Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2018

In my experience, the initial idea for a new product usually comes from a single entrepreneur, but the implementation plan for a new business requires a team, or at least a co-founder. Thus I always recommend a common series of steps that I have seen working for other entrepreneurs: Write a partner description for that ideal co-founder.

High Tech 55

High Tech Entrepreneur Writing Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

A critical stage for most first-time entrepreneurs is getting their idea developed into at least a prototype to validate their technology. Specifically, I often point to the NSF or the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for high-tech startups. Another alternative is to find an inexpensive class on grant writing.

Funding 90

Funding Technical Review Startup Research 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2015

“Scope creep” (or feature creep) is an insidious disease that kills more new business solutions than any other, especially high-tech ones, and yet most founders (who may be the cause) never even see it happening. Remember that in new product development, as in writing, addition by subtraction is the Golden Rule. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 104

Technical Review Product Software Review High Tech 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

If you are a first-time entrepreneur, I recommend that you team with a co-founder with experiences, connections, and a skill set that complements, but doesn’t duplicate yours. Even experienced entrepreneurs need a partner to back up each other and improve fundability. Get this in writing as a standard pre-nuptial. Hire a lawyer.

Startup 95

Startup Entrepreneur Activity High Tech 95

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

"The best way to prepare [to be a programmer] is to write programs, and to study great programs that other people have written. Mark noted that even if an entrepreneur does not become a master developer, by simply understanding the software development process, they will be a more effective startup leader.

Tips 275

Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275

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. Remember that in new product development, as in writing, addition by subtraction is the Golden Rule. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 110

Technical Review Startup Software Review High Tech 110

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 6, 2014

Provisional Protection - Most US high-tech companies begin the utility patent process by filing a provisional patent application. Provisional filings are especially beneficial for startups because: You gain a year to write a thoughtful, defensible patent without delaying your filing date.

IP 210

IP Patents Journal Equity 210

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2011

If you are a first-time entrepreneur, I often recommend that you team with a co-founder with experiences, connections, and a skill set that complements, but doesn’t duplicate yours. Even experienced entrepreneurs need a partner to strengthen their position. Get this in writing as a standard pre-nuptial. Hire a lawyer.

Startup 92

Startup Entrepreneur Activity High Tech 92

socalTECH

JUNE 6, 2011

Although Los Angeles has become a hub for the high tech startup world, Surprisingly, one of the things which hasn't happened in the Los Angeles area is any huge, successful venture acceleration programs. Typically, venture backed companies, always entrepreneur led. Photo: Bruce Brown on the left, Dan Dato on the right).

Startup 221

Startup Mentor Southern California Incubator 221

InfoChachkie

APRIL 9, 2012

These entrepreneurs do not risk everything, work outrageous hours and put themselves under extreme pressure because they want to. If it were a decision to be an entrepreneur, then most right-minded individuals would decide to turn back when they encountered the first inevitable startup crises. Entrepreneurs want to matter.

Startup 243

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Statistics 243

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2012

For software, websites, and high-tech products, this is the “meat” of what you intend to build. Skip the acronyms, write at an eighth-grade level, and talk in terms of “benefits” rather than “features.” Because it addresses an internal audience, it can use technical jargon and assume the reader understands the technology.

Product 92

Product Outsource Development Competition High Tech 92

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2013

This started as a post in which I was going to write out tips to personal branding and became in stead an essay of my own branding journey. I wanted to do business projects and I got in touch with a guy from the strategy consulting practice in the telecoms & high-tech practice in London. You’re a tech guy.

Technical Advisors 385

Technical Advisors Marketing Startup Venture Capital 385

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

Unlike an unregistered copyright, which you gain automatically by expressing an idea in written form, you cannot gain intellectual property protection by simply being the first person to describe an idea in writing. Most US high-tech companies begin the utility patent process by filing a provisional patent application.

IP 256

IP Patents Companies Company 256

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2010

If you are a first-time entrepreneur, I often recommend that you team with a co-founder with experiences, connections, and a skill set that complements, but doesn’t duplicate yours. Even experienced entrepreneurs need a partner to strengthen their position. Get this in writing as a standard pre-nuptial. Move to Silicon Valley.

Startup 54

Startup Entrepreneur Activity High Tech 54

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2010

They taught us to write down questions when they came up and batch them together in point sheets. Dmitry walks the audience through the basic techniques that most high-tech savvy professionals use to streamline our digital lives. Tags: Entrepreneur Advice Start-up Advice Startup Advice. I’m just getting started.

Product 280

Product Startup Email Technical Review 280

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2011

“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. Remember that in new product development, as in writing, addition by subtraction is the Golden Rule.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Startup Software Review High Tech 96

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

“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. Remember that in new product development, as in writing, addition by subtraction is the Golden Rule.

Technical Review 75

Technical Review Startup Software Review High Tech 75

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 10, 2010

Want to take a year pursuing your dream to write a screenplay, travel through Asia, run a triathlon or start your own fashion line? We were high tech at the very start of the boom. Not everybody is geared up to be an entrepreneur – Tim Ferriss is obviously a very talented individual. If not now, then when?

Startup 295

Startup Email Technical Review Course 295

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2010

For software, websites, and high-tech products, this is the “meat” of what you intend to build. Skip the acronyms, write at an eighth-grade level, and talk in terms of “benefits” rather than “features.” Tags: entrepreneur investor business plan product plan. Here are some key components: Problem statement and solution.

Product 48

Product Outsource Development Competition High Tech 48

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2011

One trend in the Southern California high tech startup market has been an increasing number of startups--and executives--who have been looking to combine their interests in business with their enthusiasm for giving back through nonprofits and causes. First, for those not familiar with CauseCast, what is the company all about?

Causecast 222

Causecast Startup Content Education 222

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

aka: An Open Letter to the Next Big Social Network) - 500 Hats , November 1, 2010 I've held off writing this post for a long time, because I couldn't quite get my head around all the issues. But I didn’t write it for you; I wrote it for myself. have focused this as advice to entrepreneurs building enterprise software ventures today.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Startup Product Technology 175

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2009

Often times, in the world of cell phones and high tech software, you don't know the challenges throughout the process of creating a product. Everyone wants to read a PDF, but few want to write or change them. Tags: project management startup dipanshu entrepreneur interview microsoft kadonk nokia sharma.

Startup 100

Startup Software Review Technical Review Software 100

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 28, 2013

I am writing this article while sitting on a rooftop deck, overlooking the ocean in Baja, Mexico. The days of entrepreneurs having to move to New York, LA or Silicon Valley to ensure their startup''s success are long over. Dozens of successful startups later, investors no longer ask this question of Santa Barbara entrepreneurs.

Santa Barbara 268

Santa Barbara Companies Company Startup 268

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 5, 2010

I’ve been meaning to write this post since September of last year when Brad Feld first wrote about the The Founders Visa Movement. I commented briefly on his blog and made a mental note to write a blog post. But it turns out I met a bunch of really interesting entrepreneurs. But TWTFelipe is an entrepreneur.

Technical Review 282

Technical Review Startup High Tech Software Review 282

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

My advice to entrepreneurs was and is “ when the hors d’oeuvres tray is being passed take two ” (e.g. So I agreed to offer my current thinking on the economy and what it portends for the VC industry & fund raising for entrepreneurs. Either won’t bode well for angels if they’re also hurting on non tech investments.

Entrepreneur 298

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 298