Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” Most provide free resources to startups, including office facilities and consulting, but many provide seed funding as well. Apply to local angel investor groups. Solicit venture capital investors.

Funding 174

Funding Startup Equity Examples 174

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

Amplify Mentor Panel in full swing. Amplify’s close mentoring is by design. Like good mentors Paul, Jeff, Richard, Oded and David as well as Chris and Kris create an atmosphere in which the motivated founders can take advantage of the knowledge base to which they are exposed.

Web Design 103

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 103

socalTECH

JUNE 1, 2012

Are users willing to check into local businesses with another, mobile check-in product? That's what Los Angeles-based MergeLocal (www.mergelocal.com) is looking to find out, by offering up points which can be converted to real cash, when users check into local businesses. Can you talk about how your company is funded?

CTO Coach 223

CTO Coach Startup Mobile Artificial Inteligence 223

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2011

If you are new to the entrepreneurial world of startups, you are likely confused by the terminology of seed-stage, lean startups, micro-VCs, and Super Angels. Seed-stage means promising companies that don’t yet have a revenue stream, and may not yet have a proof of concept. Super Angels. Incremental investment may follow.

Startup 92

Startup Funding Seed Funding Incubator 92

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

If you are new to the entrepreneurial world of startups, you are likely confused by the terminology of seed-stage, lean startups, micro-VCs, and Super Angels. He is going gangbusters, and is now targeting a $50M second round of funding. Super Angels. Thus the more precise term these days for early startups is “seed stage.”

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Seed Funding Incubator 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2018

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” Most provide free resources to startups, including office facilities and consulting, but many provide seed funding as well. Apply to local angel investor groups. Solicit venture capital investors.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Funding 96

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

Amplify Mentor Panel in full swing. Amplify’s close mentoring is by design. Like good mentors Paul, Jeff, Richard, Oded and David as well as Chris and Kris create an atmosphere in which the motivated founders can take advantage of the knowledge base to which they are exposed.

Web Design 40

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 40

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” Most provide free resources to startups, including office facilities and consulting, but many provide seed funding as well. Apply to local Angel investor groups. Solicit venture capital investors.

Funding 107

Funding Startup Equity Examples 107

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

I have been involved with a high profile one in Los Angeles – Launchpad LA – and we’ve decided to make a shift so I thought this was a good time for reflection. Companies were getting funded more easily and many more companies were actually being created. Accelerators have had quite a good run the past 5+ years.

Venture Capital 290

Venture Capital Startup Idealab Funding 290

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2014

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” Most provide free resources to startups, including office facilities and consulting, but many provide seed funding as well. Apply to local Angel investor groups. Solicit venture capital investors.

Startup 113

Startup Entrepreneur Funding Equity 113

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

There are too many deals to look at, too many seed funds or angels asking you to look at deals and weekly “demo days” with manicured and monocultural presentations crafted by experienced story tellers to help even the mundane idea sound like it will. For investors life is no different. Easier said than done.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

As a mentor to young aspiring entrepreneurs , I often get asked for tips on a strategy to get started. Don’t be shy about networking for advisors with business experience for coaching and mentoring. Raising money is difficult, even with the best idea, so don’t assume any entitlement to loans, grants, or seed funding.

Startup 114

Startup Tips Coach Satisfaction 114

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

Many incubators do provide seed funding for entrepreneurs selected, usually in small amounts like $10,000 to $20,000, and usually taking 5% to 15% of your equity in return. Expert mentoring and training. Every successful incubator has strong leadership and staff with business and investment credentials. Peer support.

Incubator 146

Incubator Technical Review Entrepreneur Mentor 146

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2022

Some entrepreneurs, like Paul Graham , co-founder of Y-Combinator, and Dave McClure , founder of 500 Startups, mask their focus on multiple startups by running an incubator or accelerator, and providing seed funding for a number of individual efforts. Advisors and mentors are busy people. Optimize your advisers and investors.

Entrepreneur 145

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Course 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2014

Many incubators do provide seed funding for entrepreneurs selected, usually in small amounts like $10,000 to $20,000, and usually taking 5% to 15% of your equity in return. Expert mentoring and training. Every successful incubator has strong leadership and staff with business and investment credentials. Peer support.

Incubator 103

Incubator Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2013

Many incubators do provide seed funding for entrepreneurs selected, usually in small amounts like $10,000 to $20,000, and usually taking 5% to 15% of your equity in return. Expert mentoring and training. Every successful incubator has strong leadership and staff with business and investment credentials. Peer support.

Incubator 115

Incubator Help Startup Technical Review 115

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2019

Some entrepreneurs, like Paul Graham , co-founder of Y-Combinator, and Dave McClure , founder of 500 Startups, mask their focus on multiple startups by running an incubator or accelerator, and providing seed funding for a number of individual efforts. Advisors and mentors are busy people. Optimize your advisers and investors.

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Resource Course 99

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

August was a slow month in terms of traffic and I was away for a lot of the month, but there were some really great posts at the intersection of startups, technology, product and being a Startup CTO. Product Friday: Monetizing Content is a Product Problem - This is going to be BIG. m the f%*kin’ boss.”. Same goes for television.

Startup 191

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Hire 191

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 27, 2013

You raised your seed funds. You build a team, ship your product, more tech press, more funding. Another meeting last week with a different founder who sold for 100′s of millions and is not an active angel, “Startups are hard. But reality sets in after the first few battles. You attend speaker dinners.

Startup 371

Startup Press Blogging Entrepreneur 371

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2017

Some entrepreneurs, like Paul Graham of Y Combinator, and Dave McClure of 500 Startups, mask their focus on multiple startups by running an incubator or accelerator, and providing seed funding for a number of individual efforts. Advisors and mentors are busy people. Products need not be tied to a given company.

Startup 60

Startup Entrepreneur Resource Course 60

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2013

Some entrepreneurs, like Paul Graham of Y Combinator, and Dave McClure of 500 Startups, mask their focus on multiple startups by running an incubator or accelerator, and providing seed funding for a number of individual efforts. Advisors and mentors are busy people. Products need not be tied to a given company.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Course 92

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 3, 2010

Welcome to the Lost Decade (for Entrepreneurs, IPO’s and VC’s) - Steve Blank , July 15, 2010 If you take funding from a venture capital firm or angel investor and want to build a large, enduring company (rather than sell it to the highest bidder), this isn’t the decade to do it. Angel vs VC? - Not so bad. Metrics availability.

Startup 217

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Software Review 217