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'*. If you are a 20-something tech entrepreneur you could be forgiven for thinking that seed-stage investors, Angellist Syndicates and widely available angel money always existed. It is, of course, a very recent phenomenon. Let me take you back just 10 years ago to 2005 in Silicon Valley where I returned after 11 years of living in Europe. I was out to raise my first seed money in my second startup of $500,000.
'3D printing is all the rage in the maker and do-it-yourself hobbyist market, but how do you truly take 3D printing to the mass market? Pasadena-based New Matter (www.newmatter.com) is developing a 3D printer, the MOD-t, which it says will help bridge the world of 3D printing experimentation with the consumer. We spoke with CEO Steve Schell on how Idealab believes its past experience with starting up a 3D printing company--and some new ideas on how to create a marketplace of 3D designs--are the
'A version of this article previously appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Freemium business models are popular because they allow startups to quickly drive user adoption. Unfortunately, many of these companies fail to properly monetize such non-paying users. Let''s face it. It''s frankly easier to accelerate your startup''s growth and show faux traction if you omit the pesky step of asking users to pull out their credit cards.Let''s face it.
'Negotiating an agreement, especially one that involves personal gain, is tough for the person personally involved. There is too much to lose to be objective, to be willing to walk when terms go upside down. It is my experience that you should have an expert negotiator with you or even in your place, whether from your board or an employee or outside professional such as an attorney – when the issue is personal.
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.
'As the organizer of the LA CTO Forum , I get lots of inquiries by job seekers and people looking for CTO / VP Engineering talent. I’ve written quite a bit about aspects of this topic, especially from the perspective of startup founders looking for talent – you can find these in: Startup CTO. This includes links to CTO Salary and Equity Trends, Technology Roles in Startups , Initial Conversation with a CTO or Technical Advisor , Finding a Technical Cofounder for Your Startup , Hiring a CTO for Y
'A popular approach for aspiring entrepreneurs these days seems to be to corner anyone who will listen, with a pitch on their current “million dollar idea.” The initial monologue usually ends with the question “How much money do you think this is worth?” In my opinion, ideas are a commodity, and are really not worth much, outside the context of a visionary leader who can execute.
'I write about sales often both because it’s the lifeblood of any organization and because in my experience it is the area in which more startups are least experienced or inclined. I also write and talk about it frequently because raising capital is a part of sales and this is important for entrepreneurs to understand. To make it simple and easy to remember – there are three basic rules of sales: 1.
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'I write about sales often both because it’s the lifeblood of any organization and because in my experience it is the area in which more startups are least experienced or inclined. I also write and talk about it frequently because raising capital is a part of sales and this is important for entrepreneurs to understand. To make it simple and easy to remember – there are three basic rules of sales: 1.
'Santa Monica-based FameBit , the developer of a self-serve, YouTube marketing marketplace that helps brands connect with YouTube celebrities, has just passed 300 million subcribers, according to the company. The startup--backed by Science and led by David Kierzkowski--said it now has over 7,000 YouTubers on its marketplace. The company says that it has such brands as Adidas, L''Oreal, Hint, JustFab, and fellow Science company Dollar Shave Club with its marketing efforts.
'A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Trade show veterans know that the louder you scream at an industry event, the less your voice is heard. Instead, you have to push the envelope of propriety to cut through the noise. Even at a show the size of Dreamforce, you can cut through the noise, but you have to push the envelope to do it. .
'When a new CEO or manager is hired into a company, for a while lots of energy flows from the top and new ideas seem to be generated daily. It is one reason not to fear the unknown when upper level management long in place turns over, often leaving most everyone worried about the future of the company and for their own prospects. Even the best of us fall into a routine in our jobs.
Eight weeks is what the port of Oakland estimated it would take to recover from the paralyzing effects of the west coast port labor disputes. That’s right, as much as eight weeks of delays for domestic car manufacturers to receive parts, grocery stores to receive food and retailers to get their hands on the new Apple Watches. And eight weeks for the U.S. exporters to get their goods… Read More.
'According to most definitions, an entrepreneur is one who envisions a new and different business, meaning one that is not a copy of an existing business model. Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business.
'Last week Fred Wilson and I sat down in Santa Monica for an hour+ discussion with the video cameras rolling. One of the questions we discussed is, “How much capital should a startup raise?” Fred & I are both in agreement that there is a tension between capital constraints and creativity. In his words, [in some instances] “because lots of capital is available, the company takes on the capital and that ends up resulting in no constraints on decision making and so the company
'Think you have some great ideas for the next, big space-related app? NASA is behind an event coming up in Pasadena on April 11, the International Space Apps Challenge , saying it is looking for participants in a "mass-collaboration" hackathon to develop apps both related to life on earth an in space. The challenge--which is run in 130 cities around the world--is being organized locally by Joe Brisbois, and is being held at the new Cross Campus Pasadena location.
'A version of this article previously appeared in the Wall Street Journal. “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Wayne Gretzky. Imagine how difficult it would be to score in hockey if you were required to rely on someone who is not your teammate to convince another third-party, whom you have not met, to take a shot on your behalf. As crazy as this scenario sounds, it is very similar to the “scoring process” companies engage in when they track Net Promoter Scores.
'Here’s one for executives of technology companies, or any company with next generation products in mind. As your business grows more complex and there are more employees to manage and more customers to care for, slowly you will notice that more and more time of your chief innovation officer or system architect or R&D department is spent focused upon enhancements in response to needs of the user base.
'Raise your hand if you heart NPR. Raise your hand if you love science, mysteries and storytelling. Then chances are you might be a huge fan of the NPR/PRX radio show Radiolab. (Lord knows I am). For those of you that have been missing out, (in this case you should have actual FOMO ), Radiolab shares the same sort of tone of familiarity as another NPR show, This American Life , but tends to focus on questions and discoveries more scientific.
'Every entrepreneur realizes that change is now the norm, and they have to adapt their business quickly to survive and prosper. In fact, the best entrepreneurs seem to see breakthrough changes coming even before they really happen, and are able to turn them into huge new opportunities. In the trade, this rare capability is called the ability to see around corners.
'*. I love Twitter. I’m loving Meerkat so far. It’s brand new but the enthusiasm we’ve seen for such an early product is truly awesome. I ran a VC AMA (ask me anything) last Monday on Meerkat and had > 1,000 simultaneous people asking me questions. The energy was election so I’m going to do it again this coming week. You may have read that Twitter has now made it harder for Meerkat to operate.
'Pasadena-based SlipChip , a Caltech spinoff developing microfluidics technology, has raised $26.5M as part of an ongoing, $30M funding raising effort, according to a filing from the company. Details on the Series B funding have not yet been announced by the company, whic his a spinout of technology developed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
'A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Despite the fact that I teach entrepreneurship at UC Santa Barbara , I do not believe that entrepreneurs are created in classrooms. Instead of trying to teach students to be an entrepreneur, I expose my entrepreneurial students to tools that will help them solve real-world problems. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!
'This is the tale of two CEOs, one of them unfortunately….me. It’s a story of how people handle unusual situations when selling to the top – an executive of a prospective customer. And the stories couldn’t be more different. Recently a CEO friend told me her story of a dinner with her director of business development and an executive of a major company, a candidate for a large sale.
'Long before Nest, smart home technology has been available. It was only recently that the stars have aligned between development, technology and bandwidth to make the Internet of Things (IoT) affordable and accessible. But to the early adopters still on the fence about converting to a smart home the question remains — is it reliable? Europe’s leading manufacturer of wireless and smart home automations systems, Fibaro believes it is.
'Deciding to be an entrepreneur is a lifestyle move, and should be part of a long-term strategic plan. You shouldn’t be making this decision just because you are mad at your boss, you would like to be rich, or someone else thinks it’s a good idea. In these changing times, if you already have a startup, with no plan, maybe it’s time to think ahead for a change.
Five teams competed in Orange County this past weekend. Particularly notable in this Southern California version of a San Francisco hackathon was a focus on product viability. Teams were here to build a product to sell, not merely to produce an idea without a market. Read more: Slidepollajax , Hackathon , Startups , Tech Startups , Los-Angeles-Tech , Startup Weekend , Orange County , Los Angeles News.
'Altadena-based Rexter , the developer of real time contact and relationship management software led by technology veteran Andy Wilson, has been named one of the fourteen companies in the upcoming Microsoft Digital Work Accelerator. Rexter''s software--which runs across mobile platforms, tablets, and PCs--helps consolidate and manage their contacts from across social networking sites and email, and helps users manage those contacts and activities.
'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Raising too much cash, too early, can kill your startup. It can provoke spending on unproven business models, hiring employees before their talents can be fully tapped and entering into long-term, unsustainable relationships with partners, landlords and other third parties. To avoid these death knell mistakes, create a culture in which you and your employees (your CFO excepted) spend your precious cash with zero regard for how much money
Ideally, when a customer asks if you accept a certain form of payment, the answer should always be yes. GoCoin is the first checkout solution designed to accommodate bitcoin and other popular altcoins like litecoin and dogecoin. Give your customers the convenience of choice, and in turn, you can choose to keep the coins or instantly exchange them to your preferred currency.
'Based in Calabasas, CA and fresh from its SXSW debut and launch party, the new open messaging app onLoop hopes to reshape how we use social media to communicate. There are many social networks out there to share pics or circles of friends, but onLoop’s mission is to engage users and conversations through shared interests within a rich multidimensional messaging app.
'A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. I wish it was that easy. The challenge is that every new business needs to be innovative and different, in order to rise above the crowd, bring real change to the world, and give you the satisfaction you seek.
Tech has many facets that could infuse the entertainment industry taking interestings ideas from Seed to rapid growth stage. Read more: Thunderstruck Competition , Los Angeles , Los-Angeles-Tech , Los Angeles News.
'Is the world ready for everyone to be their own, radio DJ--and are there enough people out there who want to broadcast themselves to the world, live, with a music stream? Los Angeles-based startup urRadio (www.urradio.com) thinks so. We spoke with founder and CEO Tyler Francois to hear about his vision for making anyone an Internet radio DJ, and how the team--made up of former Yahoo!
'Los Angeles-based online, real estate crowdfunding site Asset Avenue has upped its funding to $4.0M, according to a recent regulatory filing by the firm. According to the filing, the company now has raised a total of $4.0M, from a total of 43 investors. Details on the latest funding--which appears to be a convertible note funding--have not yet been announced.
'In what has been a constant, Snapchat -all-the-time news week, the Venice, California-based messaging company has apparently cut loose its COO , Emily White, as CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel has decided to take a more hand-on role at the company. White had only joined Snapchat in 2013, having formerly been Instagram''s Director of Business Operations.
'Traditionally, online gambling has been quite a legal minefield, particularly since the giant U.S. crackdown on illegal online gambling and online poker back in 2011. However, a new startup, b Spot (www.bspot.com)--founded by YouBet veterans David Marshall and Russell Fine--thinks it has figured out a way to marry casual games with legal, online gambling, by tying those casual games with horse racing.
'A new study--driven by data collected by San Diego''s Lytx --finds that talking, texting, and. singing and moving to music are among the most common fof distraction leading up to crashed by teen drivers. The study, released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety , used videos of teen drivers provided by Lytx, to identify the distraction that led to crashes by teen drivers.
'Are you one of the many Southern California companies now embarking on your new space startup? Apparently, the popularity of space startups has spurred a new legal specialty: space lawyer. According to the WSJ , those include Sagi Kfir, a San Diego area attorney who is the Chief Counsel of a Silicon Valley startup, Deep Space Industries. Space law is apparently seeing growth, as companies look to tackle legal questions, particularly in the area of jurisdiction, as they apply to space.
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