Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. Most of these are non-profits, set up by a university to commercialize new technologies, or a municipality to foster business development for the local economy.

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Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

A question I often get as an adviser is whether or not to join a business incubator or accelerator as a way to move forward faster and smarter and increase the odds of business success. I find that this type offers the most value to new entrepreneurs or startups in the early idea stage.

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Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2015

Yet I can’t remember the last time any entrepreneur asked me to assess personal potential, despite the fact that most investors will admit they invest in the person more than the product. The Builder excels at constructing a business from the ground up. These entrepreneurs dream big, go big and too often crash big. Specialist.

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Startup Incubator Entrepreneur Metrics 106

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

A continuing question I hear from young entrepreneurs is whether a university degree is important to startup success, or just a distraction in achieving their purpose in the world. Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. Initiate networking to find peer partners and investors.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2023

Why do a few entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, seem to come up with all the real innovations, while the majority of business leaders seem stuck in the rut of linear thinking? This is a thinking pattern and a culture which all entrepreneurs needs to instill and nurture in every startup team member.

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Startup Entrepreneur Tool Ideas 128

Tech.Co

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

From apps to hardware, to KickStarter successes and international startups, we’re inching closer to finding out who will take home the title of Startup of the Year competition at our annual Celebrate Conference in October. Co: What was the road like leading up to your initial pitch for the competition?

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Competition Mobile Startup Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

Most of you business professionals that I know have at least thought about or talked about starting their own business, to get more control, make more money, or to get more satisfaction out of their life. The challenge is when and how to make the switch to the entrepreneur lifestyle. The ability to pivot quickly is a key to success.

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Startup Tips Coach Satisfaction 114

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 11, 2010

This past December I spent a week in Boston to try to get to know some of the local VC’s and entrepreneurs a bit better. I recently wrote a blog post about why I believe that startup teams in close proximity perform better. Entrepreneurs need to share more information with each other.

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Startup Venture Capital Incubator Entrepreneur 285

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

It really is possible for an introvert to succeed as an entrepreneur, even though you can’t expect to start and build a business alone. Every entrepreneur, especially an introvert, can benefit from the perspective of another business person, ideally one who has prior experience in the domain you are about to enter.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Startup 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2021

Anyone who works with entrepreneurs will tell you that all are different. His framework seems to be picking up some traction, and is already in use informally by several entrepreneurship platforms, universities, and even high school programs. The Builder loves building a business from the ground up. Opportunist. Specialist.

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Entrepreneur Framework Mentor Web 134

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

After many years in business, working in large companies as well as startups, I’m no longer surprised at why mature and successful companies struggle with introducing innovative new ventures as the market and environment changes. Make sure everyone comes with an entrepreneur mindset for real innovation.

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Incubator Seed Funding Metrics Custom 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

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. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

InfoChachkie

MAY 26, 2016

Should millennial entrepreneurs go to college? Given the stellar startup careers of non-college graduates like Zuckerberg, Ellison, Disney, Gates, Jobs, Branson and Dell, the answer to this question might surprise you. I asked them to devise reasons an entrepreneur should remain in college.

Entrepreneur 150

Entrepreneur Case Study Education Seed Funding 150

Xconomy

OCTOBER 19, 2018

The experience was part of InCube 2018 , a global startup pitch competition organized by the ETH Entrepreneurship Club. We met for the first time the week before, and we were competing against four other cubes in Switzerland to solve a challenge.

Entrepreneur 83

Entrepreneur Incubator Competition Organization 83

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2020

Why do a few entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, seem to come up with all the real innovations, while the majority of business leaders seem stuck in the rut of linear thinking? This is a thinking pattern and a culture which all entrepreneurs needs to instill and nurture in every startup team member.

Startup 127

Startup Tool Entrepreneur Ideas 127

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

Tech Coast Venture Network is rounding up the finest entrepreneurs to compete for $25,000 in cash prize in their Survivor 7 Pitch Competition this Thursday, November 15th. In the past, the competition allowed anyone to participate in the initial round of 30-second pitches to investors and experts. .

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Competition Networking TCVN Southern California 65

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2011

At the time when you did a search on Lycos, Alta Vista or similar for a category such as Cars you ended up getting 9 spam results and 1 proper website to meet your needs. He came up to Bill after the event and said, “clever idea, we should do that with you.&# Too many entrepreneurs focus on dilution. Commission Junction.

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Competition Idealab Product CitySearch 350

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

Why do a few entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, seem to come up with all the real innovations, while the majority of business leaders seem stuck in the rut of linear thinking? This is a thinking pattern and a culture which all entrepreneurs needs to instill and nurture in every startup team member.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Tool Ideas 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2010

By Jim Flowers A few months ago, Marty invited me to comment on business incubation and what a startup company ought to expect from an incubator. There is a growing fellowship of special-case start-up programs operated by closely-knit, permanent groups of angel-mentors. Relationships , I said back then.

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Incubator Mentor Capital Startup 80

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. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

The sweeping infrastructure package put forward today by President Joe Biden comes with a price tag of roughly $2 trillion (and hefty tax hikes) but gives startups and the broader tech industry about $1 trillion worth of reasons to support it. The vast majority of those are nowhere up to modern codes. ” Climate resiliency .

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Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2013

Many entrepreneurs I know don’t realize that the language they learned in the corporate world, or even their recent MBA class, won’t get them ahead in the startup world today. Even if you have heard some of the new terms, but can’t explain how, when, and why they are relevant to your startup, you may be in jeopardy.

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Entrepreneur Startup Web Equity 109

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. In our industry we applaud the efforts for entrepreneurs to have tried and we know that today’s failure can bring the experience for tomorrow’s success. But today I want to give you advice on how to decrease your odds of failure in a startup.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Berkonomics

APRIL 24, 2014

Often I see executive summaries from entrepreneurs who have never managed any form of business, or even managed employees in their past life, and who don’t know the first thing about business formation and managing for growth. I used to tell them to find a partner with knowledge in business creation and management.

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Coach Seed Funding Summary Incubator 250

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2016

In my view, starting a new business has never been easier, and according to reports from the Kaufmann Foundation , the numbers are finally here to show it. The number of startups rose in 2015 for the first time in five years, with the largest year-over-year increase in two decades. Establishing your brand with interactive social media.

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Startup Social Media News Tool 61

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

We’ve had an explosion of alternate sources of financing from crowd-sourcing, angels, accelerators, incubators, corporates, corporate incubators. For what ever reason we’re wired to have amnesia during the run up and prescient memories of how we ‘knew it all along’ as soon as the slide begins.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Tech.Co

MARCH 8, 2018

Getting face time with VCs or people of influence is an ongoing challenge for startup founders, and it may take layers of introductions to get to the right person. She launched the iTech program within NASA to reach out to startups with innovative technology that have an Earth and space travel application.

Technical Review 70

Technical Review Startup Software Review Entrepreneur 70

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

And so are most startup CEOs for that matter. Many through history became entrepreneurs precisely because they were unemployable. He picks up the phone when he wants to discuss a deal with you. When my pal Dave started his venture fund, 500 Startups, he was ridiculed. How can anybody do 500 startups?”.

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Startup Venture Capital Email Writing 309

socalTECH

JULY 24, 2018

Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) recently announced the California Climate Cup ([link] a new startup competition tied into the upcoming Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco in September. How did the competition come about? What's the California Climate Cup?

Competition 100

Competition Incubator Startup Ideas 100

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Over 500 startups applied last quarter to Launchpad LA’s accelerator, but only eight were chosen. Meet the Graduates: · Connectifier, which connects recruiters to potential job candidates, consists of 4 ex-Google employees and local angel investor, Terrence Yang, has dubbed Connectifier one of the best startups of 2012.

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GRP Partners Startup Tech Coast Angels Bertelsmann 96

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2011

This led to an explosion in startups. Surprisinly, this strategy works well with many entrepreneurs. It’s as though we forgot the management mantra of the 90′s about “core competencies&# or the most common VC advice to entrepreneurs: Focus. The LP Community Hasn’t Yet Caught Up. Funny, that.

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Venture Capital Capital Software Startup 296

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 21, 2014

Introducing Bitcoinference | A Decentralized Conference , hosted by illustrious startup accelerator, 500 Startups. Bitcoin has had a rough start to the year (to say the least) – with a never-ending news feed consisting of massive bankruptcy , scandal stories, and car chase media fiascos. Getting Things Started.

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Startup Venture Capital Draper Invest 104

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

I’m a very big proponent of the “lean startup movement&# as espoused by Steve Blank & Eric Ries. This benefits you, the entrepreneur. It’s the whole basis of my investment philosophy, which I call “ The Entrepreneur Thesis.&#. Nascent startup markets are like fine wine, they take time to develop.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2018

Every entrepreneur believes in their heart that their startup is more innovative and creative than their competitors. People who have the confidence in themselves and work the hardest on a problem are the ones most likely to come up with a creative solution. Breed myth. Originality myth.

Competition 51

Competition Research Ideas Incubator 51

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 1, 2012

Splash is a single-track evening event and startup competition. Splash gathers leading entrepreneurs, innovators, venture capitalists and angel investors across technology to inspire and energize the audience about entrepreneurship and innovation. Thursday, June 7, 2012 -- Vator Splash LA. See [link] (more)

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Incubator Google Competition Invest 113

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. For readers, LaunchpadLA is all about?

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Class Mentor Startup Santa Monica 261

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Anyone who works with entrepreneurs will tell you that all are different. I’ve always wondered if there was some way that I could quickly deduce a new entrepreneur’s “sweet spot,” and optimize my mentoring to those strengths and weaknesses, maybe similar to the Myers-Briggs type indicator for business professionals. Opportunist.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Framework Web 96