TechEmpower
OCTOBER 31, 2013
'Happy Halloween fans of web development frameworks! After a several-month hiatus, Round 7 of our project measuring the performance of web application frameworks and platforms is available! Round 7 includes many new framework test implementations contributed by the community. They are Falcore, Grizzly, HttpListener, PHPixie, Plain, Racket-WS, Start, Stream, and Treefrog.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 14, 2013
'I’ve been involved with technology product design in one form or another for nearly 25 years and seen one mistake consistently repeated. The single biggest mistake most product teams make is building technology for what they believe the user would want rather than what the actual end-user needs. From the experience in my earliest days of designing products for Windows and OS2 machines in the early 1990′s I developed a product philosophy, “Design for the novice, configure for t
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socalTECH
OCTOBER 7, 2013
'Tired of handing out your business card at local networking events? A Los Angeles startup has just launched a new Kickstarter project, aimed to make your necktie double as a business card--using the ubiquitous QR code. QRtie launched its Kickstarter project on Monday, looking to raise $40,000 for its ties, which feature a QR code sewn into the back of the tie.
InfoChachkie
OCTOBER 7, 2013
'A version of this article previously appeared in The Wall Street Journal. The good news for entrepreneurs is that there have never been more office space options for early stage companies. The bad news is that it is often difficult to determine which of these alternatives is ideal, since the definition of "ideal" changes as your venture matures. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!
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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.
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 10, 2013
'Many CEOs have asked me if I felt an investment banker adds value if the buyer has already been identified. Investment bankers sometimes slow the process by requiring a “deal book” to be prepared containing considerable information about a company to help a buyer. Deal books are expensive to create. Other investment bankers insist that the company create competition for a deal, even if the buyer has already submitted a letter of interest to the seller.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 19, 2013
'“Scope creep” (or feature creep) is an insidious disease that kills more good startups than any other, especially high-tech ones, and yet most founders (who may be the cause) never even see it happening. This term refers to the penchant to add just one more feature to the product or service before first delivery, just because you can. The instigators are all well-intentioned – executives talk to potential customers who “must have” a few more things; or the technical team edicts some “technicall
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 9, 2013
'Look, if you had, one shot. Or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted. In one moment. Would you capture it, or just let it slip? [ Eminem, Lose Yourself ]. I’ve often said that to run a startup you almost have to abstract yourself from the daily stresses and grind just to exist. You almost have to have an out-of-body experience as though it’s not really your life but it’s just a game you’re playing in order to not be buried by the burdens of your decisions.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 8, 2013
'The United Talent Agency is ramping up its outreach to early stage, digital media companies, with a new hire from the Los Angeles technology industry. According to the United Talent Agency, it has hired Robyn Ward as part of its Digital Media practice, to work closely with its existing portfolio of early stage companies and help identify new investment, incubation and representation opportunities.
InfoChachkie
OCTOBER 14, 2013
'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Popular and prolific and blogger James Clear recently shared with me why Richard Branson started Virgin Airlines. Not surprisingly, a beautiful, young girl played a prominent role in encouraging Richard to "screw it, just do it.". An entrepreneur, weightlifter and travel photographer, James'' work can be found at JamesClear.com, where he offers entrepreneurs leadership advice and insights.
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 17, 2013
'Now you have worked for months to get this deal to the closing, anticipating the wire transfers to the shareholders that will come any minute. This could change your life style and give you that much needed pause in your life you have been looking forward to. All the documents were signed in a rolling series of emailed scanned signature pages during the past week or more, with each party signing their own set, never having to be in the same room to sign the single signature page for each agre
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 24, 2013
'Too many entrepreneurs I know still believe that that their great idea will carry the startup, and they may even minimize their own value, especially if they have introvert tendencies. Yet most investors agree that the “idea” is worth nothing alone, and it’s the entrepreneur execution that counts. That means that selling yourself is more important than selling your idea.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 23, 2013
'Valuation. You know you need one. Annually. What you may not know is that it really does matter who performs your valuation. There are a lot of valuation companies out there, so I know many entrepreneurs are tempted to just shop around until they find the lowest price, but this is a mistake. A valuation is more than just a commodity. All valuations are not created equally; there are better valuations, better processes, and better valuations business partners for your company.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 20, 2013
'Most people suck at presenting to big groups. It’s a shame because the ability to nail these presentations at key conferences can be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to influence journalists, business partners, potential employees, customers and VCs. So I thought I’d write a piece on how not to suck when you give a presentation. 1. Show some energy!
socalTECH
OCTOBER 4, 2013
'Santa Monica-based online advertising analytics firm Adomic has scored the top prize--and $160,000 in cash plus services--as part of the annual Siemer Silicon Beach Summit awards. Adomic, which is headed by Gabe Gottlieb, was one of dozens of companies that presented to investors at the private investment pitch event in Santa Monica Wednesday and Thursday.
Frank Addante
OCTOBER 3, 2013
'Is Automated Advertising the next-generation Customer Relationship Management (CRM)? I often describe the similarities between what the automated advertising industry is doing and how CRM developed. Let’s start with the first form of CRM. CRM companies like Salesforce.com used to refer to themselves as Sales Force Automation (SFA) companies. SFA essentially replaced an old system of spreadsheets for contact management, forecasting, sales pipeline organization and sales management.
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 3, 2013
'Maybe you have not heard the term, “deal book.” That’s a comprehensive piece on a company for use by a buyer in determining fit. A “deal room” is an electronic or physical space dedicated to storing the massive amounts of data to be used in due diligence by a buyer, lender or by an investor. Deal rooms contain access to or copies of all significant contracts with suppliers, customers, consultants, and others.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 23, 2013
'Investors are people too. They evaluate you like you should assess a possible co-founder or first employee. What are your credentials? What have you done that would convince me that my money is safe in your hands? Only after they see you as fundable, do they want to assess your plan for fundability, not the other way around. Even with great credentials, it is all too possible for an entrepreneur to come across as a high risk investment.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 16, 2013
'I’m not trying to be an alarmist, but honestly fundraising can oftentimes feel like you’re navigating a minefield: one false step and the money blows up! That’s why you need to be clear on what you’re looking for, where to look for it, and what you need to get it. You start the process by targeting the right investors, seeking connections for warm intros, and then doing your research and homework to prepare yourself for investor meetings.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 3, 2013
'It’s stunning to me how quickly we take for granted certain conveniences in our lives that go from Eureka to minimum expectation. Take OpenTable. In the old days we used to call a restaurant to book. The hostess worked from 4-10pm so you had to call during these hours. Between 7-10 she was busy seating guests so had to put your on hold. After hours there was the answering machine.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 14, 2013
'There''s been a revolution in the last few years with the dropping price and increasing accessibility of 3D printers--those devices which let you print practically anything using just your own personal computer, 3D software, and a special printer. One of the startups to come out of that 3D printing revolution is Deka Sounds (www.dekasounds.com), which is based in Orange County.
InfoChachkie
OCTOBER 28, 2013
'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. I am writing this article while sitting on a rooftop deck, overlooking the ocean in Baja, Mexico. The warm sea breeze and chilled beers are no doubt influencing my thinking, but sometimes it takes a change in latitude to gain a change in attitude (sorry Mr. Buffet, I couldn''t resist). My uber-relaxed state of mind aside, I have always believed that the key to personal and professional success is to select a locale that will facilitate yo
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 24, 2013
'This is the final posting in this cycle. Purchase two years of these insights in a single book, ADVANCED BERKONOMICS, for yourself or as a gift. Here are links to help you find copies: HARD COVER book directly from Berkus.com, signed by Dave (with gift inscription if requested): [link]. SOFT COVER book directly from Berkus.com, signed by Dave (with gift inscription if requested): [link].
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 5, 2013
'Viral marketing and word-of-mouth are not enough these days to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new promotional media out there today. Innovation in marketing is perhaps more important than product innovation. Yet in the business plans I see, the marketing content and budget are smaller than ever. More than just spending, you need to create an “experience” in this digital age which sets you apart from the banner ads, email blasts, and old-school websites out th
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 15, 2013
'Epic is the most dominant electronic health record (EHR) company in the US. Although Epic is a private company, it boasts over 6500 employees, $2.3B in revenue, and 150M patient records. Like most legacy healthcare IT companies, Epic runs an ancient technology stack. Its core database is a pre-SQL, cache-based database, which went out of style long before I was born.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 22, 2013
'Pasadena-based discount event ticketing service Goldstar announced this morning that it has launched a new, iOS app to help its members discover events and purchase event tickets. The company, which was co-founded and is led by Jim McCarthy, also revealed that the company will have over $100 million in sales this year. Goldstar said the new app includes integration with Apple''s Passbook, includes user reviews and event information, search tools, and more.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 18, 2013
'Southern California technology companies raised $709.8M in venture capital in Q3, according to the latest numbers from the MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the National Venture Capital Association, based on data From Thomson Reuters. The amount raised in the region was up from Q2, when $627.4M was raised in the area, and slightly lower than Q3 of 2012, when $724.9M was raised in venture capital.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 8, 2013
'Wish you had a better way to view your favorite online videos on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV? A new, Los Angeles startup, Pheebo --started by two former Apple Store employees--said that it has launched a brand new app which looks to let users access their favorite videos from such sites as YouTube, Reddit, Vimeo, and other sites, all from a single place.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 24, 2013
'In today''s mobile world, SMS has widespread, near ubiquitous adoption, which is great for consumers who want to communicate with their friends and family. However, that''s a huge problem for enterprises, who face compliance and data security issues with their data when their employees turn to SMS for business related communications. To solve that issue, Santa Monica-based TigerText (www.tigertext.com) has been developing smartphone applications which replace SMS, and provide companies with the
socalTECH
OCTOBER 8, 2013
'Who are the top 100 up-and-coming individuals in Southern California''s technology industry? We''re looking to identify the individuals here in the technology industry, across all sectors, who are most likely to create the next big thing, produce the next big exit or to influence the industry in a significant way. If you''d like to nominate an individual (not company) for this award, we''ve just started collecting your nominations online.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 16, 2013
'A new, Los Angeles-based startup, Townhang.com , announced Wednesday that it has raised $700,000, and launched a new site to help people find interesting events, happenings, and activities in their city. The startup--founded by Alexey Karpov--said the funding came via equity crowdfunding efforts by the company. Townhang.com said it has so far launched its event discovery service in Los Angeles, Portland, London, and Luxembourg.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 15, 2013
'Los Angeles-based hosting provider Media Temple has been acquired by GoDaddy , the two companies announced Tuesday. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Media Temple was founded in 1998 by Demian Sellfors, and is currently headed by Russell P. Reeder. According to GoDaddy, the two companies will continue to operate independently. Media Temple''s customers include Sony, Nordstrom, The Wall Street Journal, Starbucks, IBM, Volkswagen, and many others.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 8, 2013
'SlimSurveys , the new startup headed by former TweetPhoto founder Sean Callahan, has launched a new product, aimed at collecting data from website visitors. According to the company, its new Customer Insights product lets website owners add a widget to their website, to help collect real-time, customer insights. The new product lets marketers and website owners run surveys in-line with their websites, without requiring developers to constantly interact with the website.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 31, 2013
'The battle for control over LA''s streets--and transportation--continued today, as one of the major taxi providers in the city-- United Independent Taxi Drivers (UITD), has filed a lawsuit claiming Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar pose unfair competition to the company--and have resulted in a "sharp drop" in business for the company. UITD--which is one of the companies working with competing smartphone app provider Flywheel to counter the other ridesharing companies--told the LA Weekly it has seen at le
socalTECH
OCTOBER 16, 2013
'What do you get when you combine a team with a deep roster of executive talent from such companies as Cisco, Apple, and Nokia, and apply that to the world of "Internet of Things"--connecting your entire home to the cloud? You get Greenwave Reality (www.greenwavereality.com), a new startup based in Irvine, which is looking to apply the company''s consumer experience to the world of connected devices.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 1, 2013
'Irvine-based online auto information and leads site Autobytel has expanded into the mobile communications market, with the acquisition of Advanced Mobile, LLC , a provider of mobile apps, mobile websites, text messaging, and other mobile communications services for automotive manufacturers and dealers. Autobytel said it would pay $2.5M in cash, plus up to $1.5M in earn out based on revenues and profits for Advanced Mobile.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 10, 2013
'San Diego-based Sotera Wireless reports today that it has received FDA clearance for its continuous, patient blood pressure monitoring system. The venture backed startup said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared its ViSi Mobile wireless patient monitoring system, which lets clinicians continuously monitor patient vital signs without the use of a catheter or blood pressure cuff.
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