Calendar

AUGUST 3, 2012

Monday, August 6, 2012 -- Digital LA, TCIO and UKTI are teaming up in London for a panel on how the Olympic Games are using digital and social media. This year's Games has been called the most digital / social / mobile yet, with BBC streaming on Facebook, games-related apps, athletes using Twitter, and more. We'll discuss how startups and other digital partners have created games-related apps and digital tools.

Social Media 140

Social Media Tool Mobile Media 140

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 27, 2012

By now you probably know that David Sacks , co-founder of PayPal and founder of both Geni & Yammer made some observations on Facebook that Silicon Valley “as we know it” was coming to an end. He says. “In order to create a successful new company, you have to find an idea that. (1) has escaped the attention of the major Internet companies, which are better run than ever before; (2) is capable of being launched and proven out for ~$5M, the typical seed plus series A investmen

Technical Review 299

Technical Review Venture Capital Yammer Google 299

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 16, 2012

It has always surprised me that founders were so quick to fight over how many board members there were and so quick to agree to have as many board observers as people wanted. I have always been vehemently against board observers and wrote some of the reasons in this previous post. But over the past couple of years I’ve slightly modified my views, which I’d like to explain: The Case Against Board Observers.

Summary 289

Summary Venture Capital Help Course 289

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 23, 2012

This is one of the best episodes of This Week in VC for a long time. I had the chance to speak with Andrew Siegel who runs corp dev & strategy for Condé Nast (aka Advance Publications). In case you don’t know, they are one of the biggest media companies in the world. They are best known for their magazine titles such as The New Yorker, Wired, Vanity Fair and Vogue.

Media 285

Media Companies Company Venture Capital 285

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 29, 2012

Nate Redmond is the managing partner of Rustic Canyon Partners – he’s probably one of the youngest managing partners of a major fund you’ll meet. And no wonder, lately he and his partners are on a tear, investing out of their $200+ million VC fund. They recently exited their investment in Gaikai for $380 million while their rival OnLive (who had raised > $200 million) just went through bankruptcy.

Rustic Canyon 279

Rustic Canyon Venture Capital Southern California Userplane 279

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2012

Santa Monica-based Fundable (www.fundable.com) is a newly launched, crowdfunding site which is headed by local entrepreneur Wil Shroter. Recently, an interesting project popped up on the site--a a 2D to 3D conversion project , from the inventor of the original, LCD projector, Gene Dolgoff. Dolgoff has a fascinating background--he invented the first LCD projector, he helped inspire Star Trek's Holodeck, and he also is a serial entrepreneur who took his company public on the NASDAQ in the 90's.

Startup 252

Startup Sites Patents Outsource Development 252

socalTECH

AUGUST 9, 2012

Los Angeles-based Postcard On The Run , the developer of mobile apps which let people send their mobile phone photos to people as real, printed postcards, has raised $1.8M in an ongoing funding round, according to a regulatory filing from the company. The filing indicates the company is in the midst of raising $2.3M in a round. Postcard On The Run is the startup headed by former MySpace exec Josh Brooks.

Mobile 242

Mobile Los Angeles Funding Software 242

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2012

Santa Monica-based Demand Media (www.demandmedia.com) has seen its share of ups and downs as one of the highest visibility technology and media companies to come out of Southern California's technology ecosystem in recent years. The company went from a venture backed high tech startup to an IPO as a publicly traded firm, and over its time has battled the perception of being a "content farm", suffered through Google and its Panda update, and now has emerged as a major content partner for Google,

Demand 240

Demand Media eHow Content 240

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2012

There's been a lot of press about the name "Silicon Beach"--the name the local community has taken up to describe the high tech renaissance happening in Santa Monica and surrounding cities in Los Angeles. However, until now, there hasn't been a mobile app to go with the name. However, a stealthy, local mobile developer--better known for their Santa Monica focused local business guides--apparently has released the first app to try to provide information about the Silicon Beach startup scene, Sili

Santa Monica 235

Santa Monica High Tech Press Guide 235

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2012

At least six, Southern California companies -- Nimble , ParkMe , Quarterly , Beachmint , Chromatik , and Dollar Shave Club -- have been named as one of Entrepreneur Magazine's 100 Brilliant Companies list today, a healthy share of the publication's annual look at the best ideas, hottest industries, and innovators. Entrepreneur's list included the Southern California startups across a number of areas -- tech, apps, travel, geek chic, invention, retail, social media, and music/art.

Dollar Shave Club 231

Dollar Shave Club Southern California Entrepreneur Companies 231

socalTECH

AUGUST 30, 2012

Los Angeles-based Fliptu , the social media promotion startup headed by Jeremy Gocke, says it has started to line up a significant number of artists, bands, celebrities, and lifestyle brands for its service today. The service--which is still in beta--said it has added 50 high profile artists, brands, celebrities, and lifestyle brands reaching over 75 million fans and followers.

Social Network 223

Social Network Startup Social Media Media 223

socalTECH

AUGUST 17, 2012

Modern Meadow , a firm whose founders were previously co-founders of San Diego's Organovo , has scored funding to make manufactured, 3D printed meat a reality. The funding came from Breakout Labs and The Thiel Foundation, Breakout Labs said Thursday. Modern Meadow is looking to developing "high value, food grade animal protein"--including meat and hide--using 3D bioprinting technology.

Funding 220

Funding San Diego Ideas Technology 220

socalTECH

AUGUST 15, 2012

A team for the California Institute of Technology has scored the top prize, and $100,000, in a major technology effort--funded by Bill Gates--to reinvent the toilet. Gates, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, announced an effort to help advance the technology of toilets, saying that current flush technology is "irrelevant, impractical and impossible for 40 percent of the global population".

CalTech 217

CalTech Organization Technology Invest 217

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2012

It's an intensely competitive market in developing games for the iPhone and other mobile platforms, with thousands and thousands of titles competing for attention from users. How do you figure out how to get past all of that noise, and create a popular title? We had the chance to speak with William Volk , Chief Creative Officer of Playscreen (www.playscreen.com), who talked how his company is looking to crack the code with Crickler 2: Daily Word Puzzle , which is among the most popular puzzle ga

Mobile 216

Mobile Startup Software Review Platform 216

socalTECH

AUGUST 28, 2012

Culver City-based Wittlebee , the children's clothing subscription firm headed by Sean Pervical and backed by Science, Inc., has acquired a clothing company, Cottonseed Clothing Company , the firm announced today. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Cottonseed Clothing Company is a provider of t-shirt and apparel for kids. Wittlebee said the acquisition will allow it to offer Cottonseed Clothing's product exclusively through its service.

Culver City 215

Culver City Company Companies Acquisition 215

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2012

Realtime , a startup developing technology to help power real-time web applications, said today that it has raised $100M, launched in the U.S., and opened up a new office in Santa Monica. The firm, which was previously known as Internet Business Technologies, said that it has developed a language, xRTML, that helps convert existing, static HTML into real-time, live web applications.

Santa Monica 214

Santa Monica PHP HTML JavaScript 214

socalTECH

AUGUST 3, 2012

One of the big questions in the content world has been: what's the right formula to make content creation profitable on the Internet? And, how do programs like YouTube's recent push to help fund original content channels on the site helping? We spoke with John Mudge , CEO of iBN Sports (www.ibnsports.com), to learn more about the Lake Forest-based company's success in making content pay on the Internet, and how his company's relationship as one of YouTube's Premium Channels is helping with that

Content 212

Content Google Southern California Orange County 212

socalTECH

AUGUST 31, 2012

A new online service, FollowMaid , is looking to neaten up your Twitter account, by automatically pruning out spammers and find new people to follow by keyword. The new service--created by Pacific Palisades software development firm Etronica--is aimed at both individuals and businesses. According to Etronica, the new service automatically scans Twitter accounts, and is designed to help social media managers better manage their Twitter followers.

Pacific Palisades 207

Pacific Palisades Help Social Media Software Development 207

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 27, 2012

Note: This is an installment in the Iconic Advice series. Other installments include: Jeff Bezos , Steve Jobs , Mark Cuban , Richard Branson , Walt Disney , Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Dell. Make no mistake, successful entertainers are entrepreneurs. They must compete with tens of thousands of other performers who are all pursuing the same customer dollars.

Tips 204

Tips Startup Entertainment Entrepreneur 204

socalTECH

AUGUST 23, 2012

Chip giant Intel is looking to bolster its mobile talent with a new office in San Diego, and has just begun posting a number of new jobs in the location. Intel--which said it was opening an office in San Diego earlier this month--now lists a significant number of engineering positions focused on HSDPA and LTE. Intel explained earlier this month that it would be setting up the office as part of its Mobile and Communications Group, to bolster its operations in Munich.

San Diego 204

San Diego Mobile 204

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 6, 2012

This article originally appeared on Forbes HERE. As part of UC Santa Barbara’s Distinguished Lecture Series, serial entrepreneur, CEO Coach and Author Lex Sisney shared a preview of his newly released book, Organizational Physics: The Science of Growing a Business. As Co-Founder and CEO of Commission Junction, Lex grew the company from two employees to become the de facto leader in the world of affiliate marketing, beating Google in the process.

Organization 203

Organization RSS Google Examples 203

socalTECH

AUGUST 20, 2012

Almost everyone has had some situation where you wanted to give someone a phone number, but only temporarily--think Craigslist, or maybe at that bar or business conference, where you want to hand out a number, but only have it work for a short while. It turns you, you can actually do that, with Burner , a new iPhone app developed by Los Angeles startup Ad Hoc Labs.

Yahoo 200

Yahoo Startup Mobile Ideas 200

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 13, 2012

Successful Olympic athletes share a number of common qualities with entrepreneurs; including boundless energy, uncompromising tenacity and a willingness to innovate. Such innovations include new training routines, inventive diets, and novel gameplay tactics. Entrepreneurs are well served to pay particular attention to two of the most innovative Olympic athletes: Dick Fosbury and David Berkoff, the former of which I discuss in the following 2-minute video.

Startup 198

Startup Competition Activity Class 198

socalTECH

AUGUST 7, 2012

San Diego-based Telcentris , the developer of cloud-based communications and voice services, said this morning that it has named Pertti Johansson as its Executive Vice President, overseeing Global Business Development. Johansson was previously at Powerwave Technologies, Monitise Group, and also was President, Europe/MEA at Qualcomm. Johansson also has served at Motorola.

Development 197

Development Develop San Diego Social Network 197

socalTECH

AUGUST 23, 2012

Los Angeles-based MYMUSAIC , a new startup, said this morning that it has just closed an angel funding round, and launched an online software service to turn photos and music into movies. The startup did not provide details on its angel round. MYMUSAIC's site allows users to import photos from Facebook or upload them from a persona library, select music, and then automatically creates a video matched to the tempo and beat of that music track.

Services 196

Services Funding Los Angeles Sites 196

socalTECH

AUGUST 13, 2012

How do you make it easy for kids to learn how to be entrepreneurs--and not only learn about it, but actually go out and create a business? Los Angeles-based Kidworth (www.kidworth.com) is looking to both help kids learn about entrepreneurship, and more importantly, make it easy for them to set up an online store, sell their services or products, and even handle things like collecting payments via credit card.

Startup 196

Startup Sample Sites Coach 196

socalTECH

AUGUST 16, 2012

Huntington Beach-based AnyMeeting , which develops free web conferencing and online meeting software, reported this morning that it has released a new feature which lets users share any YouTube video into their meeting, and has also hit a milestone of 200,000 registered users. The site--which uses advertising to offset providing web conferencing services at no charge--said the new YouTube video feature lets users copy and paste the URL of any YouTube video into a conference, including allowing f

Tech Coast Angels 193

Tech Coast Angels Pasadena Angels Conference Pasadena 193

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 8, 2012

The following guest post is from Laurie Barkman, Marketing Lead at The Resumator , a SaaS applicant tracking system and hiring platform trusted by many of the fastest-growing companies in the world, including: Pinterest, Tumblr, Hootsuite, Klout, Posterous, Bitly, Atari and Mashable. I am a Board Member and an investor in The Resumator via Rincon Venture Partners.

Entrepreneur 191

Entrepreneur RSS Training Conference 191

socalTECH

AUGUST 3, 2012

A local, Ventura County based college appears to be in the early stages of exploring starting an engineering program, to help local employers and employees. According to a survey sent out through a local professional engineering organization this morning, a local college is exploring whether it would be meaningful to the Ventura County community to start an engineering program to service the needs of employers in the area.

Ventura 191

Ventura Orange County Santa Barbara CalTech 191

socalTECH

AUGUST 15, 2012

Los Angeles-based Pagewoo , the mobile advertising startup founded by Holden Steinberg and Jason Crilly, has quietly scored a round of funding, which was disclosed by the Tech Coast Angels this morning. Financial details of the angel funding round, which closed earlier this year, have not been announced. Pagewoo--which is in private beta--was part of Howard Marks' StartEngine incubator earlier in the year.

Tech Coast Angels 190

Tech Coast Angels Funding Incubator Mobile 190

socalTECH

AUGUST 23, 2012

In a major coup for Los Angeles-based Eventup , the online marketplace for event venues, said today that it has hired former Group VP of Business Development Jayna Cooke to run the firm's Chicago office. Eventup, which is now running in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Miami, said that Cooke will help launch various national and local sales strategies, growth and market planning, in addition to growing the sales team, revenue and overall day to day operations in the Eventup Chi

Incubator 189

Incubator Los Angeles Sales Invest 189

socalTECH

AUGUST 24, 2012

A list of the top ten cities for startups was released by USA Today and the National Venture Capital Association today, naming both Los Angeles and San Diego among the best cities for startup companies. Los Angeles was ranked number 4, and San Diego was ranked number 6, based on a ranking provided to the National Venture Capital Assocation to USA Today.

San Diego 188

San Diego Los Angeles Break.com CitySearch 188