Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Today it has been announced that I’m leading a $15 million funding round in Tact , a new generation of Enterprise Software company along with other investors including Microsoft Ventures and previous investors Accel and Redpoint Rather than just waxing lyrically about how great the company is I thought I’d provide some context about why I invested and also about a fundamental change I see in the coming years in the way enterprise software is used.

Software 197

Software Mobile Artificial Inteligence Oracle 197

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 29, 2016

Some types of businesses generate more and more recurring revenues over time, often growing to a size where recurring revenues pay all of the overhead of the company – an enviable position. There is a phenomenon I have observed time after time with mature companies receiving over 75% of their revenues from recurring sources. Management undertakes a simple exercise of calculating the increased profitability of shutting down all R&D, sales and subordinate operations, and universally notes wit

.Net 226

.Net Sales Custom Customer 226

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 2, 2016

If you were to write a history of Silicon Valley, you could do it by looking at a series of major diaspora. Companies like Google, Yahoo, Oracle and PayPal attract top talent for years; when they reach maturity or a major liquidity event, their talent disperses and germinates into the next generation of companies. It’s quite possible that Snapchat could do the same for L.A.

Snapchat 307

Snapchat Los Angeles Oracle Yahoo 307

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 16, 2016

SpaceX hopes to tip the scales in the launch market with its Falcon Heavy rocket.

Tips 198

Tips SpaceX Marketing 198

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

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Grant Hosford , the CEO and co-founder of codeSpark (www.codespark.com), the company behind the game The Foos (www.thefoos.com), which teaches kids to learn how to code just by playing the game. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

Education 172

Education eHarmony Southern California Idealab 172

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 12, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. There are two macro trends occuring within venture capital (VC) which are combining to have a […]. The post Good Things Happen When Two Transformative VC Trends Collide appeared first on John Greathouse.

Venture Capital 109

Venture Capital Capital 109

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 15, 2016

Growth CEO’s differ from those who merely station–keep their way into the status quo, protecting the enterprise by reducing risk and cost – without creating a vision and action plan for growth. Here is a way to test yourself with a tool useful for any leader seeking to create positive change. Authors Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Oglivie have created a framework for creation of a new product or service – one worth spending at least a cycle of time for review.

Design 210

Design Framework Ideas Custom 210

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are looking to the Internet as an opportunity to get rich quick, instead of a place where you can start a business you love, for very little capital and minimal technical expertise. The reality is that if you build a business you love, you may in fact make big money, but if you start a business to get rich, you will probably fail.

Startup 107

Startup Technical Review Case Study Software Review 107

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, is aiming to launch another rocket early next month, which would be its first attempt since a Sep. 1 explosion prompted the Hawthorne aerospace company to halt its launch schedule as it investigated the cause of the incident.

Hawthorne 193

Hawthorne SpaceX Technology Companies 193

socalTECH

DECEMBER 2, 2016

Calabasas-based surround sound and audio technology developer DTS is now officially part of Tessera , after Tessera completed its acquisition of DTS on Thursday, the companies said on Thursday afternoon. Tessera paid $850M in cash for DTS, in a deal which had originally been announced in May. Tessera said that it will introduce a new corporate name, stock ticker, brand, and logo during the first quarter of 2017 as a result of the acquisition.

Calabasas 162

Calabasas Acquisition Technology Develop 162

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Tuesday, December 20, 2016 -- Startup Cafe #2. Hosted by Startups In The Sky @ Industrious Los Angeles. See https://startupcafe2.splashthat.com/.

Startup 100

Startup Los Angeles Angel 100

Xconomy

DECEMBER 28, 2016

Patients with spinal muscular atrophy got some good news last week when the FDA approved nusinersen (Spinraza) , making it the first marketed drug ever for the rare and potentially deadly genetic disease. But as expected, the drug, from Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, is a costly one, priced at the high end of the six figure price tags often given to treatments for rare diseases with no alternative treatments.

Pricing 63

Pricing News Marketing San Diego 63

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 8, 2016

Dave’s note: This week we invite long-time CEO of Quicksilver Software to respond to our question: “How have you remained relevant in the gaming software business over so many years?” He and his company have worked in the video game business since the very earliest generation of games in the early 1980’s. His company is one of the oldest independent studios in the business.

Offshore 210

Offshore Examples Software Email 210

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2016

At some point in their life, hopefully everyone strives to be the best in their chosen profession. Most people think that being the best requires more intelligence, more training, and more experience. In reality, in business or even in sports, the evidence is conclusive that it is as much about how you think, as what you do. I saw this illustrated a while back in the classic sports book, “ Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else ”, by Jon Gordon.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Training Slides Pricing 105

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Elon Musk has entered President-Elect Donald Trump’s orbit. The billionaire founder of rocket manufacturer Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors Inc. has accepted an advisory role in Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, a non-partisan policy council.

Technology 190

Technology 190

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2016

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Jaspar Weir , co-founder of TaskUs (www.taskus.com), which powers much of the back office and customer support behind some of the best known startups here in Southern California--not to mention the rest of the world, and for many established companies, too.

Artificial Inteligence 160

Artificial Inteligence Southern California Custom Customer 160

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 15, 2016

Monday, December 19, 2016 -- Digital Family Reunion '16. For the past eight years, the Digital Family Reunion has been the holiday event of the season for LA's vibrant technology and business communities. With our aim to connect Web 1.0 leaders with the next generation of technology professionals, DFR has always cultivated a unifying place to reconnect with colleagues and make new friends with those who share our common bond.

Web 100

Web Technology 100

Xconomy

DECEMBER 14, 2016

If you’re not much of a podcast listener and you have a sense that you’re missing out on a lot of great content, you’re absolutely right. But now is a good time to fix that, thanks to a new profusion of listening options. And to get you started, I have a few shows to suggest. Fifty of them, in fact. I’ve always been a big fan of podcasts—and I mean always, back to the days of the very first podcasts around 2004.

Content 87

Content San Diego Journal Google 87

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 1, 2016

Dave’s comment: This week we welcome our perennial favorite contributor, Kim Shepherd, CEO of Decision Toolbox, to offer us her sage advice on a subject where she is expert. Outgoing, full of creative ideas, and certainly the best person to teach us how, here is Kim on networking… By Kim Shepherd . Networking with others you want to meet is second nature to some, but it fills others with dread.

Networking 202

Networking Email Google Organization 202

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2016

Too many entrepreneurs put their best creative thinking into the startup idea, and believe that the business implementation simply requires following tried and true business practices. In my experience as a startup advisor, nothing could be further from the truth. To win, you need to think outside the box to deliver a better customer experience, business model, and new positioning.

Ideas 103

Ideas Competition Custom Customer 103

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 5, 2016

Domain registry company XYZ Inc. has been granted permission by the Chinese government to sell its dot-xyz domain suffix in China, potentially opening up a huge market to the Santa Monica startup. XYZ has sold more than 6 million dot-xyz domains globally. About 2 million of those domains were registered in China with tentative permission from the Chinese government.

Marina Del Rey 172

Marina Del Rey Santa Monica Companies Company 172

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2016

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. This morning, we have Kevin Winston of Digital LA (www.digitalla.net), the organization which is LA's largest digital networking group and which is behind the Silicon Beach Fest, the first and largest tech, startup and entertainment conference in LA.

Marina Del Rey 159

Marina Del Rey Dollar Shave Club Beverly Hills Startup 159

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Wednesday, December 14, 2016 -- Startups: The Year That Was and The Year That's Ahead. Cal Lutheran University Center for Entrepreneurship. Keynote Speaker: Ben Kuo, socaltech.com. We invite back Benjamin Kuo, editor and founder of socalTECH.com, for another year in review. He will talk about: What's going on in Southern California's entrepreneurial environment, and what were the noteworthy things that happened this year -- and what might be expect in the future?

Southern California 100

Southern California Technical Review Startup Acquisition 100

Xconomy

DECEMBER 2, 2016

Connect, the San Diego nonprofit supporting local innovation and entrepreneurship, handed out its Most Innovative New Product Awards at a dinner last night in La Jolla—recognizing innovations that range from an inflatable satellite antenna to a mobile app for art museums. Volunteer entrepreneurs, investors, and business executives evaluated 111 nominations in eight categories for the 29th annual awards.

Product 81

Product San Diego Mobile Entrepreneur 81

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 22, 2016

One of my company CEO’s recently described his rule for acquisition success, and it resonated with me as a great goal for planning during acquisition exercises. This CEO states that he has made it work twice when acquiring companies, and that is enough for him to make it his rule for all future acquisitions. If the target company is able to show a ten percent EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization), then the acquisition team should be able to create a way to

Acquisition 191

Acquisition .Net Sales Email 191

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Too many aspiring entrepreneurs I mentor can talk at length about their innovative ideas and passions, and ask lots of good questions, but never make much progress in building a real business. In my experience, building a business is much more about getting things done than having great ideas. The challenge is to move from ideas to specific goals, to delivered solutions.

Writing 100

Writing Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 100

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 30, 2016

While Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. might no longer be launching their products at Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show, the event still has appeal for a number of L.A. companies – mainstays and upstarts alike.

Product 164

Product Companies Company 164

socalTECH

DECEMBER 13, 2016

Los Angeles-based TeleSign announced this morning that it has it named Tom Powledge as the company's new Chief Product Officer. Powledge was previously Vice President and General Manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), where he managed the company's ArcSign business. Prior to HPE, Powledge was Vice President of Managed Security Services at Cisco Systems, and also spent 20 years at Symantec.

Symantec 155

Symantec Product Los Angeles Mobile 155

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 -- Rewind/Unwind: A Digital Video Soiree Hosted by LA Digital Video Group. Rewind and unwind at our digital video industry mixer! Our VIP panelists will share their hot takes on the year that was in online video and digital media in general. Join us for lively opinions, refreshments, and games. Special guest panelists include: Roarke Boes, Director of Content Management, Omnia Media; Brian Nickerson, CEO and Co-Founder, MagicLinks; Joe Babarsky, Director of Creative In

Media 100

Media Content 100

Xconomy

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Molecular Assemblies , a San Diego startup developing a new enzymatic method for synthesizing DNA, said today it has raised $2.3 million in a seed financing round. The funding will be used to hire more scientists and to advance the company’s development of enzymatic DNA synthesis technology, CEO Michael Kamdar said in an interview Friday. Molecular Assemblies says its enzymatic approach for making DNA was inspired by the way nature makes DNA.

San Diego 80

San Diego Startup Invest Capital 80

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 27, 2016

“ENGAGE LA is an in-depth look at how the digital age is evolving and transforming storytelling. We are bringing all the successful elements from our dynamic Talk Forum NYC events to our third ENGAGE LA Forum. This experience will change how you view the world of content creation and consumption, with fresh perspectives that can be applied to a variety of areas, including social, mobile, retail, video, TV and film.

Los Angeles 70

Los Angeles Conference Angel Hollywood 70

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). That means they need to build an innovative team, which is not a skill that most people are born with. In fact, some very innovative individuals, known as ‘idea people’ or inventors, often end up creating the most dysfunctional teams.

Ideas 97

Ideas Framework Entrepreneur Satisfaction 97

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 13, 2016

Virtual reality video game producer Survios announced on Tuesday that it has raised $50 million in capital over two rounds this year from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Lux Capital, and other investors.

Development 155

Development Develop Capital 155

socalTECH

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Carpinteria-based cloud-based construction software developer Procore apparently has joined the ranks of the small number of Southern California's "unicorns"--those companies who are valued at more than $1 billion--with the funding the company announced on Thursday. According to the WSJ, the funding doubles the $500M valuation that the company had a year ago in its prior funding.

Southern California 153

Southern California Software Development Funding Software 153

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 2, 2016

Thursday, December 8, 2016 -- Crowd Invest Summit. The first ever Crowd Invest Summit will debut December 7-8, 2016 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, California. The summit will feature a robust agenda spanning a variety of equity crowdfunding themes including investment analysis, marketing strategies, trends and insights from industry experts.

Invest 100

Invest Santa Monica Equity Marketing 100

Xconomy

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Since the election, leaders in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals are acting like they got away with robbery. The Nasdaq Biotechnology Index went up 9 percent overnight on November 8th. With Donald Trump coming into office, the whole industry seems to have breathed a sigh of relief that the status quo—a continuous race toward higher prices—will last for at least a few more years.

Pricing 80

Pricing San Diego 80