Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee). Line up an experienced team.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2014

The first question I usually get is what percent of the company or equity is that person worth? Just because it was your idea doesn’t mean you “deserve” 90 percent of the equity. The value in a startup is all about tangible results, so there is no equity value in the idea alone. Key to required patents or trade secrets.

Equity 104

Equity Patents Startup CTO Hire 104

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. Listens before answering questions. Networked and connected.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Angel Technical Review Course 96

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee). Line up an experienced team.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

I see too many executive summaries that are simply heavy-duty customer pitches, or lightweight visions of the future. As an angel investor, what I’m looking for is key data from your business plan, including financial projections, how much money you are looking for and a quantification of my potential return.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Based on my experience as an angel investor and a mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs, having no business plan is the quickest way to define yourself as just a dreamer, or at best a hobbyist. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost. Skip the acronyms and jargon.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

As an occasional angel investor, I always ask for a business pitch to get me in the mood. Unfortunately, customers look for value in solving their problem, and new technologies alone scare them, so these solutions don’t get bought by customers, or funded. Of course, you wouldn’t include this data in your customer product pitch.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2013

Yet, according to many sources , over 90 percent of all businesses are started and grown with no equity financing, and many others would have been better off without it. In fact, most of the rich entrepreneurs you know actively turned away early equity proposals. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. You need a prototype.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Technical Review Equity 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. Listens before answering questions. Networked and connected.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Course Patents 109

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2014

Bitvore is based in Irvine, and is backed by serial entrepreneur Yuri Pikover, as well as other angels. That''s really where the genesis of this comes from, and we have patents around the idea of continually analyzing both structure and semistructured data from a wide variety of sources, simultaneously. How did you end up raising both?

Orange County 245

Orange County Startup News IBM 245

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. Listens before answering questions. Networked and connected.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Technical Review Course Patents 117

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Yet, according to many sources , over 90 percent of all businesses are started and grown with no equity financing, and many others would have been better off without it. In fact, most of the rich entrepreneurs you know actively turned away early equity proposals. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. You need a prototype.

Technical Review 95

Technical Review Startup Equity Entrepreneur 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2012

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Here is how and why it works, including a customer-centric quantification of the benefits. Opportunity sizing. Exit strategy.

Slides 99

Slides Competition Sample Sales 99

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Yet, according to many sources , over 90 percent of all businesses are started and grown with no equity financing, and many others would have been better off without it. In fact, most of the rich entrepreneurs you know actively turned away early equity proposals. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. You need a prototype.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Equity 102

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 22, 2013

CapLinked’s enterprise customers will also have the option to leverage Quipa’s innovative data-in-transit security technology for transferring files in and out of the cloud. This allowsCapLinked to offer its customers a security option that’s both state-of-the-art and unobtrusive.”. Cutting Edge Technologies. Series A Round.

Yammer 72

Yammer Journal Networking Software 72

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

socalTECH

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Orange County startup Beatshare --backed by the Tech Coast Angels, Pasadena Angels, Harvard Business School Angels, and Archangels, among others�thinks it's figured out the formula to make music the message in its mobile app. That's what really started to get us interest from the angel community. How did you two connect?

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach Startup Pasadena Angels 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

For a business, you must define the absolute minimum features you need to satisfy the customer problem, and test it in the market. By using a laser focused approach for the first iteration, you may actually produce something and get a customer without funding. Get a real customer and real revenue. Show personal investment.

Funding 112

Funding Entrepreneur Startup CTO Hire 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2011

As a member of the local Angel group selection committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Here is how and why it works, including a customer-centric quantification of the benefits. Opportunity sizing. Exit strategy.

Slides 93

Slides Competition Sample Sales 93

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2016

If you expect an equity investment from reputable investors for your new startup, you need to know the boundaries that often limit their interest. As an active angel investor, here are some key ones I have seen, with some guidance on how to improve your odds. It costs very little to file a provisional patent to begin your protection.

Funding 57

Funding Social Media Startup Patents 57

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

For a business, you must define the absolute minimum features you need to satisfy the customer problem, and test it in the market. By using a laser focused approach for the first iteration, you may actually produce something and get a customer without funding. Get a real customer and real revenue. Show personal investment.

Startup 104

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 19, 2010

As a member of the local angel group Selection Committee, I’ve seen a lot of startup presentations to investors, and I’ve never seen one that was too short - maybe short on content, but not short on pages! Here is how and why it works, including a customer-centric quantification of the benefits. Opportunity sizing. Exit strategy.

Slides 94

Slides Competition Sample Sales 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2016

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. Filing a provisional patent costs very little if you do it yourself, and it holds your place in line for a year.

Startup 62

Startup Patents Entrepreneur Writing 62

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

For a business, you must define the absolute minimum features you need to satisfy the customer problem, and test it in the market. By using a laser focused approach for the first iteration, you may actually produce something and get a customer without funding. Get a real customer and real revenue. Show personal investment.

Startup 101

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2010

For a business, you must define the absolute minimum features you need to satisfy the customer problem, and test it in the market. By using a laser focused approach for the first iteration, you may actually produce something and get a customer without funding. Get a real customer and real revenue. Show personal investment.

Tips 88

Tips Startup CTO Hire Press 88

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2021

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs and occasional angel investor, I often see and hear innovative product pitches that sound exciting, but are missing one or more of the key business elements that investors deem critical for funding consideration. Quantify your value proposition for customers.

Funding 132

Funding Template Resource Competition 132

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Technology and IP law are at the forefront of the movie, and themes include common issues in startups regarding cash flow, IP rights, tech development, product design and distribution of equity. Gagnier [ [link] ] are forward-thinking Los Angeles-based intellectual property attorneys and online journalists.

IP 81

IP Social Network Technical Review Networking 81

SoCal Delicious

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

If a person from outside Los Angeles is a fan of the city, dig a little and you’ll probably find that they like it for the celebrities, Hollywood not LA. Well, they’re all wrong, and Los Angeles is about to prove it. Next → For one reason or another, people in this country tend to look down on LA.

Technical Review 75

Technical Review Entrepreneur Riot Games Southern California 75

Jason Nazar

MAY 2, 2016

If you are inventing or creating a product, understand patents and register for one at the USPTO. Find sources of capital— friends & family, business bank loans , angel investment , venture capital or even crowdfunding ( Crowdfunder , Fundable ). Clarify who gets equity , and how much. Recommended. Recommended.

Outsource Development 40

Outsource Development Startup Google Mentor 40

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2009

We brought together Peter Cowen of Groundwork Equity , Mark Suster of GRP Partners , Rick Smith of Crosscut Ventures , and Richard Yen of Saban Ventures -- all of who will be on the judging panel for the Tech Coast Angel's Fast Pitch on February 24th, to give us a their hints and tips about pitching to venture capitalists.

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels Ideas Entrepreneur Invest 100

SoCal Delicious

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

Participating companies get between $4,000 and $8,000 in addition to mentorship and office space while participating in the 12 week program, and have to give up zero equity in exchange. It also won a number of key patents bit.ly/RiJCFI No "one more thing" no Foo Fighters, just a ton of new hardware #apple 20 minutes ago.

UCLA 47

UCLA Invest Startup Class 47

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

One of the first tough decisions that startup founders have to make is how to allocate or split the equity among co-founders. Another common “failure to start” situation I see is one where the “idea person” insists that the idea is 90% of the value (and 90% of the equity). Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold.

Equity 91

Equity Startup CTO Hire CTO Coach 91

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2012

One of the first tough decisions that startup founders have to make is how to allocate or split the equity among co-founders. Another common “failure to start” situation I see is one where the “idea person” insists that the idea is 90% of the value (and 90% of the equity). Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold.

Startup 101

Startup Entrepreneur Equity CTO Hire 101