Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2016

During the Q&A I was asked about how I make investment decisions in early-stage businesses. I know that sounds trite but it’s the best way I can describe my early-stage investments. If I don’t do both then it’s highly unlikely I will invest. But I have a strong preference for: Non obvious ideas. I fall in love.”

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TechCrunch LA

JULY 29, 2020

After raising $15 million in financing from one of technology’s most successful global investment firms, the Los Angeles-based consumer goods rental company Joymode is selling itself to an early-stage retail investment firm out of New York, XRC Labs. “We got to iterate through every possible idea we had.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 14, 2023

Investors don’t invest in services startups. Here are some pragmatic tips on how to make your startup more scalable and investable: If you need investors, start with a scalable idea. Just because all your buddies think an idea is cool, that doesn’t mean it is scalable. These are more likely scalable and investable.

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Berkonomics

OCTOBER 10, 2024

Professional investors love to see companies where the first round of financing came from the entrepreneur, showing “skin in the game” and more motivation to succeed because of money invested as well as time and creativity. A much more rational approach to starting up.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2020

Savvy entrepreneurs start testing their ideas on potential customers even before the concept is fully cooked. They have enough confidence in their ability to deliver that they don’t worry about someone stealing the idea to get there first, and they don’t forget to listen carefully to critical feedback.

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Ideas Tips Marketing Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2023

It’s still considered high risk for investment, since manufacturing and quality issues are likely. Funding for commercial product prototypes is still R&D in the eyes of venture capital investors, but in business areas with large opportunities, this activity will catch the eyes of specialized angel investors.

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Resource Ideas Funding Research 102

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

A popular approach for aspiring entrepreneurs these days seems to be to corner anyone who will listen, with a pitch on their current “million dollar idea.” In my opinion, ideas are a commodity, and are really not worth much, outside the context of a visionary leader who can execute. Positive inspirational communication.

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Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Resource 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

In fact, most investors “require” that you already have some investment from friends and family before they will even step up to the plate. You see, investors invest in people, before they invest in ideas or products. If they won’t do it, they why would I as stranger invest in you? Be passionate about the idea.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I started in 2007 with a thesis that my primary investment decision would be about the team (70%) and only afterward about the market opportunity (30%). But they are also a tax on your time with portfolio companies, looking for new investments, running your shop and honestly they are a tax on your family life.

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socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2020

Carey tells us a bit about what OC4 is doing, how it invests and works with companies, and also gives startups some advice about how to approach moving forward in light of the pandemic. Carey Ransom: The way I think about it, is it is really the culmination of almost two decades of software and technology company building and investing.

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Berkonomics

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Do they bet on the entrepreneur (jockey) or the business idea and plan (the horse)? A more complex answer My answer always varies as I examine each deal, sometimes deferring and passing on an investment because of an uneasy feeling about the entrepreneur, even if the business plan seems able to capture the market.

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Venture Capital Entrepreneur Ideas Summary 156

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 2, 2016

Bam Venture Partners has started raising a second $30 million fund which it will use, in part, to invest in and incubate startup ideas thought of by Brian Lee, co-founder of the fund and chief executive of the Honest Co. of Playa Vista.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2021

If you want people to invest in your idea, then my best advice is first write a business plan, and keep it simple. The one-page Oprah plan is a good executive summary, but it’s not enough to get the investment. Don't confuse your business plan with a doctoral thesis or the back of a napkin. Polish the overall look and feel.

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

But as sweet as that success has been (we invested pre-revenue in a small team) today my even more important news was the further expansion of our partner ranks. The idea immediately resonated. At Upfront Ventures it means that he will have full investment authority no different than any other partner including me.

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socalTECH

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

You can read the full article at The Cryptic VC's Guide to Saying "No" On Investments in our Insights and Opinions section. VCs say a lot of cryptic stuff when we pass on an investment � partially because it make us appear smart, but mostly because we simply don't want to be a s.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2015

A popular approach for aspiring entrepreneurs these days seems to be to corner anyone who will listen, with a pitch on their current “million dollar idea.” In my opinion, ideas are a commodity, and are really not worth much, outside the context of a visionary leader who can execute. Elon Musk execution idea startup'

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Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Resource 115

Xconomy

AUGUST 30, 2017

Think of a group of people developing a new idea, all doing what they are good at. This image from biology translates perfectly into what many people like to call an innovation ecosystem.

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Ideas Invest Customer Custom 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. First of all, it’s more of an investment in people than in a business, since the startup is usually an idea barely half-baked when they need your money. Join an existing angel investor group.

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Invest Entrepreneur Startup Equity 89

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2018

In my experience, consummate entrepreneurs tend come up with more startup ideas than they can ever implement, and some of the ideas may not even make business sense. But how does any entrepreneur know which ideas to implement, and which ones are best left behind? Separate nice-to-have ideas from ones solving painful problems.

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Ideas Technical Review Patents Startup 83

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2019

This morning's interview is with Kevin O'Connor , a longtime investor and serial entrepreneur, who is now running venture capital investment firm ScOp Venture Capital. Just this past September was a year with Amazon, when I left, and we started investing in September under the new name, ScOp Venture Capital.

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Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

InfoChachkie

MAY 7, 2012

Ideas are infinite, and in the absence of competent execution, they are worth nothing. Thus, if both ideas and money are abundant, what is the scarce constraint in the fundraising equation? Skilled entrepreneurs bring ideas and money together by building a bridge of trust. The same precept holds true today.

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Ideas Venture Capital Education Entrepreneur 251

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

In my experience, consummate entrepreneurs tend come up with more startup ideas than they can ever implement, and some of the ideas may not even make business sense. But how does any entrepreneur know which ideas to implement, and which ones are best left behind? Separate nice-to-have ideas from ones solving painful problems.

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Ideas Entrepreneur Technical Review Patents 106

Berkonomics

MARCH 25, 2012

For those of us who’ve invested in early stage companies, especially technology startups, we have confronted a universal problem. There are many ways to project the value of a company for purposes of pricing an investment, but all rely upon the revenue and profit projections of the entrepreneur as a starting point.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

Most associates need some entrepreneurial experience before actually making investments. Great networking skills, which are critical when you want to be about to reference entrepreneurs & concepts and bounce your ideas off of other people in the industry. And effective immediately Jordan will have the authority to make investments.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2014

Those are hard, since someone has to invent something innovative, but I do have some views on other ideas whose time has come and gone. I still get about one business “idea” per week for a new networking site, which will combine the “best of all the sites” into a new one. Micro payments, micro loans, micro investments.

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Ideas Entrepreneur Sites Yahoo 110

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

Every tech or major news journal in the country is preparing to write their Snap, Inc (creators of Snapchat, Spectacles, etc) stories and many of them seem to want a “How does it feel to have missed this investment story.” I hear tons of ideas for early-stage apps. But local VCs don’t deserve to get beat up for not investing.

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Snapchat Invest Technical Review Dollar Shave Club 214

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 21, 2019

[Email readers, continue here…] Professional investors love to see companies where the first round of financing came from the entrepreneur, showing “skin in the game” and more motivation to succeed because of money invested as well as time and creativity. A much more rational approach to starting up.

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Startup Invest Summary Resource 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2016

Investors invest in people, not ideas. The simplest way to express appreciation is to simply say, “Thank you” for an idea, some good feedback, time spent together, or an order. Entrepreneurs who like to be argumentative, complaining, or disagreeable, will have a hard time closing a contract, investment, or a customer contract.

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Ideas Outsource Development Entrepreneur Customer 99

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.

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Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

socalTECH

JANUARY 29, 2020

This week, Los Angeles-based Crosscut Ventures announced a brand new effort to provide health and wellness to the founders of companies it invests in, helping those founders with well being, mental health, stress management, coaching, and leadership development. Tell us about this new program?

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Invest Framework Coach Startup 113

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2019

We spoke with Meredith Finn a new Partner at March Capital--who headed up that the Rise of the Female Entrepreneur sessions this year--to hear more about her perspectives on investments, what the Rise of the Female Entrepeneur was all about, March's interests in artificial intelligence and more. What's your role at March Capital?

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Capital Entrepreneur Invest Artificial Inteligence 162

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. In reality, I like most ideas, but I have to tell them that the real challenge is taking the inspiration from a dream to a business. Now you see why no one should judge business success potential by the idea alone.

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Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

SoCal Tech Calendar

JANUARY 5, 2013

Friday, January 11, 2013 -- Maverick Angels Investment Accelerator. Do you have a great business idea? At Maverick Angels, we understand our responsibility as angel investors to help entrepreneurs streamline their investment pitch and to better articulate their vision to enroll investors.

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Invest Angel Venture Capital Startup 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2015

These days, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, pitching their latest and greatest new idea, and looking for someone to give them money. Talk is cheap, but entrepreneurs who show you a working model of their idea know how to execute. In reality, it doesn’t take a huge investment of money and time to build a prototype today.

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Ideas Outsource Development Startup Tool 107

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2017

Based on my own experience as a startup investor, and feedback from like-minded friends, we all get pitches for at least ten startup ideas for every one new business plan. New business founders need to remember that investors fund business implementations, not ideas. Show evidence that your solution will create a viable business.

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Ideas Social Media Startup Customer 74

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2013

Even with great credentials, it is all too possible for an entrepreneur to come across as a high risk investment. Talks about the implementation plan, not the idea. M ost entrepreneurs are great at envisioning their business idea, but the implementation is fuzzy. entrepreneur startup idea investor funding founder business'

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Ideas Entrepreneur Funding Customer 108

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2022

Some relatives believe that a family bond is an insurance policy, and that all investments or notes will always be repaid, no matter what the circumstance. Consider whether the family member being asked to invest has the capacity to walk away “happily” from a lost cause. even if your hair is on fire and the idea is worth billions.

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