Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning. What about if elderly people never had to ask a relative or healthcare worker to change the batteries on their hearing aids? We hired IP specialists to review prior art.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

socalTECH

OCTOBER 19, 2018

We caught up with Catalog's co-founder and CEO Patrick Ip , along with co-founder Jacobo Lumbreras , to learn more about the startup. Patrick Ip: My background is I spent the last three years at Google, working on advertiser retention for small and medium businesses. Patrick Ip: As we mentioned, we raised $1.5M

Help 133

Help IP Content Google 133

socalTECH

JANUARY 28, 2013

How do you go about trying to completely disrupt the entire telecom industry? If you're FreedomPop , the Encino-based startup, you start by offering up free 4G wireless data access, and then expand to offer free, voice-over-IP services, along with home-based wireless Internet services. Stephen Sesar: We've got unbelievable backers.

Startup 245

Startup IP Networking Encino 245

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

You’ll learn a lot more about the sector/industry. You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built. What we are talking about is a spectrum of how you restrict early communications around your business: Who you will talk to including the public / press / etc. You’ll get suggestions for improvements.

Startup 211

Startup IP Ideas Patents 211

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 4, 2015

For example, there are the private company valuation figures that get bandied about: think the numbers people reference for Uber and AirBnB for example. The industry’s competitive dynamics. The post What Are We Talking About When We Talk Valuation? What impacts a company’s 409A valuation: Company milestones. Your investor base.

IP 40

IP Equity Examples Guide 40

Tech.Co

MAY 31, 2023

But while competition remains fierce, the advancement and accessibility of smart solutions are making it easy than ever for startups to find their feet. Read our guide to the best VoIP desk phones to check out its competition. Check out how it compared to its competition in our guide to the best CRM marketing platforms.

Tool 131

Tool Startup Software Review Technical Review 131

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

You’ll learn a lot more about the sector/industry. You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built. What we are talking about is a spectrum of how you restrict early communications around your business: Who you will talk to including the public / press / etc. You’ll get suggestions for improvements.

Startup 198

Startup IP Ideas Patents 198

Berkonomics

APRIL 25, 2019

It is the one skill, process or advantage you have over your competition. Which of your IP assets is your core? How about non-core resources? Consider your core. Now consider how many of those surrounding assets and services are really necessary for you to perform in order to protect and grow your core.

Resource 120

Resource IP Organization Services 120

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 21, 2010

This all got me thinking about a post on how to best work with lawyers. When to get a lawyer - If you plan to be a venture or angel backed technology company (what I mostly write about) the best time to start meeting and getting to know lawyers is long before you ever start your company. Shame about that pesky FAS 157 ruling.

Startup 318

Startup IP Southern California Entrepreneur 318

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Are you cynical about their chances in the market just because they seem to be hot in the press and that bugs you? Albert Wenger from Union Square Ventures wrote a great post the other day that reminded me I’ve been meaning to write about this topic. How about “agree” and “disagree” buttons? But I tape the shows.

Startup 313

Startup Press Writing News 313

socalTECH

JUNE 25, 2009

It seems that every week, a new, Voice-over-IP provider firm surfaces in the market, either providing PBX services, voicemail, or other similar services. What is your VoIP service all about, and how is this different from what seems to be lots of Voice over IP service providers?

IP 165

IP Pasadena Angels Pasadena Los Angeles 165

Tech.Co

MAY 22, 2018

I’ve had many startup founders tell me that their startup literally has no competition,” said Frank Gruber, Cofounder of Tech.Co, Startup of the Year , and Established. “In What startup teams don’t realize is that having competition is good. Founders are understandably very passionate about their product and startup.

Tips 70

Tips Help Slides Technical Review 70

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2012

We chatted with Vic before the firm's latest acquisition (announced last week) and after the firm's recent acquisition of Anue Systems, about what goes into the whole process. It's about 500M in size today, but the key distinction is it's growing pretty fast 30-40% CAGR. It's pretty sustained, strong growth we see there.

Acquisition 173

Acquisition IP Networking Marketing 173

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 30, 2012

I’ve talked about the solution part several times, so this article will focus on the value of a strategy. You must take advantage of those special team talents and product capabilities that make your startup superior to your competition, and do things that your competition cannot duplicate in the short term.

Startup 99

Startup Competition IP Patents 99

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

We caught up with Kanaan to learn more about uCast Global. Thats what uCast is all about. He saw that the industry was being disrupted globally, and actually started with the idea of building a new company that could be scalable, and flexible, and offer delivery of that content at competitive pricing. Kanaan Jemili.

Content 113

Content Startup Mobile Platform 113

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

I’ve talked about the solution part several times, so this article will focus on the value of a strategy. You must take advantage of those special team talents and product capabilities that make your startup superior to your competition, and do things that your competition cannot duplicate in the short term.

Startup 92

Startup Competition IP Patents 92

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

I find it amusing when a journalist writes an article about a prominent startup (either privately held or preparing for an IPO) and decries that, “They’re not even profitable!” I know this seems obvious but I promise you that even smart people forget this when talking about profitability. Understanding Profits.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2013

I have started thinking about what the future might look like and I’ve started imagining what I call, “MMOV” or massive multiplayer online video. You should only worry about this if you’re a large, traditional media company with fat margins. But when you think about the movement we once called “Web 2.0″

Startup 380

Startup Media Content Platform 380

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

Danielle goes through some commentary from Bill Gurley, Fred Wilson and Marc Andreessen about burn rate and then goes on to discuss her own burn rate and others publicly weigh in. if you have a good use for it and we’re excited about your company – fine. Be careful about ever dipping below 6 months of cash in the bank.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 21, 2013

To support this growth, Internap has not only taken notice, but in response, has jumped leaps and bounds ahead of their competition to provide a foundation of support structure that Southern California needs. The first thing I thought about after leaving the facility is that it’s a fortress.

Redondo Beach 104

Redondo Beach IP Southern California Entertainment 104

socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2011

For example, if you see a TV spot for Toyota, and then Google it, or you see a display ad on CNN and then open up a tab in your browser, talk about it on Facebook, or even walk into the dealership, we're able to quantify, very specifically, what combination of what kinds of media drove that sale and how that activity interacted with each other.

Social Media 235

Social Media Demand Activity Marketing 235

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2013

Every startup founder I know talks about the chaos of their business, which they usually attribute to that burst of growth that is required to get to positive cash flow. Don’t count on your IP to save you. Technology keeps improving at a rapid rate, so you fall behind in technology, driving costs up, and you become non-competitive.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Slides IP Technology 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Every startup founder I know talks about the chaos of their business, which they usually attribute to that burst of growth that is required to get to positive cash flow. Don’t count on your IP to save you. Technology keeps improving at a rapid rate, so you fall behind in technology, driving costs up, and you become non-competitive.

Startup 100

Startup Slides Entrepreneur IP 100

Xconomy

OCTOBER 5, 2016

However, there is still room for competition. This means knowing the customers’ names and addresses, demographics, IP addresses, purchase histories both with your company and other companies, and life events like weddings and births or (for businesses) upcoming mergers. In its first year, Amazon Business generated $1 billion in sales.

Organization 91

Organization Customer Custom Study 91

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2019

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio.

IP 93

IP Invest Patents Social Media 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2011

Every startup founder I know talks about the chaos of their business, which they usually attribute to that burst of growth that is required to get to positive cash flow. Don’t count on your IP to save you. Technology keeps improving at a rapid rate, so you fall behind in technology, driving costs up, and you become non-competitive.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur Slides IP Technology 95

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 10, 2010

For entrepreneurs who want to learn about how to work with investment banks, how to position yourself to be acquired and what the IPO markets look like this is the episode to watch. Founded by James Reinhart out of Harvard Business School (semi finalist in annual business plan competition). This is often in the 5-7% range.

Venture Capital 242

Venture Capital Mission Ventures Capital Help 242

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 3, 2015

I often write about the best strategies for startup fundraising or how to manage startup financing and optimize for growth. To make sure your IP is protected — As I’ve written before, failing to develop an IP strategy, including a plan for protecting your IP as well as avoiding unwitting infringements of someone else’s, is a huge mistake.

Startup 40

Startup Outsource Development IP Outsource 40

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Thus, follow the guidelines outlined in IP – Worthless To A Startup and only spend significant time and effort protecting your intellectual property when it is clear what you are trying to protect. Even benevolent BDCs lose interest in your solution once this competitive risk is eliminated. 3) Attempt To License An Idea.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2009

We brought together Peter Cowen of Groundwork Equity , Mark Suster of GRP Partners , Rick Smith of Crosscut Ventures , and Richard Yen of Saban Ventures -- all of who will be on the judging panel for the Tech Coast Angel's Fast Pitch on February 24th, to give us a their hints and tips about pitching to venture capitalists.

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels Ideas Entrepreneur Invest 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2010

Every startup founder I know talks about the chaos of his business, which he usually attributes to that burst of growth that is required to get to positive cashflow. Don’t count on your IP to save you. Technology keeps improving at a rapid rate, so you fall behind in technology, driving costs up, and you become non-competitive.

Startup 57

Startup Slides Entrepreneur IP 57

InfoChachkie

JUNE 25, 2009

Most corporate attorneys can give you general guidance with respect to securing your Intellectual Property (IP) rights, especially with respect to trademarks, copyrights and other non-patent-related items. You do not want your IP lawyer to learn the prior art associated with your technology on your dime. Your Lawyer is not a Doberman….

Technical Advisors 124

Technical Advisors Technical Review IP Patents 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio.

Startup 145

Startup Patents IP Social Media 145

socalTECH

DECEMBER 3, 2008

Talk about how this works with TV clips and video? One problem with other avatar technology, is that in most competitive cases what people are doing is using a standard head model and trying to apply a face to that model. They can put themselves and their friends into the media and the digital experience.

Entertainment 100

Entertainment Clearstone Venture Capital Media 100

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

I’m an entrepreneur at heart so I’m always inspired when I hear stories about innovation. And I think about the “Seattle issue&# as a metaphor for startups and business in general. They have the same trade-off decisions that you do about packing up and moving to Silicon Valley vs. staying and building locally.

Venture Capital 317

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 317

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2017

A large portion of your competitive advantage and your potential value to investors is the size of your intellectual property portfolio. When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio.

Startup 69

Startup Patents IP Social Media 69

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 25, 2010

A reminder that it is important for all entrepreneurs is to remember to be careful about “deal drift.” We had people hearing through the grapevine that we were about to raise money and new investors started calling us to get in on the deal. This isn’t a story about Black Swan events. What can you do about it?

Venture Capital 301

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Technical Advisors 301