Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2023

The military has long recognized that machine guns are force multipliers for rifles, but businesses have been slow to capitalize on this concept. Communications that traditionally could only be broadcast to all can now be done on a customized person-to-person level, interactively. Soliciting user-generated online feedback and reviews.

Social Media 106

Social Media Software Review Course Networking 106

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), probably won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

There is nothing more pure than building a product, putting it out in the world and seeing paying customers using your product and in some cases loving it. As a startup in this phase you often raise capital, get press, hire staff and everything feels possible. How long does it take me to pay back my original customer acquisition costs?

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 286

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Tips 104

Tips Startup Technical Review Equity 104

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Startup 128

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 128

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 1, 2020

The military has long recognized that machine guns are force multipliers for rifles, but businesses have been slow to capitalize on this concept. Communications that traditionally could only be broadcast to all can now be done on a customized person-to-person level, interactively. Soliciting user-generated online feedback and reviews.

Tips 124

Tips Social Media Software Review Course 124

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

The part of the movement that resonates the most with me (in my words) is that entrepreneurs should keep their capital expenditures really low while they’re experimenting with their product and determining whether there is a large market for what they do. I believe that over capitalizing companies too early often favors the VC.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. This is equivalent to being handed a free customer for every ten customers you acquire.

Custom 164

Custom Customer Advertising SEM 164

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 9, 2019

I fund startups for a living and before that I ran two software startups that I founded. When a company raises capital it inevitably begins to look for office space in order to increase worker productivity and happiness. He then left them alone because they could prove they were in compliance w/ the code.

Product 214

Product Software Review Technical Review Startup 214

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

The key to being able to run a business that isn’t yet profitable (on operating margin) is availability of capital to finance losses and preferably at a cost that isn’t too punitive to the founders and employees. It’s funny how scarcity of capital can focus one’s mind. Customer acquisition cost. If you can’t raise — you’re dead.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Now, more than ever, government agencies in the US and abroad are lousy startup customers. Government customers abundantly waste both of these assets by negatively impacting a startup’s cash flows while causing it to spend unnecessary time participating in laborious approval processes and elongated sales cycles.

Startup 207

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Sales 207

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. And I try my best to point them to resources that can help them longer term. Who's the customer? Have you raised capital?

CTO Hire 264

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 264

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. And I try my best to point them to resources that can help them longer term. Who's the customer? Have you raised capital?

CTO Hire 259

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 259

socalTECH

JUNE 4, 2018

com) recently , announced a new healthcare focused venture capital fund, worth $25M. Wavemaker is a very established venture capital fund, a generalist fund run by Eric Manlunas. Those are all of the customers an early stage company might want. Pasadena-based WaveMaker Three-Sixty Healthcare (www.wavemaker360.com)

Startup 113

Startup Technical Review Software Review Artificial Inteligence 113

socalTECH

JULY 12, 2013

Many companies would love to be able to get the benefits of cloud--easy configurability, low cost, scaling, and more--but, due to various reasons, can''t take advantage of public cloud services like Amazon. We are also pushing out updates all the time to our customers. That''s very powerful, if you think about.

CIO 207

CIO Southern California Technical Review Software Review 207

socalTECH

DECEMBER 1, 2008

In what looks to be a challenging funding climate for entrepreneurs, we thought it would be interesting to talk to one fund which is still making investments--Saban Ventures (www.saban.com)--a new, digital media focused venture capital fund located in Los Angeles. For those not familiar with Saban Capital, tell us about the fund?

Capital 100

Capital Southern California Media Venture Capital 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), probably won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Startup 97

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Startup 87

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 87

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2014

On one end, entrepreneurs who have (at minimum) built something customers love and are willing to pay for, and the other hand, investors who are looking for the very companies who fit that profile. You’ve built a great business, your customers love you. And those who have gone through the process, know. 116,105,000.

Invest 100

Invest Startup Technical Review Software Review 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2010

The company provides SAT, ACT, and other similar test preparation courses and related software. I had worked as a tutor for Princeton Review, and Jake for Kaplan. We thought, we could put out a better product than Kaplan or Princeton Review, which would be more compelling, and also would tie in a strong social mission.

Software Review 178

Software Review Technical Review Education Startup 178

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 105

socalTECH

JANUARY 17, 2017

In emerging markets and the developing world, access to banking, capital, and financial resources is fare more difficult than here in the U.S., due to a less developed financial system, lack of credit tracking, and oftentimes and informal economy. years, but I really got to be able to observe the daily lives of those customers.

Startup 100

Startup Santa Monica Custom Customer 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Startup 123

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 123

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

To grow faster businesses need resources in today’s financial period to fund growth that may not come for 6 months to a year. You have to understand whether they’re likely to yield revenue growth in the near term OR whether you have access to cheap enough capital to fund your losses until your investments pay off.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2015

The military has long recognized that machine guns are force multipliers for rifles, but businesses have been slow to capitalize on this concept. Communications that traditionally could only be broadcast to all can now be done on a customized person-to-person level, interactively. Soliciting user-generated online feedback and reviews.

Social Media 99

Social Media Software Review Entrepreneur Course 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Develop 70

Develop Development Product Startup 70

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2018

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. These resources often include a cash investment, as well as office space, and consulting.

Startup 53

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 53

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2016

This has led VC & entrepreneur bloggers alike to similar conclusions: start raising capital early and be careful about having too high of a burn rate because that lessens the amount of runway you have until you need more cash. But the hardest question to actually answer is, “What is the right burn rate for your company?

Startup 150

Startup Capital Funding Invest 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2015

Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Startup 109

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 109

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2017

Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Sites 59

Sites Startup Technical Review Oracle 59

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2016

The military has long recognized that machine guns are force multipliers for rifles, but businesses have been slow to capitalize on this concept. Communications that traditionally could only be broadcast to all can now be done on a customized person-to-person level, interactively. Soliciting user-generated online feedback and reviews.

Startup 58

Startup Social Media Software Review Entrepreneur 58

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2013

Also, investors from the super-hubs (Silicon Valley, New York, or Boston), won’t assume anyone outside their domain has the savvy and resources to make it happen. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Startup 102

Startup Technical Review Oracle Entrepreneur 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

There is a common belief in the angel and venture capital community that you put your money on the best team, rather than the best idea. If your team has a depth of expertise in software, that won’t help you get funding for a new hardware solution. Solo entrepreneurs rarely find an investor. Focus on prior results, not titles.

Startup 60

Startup Entrepreneur Software Review Technical Review 60

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2018

Jonathan Neddenriep: So, the core of what we've built in Postie, is a machine learning stack that ingests who your current customers are, and figures out who across every household in the United States is most likely to become a customer based on that data. We build on those audiences, and find others that look alike.

CTO Hire 100

CTO Hire Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Marketing 100

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

It requires you to expend your two most valuable resources, your time and your money. Even if your company is not acquired and you elect to access the public capital markets via an IPO, the above tenets remain valid. Patent examiners generally ask for clarification during the review process. No Patents, No Interest.

IP 256

IP Patents Company Companies 256

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

It says that selling an airplane ticket for $500 and getting paid a $5 fees by the airlines (1% gross margin) is not the same thing as selling $500 of software that you built (>90% gross margin). Marketing with long payback is precisely what requires venture capital. That is how great businesses are built.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150