Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2022

Stepping into unknown territories takes real customer acquisition marketing and new costs through social media, public relations, and advertising campaigns. Start today with new customer acquisition efforts. Operational costs escalate as your business scales up. Penetrating new customer segments is not so easy.

Marketing 110

Marketing Pricing Startup Customer 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 7, 2011

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. The bad news is that patent trolls can squeeze the lifeblood out of innocent and unsuspecting entrepreneurs, as exemplified by the current mess around Lodsys patent No.

Patents 91

Patents Software Technical Advisors Innocal 91

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Failure is the best teacher. Value creation.

Coach 137

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 137

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Can tapping the power of the crowd not only help you find customers and help fund your project, but also help you shape your startup idea and find funding? A new, Los Angeles area startup, JumpStartFund (www.jumpstartfund.com) recently launched, offering up a combination of crowdfunding and crowd-advice for entrepreneurial ideas.

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

Thus I offer the following outline for how to organize and present your business plan, with specific examples: Start with outlining the customer problem, and your solution. For example, “We just patented a new battery technology that will cut your smartphone charge time and cost in half.” Use non-fuzzy terms to quantify customer value.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2021

We all hate to see your proposal rejected , when a bit more effort and homework could expedite your startup funding and rollout. Investors know that operational and employee expenses are always higher than anticipated, not to mention customer acquisition costs, capital expenses, and ongoing competitive initiatives.

Funding 132

Funding Template Resource Competition 132

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

In my experience as an angel investor to startups, goodwill disagreements are perhaps the most common reason that you will fail to close interested investors as an entrepreneur. The same goes for business deals that fail during acquisitions or when it is time for you to retire. Proprietary technology with a high barrier to entry.

Technical Review 147

Technical Review Social Media Entrepreneur Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Failure is the best teacher. Value creation.

Coach 144

Coach Metrics Social Network Competition 144

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2010

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. Yet the software patent process is a mess. Yet the software patent process is a mess. I say this with conviction even after I survived the process, and have a software patent pending.

Patents 50

Patents Software Technical Advisors IBM 50

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2013

I like the work just published by Bob Rice in “ The Alternative Answer ,” which does a great job of summarizing the investment universe, starting with the “conventional” stocks, bonds, and real estate, but moving on through more esoteric alternatives, including hedge funds, private equity, real assets, managed futures, and finally venture funding.

Invest 107

Invest Startup Venture Capital Ideas 107

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

Entrepreneurs who are looking to attract investors need to develop and pitch a plan -- preferably written -- that answers every potential investor question about your startup before it is asked. This is also the place to first mention patents and any other differentiators that put you ahead of competition.

Invest 108

Invest Startup Slides Equity 108

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2014

To hear how he bootstrapped the company to that size, we caught up with Asher earlier this week for a quick interview. Asher Delug: We have had amazing growth coming from our smart wall product, our inter-app interstitial ad product, which patent pending. That all came from parlaying the returns from my previous startup.

Startup 196

Startup Mobile Advertising Organization 196

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Failure is the best teacher I know.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

I recently got together with Aaron Shechet and an early stage startup to discuss the direction the company might want to take. I grew up in Los Angeles and went to undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 2003 with Honors in Economics. While at UC Santa Barbara, I started a café which served over 1100 dorm residents.

Startup 150

Startup SEO Pepperdine Blogging 150

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Don’t believe that Silicon Valley myth that all you have to do is sketch your idea on the back of a napkin, and investors will line up to give you money. Let me be quick to say that a plan doesn’t have be a book, and probably should start as a “pitch deck” of maybe a dozen slides which cover all the right bases.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. This may also be the moment when you get your first big acquisition offer, rather than a clone appearing. Enjoy that first video interview at an industry conference, or the newspaper story which enhances your startup visibility and credibility.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 13, 2015

Focusing on the key elements that larger brands examine when they consider an acquisition is crucial for obtaining the best price and for establishing a corporate brand that distinguishes itself from its competitors as a valuable asset. just as rising concerns over security breaches started to peak. Leveraging Your Corporate Team.

Startup 40

Startup Acquisition Outsource Development Outsource 40

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Startups Made Simple. www.pitchtheangels.com) Join Tech Coast Angels members and other start up investors at the 5th Annual Los Angeles Fast Pitch Competition. Fast Pitch Los Angeles is one of the best start up networking events of the year. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies. Don't miss it!

Southern California 113

Southern California Tech Coast Angels IP Orange County 113

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

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. Given how efficient markets are when a large market like LA starts to blossom it attracts capital pretty quickly. LA By The Numbers. But even this is changing.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2016

Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. This may also be the moment when you get your first big acquisition offer, rather than a clone appearing. Enjoy that first video interview at an industry conference, or the newspaper story which enhances your startup visibility and credibility.

Satisfaction 61

Satisfaction Startup Customer Custom 61

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2012

One of the toughest and yet most important questions you will be asked by savvy potential startup investors is “What is your sustainable competitive advantage?” It may buy you a few months, but if you show traction, competitors with deep pockets will catch up and bypass you quickly, jeopardizing all your investments.

Competition 97

Competition Patents Startup Social Network 97

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Most technologists have little interest in the mechanics of starting and building a business. I exhort entrepreneurs to keep it simple, start with a minimum viable product (MVP), and test it out with early customers. Patents are not worth the effort, since big companies will win. Fabulous solutions require great technology.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur Customer 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2011

One of the toughest and yet most important questions you will be asked by savvy potential startup investors is “What is your sustainable competitive advantage?” It may buy you a few months, but if you show traction, competitors with deep pockets will catch up and bypass you quickly, jeopardizing all your investments.

Competition 102

Competition Patents Startup Social Network 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

" Investors want to buy into an entrepreneur with a startup that can provide evidence of an ability to double customer productivity, at half the cost, with patented technology. Patents or other intellectual property are a real competitive advantage for a startup, but first to market and working harder are not sustainable.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 24, 2011

There has recently been a common theme among the entrepreneurs I have interviewed and the conferences I have attended: despite the relatively weak state of the world economy, now is a great time to create a high-tech startup. As Guy Kawasaki pointed out in our recent conversation , “…it is cheaper than ever to start a company.

Company 257

Company Companies Startup Study 257

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Failure is the best teacher. Value creation.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Coach Metrics Competition 64

Xconomy

JUNE 3, 2016

It was fitting this week that, in the lead-up to two of biomedicine’s biggest self-celebrations, we were served ample reminder of the industry’s expensive decisions gone wrong. But billions of dollars in acquisitions will be left by the side of the road. ” The project leaders are seeking $100 million in funding.

San Diego 62

San Diego Patents Acquisition News 62

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Failure is the best teacher. Value creation.

Coach 64

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 64

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2009

Startups Made Simple. and international patent and trademark procurement - IP Litigation - IP Licenses and Agreements: distribution, development, joint venture - Intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies. Deloitte (www.deloitte.com/us/technology).

Southern California 133

Southern California IP Orange County Glendale 133

socalTECH

JUNE 19, 2009

Startups Made Simple. and international patent and trademark procurement - IP. Litigation - IP Licenses and Agreements: distribution, development, joint venture - Intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies.

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Southern California Rustic Canyon IP 100

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 25, 2011

Avenue also handles a range of post-acquisition software management chores including installation and ongoing updates.

Twiistup 45

Twiistup Angel Technical Review Software Review 45

socalTECH

JUNE 26, 2009

Startups Made Simple. and international patent and trademark procurement - IP. Litigation - IP Licenses and Agreements: distribution, development, joint venture - Intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies.

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Southern California Rustic Canyon IP 100

socalTECH

JUNE 5, 2009

Startups Made Simple. and international patent and trademark procurement - IP. Litigation - IP Licenses and Agreements: distribution, development, joint venture - Intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies.

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Southern California Rustic Canyon IP 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 30, 2009

Startups Made Simple. and international patent and trademark procurement - IP. Litigation - IP Licenses and Agreements: distribution, development, joint venture - Intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Costello and Sons Insurance Brokers (www.costelloandsons.com). Deloitte (www.deloitte.com/us/technology).

Southern California 140

Southern California IP Orange County Glendale 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2015

Watch that patent provide a real barrier to competitive entry. This may also be the moment when you get your first big acquisition offer, rather than a clone appearing. Enjoy that first video interview at an industry conference, or the newspaper story which enhances your startup visibility and credibility. Marty Zwilling.

Satisfaction 101

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer Custom 101

socalTECH

JULY 24, 2009

Startups Made Simple. and international patent and trademark procurement - IP. Litigation - IP Licenses and Agreements: distribution, development, joint venture - Intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies.

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Orange County Southern California Westlake Village 100

socalTECH

MAY 22, 2009

Startups Made Simple. and international patent and trademark procurement - IP Litigation - IP Licenses and Agreements: distribution, development, joint venture - Intellectual property aspects of mergers and acquisitions. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Custom Insurance Programs for Technology Companies.

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Southern California Rustic Canyon IP 100