Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2023

As an advisor to entrepreneurs and active angel investor, I often get questions about the realism of the Shark Tank TV series, compared to professional investor negotiations. Yet the process is eerily realistic, and every entrepreneur can glean some important lessons. There is no substitute for knowing your business.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Sample Ideas Customer 111

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2023

If you sold your last startup for $800 million, you probably already know how to build a business, and even conservative investors won’t worry about the quality of your next business plan. There really is no excuse these days, with samples on the Internet, business-plan books in every bookstore, and dozens of apps to automate the process.

Startup 102

Startup Writing Mentor Sample 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Most of the time, I’m all about providing encouragement and inspiration to entrepreneurs. They need it and they deserve it, because entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our economy. Here is a sampling of ten themes from the book that I think are just as relevant today as they were then: The reality of starting.

Entrepreneur 174

Entrepreneur Sample Guide Ideas 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. You need all these before you start looking for funding. The company name becomes your intellectual property at the moment you incorporate your startup as an LLC or a Corporation. Here are the key elements: Company name. Trademarks.

Startup 145

Startup Patents IP Social Media 145

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2014

In my Twitter bio is says that I’m “ looking to invest in passionate entrepreneurs ,” which almost sounds like I was just looking for a cliché soundbite to describe myself. Passion is also the featured heavily in nearly every presentation I give to entrepreneurs or on college campuses or in talks with MBA students.

Startup 419

Startup Entrepreneur Design Funding 419

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2020

The way to start is with a sample financial model, available from many sources on the Internet, such as over 200 downloadable free from the Corporate Finance Institute website. For maximum value with the least effort, focus on only the “what ifs” that are the highest priority in your mind for your own startup. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 123

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 123

TechCrunch LA

MAY 14, 2020

Ettitude , the Los Angeles-based, direct-to-consumer startup making sustainable bedding and sleepwear from bamboo fibers, has raised a sustainably sized round that should keep the company going even in the face of an economic recession. “Phoebe sent me a sample and I had the best night of sleep in my life,” Dey said.

Sample 184

Sample Startup Los Angeles Sales 184

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2013

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. In fact, most of the rich entrepreneurs you know actively turned away early equity proposals. Need to spread the risk.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 100

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Some really great stuff in 2010 that aims to help startups around product, technology, business models, etc. 500 Hats , February 1, 2010 When to Use Facebook Connect – Twitter Oauth – Google Friend Connect for Authentication? 500 Hats , February 1, 2010 When to Use Facebook Connect – Twitter Oauth – Google Friend Connect for Authentication?

Startup 378

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Coach 378

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). Yet I can assure you that people who are paranoid, or want to avoid all risks, won’t be happy as entrepreneurs, so it’s all about balancing the risk-reward scale.

Ideas 159

Ideas Tips Technical Review Patents 159

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2021

I’m always looking for evidence of early startup characteristics that might be predictors of long-term success. Every investor has his own list, usually based on his own very small sample, or simply his gut feeling. Of course, we would all like to have a magic list based on more definitive tracking of many real startups over time.

Startup 170

Startup Study Journal Sample 170

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2020

As a startup advisor and investor, I’ve met many aspiring entrepreneurs, and I often get asked the question, “I have a great idea for a startup – do you agree that it real potential?” If we build it, they will come” is not a viable startup strategy. A startup is no place for the Lone Ranger.

Startup 127

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Sample 127

socalTECH

OCTOBER 7, 2019

Our video interview today is with Michael McCrary, CEO and founder of PureSpectrum , a Westlake Village-based startup in the survey and sampling industry. Michael tells us about how he founded the company, and gives some hints and tips on entrepreneurship. READ MORE>>.

Westlake Village 113

Westlake Village Sample Tips Startup 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2019

Every startup founder knows implicitly that startup success is a long hard road. Based on a small sample of household names from Bill Gates to Mark Zuckerberg, he is an optimist. Google - Larry Page and Sergey Brin started working on Google in 1996 – but three years later in 1999, few people had even heard of it yet.

Startup 111

Startup Yahoo IBM IBM 111

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. Fortunately, the Startup of the Year program aims to make it easier for founders to connect with resources. The barriers to entry when it comes to launching a company require less tension and a lot less capital. The Case Foundation (Washington, DC).

Startup 137

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 137

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 3, 2022

On Lafayette Street in SoHo, young, fashionable women lined up around the block to enter a minimalist, millennial oasis, the most perfect Instagram feed brought to life. After all, Glossier’s founder and CEO Emily Weiss is very, very far from the first entrepreneur to profit off of our desire to look good. And who cares?

Startup 280

Startup Netflix Los Angeles Innocal 280

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, I’ve met many aspiring entrepreneurs, and I often get asked the question, “I have a great idea for a startup – do you agree that it real potential?” If we build it, they will come” is not a viable startup strategy. A startup is no place for the Lone Ranger.

Entrepreneur 67

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Sample 67

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2021

If you sold your last startup for $800 million, you probably already know how to build a business, and even conservative investors won’t worry about the quality of your next business plan. There really is no excuse these days, with samples on the Internet, business-plan books in every bookstore, and dozens of apps to automate the process.

Sample 137

Sample Writing Mentor Content 137

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 27, 2010

This is part of my ongoing series with Startup Advice. BEFORE YOU START. Example: Work Experience can be broken down into: has managed a team, has led direct sales efforts, has worked for a startup before, etc. Create a process - Create a process that you’ll use to recuit people before you start.

Startup 301

Startup Examples Sales Pricing 301

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2014

Startups that sell innovative new products seem to get all the attention these days, but services may be the quicker way to larger profits and faster growth. The authors outlined the multitude of services that every company should consider offering, whether they be startups or more mature organizations. Everybody wins.

Services 101

Services Startup Outsource Technical Support 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 28, 2015

The way to start is with a sample financial model, freely available from many sources on the Internet, such as this one from Entrepreneur. Another alternative is to build one yourself, starting with a few formulas to extrapolate early revenues and expenses into the five-year projections normally requested by banks and investors.

Startup 103

Startup Pricing Sample Customer 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2021

Every startup founder knows implicitly that startup success is a long hard road. Based on a small sample of household names from Bill Gates to Mark Zuckerberg, he is an optimist. Google - Larry Page and Sergey Brin started working on Google in 1996 – but three years later in 1999, few people had even heard of it yet.

Yahoo 127

Yahoo IBM IBM Startup 127

Tech Coast Venture Network

JUNE 16, 2016

Graham calls it “doing things that don’t scale” because part of the definition of a startup is having a scalable technology. Playing Startup. Doing a startup is relatively popular. You know it is when universities start offering “entrepreneurship” programs. Every startup needs to get users. So what has changed?

Startup 100

Startup Sample Design Services 100

Tech Coast Venture Network

JUNE 16, 2016

Graham calls it “doing things that don’t scale” because part of the definition of a startup is having a scalable technology. Playing Startup. Doing a startup is relatively popular. You know it is when universities start offering “entrepreneurship” programs. Every startup needs to get users. So what has changed?

Startup 100

Startup Sample Design Services 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2015

As an advisor to entrepreneurs and active angel investor, I often get questions about the realism of the Shark Tank TV series, compared to professional investor negotiations. Yet the process is eerily realistic, and every entrepreneur can glean some important lessons. There is no substitute for knowing your business.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Sample Ideas Customer 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2015

If you sold your last startup for $800 million, you probably already know how to build a business, and even conservative investors won’t worry about the quality of your next business plan. There really is no excuse these days, with samples on the Internet, business-plan books in every bookstore, and dozens of apps to automate the process.

Startup 109

Startup Writing Mentor Sample 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2013

I’m always looking for evidence of early startup characteristics that might be predictors of long-term success. Every investor has his own list, usually based on his own very small sample, or simply his gut feeling. Of course, we would all like to have a magic list based on more definitive tracking of many real startups over time.

Startup 102

Startup Study Journal Sample 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). Yet I can assure you that people who are paranoid, or want to avoid all risks, won’t be happy as entrepreneurs, so it’s all about balancing the risk-reward scale.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Ideas Sample 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

Entrepreneurs are a notoriously stubborn (some say confident) group of people, so I see many of them making the same mistakes that predecessors have made. All the quotes come from entrepreneurs who have built and sold at least one $100 million company. You can play a role. Working with others, giving people credit. Give and take.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Zag Startup Sample 101

socalTECH

JULY 23, 2012

There's been a surge in startup accelerator activity in Los Angeles in the last year, as interest in starting a company in the region has grown, and a wide range of experienced entrepreneurs and investors have pitched in to help companies get to the next level. Of that, $97.47

Los Angeles 234

Los Angeles Angel Report Startup 234

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

If you are new to the entrepreneurial world of startups, you are likely confused by the terminology of seed-stage, lean startups, micro-VCs, and Super Angels. The good news is that he is all about helping early-stage startups. The hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play. Early-stage startup.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Seed Funding Incubator 101

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2013

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. You need all these before you start looking for funding. The company name becomes your intellectual property at the moment you incorporate your startup as an LLC or a Corporation. Patent attorney fees start at around $5K. Trademarks.

Startup 103

Startup Patents IP Social Media 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2013

Every startup founder knows implicitly that startup success is a long hard road. Based on a small sample of household names from Bill Gates to Mark Zuckerberg, he is an optimist. Google - Larry Page and Sergey Brin started working on Google in 1996 – but three years later in 1999, few people had even heard of it yet.

Startup 118

Startup Yahoo IBM IBM 118

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. In fact, most of the rich entrepreneurs you know actively turned away early equity proposals. Need to spread the risk.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Equity 102

socalTECH

JUNE 18, 2013

However, a new startup, SlimSurveys --created by the same team behind TweetPhoto--thinks it has a better way. The startup, headed by Sean Callahan, says its new service lets users create quick, 7-question surveys which can be answered on a desktop, mobile, or on a user''s website. slimsurvey tweetphoto startup survey sampling plixi'

Develop 154

Develop Development Sample San Diego 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2020

As an aspiring entrepreneur, one of the most important things you need is a memorable “ elevator pitch ,” to communicate your startup value proposition and leave a great first impression on friends, investors, employees, and future customers. Save your best “grabber” for the ending big close. Always solicit specifics for this session.

Sample 127

Sample Summary Startup Slides 127

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

The universal challenge of every startup founder is to get everything done that needs to get done, and still have a life. These steps are not aimed specifically at entrepreneurs, but I see how they can be applied there as follows: Do what you know and enjoy. Figure out what’s really important to you as an entrepreneur.

Help 100

Help Entrepreneur Sample Organization 100