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Interview with Mike Napoli, Tech Coast Angels

socalTECH

Investors are very focused on diligence, on business models that make sense, and those companies that have a definite competitive advantage and defensibility to what they're doing. The ideas and people seeking money are out there in quantity. Mike Napoli: We've revised the way we review companies at the prescreening stage.

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Technology Roles in Startups

SoCal CTO

I’ve worked with 30+ early-stage companies in all sorts of capacities (and spoken to many, many more), so I thought it might be worthwhile trying to classify the various ways that I’ve engaged in different technology roles in startups. It depends on the business, people, technologies, etc. Each situation is just a bit different.

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Turn the tables: What’s an angel look like?

Berkonomics

Several times in our angel group, one of the largest in the United States, we have queried our group as to their motives in being active, risking their money, taking their time to research, perform due diligence and then coach entrepreneurs of young companies. The result of these surveys over time is universally the same.

Angel 191
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10 Lessons On The Value Of Self-Promotion In Business

Startup Professionals Musings

Too many entrepreneurs I know still believe that that their great idea will carry the startup, and they may even minimize their own value, especially if they have introvert tendencies. Yet most investors agree that the “idea” is worth nothing alone, and it’s the entrepreneur execution that counts. Success leverages success.

Startup 117
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10 Tips On Self-Promotion To Solidify Your Leadership

Startup Professionals Musings

During my many years of mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs in business, I more often see people focusing on how to get their ideas heard , than how to promote themselves. I’m convinced that great results are better than great ideas, and a great perception of you as a person is better than both ideas and results.

Tips 121
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10 Reasons To Market Yourself More Than A Great Idea

Startup Professionals Musings

Too many entrepreneurs I know still believe that that their great idea will carry the startup, and they may even minimize their own value, especially if they have introvert tendencies. Yet most investors agree that the “idea” is worth nothing alone, and it’s the entrepreneur execution that counts. Success leverages success.

Ideas 59
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6 Marketing 101 Tips For Technology Entrepreneurs

Startup Professionals Musings

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. Marketing is everything these days. Marty Zwilling.