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. For IBM, the Personal Computer was a paradigm shift from their big business legacy, built with new technologies for totally new markets, and battleships turn very slowly.

IBM 85

IBM IBM Entrepreneur Technical Review 85

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2016

As a small business and startup advisor, I find that entrepreneurs often love to talk about their latest idea, but not their execution. For example, Elon Musk is recognized as a visionary entrepreneur, but his fortune and his impact has come from the great companies he has built, including SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and PayPal.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Metrics Ideas 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2018

With the current strong economy, and sparked by the last recession, I’m seeing a real resurgence of entrepreneurial spirit, and more startup activity than ever before. An unprecedented number of startups, almost 200 at last count, are now valued above $1 billion, according to a recent Forbes article.

Entrepreneur 66

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Satisfaction 66

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

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. Reviewing financial & operational performance. As You Start to Mature.

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Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

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. As an example, I am intrigued with the innovation and technology associated with flying drones of all configurations. Technology can change faster than laws.

Entrepreneur 57

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Training 57

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. In 2016, the price of mobile data will remain relatively stable. Streamlined Online Experiences – Think Slack 2016. Data Security Concerns Dominate.

Commerce 40

Commerce Mobile Technical Review Google 40

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.

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Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 17, 2017

Starting back in 2015 and throughout much of 2016 people started commenting that my blog had become a lot more political. My blog has always been a mixture of what was on my mind and a blend of venture, startup life, tech views and current society events that related to my interests: Venture, startup & tech.

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Startup Blogging Technical Review Writing 197

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

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 7, 2016

Every startup begins with an idea, but from that point forward, it’s all about execution. Investors have also learned not to invest in ideas but only in entrepreneurs and teams who can deliver solutions. As a result, Google has become a verb, and the company is a tech giant with record growth rates and a revenue of $74.5

Ideas 59

Ideas Technical Review Google Startup 59

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. We're a disruptor, the third wave in human resources technology. How did you start the company? So how did you end up here in California?

Help 100

Help Southern California Startup Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

The biggest complaint I hear from investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. If you start by pitching your extended life story, that’s the wrong point. Don’t forget to ask for the order.

Startup 64

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 64

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.

Custom 173

Custom Customer Social Media Technical Review 173

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2016

Successful entrepreneurs understand the difference between a good business relationship with more people and having more friends. In fact, the focus on social networking platforms, starting with Facebook, has destroyed the meaning of the word friend and even changed it from a noun to a verb. Everyone needs private friend relationships.

Entrepreneur 66

Entrepreneur Social Network Technical Review Social Media 66

socalTECH

AUGUST 18, 2017

For the first time, in a long time, traffic deaths and crashes are rising, due to drunk and drugged driving. How did the company and its technology come about? 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.

Pasadena Angels 100

Pasadena Angels Pasadena Technical Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

Angel investors are still the lifeblood of early-stage startups, despite the surge of activity in crowdfunding and an increasing early interest from venture capitalists. A business needs technical, marketing, financial and many other skills. In today’s world, if your startup is not visible on the Internet, you haven’t started yet.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2016

For a software startup, a patent can be the intellectual property providing the key competitive advantage, or it can be an expensive non-defensible bureaucratic nightmare -- or both. Even if you start with the U.S. That’s more than a lifetime in today’s technology. Patent offices can’t keep up with software technology.

Patents 53

Patents Software Review Software Technical Advisors 53

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

After listening to hundreds of startup pitches, and reading even more business plans, most new venture investors develop their own favorite list of “red flags” that signal the beginning of the end of their interest. Terms “paradigm shift” or “disruptive technology” used more than once. None of these cases are credible.

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Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Most entrepreneurs never forget for a moment that having investors means owing money, even if they can legally argue that equity is not debt.

Funding 57

Funding Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2016

A question I often get asked as an advisor to startups is how to recognize and attract the best people to grow the business. The reality is that entrepreneurs usually don’t have the money or time for executive recruiters to do the filtering and selection for them. Get it reviewed and approved by peers, including salary and perks.

Technical Review 56

Technical Review Coach Training Screening 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2016

The good news is that everyone expects entrepreneurs to make mistakes, since founders explore uncharted territory. In fact, investors recognize that founders usually learn more from mistakes than from success, so a well-explained startup failure can improve their odds of funding the next time around.

Startup 59

Startup Training Entrepreneur Custom 59

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2016

Things change so fast these days in business that your first priority as an entrepreneur is to stay current, by talking to customers, peers, and experts. The days are gone when growing a business meant putting repeatable processes in place, settling into a groove, and simply cranking up volume. No change means falling behind.

Social Media 67

Social Media Metrics Startup Technical Review 67

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 25, 2016

If you can’t provide a memorable customer experience, your startup won’t survive very long these days. According to many observers , we can thank or blame technology for these higher expectations, providing information at the speed of light, leading everyone to expect more. Every job on your team drives your customer experience.

Custom 55

Custom Customer Startup Coach 55

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

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2016

Many entrepreneurs assume that everyone will love their solution as much as they do, so they tune their marketing focus based on their own needs and wants. That’s the right place to start, but real growth and scale requires attracting customers who are not like you. Update your technology to reach new customer segments.

Custom 55

Custom Customer Marketing Social Media 55

Xconomy

AUGUST 12, 2016

government’s Precision Medicine Initiative is an ambitious effort to collect the genomic data of 1 million Americans, and tech giant Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG ) is deeply involved. That story and the rest of the week’s biotech headlines below. —The U.S. —David H.

Google 40

Google Technical Review News Research 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2016

Customers today extrapolate their relationships not only from personal contact, but from every aspect of their interface with your company, including web site and social media interactions, access to peer reviews, as well as the actual services experience. Infusing technology within the customer experience.

Services 54

Services Social Media Technical Review Media 54