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

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 8, 2018

Steven Johnson, author of How We Got To Now , analyzes technological breakthroughs, looking for patterns that allow entrepreneurs to identify “How We’ll Get To Tomorrow.” As Mr. Johnson points out, big ideas generally result from the collision of many small hunches. Seth notes that, “Ideas are a lot like exercising.

Ideas 69

Ideas Startup Technical Review Santa Barbara 69

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. What if text messages disappeared? Mostly kidding.

Snapchat 214

Snapchat Invest Technical Review Dollar Shave Club 214

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

I have often thought that creative endeavors where one has a quick turn-around between idea and realization of one’s work as one of the more fulfilling experiences in life. Almost no financings, many VCs and tech startups cratered for the second time in less than a decade following the dot com bursting. There was no money train.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

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

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

As a new business advisor and occasional investor, I get approached regularly by people who have a dream or a new business idea, and are looking for support and money to make it a reality. Thus, I’m more impressed with entrepreneurs who ask me to review their implementation plan, rather than listen again to their idea.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

In my experience as a business advisor, one of the best ways to get all of these, is to publish a book on the technology, the journey, or some relevant lessons learned. In addition, the discipline of producing it, like writing a business plan, will help you immensely in understanding the key elements that drive you and your business.

Writing 19

Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2014

They cite sources like the BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this Forbes article. They can iterate and evolve their business idea with a low burn rate and minimal dependencies. From my perspective, much of this advice is an urban legend and just plain wrong.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 109

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

As noted in Entrepreneurs Shouldn't Pitch Their Ideas To Venture Capitalists , most sophisticated investors place their bets on people rather than opportunities. Too Techie - Tone down emphasis on the technology underlying your venture; an interested investor will perform tech diligence at the appropriate time.

Venture Capital 211

Venture Capital Summary Technical Review Template 211

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

A critical stage for most first-time entrepreneurs is getting their idea developed into at least a prototype to validate their technology. Specifically, I often point to the NSF or the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for high-tech startups. Another alternative is to find an inexpensive class on grant writing.

Funding 90

Funding Technical Review Startup Research 90

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. Pro tip: take on the mantle of book editor for a major tech publication, and the publishers will mail you books for free. We get at least a dozen at the TC offices every week, which is why we write about books so often around here these days.

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

If I’m interested I get to spend more time with them, if I’m not I don’t have to – A few companies per month come in that have fascinating business ideas that warrant my spending more time trying to understand their people, company, technology and market. I’ll write about that in a couple of weeks.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 19, 2014

You see, investors invest in people, before they invest in ideas or products. Since they don’t know you (yet), their first integrity check on you as a person is whether your friends and family believe in you strongly enough to give you seed money for your new idea. Be passionate about the idea. Nobody likes a downer.

Startup 106

Startup Funding Technical Review Ideas 106

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

One is obvious, without protection, such IP might prove to be of little worth, as other companies can mimic the technology without recourse. The very nature of formal IP approval process ensures that some level of vetting has been performed to assess whether the IP is infringing on another company’s technology. Provisional Approach.

IP 256

IP Patents Companies Company 256

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

With public interest in artificial intelligence technologies on the rise, five of the world’s largest corporations—vying against each other in so many spheres—are banding together to support research on the ethical and societal issues raised by machines with increasingly human-like capabilities.

Artificial Inteligence 40

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Technical Advisors Research 40

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2013

You see, investors invest in people, before they invest in ideas or products. Since they don’t know you (yet), their first integrity check on you as a person is whether your friends and family believe in you strongly enough to give you seed money for your new idea. Be passionate about the idea. Nobody likes a downer.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Ideas 109

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

I believe that huge financial, productivity and technical gains come from new innovation rather than derivative thinking. Yet nearly any entrepreneur who has an idea that other people aren’t doing will tell you that it’s hard to get investors excited. I will write about some of these topics soon. Why should you care?

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

The short version of my review is: “Enchanting? At the beginning of the index, Guy writes, “I hope Robert Cialdini checks this index.” A cause can be a: non-profit, Internet startup, idea, political opinion, or coffee shop. Like King, his writing style is breezy and engaging. No doubt, he did. Prototype Your Work.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

Attempt To License An Idea. Rationale: My idea is so mind-blowingly fantastic, I can sit back and collect licensing fees while someone else does all the work required to turn my idea into a successful business. Fallacy: Ideas are worthless, while skillful execution is priceless. Fallacy: Yes.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

And it’s the latest in a series of investments we’ve made in building out our practice as the LA technology market continues to grow robustly and attract entrepreneurs and investors. ” He had two ideas. We never got to the second idea. Help us review a few deals. And the idea? Jordan Hudson.

Startup 372

Startup Course Ideas Invest 372

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

AngelList 101 : As you know, AngelList is a platform where angels can invest in semi-screened tech deals. If you know, VCs end up writing sizable checks into their own funds, which is important in better aligning interests. million round I might write $1.8 – 2.2 I have a slightly different take on why I find it valuable.

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 15, 2014

” I have been weighing in slowly on the topic over the past few weeks on Twitter but have avoided writing a blog post about it until now. But my job is to understand technology and therefore you must use it to understand it. And we’re promoting apps like this in the tech press and funding it. Kill a fat person.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Blogging Examples Startup 329

socalTECH

OCTOBER 31, 2011

One of Urbandig's co-founders, Mike Macadaan -- the former VP of User Experience at MySpace, and creator of the technology conference Twiistup--sat down to talk to us about the company. What's the idea behind Urbandig? When I had this idea in 2004, there was no iPhone, and smart phones didn't play well. That's really empowering.

Guide 203

Guide Software Review Twiistup Technical Review 203

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. My initial desire to blog came from something that’s always been my approach to investing – I’m a nerd and I love to play with the technology and part of my approach has really been to understand things both at a user level and at a reasonably deep tentacle level. Brad on blogging.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2011

You see, investors invest in people, before they invest in ideas or products. Since they don’t know you (yet), their first integrity check on you as a person is whether your friends and family believe in you strongly enough to give you seed money for your new idea. Be passionate about the idea. Nobody likes a downer.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Ideas Entrepreneur 98

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. While many tech startups do this intuitively (say, SnapChat thinking it would be much better if our photos out partying disappeared) it still happens. And you thought the Internet was a meritocracy where the best ideas win? But it wasn’t to be.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

socalTECH

OCTOBER 28, 2010

How do you take a business you started as your own personal web site, and turn it into an online powerhouse, completely bootstrapped, from the little town of Ojai, California--not exactly known as a technology town? We had the idea to rent out a local school over spring break, put up a website ad, and start offering classes.

Startup 242

Startup Web Design Writing Web 242

SoCal CTO

MARCH 18, 2010

Vince: In addition to my management writing I’ve interview many CEOs and innovators. I’d love to get your thoughts at some point about writing for these publications vs. on your own blog. I know Jim, Mark, Kurt (see Los Angeles Technology Connector – Kurt Daradics ).

Startup 225

Startup Los Angeles Twiistup Social Network 225

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2010

You see, investors invest in people, before they invest in ideas or products. Since they don’t know you (yet), their first integrity check on you as a person is whether your friends and family believe in you strongly enough to give you seed money for your new idea. Be passionate about the idea. Nobody likes a downer.

Funding 93

Funding Technical Review Startup Ideas 93

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). And they have access to some of the most talented technology entrepreneurs so this is a worthy goal for them. They do this because they have amazing skills at writing business plans. I like to hear their passion for the idea. I attended events.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 26, 2011

At the big consulting firms, investment banks and established large technology companies we’re taught to produce long reports, make sure that every document is perfect quality and that every possible bit of diligence has been done. The idea has become conventional wisdom. Good enough isn’t. And so things operate on a CYA basis.

Startup 335

Startup Technical Review Framework Entrepreneur 335

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Rationale: My idea is so mind-blowingly fantastic that I must immediately spend a small fortune to protect it before I perform any market validation. 3) Attempt To License An Idea. Fallacy: As discussed in Spilling The Beans , ideas are worthless, while skillful execution is priceless. 5) Allow Partners To Write Your Agreements.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

socalTECH

DECEMBER 17, 2018

Richard Wolpert is a well known investor in the Los Angeles technology community, through his own fund, Chance Technologies; as a Venture Partner at Amplify.LA and Venture Advisor at Accel Partners; and has a long history in the tech community, having been Chief Strategy Officer at RealNetworks and President of Disney Online.

Startup 147

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Software Review 147

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). And they have access to some of the most talented technology entrepreneurs so this is a worthy goal for them. They do this because they have amazing skills at writing business plans. I like to hear their passion for the idea. I attended events.

Startup 361

Startup Venture Capital Pricing Technical Review 361

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2015

Thus founders seeking funding for a good cause or a new technology often seize on grants from universities, government agencies and philanthropic organizations as free money to solve their problems. Your visionary one-page idea description won’t work here. Otherwise find an inexpensive class on grant writing. In the U.S.

Pricing 100

Pricing Equity Technical Review Research 100

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 28, 2012

He kicked off the fest with his opening keynote, saying LA is a unique city of mash-ups, where tech, startups and entertainment – plus creativity, cultures, and passion – mix with successful results. RT @OEInnovation #SBF why I live in #LA: intersection of #beach #tech #entrepreneur #entertainment. & Women 2.0:

Hollywood 67

Hollywood Technical Review Startup Rustic Canyon 67