Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2022

I urge you to force yourself to be a regular new learner, by tackling new problems, listening to expert mentors, and finding time for leadership books. Don’t be afraid to ask peers and friends for feedback and progress reports. Soon they find themselves more confident in building and leading a team in their own business or career.

Startup 114

Startup Mentor Conference Networking 114

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2013

To be fair (and as other accelerators in town are eager to point out), Launchpad LA has had a head start, with a number of companies which joined the accelerator before it was an accelerator, and was a mentoring group for a mix of both funded and non-funded companies.

Southern California 222

Southern California Incubator Report Startup 222

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2019

For example, in one assignment my desk was near another professional, and I could not help but overhear this person on the phone discussing personal business most of the time, despite the fact that he always complained of being overworked, and missed most of his project deadlines. Hire and mentor people who show engagement in prior roles.

Mentor 97

Mentor Examples Report Training 97

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. For example, I believe Bill Gates would have failed without his partners Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2020

In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). They mentor protégés on talent spotting, creativity, and motivation as well as strategy. Good connections and team building are the keys to success. Take chances on unconventional talent.

Oracle 124

Oracle Organization Examples Coach 124

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2014

For example, Lookout is a mobile security company that was founded by three talented graduates of USC. That’s our great gain as Snapchat has also raised a lot of money at a monster valuation ($10 billion reported) and has been scooping up talented Stanford engineers and relocating them to LA. Local mentors matter.

Company 369

Company Companies Startup Snapchat 369

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2023

For example, quite a while back I found some great guidance to the how, why, and who of accountability in the “ QBQ Workbook ,” by John G. If you find yourself buried in work, with no time off, and feeling indispensable, it may be time to ask direct reports to call you out on delegation. Miller and Kristin E.

Startup 96

Startup Resource Training Tool 96

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

To give visibility to these companies to: Sources of funding (angels / VCs), business development partners, mentors who have themselves built successful companies, the press and potential employees to hire. Report Card. One senior mentor to Launchpad LA recently said, “I got more out of Launchpad LA than I even put in.

Venture Capital 287

Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2018

One of the lessons I have learned over the years as a business executive, and now as a mentor to entrepreneurs, is that if you really want employees who enthusiastically take ownership of their work, you have to start treating them like owners, not renters. They show up every day, keep a low profile, and collect a paycheck.

Mentor 72

Mentor Coach Startup Activity 72

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2022

For example, non-computer types should consider delegating their social media, website, and SEO activities. It will inspire loyalty, provide real satisfaction for work done, and become the basis for mentoring and performance reviews. Delegate what you can’t do, and what doesn’t interest you. Pick the best person to delegate to.

Startup 121

Startup SEO Social Media Satisfaction 121

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2019

For example, I’m a problem solver by nature, and have worked in several support organizations, but I get bored when all the answers are already known. I loved it when my boss gave me the additional responsibility of mentoring others in solving tough problems. Many companies also promote local mentoring and coaching opportunities.

Tips 96

Tips Satisfaction Training Mentor 96

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2021

Recent articles report that companies where everyone is focused on the big picture can increase their returns by up to 400 percent. As an example, customer-centric may mean interacting on social media, or actively taking the customer's position in a dispute, rather than the company position.

Coach 174

Coach Activity Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2022

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. Everyday devices, like Internet soda vending , have an embedded computer allowing full remote reporting and control. I wish it was that easy. Mobile Computing.

Technology 133

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2018

I will paraphrase here the steps she recommends, using my own experience as a business advisor to set the context and examples: The advisor needs to know that you might need help. The best way to do this in business is to proactively ask someone to be your mentor. No advisor or mentor is a mind reader, and most don’t want to impose.

Mentor 53

Mentor Examples Help Satisfaction 53

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2020

For example, quite a while back I found some great guidance to the how, why, and who of accountability in the “ QBQ Workbook ,” by John G. If you find yourself buried in work, with no time off, and feeling indispensable, it may be time to ask direct reports to call you out on delegation. Miller and Kristin E.

Startup 147

Startup Resource Training Tool 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

But there are notable examples of for-profit incubators that are thriving, including YCombinator , led by Paul Graham in Silicon Valley, and TechStars , led by David Cohen and located in several key cities around the country, that have an excellent reputation and track record. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

Organization 92

Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

For example , when Yvon Chouinard founded Patagonia , a successful outdoor products company, his real goal was building safe products to help the environment. Assess who you can get for value and mentoring. He also still gets excited to donate one percent of sales to environmental groups around the world.

Startup 94

Startup Ideas Metrics Entrepreneur 94

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

But there are notable examples of for-profit incubators that are thriving, including YCombinator , led by Paul Graham in Silicon Valley, and TechStars , led by David Cohen and located in several key cities around the country, that have an excellent reputation and track record. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Tech.Co

JANUARY 10, 2018

In the Harvard Business Review Female Economy 2009 report, women purchasing power was predicted to control about $28 trillion in annual global consumer spending, if not more. For example, the company’s hashtag is #freetheV. By example,] if you sell men’s body wash or razors, you’re probably still selling to a female customer.

Tips 70

Tips Customer Custom Dollar Shave Club 70

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

These online interactions must be complemented by comparable offline activities, such as participation in industry conferences, mentoring, and publishing print articles to solidify and expand your reputation. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring negative comments or reviews, hoping they will go away, or someone else will come to your defense.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2015

As an advisor and mentor to startups, I try to make sure entrepreneurs understand both the pros and cons of an IPO as an exit strategy. Facebook, for example, ended up raising almost $16 billion through its IPO. Extensive government reporting and compliance rules. Doubling or more of overhead expenses.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Report Statistics 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2019

For example, non-computer types should consider delegating their social media, website, and SEO activities. It will inspire loyalty, provide real satisfaction for work done, and become the basis for mentoring and performance reviews. Delegate what you can’t do, and what doesn’t interest you. Pick the best person to delegate to.

Startup 96

Startup SEO Social Media Satisfaction 96

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

For example, I found some great guidance to the how, why, and who of accountability in the “ QBQ Workbook ,” by John G. If you find yourself buried in work, with no time off, and feeling indispensable, it may be time to ask direct reports to call you out on delegation. Miller and Kristin E. Provide the tools, but trust the people.

Startup 96

Startup Resource Training Tool 96

SoCal CTO

JULY 23, 2012

For example it includes the following kinds of things that a CTO should be addressing, but that may not be part of the expectation, time allocation, etc. Learning, Networking, Mentors From the question, this person is clearly looking at the issue of how to grow into this role. What other kinds of systems will we likely need?

CTO Coach 231

CTO Coach CTO Hire Outsource Development Develop 231

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Unfortunately, too many of the technical entrepreneurs I mentor and advise are focused on their technology, and assume that the value will be self-evident to customers. Tech may be the tool, but hospitality – making life a little easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable for your customer, is the winning focus.

Technical Advisors 82

Technical Advisors Artificial Inteligence Customer Custom 82

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Visit the university library for access to otherwise costly business reports. Other project and research reports in their library are a rich source of new ideas, if you are still looking for a place to start. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Access to intellectual property and current research.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. Everyday devices, like Internet soda vending , have an embedded computer allowing full remote reporting and control. I wish it was that easy. Mobile Computing.

Technology 86

Technology Cloud Computing Social Media Networking 86

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

In case you don’t understand the urgency, just be aware that according to a recent Forrester report , nearly 95 percent of your competitors are saying that providing a good customer experience is their top strategic priority. Promote by example a superior customer experience mindset. Provide coaching and mentoring as well as training.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

It’s even more exciting when you can report an exit of a company that is a major win. My partner & mentor Yves Sisteron ( You can get to know Yves in this YouTube video ) has been active at HDI for years (as has our CFO, Dana Kibler ). The tech market is filled with many stories of early-stage funding.

GRP Partners 285

GRP Partners Technical Review Truecar Invest 285

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2013

Most surprisingly, according to a report from the Kauffman Foundation , the highest rate of entrepreneurship in America shifted about three years ago to the 55–64 age group, with people over 55 almost twice as likely to found successful companies than those between 20 and 34. They know how to arbitrate immature tantrums, and lead by example.

Startup 98

Startup Mentor Demand High Tech 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2016

For example, I found some great guidance to the how, why, and who of accountability in the newly released “ QBQ Workbook ,” by John G. If you find yourself buried in work, with no time off, and feeling indispensable, it may be time to ask direct reports to call you out on delegation. Miller and Kristin E.

Startup 99

Startup Resource Training Tool 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 20, 2011

Most surprisingly, according to a report from the Kauffman Foundation , the highest rate of entrepreneurship in America has already shifted to the 55–64 age group, with people over 55 almost twice as likely to found successful companies than those between 20 and 34. They know how to arbitrate immature tantrums, and lead by example.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Mentor Demand High Tech 107

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2016

In my opinion, great examples in today’s entrepreneur world include Elon Musk (Tesla), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), and Richard Branson (Virgin Group). They mentor protégés on talent spotting, creativity, and motivation as well as strategy. Good connections and team building are the keys to success. Take chances on unconventional talent.

Oracle 53

Oracle Organization Entrepreneur Examples 53

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

As an example, I was just reading a plan for a new dating app with a tagline of moving users quickly from the virtual world into the real world of offline dating. She offers seven ways that business owners can identify and evolve with future trends, which I agree with and amplify here: Take advantage of industry research and trend reports.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Technical Review Software Review 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2015

For example, non-computer types should consider delegating their social media, website, and SEO activities. It will inspire loyalty, provide real satisfaction for work done, and become the basis for mentoring and performance reviews. Delegate what you can’t do, and what doesn’t interest you. Pick the best person to delegate to.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup SEO Social Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2015

A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. Everyday devices, like Internet soda vending , have an embedded computer allowing full remote reporting and control. I wish it was that easy. Mobile Computing.

Startup 107

Startup Cloud Computing Social Media Entrepreneur 107

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2017

In my role as a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often recommend attacking bad habits and efforts to improve using the six basic strategies outlined by the authors. Be honest with yourself about small habits you have which may irritate your direct reports, coworkers, or customers. For example, smokers looking for stress relief or relaxation.

Writing 84

Writing Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 84