Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Outsource Development Satisfaction Equity 129

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2020

It takes more than passion and a course on business basics. There is no standard course for this, but the answers are accessible online, if you know how to search, follow blogs, and interact with the relevant social media groups. I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is.

Entrepreneur 137

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Education 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2021

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Of course, that has be a repeatable event, with enough revenue to sustain the business.

Sales 165

Sales Customer Custom Social Media 165

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

Of course, starting and running your own business comes with financial and personal risks, so I always recommend that you do your homework first, and follow some tried and proven strategies to improve your odds of success. But if you do it right, the joys and satisfaction, as well as financial returns, of your success can’t be beat.

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Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

As an angel investor in startups, I always look for this self-confidence, no matter how innovative the solution. Of course, you can be overly confident or unrealistic in your expectations, without the skills or plans to run a business. Always be your own best (and most honest) friend.

Startup 141

Startup Entrepreneur Satisfaction Ideas 141

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2019

Of course, your experience and gut instinct are relevant, but should never be used alone. For most people these criteria would include relevant finances, experience, interest, and satisfaction. The result is lost time, and the window of opportunity may have passed. Gather relevant information from multiple sources. Minimize compromise.

Startup 127

Startup Satisfaction Study Course 127

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2013

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs the last couple of years is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. Of course, this might also lead to investors, partners, and licensing opportunities. Good-cause crowd funding.

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Funding Satisfaction Sites Outsource Development 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

Maintaining your team’s passion and freedom to focus first on innovating for customers are only a couple of the reasons for thinking hard before you seek money from crowdfunding, angel investors, venture capital organizations, or attempt to qualify for a public stock offering. Investors want board seats and a vote on key decisions.

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Funding Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2015

It takes more than passion and a course on business basics. There is no standard course for this, but the answers are accessible online, if you know how to search, follow blogs, and interact with the relevant social media groups. I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is.

Entrepreneur 112

Entrepreneur Startup Education Tool 112

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2012

The new hot topic for entrepreneurs these days is crowd funding, which is anticipated to at least supplement, if not replace, the slow and mysterious process of current Angel and venture capital investors. Of course, this might also lead to investors, partners, and licensing opportunities. Proceed at your own peril. Marty Zwilling.

Funding 96

Funding Satisfaction Sites Outsource Development 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 21, 2018

It takes more than passion and a course on business basics. There is no standard course for this, but the answers are accessible online, if you know how to search, follow blogs, and interact with the relevant social media groups. I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is.

Startup 51

Startup Education Entrepreneur Tool 51

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2017

As an angel investor in startups, I often find myself looking harder at the quality of the team and the leadership, than at the details of the product and business model. Of course, leaders need to encourage this action by making their objectives clear and rewarding results rather than effort.

Funding 55

Funding Satisfaction Customer Custom 55

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2013

I believe the days of the “job work” mentality are thankfully waning, with more people looking to get satisfaction by making the world a better place, rather than just tolerating brain-numbing work to fund enjoyment elsewhere. According to the Kaufman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity (KIEA), the entrepreneurial rate in the U.S.

Startup 109

Startup Entrepreneur Social Media Satisfaction 109

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2015

We lit our own KeyInfo fiber ring, which provides advanced connectivity services to Ventura and Los Angeles counties. And mid-course corrections are not bad things. His role is to ensure KeyInfo retains its technological leadership and remains focused on client satisfaction. Lief Morin is KeyInfo's founder and chief executive.

San Fernando 100

San Fernando Ventura Southern California SoCalTech 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2015

Proof of any business model starts with a finished product or solution, sold to a new customer for full price, with high satisfaction for the value received. Of course, that has be a repeatable event, with enough revenue to sustain the business.

Startup 107

Startup Sales Customer Custom 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2016

It takes more than passion and a course on business basics. There is no standard course for this, but the answers are accessible online, if you know how to search, follow blogs, and interact with the relevant social media groups. I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is.

Entrepreneur 58

Entrepreneur Startup Education Tool 58

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2017

In my activities as an angel investor, and my work with new ventures seeking investment, I find the “due diligence” stage to be fraught with the most risk. Use this opportunity to validate their satisfaction and support for your company and your solution. Update reference customers, partners, and vendors.

Invest 59

Invest Startup Doc Slides 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2012

Even more importantly, you should expect these members of your team to be your advocates to angel or VC investors, or even be part of your friends and family financing round. With such meager compensation and high expectations, you might ask, what would motivate such highly qualified professionals to agree to work with you?

Startup 95

Startup Technical Review Software Review High Tech 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2017

They skip from one to the next, providing expert guidance and money, getting their satisfaction (and reward) from the best of the best. Most Angel investors I know have previously founded and run at least one startup. Of course, it’s like a double-down in gambling as well, which can quickly turn into a double loss.

Startup 60

Startup Entrepreneur Resource Course 60

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 5, 2011

Even more importantly, you should expect these members of your team to be your advocates to angel or VC investors, or even be part of your friends and family financing round. With such meager compensation and high expectations, you might ask, what would motivate such highly qualified professionals to agree to work with you?

Startup 95

Startup Technical Review Software Review High Tech 95

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2013

They skip from one to the next, providing expert guidance and money, getting their satisfaction (and reward) from the best of the best. Most Angel investors I know have previously founded and run at least one startup. Of course, it’s like a double-down in gambling as well, which can quickly turn into a double loss.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Course 92

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 10, 2013

Earlier this week we had the opportunity to sit in at The General Assembly, Los Angeles for a fully stacked panel on a Day in the Life of a Product Manager (PM). And of course, product managers relay the abstract to the engineering teams to ensure the delivered product is, what it was planned to be.

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Product Fandango Design Startup 87

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2010

Even more importantly, you should expect these members of your team to be your advocates to angel or VC investors, or even be part of your friends and family financing round. With such meager compensation and high expectations, you might ask, what would motivate such highly qualified professionals to agree to work with you?

Invest 50

Invest Technical Review Software Review High Tech 50

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2011

Instead of following a proscribed course which may lead nowhere, entrepreneurial leaders such a Thiel are sparking a change in the way we think about success. For those of us without angel investors, there are still plenty of reasons to move ahead with new ventures, and we are not alone: It's all you. You get to call the shots.

Startup 92

Startup Capital Blogging Ideas 92

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Semick: In the beginning, many of our conversations were about whether we wanted funding from angel investors and eventually VCs. There can be quite a bit of satisfaction in that in itself. Of course there are risks. It was a viable option for us. There’s financial risk. There’s time away from family and friends.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

Timing your startup - Chris Dixon , November 7, 2010 I never had the opportunity to invest in YouTube but I have to admit that if I did I probably would have passed (which of course would have been a huge mistake). Keep going. You feel like maybe, possibly, you kinda got it now. Keep going. We'll do follow on investments in 10 of them.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Startup Product Technology 175