Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

There has long been a big debate about the best approach to starting a new business. Some argue the only way to start is to drop everything and jump in with both feet, while others recommend an overlapped approach to the lifestyle, including not quitting your day job until you have revenue and a proven business model.

Startup 128

Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction News 128

socalTECH

MAY 24, 2011

What is an entrepreneur? I learned that based on my selling statistics (which were good, but not great), every non-sale got me 1/15th of the way toward a sale. What does this have to do with being an entrepreneur? Here's the definition I came up with: if you walk and talk like an entrepreneur, you are one.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur CalTech Statistics Sales 157

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2021

Making the decision to start your own business is a major commitment, with huge implications for skills and lifestyle. These are not valid reasons to start a business. But if you're focused on solving a real problem, believe you can do it better than anyone else, and confident in wearing many hats, you have the right start-up mindset.

Entrepreneur 169

Entrepreneur Startup Statistics Guide 169

socalTECH

JUNE 18, 2013

A new, Santa Monica-based startup has created a new iTunes application, Draftpedia , aimed at providing a comprehensive source for NBA and NFL Draft history, player stats, and team rosters. The app--which is free--is the brainchild of David Rabie and Joe Sarafian, two Santa Monica entrepreneurs who were born and raised in Los Angeles.

Santa Monica 227

Santa Monica Santa Barbara Statistics Seed Funding 227

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 22, 2018

In an attempt to boost diversity and inclusion efforts and civic engagement between the growing technology industry in Los Angeles and the community that surrounds it, over 80 venture capitalists and entrepreneurs joined the city’s mayor, Eric Garcetti, and the non-profit Annenberg Foundation to announce PledgeLA.

Los Angeles 249

Los Angeles Angel Entrepreneur Orange County 249

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. There is no crowd of successful entrepreneurs. Successful startups are all about the right people with the right stuff. Financial model.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Berkonomics

JANUARY 7, 2021

It starts with sharing the opportunity and upside. Think of startups and early stage businesses whose entrepreneurs you know. Nearly none, if statistics and experience are key to the answer. One: The entrepreneur. First, there is the entrepreneur , the visionary, and force behind the venture from start to finish.

Startup 240

Startup Equity Statistics Entrepreneur 240

socalTECH

APRIL 4, 2013

The baseball community has really taken to it, because we''ve set it up how coaches already operate. How''d you start the company? They were very small shcools--he went to Cate, which is inland from Ventura in the Santa Barbara area, and I went to The Thacher School, and we both ended up at the University of Southern California.

Coach 252

Coach USC Statistics Startup 252

InfoChachkie

APRIL 9, 2012

These entrepreneurs do not risk everything, work outrageous hours and put themselves under extreme pressure because they want to. It is not rational to put oneself into the uncertain, stress-filled environment of a startup. Entrepreneurs want to matter. “It is difficult to see the picture when you are inside the frame.”.

Startup 243

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Statistics 243

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

In my role as advisor and mentor to many new entrepreneurs, I often find myself suggesting that they think bigger. We all are excited to hear real innovation, and struggle daily to increase every potential entrepreneur’s scope of thinking. For example, smart entrepreneurs look for recognizable patterns in disconnected domains.

Startup 162

Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

Berkonomics

MARCH 16, 2017

If you read last week’s analysis of statistics for startups and early stage businesses, you have learned the truth that at least half of the businesses backed by professional early stage investors will die within three years or less. None of this is to say that an inexperienced entrepreneur cannot lead a great new business.

Statistics 243

Statistics Ideas Entrepreneur Startup 243

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 29, 2011

The data consistently confirms that: (i) venture capitalists are typically not adventuresome, and (ii) most startups lack the three intoxicating factors which cause venture capitalists to pull out their checkbooks. This concentration is partly due to natural causes – successful startups spawn other successful startups.

Venture Capital 233

Venture Capital Capital Funding Technical Review 233

Berkonomics

APRIL 20, 2023

Well, the numbers don’t lie, even if there are several sources of these statistics. Starting a company is HARD – in so many ways. Let’s start with a restaurant -not our thing. But… I read several years ago that the average startup restaurant lasts only about a year. Restaurant startups would not top my list.

Statistics 156

Statistics Startup Study Invest 156

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Thus, financial projections for up to five years are a necessary element in every business plan. Forecast sales-volume expectations.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 147

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Upon graduation from Wharton, John and Kyle launched a startup based upon a simple, pedestrian product: a computer mouse shaped like the head of a golf driver. However, a number of them wanted to vicariously experience the startup world through John and Kyle''s venture. It''s gonna highlight our emotions, our ups and our downs.

Newsletter 133

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. Startups with no exit planned will minimize investor returns. Most entrepreneurs like the startup role, but not the big-company role. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy.

Entrepreneur 115

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 115

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

One of the biggest myths I have found in the entrepreneur community is that every startup needs one or more outside investors for credibility and success, and perhaps is even entitled to at least one. Searching LinkedIn, for example, is a must for contemporary entrepreneurs. But don’t wait for them to contact you.

Funding 173

Funding Tips Startup Statistics 173

Berkonomics

MAY 11, 2023

But the most important ones for any size business, including start-ups, is: Do you believe it should be the quality of your management team, or the plan you execute so brilliantly toward your success? Here’s a test: Several weeks ago, we published statistics of start-up and company failures.

Statistics 156

Statistics Startup Ideas Entrepreneur 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market research data. With social media and the new survey tools, it’s easy and fast to set up and run your own focus group, or opinion survey.

Marketing 157

Marketing Statistics Research Report 157

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 8, 2016

Much has changed in the past four months of the technology startup world and how outsiders value the business. That’s economics (or statistics) for asking whether price ratios of how investors value companies was simply coming back to historical norms. We entrepreneurs have been spinning that line for decades in every boom cycle.

Startup 150

Startup Pricing Venture Capital Statistics 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2020

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that half of startups fail within the first five years. So why do most startups fail?

Entrepreneur 121

Entrepreneur Startup Statistics Course 121

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2014

Many entrepreneurs are so enamored with their product vision that they believe their own hype, and are convinced that the market for their solution is so huge that no one will ask them for independent market-research data. With social media and the new survey tools, it’s easy and fast to set up and run your own focus group or opinion survey.

Marketing 97

Marketing Entrepreneur Statistics Research 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2013

Making the decision to become an entrepreneur is a major commitment, with huge implications for skills and lifestyle. Therefore, the least you can do is take advantage of some of the self-assessment tools and guides around, like “ The Entrepreneur Equation ,” by Carol Roth, which highlights personal characteristics and skills required.

Entrepreneur 114

Entrepreneur Startup Statistics Guide 114

socalTECH

MAY 1, 2013

From the annual search statistics from Google and Bing , it''s clearly information about celebrities. A Santa Monica startup, Famous Birthdays , looks to have carved out quite a niche in the area, with its online list of (you guessed it), famous birthdays. The design just went live in the last couple of weeks. READ MORE>>.

Web Design 182

Web Design Santa Monica Statistics Web 182

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. Startups with no exit planned will minimize investor returns. Most entrepreneurs like the startup role, but not the big-company role. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Equity Statistics 150

socalTECH

AUGUST 19, 2011

In our Insights and Opinions section this Friday morning, Frank Peters , angel investor and podcaster at the Frank Peters Show , shares his opinions on startups making Google their exit strategy: It's the exit strategy for too many entrepreneurs: "Google's a target exit partner." Meanwhile entrepreneurs dream. Continued.).

Google 157

Google Statistics Venture Capital Entrepreneur 157

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2014

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. For aspiring entrepreneurs, or if your last startup failed, it’s all about standing out above the crowd of others like you.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Slides 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2020

Contrary to popular opinion, viral marketing has not eliminated the need for old-fashioned lead generation to bring customers to a startup. His professional background includes having held marketing-executive roles at big companies as well as startups. Social-media advertising. Yet it is more alive than ever before. Cold calling.

Customer 146

Customer Custom Marketing Startup 146

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2015

Since the recession, and at least partially sparked by it, I’m seeing a real resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. The rate of new entrepreneurs increased about 10 percent, from 280 out of 100,000 adults in the 2014 Startup Activity Index, to 310 out of 100,000 adults in the 2015 Index.

Startup 108

Startup Social Media Entrepreneur Satisfaction 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2015

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. Thus, financial projections for up to five years are a necessary element in every business plan. Forecast sales-volume expectations.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Pricing Sales 102

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Can tapping the power of the crowd not only help you find customers and help fund your project, but also help you shape your startup idea and find funding? A new, Los Angeles area startup, JumpStartFund (www.jumpstartfund.com) recently launched, offering up a combination of crowdfunding and crowd-advice for entrepreneurial ideas.

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2014

I talk to many people who have spent years struggling up the corporate ladder who dream of jumping ship and becoming an entrepreneur. I hasten to tell them that every job move is fraught with risk, but the move from employee to entrepreneur is on the high end of the risk curve. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Startup 108

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Mentor 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2015

The visibility of Google, Facebook and a few others continues to propagate the myth that the ultimate objective of every entrepreneur should be to take their startups public via an initial public offering at the earliest opportunity. Facebook, for example, ended up raising almost $16 billion through its IPO.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Report Statistics 98

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2014

Bitvore is based in Irvine, and is backed by serial entrepreneur Yuri Pikover, as well as other angels. Our system will go off and watch those things for you, trend them over time, do statistical analysis on them, or you can use it as a very advanced news gathering system, which is what we''re doing with it today for Wall Street.

Orange County 245

Orange County Startup News IBM 245

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2014

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that most startups fail within the first five years. So why do most startups fail?

Startup 110

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Course 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2015

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). Thus investing in startups should always be approached as a low odds game.

Startup 106

Startup Angel .Net Entrepreneur 106

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Every new venture that survives the first five years starts to drift away from their entrepreneurial thinking, and assumes they have achieved the path to longevity. No company can afford to lose the agility, flexibility, and innovation of a startup. No company can afford to lose the agility, flexibility, and innovation of a startup.

Startup 128

Startup Company Companies Statistics 128