SoCal CTO

AUGUST 4, 2011

How are you funding this? What level of funding do you currently have? How will you be taking this to market? What are some good examples of similar sites? Examples of other brands/sites that are similar from a brand perspective? Often this ties to marketing support. Tell me about the business. Free-trials?

Develop 396

Develop Development Startup SEO 396

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 4, 2011

How are you funding this? What level of funding do you currently have? How will you be taking this to market? What are some good examples of similar sites? Examples of other brands/sites that are similar from a brand perspective? Often this ties to marketing support. Tell me about the business. Free-trials?

Develop 384

Develop Development Startup SEO 384

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2021

In startup business plans, a bubble is too many entrepreneurs and too many investors chasing the latest “next big thing,” like Google search engine, Facebook social network, or Amazon e-commerce site. In addition, they have less baggage, more creativity, and already understand the market segments with the most buying power.

Demand 145

Demand Google Commerce Pricing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Every investor expects to see some business traction, both before and after a funding event. If you have neither, and choose to approach an investor, you will get no attention, and probably never again get a shot at funding with that investor. Traction means forward progress. Show personal investment. Become a visible expert.

Funding 112

Funding Entrepreneur Startup CTO Hire 112

socalTECH

JULY 11, 2012

What does social networking have to do with the stock market? Vinny talked with us about his start, which allows users to discuss and collaborate on their stocks and finances in a social way. We wanted to tackle that problem, by using a social network. What's your background and how did you start the site?

Social Network 239

Social Network Startup Networking Content 239

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2013

Despite the huge surge of content specifically being developed for the web--and for sites like YouTube--making that content profitable and sustainable continues to be an issue for content creators. One of them, is unless you have a million dollar, celebrity campaign, you can hardly ever make the home page of those sites.

Content 231

Content Platform Sites Web 231

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2010

Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based startup Worlize (www.worlize.com) announced it had received a seed round of funding, and launched a firm to focus on social gaming and chat. The firm's CEO is Brian McKelvey , who we caught up with recently to learn more about his background, the firm, and the market it hopes to serve.

Social Network 239

Social Network JavaScript Startup Platform 239

socalTECH

MARCH 2, 2011

For this morning's interview, we talked with Westlake Village-based PurePhoto (www.purephoto.com), which is looking to help photographers market and sell their photographs. John Ellis: PurePhoto is a social commerce network, for buying, sharing, and selling original photographic art. Why did you decide to start your own company?

Westlake Village 164

Westlake Village Yahoo Commerce Social Network 164

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I challenge them to think beyond what I call linear extensions to a current trend, such as another “easier-to-use” app for smartphones, a new dating site for pets, or another niche social network. The difference relates to how you expect to get funding.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Examples 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2011

One of the hot new approaches I have seen around the country for assisting startups looking for funding has been “crowd-sourcing” sites ( Kickstarter ) or “crowd-pitching” events ( Funding Universe ). These are variations on a “crowd-funding” theme to raise money for a startup through social networks and voting at public events.

Funding 92

Funding Startup Social Media Sample 92

socalTECH

OCTOBER 18, 2012

We were not making a gambling site, but using those to prove your knowledge, using fantasy currency to show your confidence in your picks. We built a social network around that, with activity feeds and stuff like that, and which allows you to share activity through the leagues, Twitter, and Facebook. It's all completely fun.

Sites 237

Sites Startup Activity Ideas 237

socalTECH

AUGUST 10, 2009

Our interview this morning is with Babette Pepaj , CEO and founder of BakeSpace (www.bakespace.com), a local Los Angeles startup focused on social networking around food. We caught up with Babette to get the story behind the site, and how the site helped her escape from the world of reality television. What is BakeSpace?

Social Network 174

Social Network Startup Sites Networking 174

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from AngelSoft , only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Line up an experienced team.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

I just cover the companies that were funded that week. Also, some of the deals I write about I have actually seen as part of their fund raising process. This is the market that Wonga serves and they are killing it! Big market. Increasing this is also migrating to social network messaging but email is still king.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 10, 2013

In the early days (20 years ago), most new e-commerce sites cost a million dollars to set up. Personalize a simple web site. Publish the site and now you are in business. But don’t be fooled into expecting people to flock to your site after you tell a few friends. Then there are full-featured software sites like Facebook.

Sites 78

Sites Commerce Startup Tool 78

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

Our profile this morning is with Network Automation , a Los Angeles company competing in the IT automation market. Southern California--despite the lack of huge, name brand firms-- has a significant number of enterprise software companies, of which Network Automation is just one. You are self funded too, we recall.

Networking 214

Networking IBM IBM Pacific Palisades 214

socalTECH

JUNE 18, 2009

Our interview today is with Santa Monica-based OneCubicle (www.onecubicle.com), a new startup we ran across recently, which is looking to provide a more professional social networking site for younger people. Why did you decide to start yet another social networking site? It was Pop.com, back in 1999, 2000.

Social Network 100

Social Network Entertainment Startup CTO Coach 100

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 19, 2008

We seem to receive lots of pitches from companies looking to attack the mobile market with their mobile software applications, but few who have deployed on-deck with carriers. in funding from Venrock, Avalon, and Masthead. What exactly are your mobile social networking applications? Intercasting is backed by $17.5M

Social Network 113

Social Network Anthem Mobile Java 113

socalTECH

AUGUST 20, 2009

Last Week, Calabasas-based Masher Media announced it had received a round of angel funding from the Tech Coast Angels to fund its development of MyMiniPeeps (www.myminipeeps.com), a virtual world for children. They're looking for deeper social networking, and more of a gaming element on sites.

Media 150

Media Tech Coast Angels Social Network Content 150

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

In his quest to better connect with new friends, Alex Capecelatro had a problem: none of the existing social networking sites were really designed to connect people with who you didn't know, and might share your hobbies and interests. Alex Capecelatro: Hyphos is a social discovery platform. What is Hyphos?

UCLA 187

UCLA Culver City Startup Social Network 187

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2014

In the early days (20 years ago), most new e-commerce sites, for example, cost a million dollars to set up. Personalize a simple web site. Publish the site and now you are in business. But, don’t be fooled into expecting people to flock to your site after you tell a few friends. The cost of entry has never been lower.

Startup 100

Startup Commerce Sites Blogging 100

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Armed with a degree in Marketing and Business from University of Ulster in Northern Ireland and an Operations experience from Ireland, UAE and Egypt , Ciaran Connolly, 36 teamed up with Ernist Turdubaev 33, with a Master of Arts – Retail and Government Sector to launch ProfileTree. What is ProfileTree? We help them with this.

Advertising 79

Advertising Services Social Network Startup 79

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2011

In the early days (20 years ago), most new e-commerce sites cost a million dollars to set up. Personalize a simple web site. Publish the site and now you are in business. But don’t be fooled into expecting people to flock to your site after you tell a few friends. Then there are full-featured software sites like Facebook.

Commerce 99

Commerce Startup Sites Tool 99

socalTECH

OCTOBER 10, 2014

LinkedIn is one of the largest social networks, with 300 million users, and we fell that it has a higher quality user base. I go the idea when I was on LinkedIn, and noticed that some of my friends had been actually getting dates through the site. This is the first based off of LinkedIn. Why LinkedIn?

Networking 185

Networking Startup Ideas Mobile 185

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 8, 2010

In fact, for the research of this post I just noticed that they announced funding today – congrats. I think the product will comport to my view of most of these user-generated content sites where 1% of people are uber-users, 9% are occasional users and 90% are lurkers. I’m a big fan of social discovery.

Evite 240

Evite Tool Social Network Product 240

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 28, 2014

Fact: social media is among the top most powerful communication tools today. Pew Internet Project’s research on Social Networking reports that as of January 2014, 74% of online adults use social networking sites. Digital Insights reports in their 2014 Social Media statistics that Facebook has 1.01

Snapchat 82

Snapchat Social Media Social Network Media 82

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2021

Online dating sites usually fail because online dating usually fails. But make no mistake about it, this is a tough and oversaturated market to enter at this stage. This business suffers from what Paul Graham calls the ‘chicken and the egg problem‘ – no one wants to use a dating site with only a few users. Social networks.

Sites 134

Sites Social Network Competition Networking 134

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 4, 2008

We recently ran across TravBuddy.com (www.travbuddy.com), a Los Angeles area travel site which allows travelers to meet others, share travel reviews, photos, and more, and had thought it would be great to hear the story behind the site. For our readers who haven't used your site, what's it all about? He graduated from U.C.

Startup 100

Startup Sites Social Network Web 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2013

Market and opportunity risk. There is always less risk with a well-defined problem in a large and growing market. All the people in China is a large and growing market, but all the people with cancer is much more well-defined. Market entry strategy risk. Competitive risk. Political and economic risk. Operational risk.

Startup 104

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Social Network 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

In the early days (20 years ago), most new e-commerce sites cost a million dollars to set up. Personalize a simple web site. Publish the site and now you are in business. But don’t be fooled into expecting people to flock to your site after you tell a few friends. Then there are full-featured software sites like Facebook.

Commerce 88

Commerce Startup Sites Tool 88

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2012

Market and opportunity risk. There is always less risk with a well-defined problem in a large and growing market. All the people in China is a large and growing market, but all the people with cancer is much more well-defined. Market entry strategy risk. Competitive risk. Political and economic risk. Operational risk.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Examples Social Network Marketing 108

socalTECH

MAY 18, 2011

Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based MySocialNightLife.com (www.mysocialnightlife.com) announced a seed funding round, and its technology platform for the nightclub and bar industry. Where is the site now? Artin Nazarian: What we've pushed live as a beta, is the front-facing, social networking aspect of this.

Social Media 174

Social Media Seed Funding Startup Design 174

socalTECH

MARCH 24, 2010

Van Nuys-based Audiolife (www.audiolife.com), a new startup focused on providing e-commerce tools to musicians, recently raised $1M in angel funding. The store allows in-page transactions, and never redirects them to another site, keeping them captive and leveraging impulse buys. Talk a bit about your recent funding.

Van Nuys 191

Van Nuys Tech Coast Angels Startup Web 191

Steve Reich

MARCH 30, 2012

Three full time developers and no marketing spend. TripTrotting recruited thousands of local travel guides for their site. They did it entirely through social networking. inLife signed up dozens of merchants in Santa Barbara for their activity site. They are nearing 1mm registered users.

Incubator 91

Incubator Web Entrepreneur Santa Barbara 91

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Here is my list of top ten action items to best prepare you for success in achieving a funding event with Angels: Incorporate the business now. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.”

Angel 104

Angel Screening Summary Startup 104

socalTECH

OCTOBER 10, 2013

It''s a social network for world trade, kind of a combo between Alibaba and LinkedIn. In 2011, we built our site, and in 2012, last year, we started getting content. No knock on China, but with LA having the advertising agency we think we''ll be able to improve on the design side on our site. Tell us about your backers?

Southern California 170

Southern California Startup SoCal CTO Hire 170

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

We recently ran into Dialplus (www.dialplus.net), a company which is developing mobile applications which pull up social networking profiles from Facebook or other sites when you make a phone call to a friend. How are you funded and backed? Lisa LeVasseur: There's an alpha version for Windows Mobile on our web site today.

VentureNet 100

VentureNet Startup Mobile Technology Council 100