Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. It’s common cocktail party chatter to hear people confidently pronounce that some well known startup is sure to blow up because, “How could they succeed when they’re not even profitable!”

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2016

For the past few months I’ve been doing nearly daily “Snapstorms” or short videos with startup advice released on Snapchat. Among the most comical things to me in the past few years is just how much it annoys some people that I use Snapchat. I remember the same disdain from people when I started blogging or using Twitter.

Snapchat 200

Snapchat Blogging Venture Capital Writing 200

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 26, 2016

Many first-time founders seek advice when thinking about what ideas would be great for a startup company and receive the wrong advice that you need to focus on a billion-dollar idea. There are very few ideas that are obviously a billion-dollar idea from the start. But you need to understand venture economics.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Capital Ideas 150

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2014

Venice-based Snapchat is in the midst of raising a new round of funding, led by storied venture capital investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which valued the company at close to $10 billion, according to a report. snapchat venture capital rumor valuation kpcb investment messaging social networking'

Snapchat 168

Snapchat Report Social Network Funding 168

socalTECH

OCTOBER 25, 2013

Los Angeles-based mobile app developer Snapchat is in the midst of a new funding round, which values the company at more than $3.6 AllThingsD reports that the firm--which just raised $60M in June --is looking for more money, upping its valuation from $800M to $3.6 snapchat valuation venture capital mobile social teenager startup'

Snapchat 171

Snapchat Southern California Funding Venture Capital 171

socalTECH

OCTOBER 28, 2013

How much is Los Angeles-based Snapchat really worth? The report last week that Snapchat is raising a new funding round at $3.5 snapchat valuation venture capital mobile social teenager startup' READ MORE>>.

Snapchat 147

Snapchat Venture Capital Los Angeles Mobile 147

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Do you need a board when you first start you company? If you haven’t raised any money or if you raised a small round from angels or friends & family I would suggest you avoid setting up a formal board unless the people who would join your board are deeply experienced at sitting on startup boards.

Startup 236

Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

I work with a lot of startups. I start to notice when bad behavior creeps into the system as a whole. If you are a super young, well-connected, Stanford CS or EE, worked at Facebook early, have a bit o’ dosh and have VCs chasing you … you are exempt. ” Case in point: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, SnapChat.

Venture Capital 412

Venture Capital Startup Funding Snapchat 412

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2021

Photo by Vanna Phon on Unsplash Customer acquisition is the lifeblood of many startups from e-commerce to gaming to marketplace companies, among others. Most of these startups spend the lion’s share of their marketing budget in today’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Snap, TikTok and so on because?—?no no surprise?—?that’s

Product 424

Product Platform Advertising Acquisition 424

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

During the days when Snapchat’s popularity was booming, investors thought the company would become the anchor for a new Los Angeles technology scene. Instead, several former SpaceX employees have launched a raft of new companies, capturing the imagination and dollars of some of the biggest names in venture capital.

SpaceX 173

SpaceX Venture Capital Help Snapchat 173

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

This is the task I set out to answer with the master of analysis at Upfront Ventures Glenn Poppe who deserves the bulk of the credit for our work. Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. LA By The Numbers.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

socalTECH

MARCH 5, 2014

Add another, Southern California company to the exclusive list of billion-dollar plus startups here. Auction.com said this morning that it has raised $50M in a funding from Google Capital, at a $1.2 Auction.com joins SpaceX, Snapchat, and Beats Electronics in the short list of $1 billion plus valuation, venture backed startups here.

Southern California 154

Southern California SoCal Snapchat Startup 154

socalTECH

OCTOBER 15, 2014

The Disney Accelerator , the startup accelerator sponsored by Walt Disney and being run by TechStars, had its demo day Tuesday, showing off the nine companies to emerge out of the accelerator. Disney offered up up to $120K in investment capital, access to entrepreneurs and executives at Disney, and other resources to its startups.

Class 185

Class Startup Seed Funding Entertainment 185

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2014

A few years ago I started calling the local tech ecosystem down here #LATech. I have the utmost respect for the tech produced by our northern colleagues and acknowledge it is the tech capital of the world and that won’t change. In fact, many people know I grew up in NorCal and still have a 650 area code on my mobile phone.

Startup 318

Startup Santa Monica Snapchat Yahoo 318

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 30, 2016

By now if you follow me on Twitter you probably know that I do near daily “Snapstorms” or a collection of short videos (usually < 5 mins in total) with entrepreneur advice on Snapchat. You can follow me on Snapchat at msuster. Snapchat for my “original run” and I’ll also store each video to be watched later.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Course Media Venture Capital 150

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.” We did know about Snapchat as early as anybody. If you swing at every pitch you’ll end up with a lot more losers.

Snapchat 214

Snapchat Invest Technical Review Dollar Shave Club 214

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. Most experienced VCs won’t push you to give up founder control at this stage of the business nor should they. As You Start to Mature. In the Early Days. Experience.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Upfront Ventures was created 20 years ago as one of the original VC funds in Los Angeles. 10 years ago we found ourselves trying to persuade LPs and VCs that it was worth spending more time getting to know the LA market and now the most common refrain that I hear from them is “there really is something going on in LA.”

Dollar Shave Club 321

Dollar Shave Club Cornerstone OnDemand Riot Games Venture Capital 321

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2016

In 2006 I started using Facebook and most of my friends & colleagues thought I was strange. In 2007 I started using Twitter and most of my friends & colleagues wondered why people would care what I ate for lunch. In 2008 I started VC blogging. In 2011 I started using Instagram. I already have Facebook.”.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Product Startup AMA 150

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 2, 2017

the parent firm behind Snapchat , has joined up with R/GA Marketing --which helps run the Dodgers Accelerator in Los Angeles--to launched a new startup accelerator, the R/GA Marketing Tech Venture Studio with IPG. Venice, California-based Snap Inc. , READ MORE>>.

Snapchat 100

Snapchat Startup Venice Advertising 100

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

A report published this week--which heavily relies on third party assumptions, back calculations, and analysis of regulatory filings--says that Venice, California-based Snapchat is out looking for $200M in funding again, this time valuing the company around $20 billion.

Snapchat 133

Snapchat Report Venice Funding 133

socalTECH

JANUARY 29, 2016

Los Angeles-based Naritiv , a new startup developing a network of content creators for Snapchat, has raised $3M in a funding round, the company said Thursday. The startup--founded by Dan Altmann and Eric Posen--says it is enabling the creation of mobile-first content for Snapchat and other social network platforms.

Snapchat 100

Snapchat Content Social Network Class 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

MAY 26, 2016

Venice, California-based Snapchat has raised $1.8 billion in its Series F funding round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm this morning, in what might be the largest funding round ever for a Southern California startup. Details on the round have not been announced.

Snapchat 113

Snapchat Funding Southern California Venice 113

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 16, 2013

Today’s startup innovators come from about six hours south of Silicon Valley. Venture Capital: Upfront Ventures. Previously known as GRP Partners, Upfront Ventures has focused on early stage investments since 1996. Social Media: Snapchat. Silicon Valley? That’s so yesterday. Social Enterprise: Hub LA.

Startup 111

Startup Snapchat Venice Social Media 111

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

What is the True Sentiment of VCs? I recently survey more than 150 VC friends from all stages and geographies what they thought about the market by asking “Which of the following statements best describes your mood heading into 2016?” The Motive for Speaking Up. ” “Sure, prices are dropping.

Startup 150

Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2017

He was running to be the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles and he outlined his vision to “open up the city government to technology and innovation” if he were elected. Snap, Riot Games, Tinder, SpaceX and on and on — these are great things for LA as is every new VC fund launching in LA to create the next big innovation. And this is true.

Riot Games 191

Riot Games Los Angeles Technical Review Venture Capital 191

socalTECH

JULY 15, 2016

billion in venture capital in Q2 of 2016, according to the latest numbers from the MoneyTree Report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the National Venture Capital Association, and Thomson Reuters. billion round for Venice based Snapchat. Nationally, venture capitalists invested $15.3 READ MORE>>.

Southern California 100

Southern California Marina Del Rey Venture Capital Company 100

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 21, 2014

These figures, among others, indicate LA’s digital startups aren’t simply keeping pace with past years, but exceeding them. JustFab , the ultra-successful fashion membership company, upped the ante with two additional rounds of funding that totaled $55 million. Originally posted by the good people at Built In Los Angeles.

Los Angeles 105

Los Angeles Angel Startup Snapchat 105

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 27, 2013

Meet the next generation of startup success stories at Be Great Fest in Los Angeles. Their mission: to support a charity, savor the hot SoCal nightlife, and transform Los Angeles into the startup capital of the world. Although the Startup Genome Project named Los Angeles the No. 3 startup ecosystem in the world, with L.A.

Los Angeles 101

Los Angeles Angel Startup Venture Capital 101

socalTECH

MARCH 3, 2016

Santa Monica-based Mave has raised seed funding, for a yet-to-be-launched personal concierge startup, according to Fortune this morning. The new startup was founded by Emily White, a former executive of Snapchat and Instagram. White was previously COO of Snapchat. READ MORE>>.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Snapchat Funding Santa Monica 100

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 9, 2013

The topic of the conference was “The Sharing Economy” and as I read many of the session title descriptions I realized that people would be talking more about “collaborative consumption” (think airbnb, taskrabbit, uber) than about why people are sharing more on Instragram & Snapchat. Network Up. Prices down.

Marketing 361

Marketing Course Pricing Networking 361

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2016

This continues to solidify Los Angeles’ place as a major player in the global tech ecosystem and while any one success doesn’t define a city — the number of high-profile startups and exits has definitely increased. Frankly, it’s awesome to see a VC articulate a vision for the kind of company they would back in a given category.

Dollar Shave Club 150

Dollar Shave Club Venture Capital News Snapchat 150

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 28, 2014

There’s Snapchat that uses photos and then instantly disappears after 10 seconds, and then there’s the up-comer, Emojli , that uses tiny cartoonish icons for engagement. Snap Away with Snapchat. Snapchat, founded by Bobby Murphy and Evan Spiegel, boasts of its massive following among kids and teenagers.

Snapchat 82

Snapchat Social Media Social Network Media 82

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2015

Everybody now knows that LA produced SnapChat, Tinder and Maker Studios. If you’re a tech or media startup considering whether LA is now a mature market I think the data will assuage any concerns. If you’re an LP and want to know who these emerging funds are please call me and/or attend our Annual VC Summit.

Marketing 150

Marketing Newsletter Venture Capital Blogging 150

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 19, 2017

The Snapchat Effect: How the company’s mega IPO may enhance the odds of your startup getting funded. Will we witness more venture funding and increased company valuations in the region? Saturday, March 25, 2017 -- Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum - Funding. See [link] (more)

CalTech 100

CalTech Entrepreneur Funding Snapchat 100

TechCrunch LA

JULY 23, 2016

It wasn’t so long ago that venture capital was a suburban California phenomenon. Los Angeles didn’t have much in terms of a real tech scene — and even San Francisco only had a few VCs or tech companies. Now, VC offices have sprung up in San Francisco, moving more of the investment energy up there.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Los Angeles Activity Dollar Shave Club 100

socalTECH

MARCH 24, 2016

In what has been a familiar refrain, the annual Midas List ranking by Forbes Magazine of the most influential venture capitalists has completely skipped Southern California's venture capital community, although it did credit the position of at least four of the VCs on the list to their investments in Southern California startups, and highlighted Ashton (..)

Southern California 100

Southern California SoCal Palomar Santa Barbara 100