Jason Nazar

JANUARY 1, 2016

I never bought books, rarely went to class, and hardly studied for exams. But I did spent those four years starting businesses and courting many mentors to help me along the way. Instead of studying for my classes, I’d set up new meet & greet meetings with successful alums. Who should you pick as your mentor?

Mentor 41

Mentor Startup Class Study 41

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2022

One alternative is to become an entrepreneur. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m often asked what it takes to get satisfaction from this lifestyle. I found some great help in outlining the elements of this process in the book, “ Disruptors ,” by Kunal Mehta.

Satisfaction 153

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Writing Metrics 153

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2014

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. On the average, the entrepreneurs I know are living on Ramen noodles. I’m not talking about academic classes, because at best these only teach you how to learn. Read entrepreneur stories. Adopt a mentor.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Case Study 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2019

The successful entrepreneurs I have met and worked with over the years all seem to share that passion for learning, and they see rapid market change not as a problem, but as an opportunity for them to move ahead of the crowd in changing the world. Successful entrepreneurs love to share, but they respond better to pull rather than push.

Tips 122

Tips Startup Course Case Study 122

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2015

Most entrepreneurs feel they have innate leadership talents, but struggle with how to nurture these abilities and measure their effectiveness. Authentic entrepreneurs lead through the power of personal influence, rather than coercion. It obviously helps to ask new customers what they see. People ignored see no leadership.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Mentor Coach Customer 108

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2012

There is a large menu of startup accelerators in the Los Angeles, but one of more established efforts in the area is LaunchpadLA ([link] The effort actually started as an informal mentoring program, but has grown and expanded to follow the accelerator model. It was really just something built for the community to help support entrepreneurs.

Class 261

Class Mentor Startup Santa Monica 261

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Online or evening entrepreneurship classes for anyone.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2012

In recent months, a dozen accelerators and incubators have emerged in the Southern California area, looking to help take the new generation of technology startups to funding and beyond. which programs are--and aren't--worth looking at has become very difficult, if not impossible, for startup entrepreneurs.

Southern California 246

Southern California Incubator Guide Startup 246

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

chapter of the Media, Entertainment and Technology Alliance (METal) and the voice of KenRadio's World Technology Roundup on CBS Radio, Rutkowski has recruited a roster of mentors to coach entrepreneurs who enroll in the institute's programs in LA. You also provide the Institute, the mentors and your classmates with warrants on 3.5%

Mentor 185

Mentor Class Entertainment Technical Review 185

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. On the average, the entrepreneurs I know are living on Ramen noodles. I’m not talking about academic classes, because at best these only teach you how to learn. Read entrepreneur stories. Adopt a mentor.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Case Study 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2021

Career survival today requires thinking and acting like an entrepreneur starting a business, staying nimble and resilient, willing to pivot, and supersensitive to the market realities of supply and demand. Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn, helped me crystallize these similarities with his classic book “ The Start-up of You.”

Startup 143

Startup Entrepreneur Demand Competition 143

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur. But Tracy did what entrepreneurs do. Sam is the managing director of Launchpad LA and we were about to pick our 2012 class of entrepreneurs. In the first 5 minutes you’ll realize that she’s a classic entrepreneur. More on that later. That may soon change.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Are you an entrepreneur hoping to startup a company in the Los Angeles area? Southern California apparently has no shortage of investors, entrepreneurs, and others eager to help budding entrepreneurs. Howard Marks: We're a startup accelerator, which will help entrepreneurs become successful in 90 days.

CTO Coach 194

CTO Coach Startup Mentor Activision 194

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 18, 2013

A traffic jam of expensive cars lined up to pull into the packed parking lot of MuckerLab for its second graduating class demo day. Tech Coast Angel investor Dale Okuno came out because he believes that MuckerLab attracts better talent because they keep their class size small and focused. And build great business they have.

Class 100

Class Startup Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2012

These resources are definitely not limited to students, since every university seeks out and needs the real world exposure and experience of entrepreneurs who already are active in the real world marketplace. Take advantage of the tech classes, labs, equipment, and graduate students looking for real world problems to research.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Incubator Mentor Research 92

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2013

Most entrepreneurs feel they have innate leadership talents, but struggle with how to nurture these abilities and measure their effectiveness. Authentic entrepreneurs lead through the power of personal influence, rather than coercion. It obviously helps to ask new customers what they see. People ignored see no leadership.

Entrepreneur 116

Entrepreneur Mentor Coach Customer 116

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Launchpad LA today announces it will accept applications for its third class of Los Angeles-based tech startups. We have significant VC commitments (listed below) – every entering company will get $50,000 in funding, mentorship from top VCs and successful entrepreneurs plus free office space. So What is Different for Class Three?

Venture Capital 287

Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2014

One obvious alternative is to become an entrepreneur. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m often asked what it takes to switch and get real satisfaction from this lifestyle. I found some great help in outlining the elements of this process in a recent book, “ Disruptors ,” by Kunal Mehta. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Startup Writing 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2010

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. On the average, the entrepreneurs I know are broke. I’m not talking about academic classes, because at best these only teach you how to learn. Read entrepreneur stories. Adopt a mentor.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Case Study 96

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue). This is the exit stage for the entrepreneur, and for all earlier investors. Growth stage investments from VCs are usually $5 million and up.

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

socalTECH

OCTOBER 24, 2011

One of the biggest complaints you hear from both entrepreneurs and investors in Los Angeles, is the lack of a credible, visible startup accelerator in the Los Angeles area. He created one of the first industrial R&D labs, and hired and brought in a bunch of investors to help iterate, and experiment, and build new products.

Technical Advisors 176

Technical Advisors Startup Southern California Los Angeles 176

socalTECH

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Start Engine, modeled after the YCombinator and TechStars accelerators, is running its first class of startups in January; the group is investing $20,000 in those companies, and providing other resources, mentors, and a program to help those startups get funded and into the market. READ MORE>>.

Funding 214

Funding Southern California Activision Class 214

socalTECH

JUNE 6, 2011

Those programs--epitomized by YCombinator in the Bay Area, and TechStars in Boulder, Colorado--attract newly minted entrepreneurs with a mixture of cash and mentoring, and a program which rapidly takes ideas and turns them into viable, executing businesses. Those mentors are not just Bruce and I, although we are full time on this.

Startup 221

Startup Mentor Southern California Incubator 221

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2015

The successful entrepreneurs I have met and worked with over the years all seem to share that passion for learning, and they see rapid market change not as a problem, but as an opportunity for them to move ahead of the crowd in changing the world. Successful entrepreneurs love to share, but they respond better to pull rather than push.

Startup 103

Startup Case Study Entrepreneur Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

These resources are definitely not limited to students, since every university seeks out and needs the real world exposure and experience of entrepreneurs who already are active in the real world marketplace. Take advantage of the tech classes, labs, equipment, and graduate students looking for real world problems to research.

Startup 95

Startup Incubator Resource Mentor 95

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

He has a really interesting background as a product manager and now an entrepreneur. On the one hand, an entrepreneur should not be overly paranoid and should know the ropes that VCs and other professional investors generally will not sign NDAs to see the concept or a prototype--and even if they did, it would not provide much protection.

Product 150

Product Entrepreneur Social Media Google 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2019

Image via Pixabay I’ve always been a bit confused about the difference in a business context between a coach and a mentor. According to many pundits , a mentor shows you the right way based on experience, while a coach brings out the best in you, then let’s you find your own way.

Coach 87

Coach Mentor Examples Satisfaction 87

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

The creators of the renowned StartupWeekend — a place where random ad hoc teams work frantically for 54 hours to build a demo of a new business and then complete for fame and fortune — have picked up where StartupWeekend left off and have birthed a new course for entrepreneurs who need to level up called StartupWeekend Next.

Class 98

Class Startup Mentor UCLA 98

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2014

has figured out one way -- which is to run a startup accelerator, Warner Media Camp (www.mediacamp.com)--which pulls a class of startups into the company for an intense, twelve week program every year, and helps those companies tap into the resources of the studio. Warner Bros. How long have you been doing this?

Startup 159

Startup Technology Hollywood Media 159

socalTECH

OCTOBER 27, 2011

K5Launch (www.k5launch.com) is modeled after the successful Y-Combinator and TechStars acceleration programs, and invests equity, provides mentors, and runs a three month program to get very early stage startups off the ground. Our challenge is to help start, fund, improve, and grow 1000 companies in five years.

Orange County 192

Orange County Southern California Startup Class 192

InfoChachkie

JUNE 9, 2015

Obtaining funding is a key milestone, but equally important is helping fledgling companies build institutional mass once they leave the relatively safe confines of an accelerator. Savvy entrepreneurs - seek out programs which incorporate these post-graduation activities. Convert Graduate-Founders Into Mentors.

Startup 100

Startup Class LAMP Santa Barbara 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2010

Mike Wolf is a mentor of mine, and a role model for many technology entrepreneurs and investors in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. More recently, he has invested in numerous local startups, while mentoring and advising hundreds of young entrepreneurs. Mike: In general, I help young companies with their execution strategies.

Entrepreneur 84

Entrepreneur Angel Startup Mentor 84

socalTECH

JANUARY 23, 2017

Anna Barber: Before this, I hadn't been involved with Techstars as a mentor, however, I'd been an entrepreneur and mentored at other accelerators. However, I always wanted to get into a broader role in the startup ecosystem, where I could help other entrepreneurs work on their ideas. That's exciting.

Startup 100

Startup Claremont Los Angeles Press 100

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

It turns out it actually takes time to build a high-growth business with differentiated intellectual property and roll out large, enterprise-class marketing solutions. Working with early-stage teams : coaching, mentoring, setting strategy, rolling up sleeves: 9/10. I helps me be even longer in the positions I am still in.

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. On the average, the entrepreneurs I know are struggling. I’m not talking about academic classes, because at best these only teach you how to learn. Read entrepreneur stories. Adopt a mentor.

Startup 103

Startup Mentor Case Study Class 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue). This is the exit stage for the entrepreneur, and for all earlier investors. Growth stage investments from VCs are usually $5 million and up.

Startup 148

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 148

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

Although many are entertaining, most fail to provide entrepreneurs with a sufficient return on their time investment. Unfortunately, most business books do not offer entrepreneurs an adequate payoff. He then helps readers evaluate their results with some amusing “grades.” Ask For Mentoring. Fan, Not A Fan Boy.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279