Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

Many aspiring entrepreneurs I mentor can talk at length about their innovative ideas and passions, and ask lots of good questions, but never make much progress in building a real business. In my experience, building a business is much more about getting things done than having great ideas. It’s time to get the help you need.

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Ideas Writing Startup Entrepreneur 121

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 31, 2013

The core idea behind the event is to tap into the hacker spirit in each community in a way that leverages the latest tech and open data to strengthen our democracy and communities across the country. Tech leaders from NASA JPL, to the Census Bureau will share inspiration and ideas. Not a coder?

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CTO Coach Startup Mentor Ideas 295

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

One of the complaints I often hear from engaged business professionals is that their new ideas, innovations, and change recommendations are unfairly criticized or dismissed without analysis. This argument is actually not attacking the idea, but shows a generalized resistance to change. Your idea has unpredictable negative side effects.

Ideas 116

Ideas Netflix Resource Customer 116

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

The idea immediately resonated. As more consumers were skipping commercials the idea of authentically integrating brands into media seemed obvious to me and ended up informing a lot of my investments in 2009 and 2010. At every entrepreneur event I through between 2008-2012 I invite Hamet because he was a great mentor for entrepreneurs.

Invest 340

Invest Venture Capital Startup News 340

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2011

If you think you’re on to a really big idea and everybody else thinks so, too, then most likely it’s already conventional wisdom and you’re too late. He has built an amazing facility, has established a design-centric credo, has assembled great mentors and certainly gets access to great talent. Hat’s off, man.

Startup 418

Startup Yahoo Ideas Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2014

Local mentors matter. That was my original idea behind Launchpad LA. I figured if we couldn’t fund every company locally we should at least embrace them as a community and show that we’re willing to mentor them whether they raise their money in town or not. As was FarmVille (sold to Zynga) and many, many others.

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Company Companies Startup Snapchat 369

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

In other words, the entrepreneur quality is more important than the idea -- in investor jargon, people invest in the jockey, and not the horse. High leaders continually challenged their own ideas and were quicker to adapt them to encompass new information, experiences, and meaning. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors.

Entrepreneur 165

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Invest 165

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2013

In today’s uber-connected, social media, everything-is-public, people tell you there’s killing it with these new features, investor & mentor whiplash – it’s hard to avoid the latest thing. Yet sadly most startups have “shiny object” obsessions. The new thing. The shiny object. More precisely.

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Course Resource Social Media Design 368

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Seth’s interest in helping others grew out of his lack of having a mentor. He was drawn to Stanford by the people ecosystem- access to professors and mentors. He knew he was an entrepreneur because he couldn’t stop thinking about ideas. On the west coast, generally the response is how to improve on an idea.

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Startup Venture Capital Web Ideas 286

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

In the early days you don’t really want 3 extra teams hearing your ideas and gearing up to compete before you feel you’ve got a solid head start. They think that only by being open and testing your ideas in an open marketplace can you be successful. But once a VC has heard your idea he can’t “un-think&# it.

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Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2012

There is a large menu of startup accelerators in the Los Angeles, but one of more established efforts in the area is LaunchpadLA ([link] The effort actually started as an informal mentoring program, but has grown and expanded to follow the accelerator model. We're not investing in ideas and trying to turn them into companies.

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Class Mentor Startup Santa Monica 261

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Most colleges have now added classes in entrepreneurship to include the necessary business focus to technical majors that usually drive innovative ideas. Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. Every school recognizes the power of “hands-on” work to help you develop your own ideas into a business.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

Here is a short list of the areas where you should be able to find help, whether you are a student or an independent entrepreneur: Exploring hot ideas. Connections to a mentor. Similar to finding experienced team members, you can use university contacts who do mentoring in the real world.

Incubator 172

Incubator Mentor Class Resource 172

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2012

We met and shared ideas and business cards, from the opening party at the Viceroy, to the packed panels starring Silicon Beach accelerators, VCs, startup CEOs, digital content creators, movie, music, games, and PR pros; hackathon, demo days, student pitch fests, parties and more.

Dollar Shave Club 272

Dollar Shave Club Technical Review Santa Monica Southern California 272

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

He had an idea for a startup that would help consumers better book service jobs and would take on Service Magic, which he believed had a business model that could be disrupted. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. When Ethan was considering leaving Google we talked about it. The company was called Red Beacon.

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CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait.

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Resource Ideas Competition Entrepreneur 112

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 11, 2018

We’ve known each other for nearly a decade and he’s been a friend, a co-investor in startups and a mentor to many startups with whom I’ve worked. So of course when Cham wanted to build his own startup I was first in line asking to fund him.

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Startup Mentor Course Screening 206

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2021

Here are the key recommendations from both of us, based on my own business mentoring insights: Re-launch using your enhanced core competency. Listen and act on the ideas of others around you. Find mentors who have the skills you lack. Proven problem solvers only get better with practice.

Entrepreneur 167

Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor Customer 167

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 2, 2011

Thiel and friends will also agree to mentor these young entrepreneurs. So is this a good idea? Actually, they’ll get even more attention because this selection will put them in an even more exclusive peer group and will introduce them to even more connected mentors. Here is their inaugural class. My 2 cents: 1.

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Education Startup Incubator Class 322

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2021

Most of you aspiring entrepreneurs probably have long searched for that special idea that will catapult you and your startup to success. Yet, my experience as a business advisor and investor has convinced me that the magic is not the idea, but you and the execution. Every investor I know hears the same ones over and over again.

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Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Satisfaction 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2020

This trait, sometimes called mental complexity, will convince others that you likely understand the relevant issues, are willing to challenge your own ideas, and will be quicker to adapt them to encompass new information, experiences, and meaning. Shares views and learns from a personal mentor.

Entrepreneur 168

Entrepreneur Mentor Metrics Customer 168

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2023

Ask for help from advisors and mentor your team. The best entrepreneurs relish the challenges, and get great satisfaction from overcoming and learning from adversity. They enjoy the journey, as well as the destination. Don’t let your pride or fear keep you from seeking the help that you need.

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Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Social Media 105

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2018

Most of our mentors are people who have been successful entrepreneurs and investors, who have been there, and understand how to get a company to the next sage. There are lots of people who create ideas, without places for them to go. Just start validating what your idea is with potential customers, then go from there.

Startup 172

Startup Seed Funding Mentor Ideas 172

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2013

What''s the idea behind the incubator--which gives its startups $20,000 in capital, education, mentoring, working space, and more--and how is it tied to USC? We''re giving them access to capital, mentors to build companies, and all here in Los Angeles. There''s a shortage of those types of people in Los Angeles.

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Incubator USC Startup Artificial Inteligence 233

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2022

The authors observe that people who behave as mentors tend to have an uncanny ability to recognize and nurture people who have innate capabilities along these lines. To others, it may appear as if their ideas come out of the blue or that there is no rhyme or reason behind their thinking. Connect the dots. See the big picture.

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Competition Mentor Ideas Organization 153

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2023

Over my many years of mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals, I often hear a desire to start a new business, with a big hesitation while waiting for that perfect idea and perfect alignment of the stars. So don’t wait for that “idea of the century” that no one has ever thought of before.

Technical Review 149

Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur Software Review 149

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

Every entrepreneur I know is dismayed by the number of friends who approach them with a line such as “I have an even better idea that will change the world, and one of these days I’m going to get around to starting my own business.” There must be something deeper that slows people down.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Knowledge Base 153

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2021

Kevin Cope, in his classic book “ Seeing the Big Picture ”, does a great job of outlining the basics of business acumen for executives, and helped me assimilate some practical ideas on building the essential elements for entrepreneurs: Reserve time daily to research the market, as well as technology.

Mentor 139

Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Networking 139

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

” Most VCs view it as their responsibility to mentor, debate, cajole and generally assist with investments they make. ” I know some people will cringe at this idea, “if the VC really wanted me they would come to ME.” ” Let’s start with “oversight.” ” Maybe.

Venture Capital 365

Venture Capital Marketing Santa Barbara Startup 365

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

And while this might sound to the inexperienced person like a sensible idea – it is not. Often it is a good idea to have a junior PR person in your company to interface with whatever PR firms you work with. You’re the coach, mentor, cheerleader. Other B-round scaling issues?

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2021

As an entrepreneur mentor, my mission is to foster the attributes in you as a startup founder that I believe will lead to success. For example, I worked with an entrepreneur a while back who was clearly intelligent, had a great idea, and communicated well. I sometimes find entrepreneurs who highlight that their strength is “ideas.”

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Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Mentor 136

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2019

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, the most common question I get is, “I want to be an entrepreneur -- how do I start?” The obvious answer is that you need an idea first, but I’ve come to realize that the process is really much more complex than that. Are you confident and disciplined in facing tough challenges?

Entrepreneur 135

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Writing 135

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

The common term for this is networking, but I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs like to do all the talking about their latest new idea and fail to listen. Find a business mentor, as well as a friend. A mentor is someone who will tell you what you need to hear, while a friend might tell you what you want to hear.

Startup 142

Startup Case Study Course Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2022

During my many years of mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs in business, I more often see people focusing on how to get their ideas heard , than how to promote themselves. I’m convinced that great results are better than great ideas, and a great perception of you as a person is better than both ideas and results.

Tips 121

Tips Social Media Mentor Technical Review 121

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2012

If you were a student in college, working on a startup idea, what would spur you to drop your education plans, and go full time on your startup? I started playing around with a similar idea in my freshman year. He really took to the idea, and enjoyed it. Both have been great mentors ever since.

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Startup CTO Coach Content Web 239

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2014

Finally, I think it’s worth meeting “mentors.” VCs often don’t make great mentor meetings because they meet too many companies and too many people to be able to provide mentorship outside of the CEOs and management teams with whom they work. ” You simply need to ask. You have to select carefully.

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Networking Startup CTO Coach Email 366

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

The basic components are obvious: talented founders, great engineers, angel money, venture capital, access to larger corporates (for business, funding & talent), great education / research (for IP breakthroughs) and a sufficient ecosystem of mentors, advisors, executive coaches and mavens. Mavens are critical.

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Startup Venture Capital Capital Funding 390