Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2016

In my experience in large businesses as well as years of advising startups, I see far too much focus on product skills, and too little on people and process skills. His focus is on sales, but I see the same skills needed for entrepreneurs. It’s up to you to clear the way. Diagnosing and understanding the customer problem.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Sales Startup Customer 106

TechCrunch LA

MAY 19, 2020

After wrestling with recalcitrant homeowners, husbanding their parcels of land to keep their property values high, the state’s leadership passed a law that increased the availability of new rental units and put more money into homeowners’ pockets in 2016. When you can match that latent supply with latent demand.

Los Angeles 191

Los Angeles Startup Culver City .Net 191

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2023

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. According to more recent statistics , fewer than a third of all crowdfunding operations end up being successful, and the rest have to return anything they do collect.

Equity 80

Equity Platform Entrepreneur Statistics 80

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2016

Steve Jobs was a one-in-a-million entrepreneur who seemed to violate many conventional rules of starting a business and dealing with people, yet undeniably achieved great success. As a result, I don’t recommend to aspiring entrepreneurs that they try to emulate his style as a model for their first startup.

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Product Marketing 103

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 8, 2016

It may seem hard to believe, but even in 2016, there remain a number of successful consumer brands that are not sold online. I thought it would be interesting to understand the challenges and concerns of entrepreneurs who began selling online for the first time in 2016, so I sat down with Heidi Muther, COO at Z S upply , LLC.

Sites 100

Sites Sales Santa Barbara Design 100

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. In our industry we applaud the efforts for entrepreneurs to have tried and we know that today’s failure can bring the experience for tomorrow’s success. But today I want to give you advice on how to decrease your odds of failure in a startup.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 26, 2016

6 Entrepreneurs share their predictions for this year’s evolution of online industries, which will be key for small businesses across the globe in 2016. For the VPN industry specifically, we will see a lot of new providers as the barrier to entry is extremely low, and demand is high. Wireless Global Connections.

Commerce 40

Commerce Mobile Technical Review Google 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

I find that this type offers the most value to new entrepreneurs or startups in the early idea stage. Here are some of the key parameters that will help you decide where you fit in this spectrum: Your commitment to the entrepreneur lifestyle. Most incubators start their program with some aptitude and business acumen tests.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2016

The cost of entry to the entrepreneur lifestyle is at an all-time low, but the challenge of winning and success is at an all-time high. As an Angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. People who shape the future, like Steve Jobs, do this.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Social Network SpaceX Ideas 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 4, 2017

With the Identity Theft Resource Center® reporting a 40 percent increase in data breaches in 2016, there seems to be a growing population out there worried about all the people intent on hurting them. My plea to entrepreneurs is to recognize these concerns as an opportunity, to make people’s life better, rather than stoke the fires.

Entrepreneur 54

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Symantec 54

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2016

Starting a new business is not an informal process, and should never be treated like a hobby between friends. Unfortunately, as a startup advisor and angel investor, I’ve seen too many ventures with great potential get destroyed or set back by legal and other shortcuts that should never have been allowed to happen.

Startup 62

Startup Patents Entrepreneur Writing 62

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2016

If you want to explore the world of an entrepreneur, without jumping ship, this would be the way to do it. Entrepreneurs working inside big companies are called “intrapreneurs.” A third reason would be to mingle and learn from the startup culture. The parent company never really relinquishes control.

Startup 53

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Marketing 53

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2016

Have you noticed that the really big startup wins in the last couple of decades have come from creating and dominating new market categories, more than just new solutions? Bold entrepreneurs put more effort into communicating the new market ecosystem value, and their natural product fit. Overtly design the ecosystem as well as product.

Entrepreneur 61

Entrepreneur Marketing Design SpaceX 61

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, I find that more and more entrepreneurs avoid using the term “profit” in pitching their new venture. Thus I was pleased and a bit surprised to see a new book, “ The Purpose Is Profit ,” by Ed “Skip” McLaughlin, an entrepreneur who has both succeeded and failed in starting multiple businesses.

Entrepreneur 58

Entrepreneur Ideas Pricing Customer 58

socalTECH

MARCH 4, 2021

How did you go from running a venture fund to starting Miso? This was in mid-2016, and the decreasing costs of robotics and computer vision made me think that the process of making a burger could be fully automated. So, with the last funds out of my fund, I started Miso Robotics. The demand is there.

Startup 113

Startup Venture Capital Capital Customer 113

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 2, 2017

We caught up with Fuel50 founder and CEO Anne Fulton to learn more about the startup. Anne Fulton: Fuel50 is a career pathing startup, part of the HR technology landscape. How did you start the company? Anne Fulton: I've always been an organizational psychologist crossed with a serial entrepreneur. What is Fuel50?

Help 100

Help Southern California Startup Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

One of the things I’ve learned in working with aspiring entrepreneurs is that managing and leading a team is a scary venture into the unknown for many people, even if they have worked as a business professional for years. As an entrepreneur, executive, or team member, you are most impacted by the people you gather around you.

Training 97

Training Startup Entrepreneur Summary 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2016

Good entrepreneurs are all about managing change, but too many forget that they have to change themselves as their dream evolves from a startup to a scalable business. For example, there once was a social network called Friendster , often credited with starting the social networking boom way back in 2002. It’s a big change.

Social Network 59

Social Network Startup Demand Entrepreneur 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2016

Almost every entrepreneur looking for outside investors has heard the annoying rejection, “You are just too early – come back when you have more traction.” If Bill Gates has agreed to be on the board of your software startup, that’s major traction, even with no paying customers. The job of every startup is to make customers.

Metrics 57

Metrics Funding Startup Customer 57

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2020

As a long-time business executive and adviser to entrepreneurs, I see a definitive shift away from customer trust in traditional business messages, and the executives who deliver them. I believe that the sooner every entrepreneur and brand builder adapts to this emerging trend, the sooner they will find success.

Customer 173

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2016

Most entrepreneurs I know are so passionate about their new idea that they are surprised when family and friends don’t line up to invest in their new venture. The reality is that investors, including myself, believe that the entrepreneur is more key to business success than the idea. Talking loudly is not enough.

Funding 60

Funding Startup Ideas Slides 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2016

Moonshots are simply efforts that demand breakthroughs that are not possible within business-as-usual practices. In reality, that’s the definition of a successful startup these days, so every aspiring entrepreneur should take note, as well as every existing corporate executive. Select the best proposal and announce intent.

Startup 56

Startup Metrics Entrepreneur Resource 56

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 17, 2017

Like many tech entrepreneurs, Sean Behr had a young business that was popular with consumers, but was also losing money. So in February of 2016, he decided to refocus his San Francisco startup on the small, but unexpectedly profitable aspect of his service that could operate in the black.

Services 69

Services Entrepreneur Startup San Diego 69

LATechDigest

MAY 16, 2016

Silicon Beach Startup 101 (-5/20). Startups in the Sky. Manager IRVING AZOFF to YouTube: Pay Up ( link ). CORNERSTONE ON DEMAND Launches New Products ( link ). Rhubarb Hosted Entrepreneur Journeys. Calvin Lee (@mayhemstudios) May 12, 2016. Startup Grind Hosted Jason Nazar. Monday May 16. LA Fintech.

Santa Monica 45

Santa Monica Snapchat Pasadena News 45

socalTECH

AUGUST 18, 2017

Judges, juries, defense, and prosecuters are now expecting and demanding video be produced in the courtroom. Marcus Filipovich: I joined as Chief Executive Officer in January of 2016, however, our founders are really the pioneers in the area of using eye signs for drug enforcement. How did the company and its technology come about?

Pasadena Angels 100

Pasadena Angels Pasadena Technical Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. The bar is being raised, so every entrepreneur needs new initiatives just to stay in the ballgame. Here are some key ideas to get you started: It all starts with the right people on your team.

Customer 55

Customer Custom Startup Coach 55

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 7, 2015

Who makes more money, entrepreneurs or venture capitalists? Jason’s comments caused me to compare my career as an entrepreneur and a VC with Rincon Venture Partners. This analysis is particularly timely, given the recent tidal wave of successful entrepreneurs who have become Angel and venture investors. The Answer: “Yes and No”.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Capital .Net Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2016

In addition to funding, the good news is that all of these provide aspiring entrepreneurs with an opportunity to perfect their marketing pitch, get some valuable target customer feedback and improve visibility to other funding sources. While all this is definitely a boon to entrepreneurs, it does come with its own set of challenges.

Technical Review 58

Technical Review Platform Entrepreneur Funding 58

Eric Greenspan

MAY 19, 2016

I was overwhelmed with that choice, but as I scanned the article published in the Star Tribune, APRIL 11, 2016 — 11:07AM., I no longer owned the URL that was mine since 1996 and I was up to my eyeballs at that time with legal issues, as I had personally guaranteed the Mini Cooper fleet, office equipment and a whole lot of company loans.

IBM 136

IBM IBM Writing Networking 136

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

Tech entrepreneurs are likely considering how hospitable the new leadership might be to their specific industry sectors. The Democratic Party nominee says she would support charter schools that beef up STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and math). families earning up to $125,000 a year. schools don’t do now.

Education 40

Education Platform Company Companies 40

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

I’d like to explain as best I can my opinion on what is going on because most of what I hear from entrepreneurs is not only wrong but is reminiscent of what I heard in 1997-2000. The Motive for Speaking Up. ” “Mark has a vested interest in talking down valuations of startups.” All of these are false.

Startup 150

Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2016

Customers now expect services to be more technology-enabled, such as online banking, parcel tracking, transportation on demand, and smart home security. Marty Zwilling First published on Forbes on 07/04/2016. Infusing technology within the customer experience. New media shapes and reflects the customer experience.

Services 54

Services Social Media Technical Review Media 54

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2016

Despite a valiant effort, we only briefly succeeded in putting IBM in the personal computer business, but our efforts changed my view of entrepreneurs forever. No consideration can be given to experience running a startup, breadth of skills, or even thinking like an entrepreneur. Every such deal was an exception.

IBM 85

IBM IBM Entrepreneur Technical Review 85

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2016

I’m a practical guy, so I recognize that expecting the real world to be fair is a dream that every entrepreneur needs to put aside as they reach the age of majority. Necessary infrastructure is an inhibitor to many startup innovations and can take generations to fix. Demand for safety and usage regulations.

Entrepreneur 57

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Training 57

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2016

Committees don’t create successful startups. A single visionary entrepreneur almost always is the initial implementer of an innovative new venture, but that lone entrepreneur doesn’t have the bandwidth to grow the business alone. That’s a big transition, and many entrepreneurs never make it.

Mentor 59

Mentor Entrepreneur Demand Coach 59