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

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2019

During the holiday season, our tradition over the last few years has been to post reflections on the past year and some predictions for 2019 from Southern California's technology industry. We continue to have a steady stream of industry and thought leaders raising their hands to be mentors for our upcoming cohorts.

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 157

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Startup 135

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review 135

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Most of us have blind spots in our ability to build a business, due to lack of experience, too much ego, over-confidence, or unjustified faith in a subordinate. It’s fair to start with what people think they know, as long as you use that to zero in on corroborating evidence and real examples.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Activity Mentor Entrepreneur 127

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

The core of the investing job of course is investing dollars into startup companies and helping as a mentor, advisor and board member on the companies in which you’ve invested. For example, we’re now already well into our third growth fund that we started in 2015 (the first returned 2x cash in 3.5 So What Does All This Mean?

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

Many entrepreneurs I have mentored make big mistakes in this area, by hiring low-cost friends and family, with minimal skills or training, and expecting them to have the same work ethic , passion, and business knowledge as the founder. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced. with experience.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2022

Yet I find, as a mentor and outside consultant, that many of you focus only on working conditions and compensation as the key factors determining team engagement , health, and productivity. I will summarize these here, with my insights, for your review and implementation: Physical health. Intellectual stimulation.

Technical Review 141

Technical Review Mentor Social Media Customer 141

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to a recent Forbes article , UC Santa Barbara''s Technology Management Program offers students a superior startup education over the University of Pennsylvania (home of Wharton), as well Harvard, Northwestern and even its acclaimed southern neighbor, the University of Southern California. The TMP is an example of lean academia.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

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. What are the biggest areas of technical risk? What technology research is required? What technologies will we use? What specific technical innovations might make sense?

CTO Coach 231

CTO Coach CTO Hire Outsource Development Develop 231

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

You can review all the specifics of this approach in the classic book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “ Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation ,” but I will net it out here. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

In my role as mentor and advisor to many founders, I consistently fail in convincing them of the power in wise delegation. Even if you can learn and do everything, time is a killer in this rapidly evolving world of business and technology. You need to divide and conquer. Not trusting key team members to get required results.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 96

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

We thought today for our interview, that we'd get an update on the angel investment environment here in Southern California from Scott Sangster , the incoming President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Tech Coast Angels , the biggest angel investment group in Southern California. Those are fundamentals that don't change.

Tech Coast Angels 182

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 182

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Consistently review and respond to relevant online feedback. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2022

One of the attributes that I often recommend to the business professionals and entrepreneurs I mentor is to always be totally accountable for your actions and ideas. Generously give credit to others where credit is due. Be available for mentoring and coaching to others. Lack of accountability can permeate an entire organization.

Activity 109

Activity Organization Mentor Training 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

For example, it has long been widely accepted that one of the primary causes for entrepreneur failure in new startups is that many give up too soon. Inside the organization, it also pays to offer some of your time for coaching and mentoring to less experienced team members, as an entrée to a supportive relationship.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2015

Great technology leads to innovative solutions that are possible, but not necessarily great businesses. For example, hydrogen-fueled engines were invented over a century ago, with a continuing promise of breathing air and exhaling pure water vapor and having over 200 companies active in the hydrogen sector today.

Technical Review 54

Technical Review Product Activity Technology 54

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2019

Here I often find that you need to seek and work with a co-founder who can complement your technical skills with financial and marketing to start the business. For example, I knew Bill Gates back in the early startup days of Microsoft. Lead and mentor team members to run all business areas. The team must handle daily tasks.

Company 99

Company Companies Technical Review Startup 99

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2015

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. For one-on-one coaching from the startup founder, I call this approach five-minute mentoring.

Product 99

Product Mentor Startup Technical Review 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

For example, even though Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook as an innovative product, most experts believe it was successful due to his relationship with Peter Thiel and other top VCs that he convinced to invest early. They mentor each other, and seek out experts in domains outside their current expertise and experience.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2016

While the epicenter of tech innovation is undeniably Silicon Valley, a tide of new hubs emerging across the globe are gaining recognition. The “ real gold ” of Silicon Valley reportedly lies in its mentors. SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia has great tech talent, but restrictive government regulations. PanTrek connects U.S.

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Startup Incubator Media 40

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

To learn more about how women are looking to change the investment climate--and get involved in investing themselves--we caught up with one of the Pipeline Fellowship''s local mentors, the CEO of Beyond Capital Fund (www.beyondcapitalfund.org), Eva Helene Yazhari , who is here in Los Angeles. What is the Pipeline Fellowship?

Angel 276

Angel Invest Mentor Technical Review 276

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2018

For example, according to recent research from Bain & Company , Apple, Netflix, Google, and Dell employees are 40 percent more productive than the average, even though they are no smarter or more experienced. He ignored my advice and ultimately lost several key executives, and then his own health, due to stress and workload.

Technical Review 51

Technical Review Startup Training Netflix 51

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Based on my recent experience as an angel investor, and advisor to new business owners, I now recommend that all entrepreneurs, especially introverts, learn and practice the discipline they need to build and nurture relationships with key constituents through the following activities: Formalize a mentoring relationship with someone you trust.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Startup 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

For example, I grew up in IBM when Bill Gates was helping us deliver the first IBM PC. We slowly realized that Microsoft’s value went far beyond his technical contributions, due to his connections with key software developers and relationships with hardware manufacturers who could make the PC revolution universal.

IBM 87

IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2018

As the rate of change continues to increase in business and technology, the more I’m convinced that marketing is the primary key to success for a new venture. Yet I find that many technical founders don’t feel they need it at all, or at best point to one person on the team who is marketing.

Marketing 71

Marketing Tips Technical Review Social Media 71

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked for the magic that has made Amazon the world's most valuable brand , from a total unknown only twenty years ago. My simple answer is that they keep their focus on customers, rather than technology. Jeff Bezos has kept his focus on customers. The cost of being late is hard to recover.

Marketing 123

Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

The tech market is filled with many stories of early-stage funding. The science of finding recoveries is based on computer-based algorithms that flag high-potential errors and trained technicians that then review these claims. It’s even more exciting when you can report an exit of a company that is a major win.

GRP Partners 285

GRP Partners Technical Review Truecar Invest 285

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2019

For example, like me, you may be an aggressive, logical, and “get things done” type of person, who created a new product, but is easily frustrated by others around you who are committed, but tend to make decisions slowly, or rely more on emotions than the facts in any situation. Your challenge is to adapt to them.

Tips 97

Tips Technical Review Examples Coach 97

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

chapter of the Media, Entertainment and Technology Alliance (METal) and the voice of KenRadio's World Technology Roundup on CBS Radio, Rutkowski has recruited a roster of mentors to coach entrepreneurs who enroll in the institute's programs in LA. What role do the mentors play? The mentors at the L.A.

Mentor 185

Mentor Class Entertainment Technical Review 185

socalTECH

APRIL 13, 2021

The Startup Garage is an incubator which gives preference to USC teams, or startups that are USC affiliated in some way, for example, alumni-led. We don't have the resources to do typical diligence and assessment, so we just piggyback on other deals. It's not entirely exclusive, however.

Marina Del Rey 150

Marina Del Rey Startup USC Incubator 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

You can review all the specifics of this approach in the classic book by Nathan Furr and Paul Ahlstrom, appropriately titled “ Nail It then Scale It: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation ,” but I will net it out here. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2015

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Mentor 105

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Satisfaction 105

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

MARCH 28, 2014

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Mentor Technical Review Satisfaction 102

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 13, 2013

The nuts and bolts of our tech company is that CMS in the middle, the connection engine. When I went full-time, I did not have the full-time support on the tech side I wanted. So, I have no tech support right now. Which I have shown to do, but anybody who invests in tech, invests in team. It’s a huge challenge for me.

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Mobile Startup Los Angeles 87

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Satisfaction 53

Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53