Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 17, 2020

These things outside your control do happen, but based on my years of experience as a startup advisor and angel investor, I still see too many strategies leading to failure that are inside the entrepreneur decision realm. I believe the old adage that you don’t know what you don’t know until you try to write it down.

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Startup Writing Entrepreneur Ideas 174

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Capitalism is fundamentally about timing, since market competition is about finding opportunities before others. Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. 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. When should a VC invest?

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Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 26, 2013

I will add to this as I write more in the coming weeks on the topic. If you’re a very early stage startup that just raised your first angel money it is very possible that the funding announcement will be your first big tech news. There are reasons you may delay funding announcement but rarely reasons not to announce.

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Startup Funding News Press 355

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

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. This is the norm and unless you have a hugely competitive round it’s not worth fighting.

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Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 4, 2016

I find the over-introducers especially corrosive around first-time founders who often struggle with the balance of their time between tasks like building product versus tasks like speaking at conferences or meeting with potential business development partners. Focus is almost always the right answer.

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Innocal Conference Help Study 255

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Some entrepreneurs love to talk and produce videos, but hate to write anything down. As with most business and personal interactions, first impressions tend to become lasting ones. Marty Zwilling.

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Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

TechCrunch LA

MAY 17, 2019

The Los Angeles-based company has already launched a beta version of its streaming service, Ficto , and yesterday announced a host of new shows that will appear on the app later this year. Michael Scott is simultaneously writing a pilot for linear television. Feist novels have sold over 20 million copies.

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Services Report Netflix Content 167

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

Tech companies have spent the past decade or more developing innovations that can be applied to old-world industries like agriculture, construction, energy, education, manufacturing and transportation and logistics. A Biden presidency doesn’t need a Green New Deal to make progress on climate change. ” Climate resiliency .

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Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 16, 2010

We talked with Noah about how the company grew out of a business plan competition at the University of Southern California, his recent funding from the Maverick Angels, as well as how the firm hopes to stand out among a crowded list of comparison shopping sites. We then went out to raise money, and got started on development.

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USC CPC Sites Startup 207

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 15, 2010

I give a sneak peek at a blog post I’m writing on the topic next week. No problem to have some developers in remote locations. Can you please explain convertible debt and specifically how it pertains to angel deals? I’m going to make this a regular part of the show since it was really fun.

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Venture Capital Seed Funding Pricing Southern California 210

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). Lower costs to start a business (95% reduction), many more companies created & funded by angels / seed. Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.”

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Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

One of the pitfalls of optimism is the expectation for early customer growth, and understating the real costs of design, development, and inventory. The solution here is to never stop the fundraising cycle, moving quickly from friends and family, to angels, to venture capitalists. Your customers and competition make unexpected moves.

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Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

socalTECH

MARCH 2, 2020

Smith , the founder of Croquet (www.croquet.io), a new Los Angeles startup which actually has its roots at the very beginning of the modern computing era. Croquet is developing software for collaborative applications, which has applications in virtual worlds and augmented and virtual reality. Are Android and iOS then your competition?

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Platform Startup Examples Web 168

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

I had an enjoyable conversation this morning with a young team straight out of college this morning and they were calling to ask advice on how to approach fund raising (angels vs. VCs, how to select a VC, etc.) So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Connections?

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2016

There are a lot of other competition shows and reality show, which are much more predatory and cut-throat, and it's nice for our entrepreneurs to not only get a real investment, but get great feedback. How did you get involved with angel investing, initially? Anyone can write a check, but not everyone can provide intellectual capital.

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Startup Entrepreneur Invest Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2015

These things outside your control do happen, but based on my years of experience as a startup advisor and Angel investor, I still see too many common failure causes that are inside the entrepreneur decision realm. I believe the old adage that you don’t know what you don’t know until you try to write it down.

Startup 105

Startup Entrepreneur Writing Ideas 105

socalTECH

OCTOBER 10, 2012

The clean technology sector is infamous for taking a big toll on startups--requiring large investments, risky technology propositions, steep international competition, and fickle government policies. Neal Roche: I worked the trail of angel investors around Southern California. They're all chasing the next mobile app or Facebook app.

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Help Startup San Fernando Southern California 178

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

When to get a lawyer - If you plan to be a venture or angel backed technology company (what I mostly write about) the best time to start meeting and getting to know lawyers is long before you ever start your company. I write about some of the lessons in my post on Startup Mistakes. Many people start companies arse backwards.

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Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

socalTECH

MARCH 6, 2017

Los Angeles-based Maple Media (maplemedia.io) recently announced a big, $30M funding from Shamrock Capital, to assemble a collection of mobile applications in the utility, productivity, games and entertainment verticals. We caught up with co-founder Clark Landry to chat about his new startup, which he co-founded with Michael Ritter.

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Media Mobile Startup Acquisition 153

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

It’s true the some VCs have started writing so many checks that they resemble stock pickers but the majority of us still have less than 10 board seats at any time and tend to go pretty deep so the result is that we care deeply about where we commit our time. Would they build a world class team. I am inspired by her ambitions and plans.

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Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

But the thing I am most proud of about Rob is that he has taken a company with a uniquely talented founder & CTO – Nick Halstead – and managed to build a very tight working relationship with Nick where we drive world-class product development without having the usual founder / CEO conflicts. ” I know it sounds obvious.

Tips 365

Tips Email Venture Capital CTO Coach 365

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2009

FreedomSpeaks is a startup developing a business around connecting people with information about their political representatives, and also enabling organizations and others to do the same. I am someone who likes to interact with my Representatives and Senators, by way of writing letters, emailing, and what not.

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Startup Writing Southern California Email 100

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2014

In the Los Angeles startup world, there are lots of high profile, buzzy companies which have lots of attention and funding--but which haven''t earned a dime of revenue. We started looking at the landscape, and as I was getting my MBA at the time, ended up writing the business plan for ConsumerTrack.

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Startup El Segundo Marketing Media 239

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

Even when your startup is a one-man show, you will soon find that you are “out of control,” unless you start organizing and writing down how and when key things need to get done. Develop your business plan. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Funding process.

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Startup Outsource Development Writing Training 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Develop your business plan. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process. But having no process does not make you more competitive. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. Funding process.

Startup 107

Startup Outsource Development Training Outsource 107

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 23, 2013

The fitness professional network develops business tools that make it easier for fitness professionals to run their businesses and keep their clients engaged between training sessions. Sergey’s diverse experience as an entrepreneur, technology consultant and software executive qualifies him to lead amSTATZ’s technology development.

Social Network 92

Social Network Networking Training Summary 92

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2016

These things outside your control do happen, but based on my years of experience as a startup advisor and angel investor, I still see too many shortcuts leading to failure that are inside the entrepreneur decision realm. I believe the old adage that you don’t know what you don’t know until you try to write it down.

Startup 57

Startup Entrepreneur Writing Ideas 57

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

I remember just a decade ago in 2003 when we all laughed at how dumb people in the 90′s were talking about the race to “capture as many eyeballs as possible” before your competition. Nobody is offering to put you on their scout program and pay you to be an angel investor. Should I write off my $2.5

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Venture Capital Startup Funding Snapchat 412

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2010

Even when your startup is a one-man show, you will soon find that you are “out of control,” unless you start organizing and writing down how and when key things need to get done. Develop your business plan. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Funding process.

Startup 95

Startup Outsource Development Writing Training 95

socalTECH

MARCH 22, 2012

Earlier this month, Los Angeles startup Dollar Shave Club (www.dollarshaveclub.com) made a huge splash with its launch of a subscription, monthly delivery service for razor blades. My first job was as a page at NBC, and after that I went and did a year and a half of writing and production at MSNBC with Keith Olbermann and Chuck Scarborough.

Dollar Shave Club 210

Dollar Shave Club Startup Pricing Sample 210

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2013

Develop your business plan. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process. But having no process does not make you more competitive. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. Funding process.

Outsource Development 92

Outsource Development Training Outsource Metrics 92

socalTECH

MAY 18, 2010

For our interview today, we caught up with Al Eisaian , CEO of Pasadena-based IconApps (www.iconapps.com), which is developing mobile applications for the iPhone market. Instead, I actually go the users I wanted engaged right off the bat, in the product development stage. Al Eisaian: It's been angel funded so far.

Mobile 168

Mobile .Net Pasadena Software Review 168

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2010

Last week, Los Angeles-based Stroome (www.stroome.com), a new startup originally spawned out of a project at the USC Annenberg School of Communications, won $200,000 in the 2010 Knight News Challenge. They wanted to use the platform we had developed in a class called Mashup Culture. We grew out of an interesting use case.

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Journal USC News Startup 187

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2010

Last week at an angel investor forum I was privileged to meet Stephanie Spong, who is a Principal with EPIC Ventures, an increasingly rare early stage VC firm. This work uses everything I’ve learned, both about business and people, so it is a lot of fun. Marty: What is different about being a woman in your role versus a man?

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Venture Capital Capital Entrepreneur Competition 65

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2011

9) In Getting The Band Back Together , I write about the power of serial Founding teams. Who do you view as your biggest competition? We were the first to develop solution purpose-built for this industry and with a lot of hard work and a lot of feedback, we’ve gotten things mostly right. We met with a ton of VC’s and angels.

Marketing 209

Marketing Advertising Paid Search Startup 209

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

We’re a national venture capital investment firm but with our roots firmly in Los Angeles. She can anticipate reactions to price increases or product changes by customers and she can sustain competitive challenges because she knows the customer will stick by her. Developing trusting relationships with peers is critical.

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Startup Coach Course Invest 150

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Since selling Matt has gone on to become one of the smartest angels I have seen operate. Big thank you to Darius Vasefi , of EyeOnJewels for the write up. o Put a timeframe/money – competition in the picture. He is very hands-on and helpful – especially for any company looking into customer acquisition.

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Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304