Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

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.

Technical Review 58

Technical Review Ideas Patents Startup 58

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.

Invest 135

Invest Technical Review Startup Ideas 135

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

Investors are very focused on diligence, on business models that make sense, and those companies that have a definite competitive advantage and defensibility to what they're doing. The ideas and people seeking money are out there in quantity. Mike Napoli: We've revised the way we review companies at the prescreening stage.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

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.

Ideas 83

Ideas Technical Review Patents Startup 83

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Existing investors DST Global, 01 Advisors, Dragoneer Investment Group, Franklin Templeton and Mubadala Investment Company too doubled down on their investments in SpotOn, joining new backers Wellington Management and Coatue Management. With the new capital, SpotOn has raised $628 million since its inception.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Software Review Invest Acquisition 296

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.

Ideas 106

Ideas Entrepreneur Technical Review Patents 106

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.

Snapchat 214

Snapchat Invest Technical Review Dollar Shave Club 214

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

Industry reviews. Most associates need some entrepreneurial experience before actually making investments. So the “VC associate” is largely a launching pad job for exceedingly bright and hard-working young tech professionals. Deal screening. Portfolio company support & analysis. Portfolio community building.

Help 365

Help Invest Venture Capital Technical Review 365

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2021

Some get stuck in a rut and get run over by competitors with new technology, like Eastman Kodak, and others get pushed into a crisis, like Apple did, before they reinvent themselves into a new market. Use that same technical and business expertise that served you well on this startup to find the next opportunity.

Entrepreneur 167

Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor Customer 167

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review ! This writeup from industry analyst Karl Guttag showcases how Magic Leap has turned away from several of the key technologies it raised billions of dollars to develop with its latest hardware which he nevertheless believes will “blow away” the HoloLens 2 in image quality.

Marketing 246

Marketing Newsletter Technical Review News 246

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

The practical uses for uBeam technology is limitless. Did anybody hold patents that would prevent us from using this technology? I seldom hire patent attorneys during due diligence but this was too important. We hired IP specialists to review prior art. Did the physics actually work? Was it safe? It was impressive.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Small Business Grants to Apply For Today If your business doesn't have enough capital to take on future debts or has a unique specialism or back story that could catch the eye of grantors, it might be a good idea to apply for a grant. Create a membership here Deadline: Applications are reviewed quarterly 3. Learn more and apply here 3.

Technical Review 186

Technical Review Software Review Startup Competition 186

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2015

These are hard things to initially comprehend until you see them in full force as local retailers get wiped out due to their albatross of high real estate costs leading to either higher prices to consumers or lower margins on their p&l statements. Thus Amazon’s market cap is $200 billion. ” Let’s start with some basics.

Ideas 150

Ideas Startup Technical Review Pricing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2016

There is an old saying in the startup investor community, “Smart investors invest in the team, not the idea.” As an angel investor, I’ve learned to believe in this approach, since I have seen great ideas go astray, due to poor execution and I have seen apparently marginal ideas make millions, managed by a savvy entrepreneur.

Ideas 53

Ideas Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 53

socalTECH

OCTOBER 22, 2020

Earlier this week, Good Growth Capital (www.goodgrowthvc.com) announced it has started looking at investments in Southern California, adding Krisztina Holly as West Coast Venture Partner for the firm. What kinds of areas does the fund make investments in? We do pre-Seed to Series A deals. We love coinvesting with great investors.

Southern California 124

Southern California Capital Technical Review Startup 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2016

Every startup begins with an idea, but from that point forward, it’s all about execution. Founders soon learn that customers only spend real money for solutions rather than ideas. Investors have also learned not to invest in ideas but only in entrepreneurs and teams who can deliver solutions. billion in 2015.

Ideas 59

Ideas Technical Review Google Startup 59

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.

Ideas 251

Ideas Venture Capital Education Entrepreneur 251

Tech.Co

JANUARY 3, 2020

However, as a business owner, you know that resting on your laurels can be dangerous, which is why staying up to date with the latest business technology is a necessity. And if you aren't making good use of this business tech, you're missing out. Assuming you aren't an expert, the idea of designing a website can seem pretty scary.

Technical Review 91

Technical Review Software Review Social Media Platform 91

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

They have marked-up paper gains propped up by an over excited venture capital market that has validated their investments. Logic tells me the following: It is hard to make money angel investing. Too many angel deals just means more to watch and invest in for the ones that do succeed (if the VCs can get in at reasonable prices).

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

When Fred Wilson funded Twitter I guarantee you it wasn’t obvious that it was a billion dollar idea. When the early teams: angels, lowercase capital & first round capital funded Uber they had no idea it would be one of the most revolutionary ideas of our time. Far from it. It was an early and smart bet.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2014

Today’s $24 billion storage market in the US has these same key disadvantages and that was the genesis of Sam Rosen’s initial idea for MakeSpace , which I initially funded 15 months ago. He had an idea to make it better. We then riffed on the idea of, “That’s interesting. Full on burger flipping mode.

Technical Review 380

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire Startup 380

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Every year, at the end of the year, we share some reflections on the past year from our readers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, sponsors, and others in the local technology community. What new technology area, startup, service, or app did you find most interesting or useful this year, and why? Since 2010, $6.3B

Capital 100

Capital Technical Review Truecar Venture Capital 100

Tech.Co

MARCH 8, 2018

Fortunately, for those headed to SXSW, Startup Night SXSW 2018 , presented by the Kauffman Foundation and TechCo, will be filled with investors from a multitude of industries who are looking to discover and fund startups building the latest solutions and tech innovations. Lisha Bell, Deal Flow Lead for Pipeline Angels.

Technical Review 70

Technical Review Startup Software Review Entrepreneur 70

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

They dream of appearing at the door, with their idea on the back of a napkin, and popping out a few months later with investor money to burn. His tests focus on personality traits alone (ignoring your startup idea), looking for fluid intelligence, openness, and agreeableness. The reality is far different. Initial funding. Peer support.

Incubator 146

Incubator Technical Review Entrepreneur Mentor 146

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. Bill Gates was the technical genius, but Steve Ballmer, from Procter & Gamble, ran the business side of the equation.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2023

As I work with aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals, I often hear about stress and disappointment from a great idea or innovation that failed for reasons that you don’t understand. I will summarize her recommendations here, as well as adding my own insights: Pick a problem to solve rather than an idea.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Ideas Study Social Media 120

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

The press around the raise & company was fantastic and the promise of their technology – wireless charging that works as easily as WiFi – would positively affect many of our lives. uBeam’s tech does work and I have safely seen it demo’d in the real life many times. Now they are partners.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Startup Software Review Course 417

Berkonomics

JUNE 26, 2014

Several times in our angel group, one of the largest in the United States, we have queried our group as to their motives in being active, risking their money, taking their time to research, perform due diligence and then coach entrepreneurs of young companies. The result of these surveys over time is universally the same.

Angel 191

Angel Technical Review Coach Entrepreneur 191

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Every one of you business owners I know periodically introduces new products and services to sustain growth, fight off competitors, or take advantage of new technologies. Target audience may be limited or new due to price. Don’t count on these as short-term solutions to a growth problem. Incent these early.

Product 141

Product Services Technical Review Artificial Inteligence 141

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Most people believe that the hard part is coming up with the idea, and the easy part is turning it into a business. Normally the goal is to make enough money to be sustainable and provide a return on the investment of constituents.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

Whenever a VC assesses a potential investment opportunity, they attempt to match the entrepreneur(s), their solution, and intended markets with a pattern they have previously encountered. The above criteria obviously do not represent all of the factors investors consider when evaluating a venture investment. Hairy Pattern Matching.

Technical Review 244

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital RSS 244

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

According to a classic survey conducted by Dimensional Research for Zendesk , 90 percent of respondents asserted that positive online reviews influenced buying decisions, and 86 percent admitted buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews. Bureaucracy can appear quickly in startups as well as large companies.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Organization Social Media Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

These differences are the reason that investors say that they invest in people, rather than ideas. The Google team stayed tight as they developed the technology, first working out of Larry Page’s dorm room at Stanford, then a garage. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team. Marty Zwilling

Technical Review 107

Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur Examples 107

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2014

Visions pan of endless cold emails and long days attending meetups and pitch nights while your operations/tech team grind away. 2013 was a huge year for startup investing to say the least, and with how things have been shaping up in Q1 of 2014, things are going to get a whole lot crazier. From Finance to Crowd-Investing.

Invest 100

Invest Startup Technical Review Software Review 100

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. Invest your time in networking online, as well as offline.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2009

so compelling (other than the fact that the CEO Sean Rad is a great young technology leader and his advisers – Brian Norgard , Dan Gould and Evan Rifkin - are some of the guys I respect most in the LA tech market.). Wordpress), video (YouTube), pictures (Flickr), review sites (Yelp) and collaborative content (Wikipedia).

Ideas 286

Ideas Advertising Google Technical Review 286

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

And I tried to evaluate the idea and figure out: What did the founder really need here? And do I fit as a Part-Time CTO , Technology Advisor , CTO Founder , Acting CTO ? For me to do either of these, I certainly need to really believe in the idea and it has to be something that won’t consume all of my time. Go to user groups.

CTO Hire 241

CTO Hire CTO Coach Equity Develop 241