This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
'I wrote this on my flight home from f.ounders & web summit in Dublin, Ireland late last year. I think I was too hung over to finish it, hit publish and move on. So here is attempt two now that the alcohol is mostly out of me. The Magic of the Irish. Scenes from my counter-top on my last night in Dublin. I recently returned from a 5-day visit to Ireland, my first time back in 10 years and the start of what I hope will be a more regular travel schedule there.
'Jon Kraft --a serial entrepreneur, who was one of the founders of music service Pandora, and has served at Idealab, UberMedia, Big Stage, and a number of other startups here, has a new mission: helping children find their full potential, by connecting them with activities that match up with their personality and passions, through his new startup, Thrively (www.thrively.com).
'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Companies typically rebrand themselves for two distinct reasons. Those that are floundering do so in a desperate attempt to stave off failure. Such attempts are seldom successful, as rebranding typically does not address the systemic issues causing the company to fail. In contrast, companies that are rapidly growing often rebrand in order to more accurately reflect the expanded scope of their target market and product set.
'“Everybody’s got a plan – until they are punched in the face,” stated boxer Mike Tyson. My experience personally reviewing over three hundred executive summaries each year, all sent to me unsolicited, seems to bear out the truth in Tyson’s statement. Anyone can build a good – or great – plan. Investors have to look behind the plan and at the entrepreneur and his or her team, knowing that, over time, most of us have come to the conclusion that it is the execution of the ever-changing pl
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.
'First, I’m a huge Guy Fieri and Triple D fan and in general, the Food Network. An old friend Susie Fogelson works there and I was actually on the Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills “Glamping” episode. Not too long ago, Guy did a show in my home town of Santa Barbara. In short, he blew it (and I mean that in a nice way as he missed some of our finest DDDs).
'If your startup is looking for an Angel investor, it makes sense to present your plan to flocks of Angels, and assume that at least one will swoop down and scoop you up. Or does it? Actually numbers and locations are just the beginning. The challenge is to find the right Angel for you, and for your situation. Here are some basic principles: Angels invest in people, more often than they invest in ideas.
'I often talk about what I’m looking for when I meet with an entrepreneur. Above all else I’m looking for a genuine passion for what the entrepreneur is doing. It’s even a direct quote in my Twitter bio. Of course passion isn’t enough. You need a set of innate skills that differentiate you from the thousands of others who set out on your similar journey.
Sign up to get articles personalized to your interests!
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
'I often talk about what I’m looking for when I meet with an entrepreneur. Above all else I’m looking for a genuine passion for what the entrepreneur is doing. It’s even a direct quote in my Twitter bio. Of course passion isn’t enough. You need a set of innate skills that differentiate you from the thousands of others who set out on your similar journey.
'It looks like the war between the old and the new continues to rage on in Los Angeles, as the city--already the center of the fight between taxi drivers and ridesharing services like Uber, Lift, and Sidecar --is now the center of a storm between real estate agents and online real estate sites like Zillow, Trulia, and REALTOR.com. According to the Combined Los Angeles/Westside MLS (CLAW) , the group which handles all of the real estate listings for local Los Angeles agents, it is clamping down o
'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Brandon Martinez, Co-Founder and CEO of INDMusic , is helping to the change the face of online music. INDMusic has over 300 partners, and has generated over 2.5 billion views on YouTube. By their own estimation, INDMusic is the largest music network on YouTube, with over 100 million monthly views and 2 million subscribers.
'Creating a gerat company in a relative vacuum is an exercise in complete trust that the entrepreneur knows what’s best for the customer, perhaps even without interaction with such a customer. It’s probably happened, but not often enough to trust this method as a formula for success. So, I’ve developed the three step dance in order to help form a repeatable method of how to create a great company from an early idea.
'Not a day goes by without me giving it my all. I do everything with the intention of perfection. I never achieve it and I never will, but I try. I hustle. I spend my day solving problems. Sometimes in my personal life, sometimes on a website I’m working on, sometimes it’s a customer service issue. No matter how great the day, a problem arises.
'It’s been a short, but action packed few months since we were introduced to The Immunity Project ‘s goal to “develop a free vaccine for HIV/AIDS” The organization’s aptly named Twitter handle is @hackHIV and they’re the second nonprofit organization ever to be backed by Bay Area Incubator, Y-Combinator (YC). For those just tuning in, The Immunity Project is a nonprofit initiative using a unique combination of crowdfunding and venture capital, along with a nov
'Mark. You disappeared? What the fork happened to you? And what’s up with this crazy new blog design? Well … more on that next week. I will tell more. But for now … Every year we run a big VC, LP & Tech Summit in Los Angeles (this year downtown) to showcase the best of our community and invite others from around the country. Our event this year will feature many portfolio companies and also emerging LA tech companies such as Tinder & Whisper.
'Los Angeles-based Jukin Media , a company which says it discovers, acquires, and distributes viral videos, has tapped technology veteran Lee Essner as the company''s new President and Chief Operating Officer. Essner was previously the founder of AccessDNA, which he sold to Informed Medical Decisions a couple of years ago. He also was the COO of WeddingChannel.com, and has been an advisor to PageWoo, FanAppz and Capsule, and also was EIR at Idealab.
'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Software as a service (SaaS) is a popular business model because it facilitates the delivery of incremental value to customers, while allowing the vendor to adjust their prices over time. However, such price increases generally occur after new utility has been provided to the customers. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!
'Back when we were all trying to figure out the real value of traffic on the web, we investors – and acquiring companies – got a bit crazy with metrics used to value acquisitions and investments. Since in most cases, there was no revenue in many of these companies, all trying to gain market share at any cost, we had to invent the metric to use.
'Sponsored by VISA Business One of the keys to maximizing the productivity and success of your team, as well as yourself, is motivation. It has been estimated that the average team member at any given time works at less than 50% of his capacity. Thus, mastering the art of employee motivation could double your chances of success over the average competitor.
'This interview was an exciting one for me. I’ve been an avid user of Plug.DJ’s music discovery site since early 2012, have discovered a ton of music there (which, by the way, I’m still listening to today) and originally covered their $1.25M in seed-round funding from Javelin Venture Partners. Today, I give you a glimpse into their whirlwind success.
'First, I’m a huge Guy Fieri and Triple D fan and in general, the Food Network. An old friend Susie Fogelson works there and I was actually on the Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills “Glamping” episode. Not too long ago, Guy did a show in my home town of Santa Barbara. In short, he blew it (and I mean that in a nice way as he missed some of our finest DDDs).
'We''re experimenting with a new feature for our site: quick pitches from very early, local startups who haven''t had much (or any) funding. Today''s is with Shawn Peterson , founder of Los Angeles-based Underbuilt (www.underbuilt.com), an online site providing information on properties for the building and remodeling market. Are you the founder of a very early stage startup--not yet angel or venture backed--and want to talk about your startup?
'Innovate Pasadena is, as usual, leading the charge to showcase the Tech Community in the Greater Pasadena area. Their next event is a week long extravaganza of Pitchfests, Hackathons, Seminars, and more during the week of 3/10. Check it out on their site at: Innovate Pasadena. Many Pasadena Angels will join the events, and I’ll be judging apps at the Hackathon.
'By Frank Peters. I became an entrepreneur because I had to. My life in Corporate America wasn’t going so well. I never got fired, but I did quit one job the day before I was to be let go. I used my employee discount that last day to purchase a Compaq luggable computer and drove with my brother to Las Vegas. Now, this would be questionable therapy for anyone who just became unemployed, except we were heading to Comdex , the annual computer show that would eventually grow huge as would th
'I don’t have an MBA. I used to fear that this would put me at a disadvantage in starting my own company, but now I’m convinced that it may be the other way around. In some reputable surveys , as many as two-thirds of entrepreneurs felt that their entrepreneurial spirit was more ingrained than learned, so a specific education level is at least irrelevant.
' “We want to innovate the digital ad space in a whole new way.”. Enplug is a fast-growing, ubiquitous Silicon Beach company. You might be aware of their products – perhaps having seen their digital media signs in your favorite local restaurant or bar, but what you might not know is their compelling founders’ story and unique company culture.
'First, I’m a huge Guy Fieri and Triple D fan and in general, the Food Network. An old friend Susie Fogelson works there and I was actually on the Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills “Glamping” episode. Not too long ago, Guy did a show in my home town of Santa Barbara. In short, he blew it (and I mean that in a nice way as he missed some of our finest DDDs).
'Los Angeles-based Shopzilla , the online comparison shopping site owned by Symphony Technology Group (STG), announced today that it has acquired Ventura-based Connexity , the programmatic media buying company led by Dave Gross. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. According to Shopzilla, it will use the acquisition of Connexity to help bolster Aisle A, its "Audience Activation" division.
'Craig Harris, Co-Founder and CEO of HG Data , knows first-hand that it is possible to recruit top talent, without the benefit of a lot of cash or equity. Early in his career, Craig spent nearly 4 years with the Peace Corps in Paraguay, creating an agro-forestry farm that remains in operation over 20-years later. Entrepreneurs can learn much from successful, yet cash-strapped organizations, such as the Peace Corps and the Marines, especially when it comes to attracting, retaining and motivating
'Real innovation in the business world is still rare. As I’ve said before, everyone talks about innovation, but the majority of new business plans I see still reflect linear thinking – one more social network with more features, another smartphone app for marketing, or one more platform for faster e-commerce. Historic changes and great successes don’t come from linear thinking.
'Startup secures $300,000 seed round. Pushup Social, a startup that lets you add a social network to an existing website, has raised $300,000 to build out its technology and launch this Spring. “Our early investors saw the potential right away,” said Pushup Social CEO Dan Lohman. “As we get closer to completing the beta and move toward a global launch, we will be raising a significant amount of additional funds and I’m confident future investors will see that same potential.”.
'Not a day goes by without me giving it my all. I do everything with the intention of perfection. I never achieve it and I never will, but I try. I hustle. I spend my day solving problems. Sometimes in my personal life, sometimes on a website I’m working on, sometimes it’s a customer service issue. No matter how great the day, a problem arises.
'Santa Monica-based voice and text-platform provider CallFire is bolstering its executive ranks today with a new hire, saying that it has named Barbara Palmer as the company''s new Chief Revenue Officer. CallFire joins the company from The Search Agency, where she was President of the company; she also had previously been at United Online, Ameriquest Mortgage, Paramount Pictures, Planet Hollywood and Universal Studios Hollywood.
'Looking to complete your first half marathon? San Diego-based ACTIVE Network , the provider of cloud-based sports activity and registration services, has rolled out a new mobile app for iOS specifically to help people complete their first half marathon. According to ACTIVE Network, the 13.one Half Marathon app helps runners make it to their half marathon, by providing a 12 week training plan, tracking of training, and more.
'Venice-based social networking app developer Snapchat looks to be on the prowl for employees, based on a new recruiting video released onto YouTube by the company Wednesday morning. In the video, Snapchat''s employees -- of which there are 35 -- talk about working at Snapchat and in Venice. Snapchat apparently is in the midst of a growth surge, with openings in Venice for a HR recruiting coordinator, engineers, and others, according to its jobs page.
'Goleta-based medical equipment maker Inogen has set the pricing range for its IPO, saying in a filing with the SEC that it expects its stock to price at between $16.00 and $18.00 per share. The company is offering up 3,529,411 shares of its stock, and plans to trade on the NASDAQ Global Market as INGN. Inogen is a maker of oxygen concentrators and equipment used by patients with COPD and other respiratory ailments.
'Do you need a new website? Can''t find a good designer? A new, San Diego startup, Launchsite , has a new online marketplace and service which aims to help you find a website designer--by letting you post your website project, and getting three website concepts presented to you to pick from. According to the startup--founded by Daniel Qu and Jonathan Song--the startup''s online marketplace is aimed at helping people find a designer who can create a website that they not only need, but love.
'Virgin America said this morning that it has launched a brand new, in-flight social network, based on a mobile app from Los Angeles startup Here on Biz. According to Virgin America, it has launched an in-flight social network which is aimed at helping to connect fellow business travelers on its flights, via the free Here On Biz app. Virgin America said the app will help guests connect in the air with other guests and also on the ground at the company''s lounges and terminals.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 5,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
392 
Let's personalize your content