socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

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. Mike Napoli: We've revised the way we review companies at the prescreening stage. The ideas and people seeking money are out there in quantity.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2016

The XPRIZE Foundation , the group which has been organizing prize-based competitions to help advance critical areas of technology to benefit mankind, announced on Thursday that it has 32 teams from 22 countries who are competing for its $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Competition Organization Technology 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

In these days of global competition via multiple channels, you need continuous marketing to find more customers. Acknowledge every customer feedback and review. Don’t let that one negative stand out as the only review submitted. These also will keep you better informed on new technologies, trends, and likely competitors.

Technical Review 142

Technical Review Social Media Conference Customer 142

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

Usually after a Monday partner meeting you get a pretty strong: Yes, term sheet coming No, sorry we’re passing Maybe, we need to do more due diligence / analysis / work I always counsel founders that “good news comes early” so if you haven’t heard by Tuesday at noon chances are it wasn’t likely a clean “yes.”

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

One of the largest concentrations of technical talent in Los Angeles is in Glendale, at YP -- staffed with a surprising number of Los Angeles startup vets. Our whole product and technology team is about 500 people. Talk about the technology behind your operations here? What''s your background and how did you end up at YP?

Technical Review 223

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 223

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

One of the largest concentrations of technical talent in Los Angeles is in Glendale, at YP (www.yp.com) -- staffed with a surprising number of Los Angeles startup vets. Our whole product and technology team is about 500 people. Talk about the technology behind your operations here? Louis and Atlanta.

Technical Review 211

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 211

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 17, 2014

I could have listened to her for hours as many of her lessons were ones I hadn’t heard before such as how she used online gaming when she was younger as a way of both teaching herself tech as well as learning to lead remote teams. Nanea Reeves has a storied career in senior leadership roles at technology companies.

Technical Review 315

Technical Review Blogging RSS Organization 315

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Pricing Software Review Customer 88

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

Turn Your Organization Inside Out. As organizations we have become more open and I believe this is great for businesses and their customers. In the first 4 years of running BuildOnline we were an “Outside In&# organization. The Outside In organization had a one-way flow. But they went one step further.

Organization 280

Organization Customer Custom Tips 280

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2022

According to a classic survey conducted by Dimensional Research for Zendesk , 90 percent of respondents asserted that positive online reviews influenced buying decisions, and 86 percent admitted buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews. Let your continuous innovation become your sustainable competitive advantage.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Organization Social Media Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2021

Most technical entrepreneurs focus hard on building an innovative product, but forget that an elegant solution doesn’t automatically translate into a successful business. Defining the right business model requires the same diligence as designing the right product, but the approach and skills required are different.

Product 159

Product Technical Review Pricing Software Review 159

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. In 2006, a passion to help startups grew into Tech Cocktail , a company whose mission was to showcased burgeoning companies in bars around the country. The Foundation was created in 1997 by tech pioneers, Jean and Steve Case.

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

A nonprofit organization is generally defined as an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals. Examples include charitable organizations, trade unions, and public arts organizations. Government grants. Bartering services.

Funding 130

Funding Equity Technical Review Organization 130

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

Bobbie One startup that's proved to have the formula for success this year is Bobbie – the first infant formula to be certified as organic by the USDA, and the fastest-growing product of its kind to enter the US market since the 1980s. Verifying Looking for regular tech news straight to your inbox?

Startup 213

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 213

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2023

Charlene Li, in her classic book “ Open Leadership ,” shows leaders how to tap into the power of the social technology revolution and use social media to be “open” while still maintaining control. When done well, an organization’s online community can become a competitive advantage. Open microphone: encouraging participation.

Social Media 112

Social Media Media Software Review Social Network 112

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

XPRIZE , the nonprofit organization which has been using large dollar prize competitions to spur innovation in a wide range of areas, has booted up a brand new, $2M prize around ocean health, the group said this week. xprize ocean health carbon dioxide emissions competition prize' The XPRIZE Foundation said that. READ MORE>>.

Southern California 204

Southern California Technical Review Competition Organization 204

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

XPRIZE , the organization led by Peter Diamandis which runs prize competitions to spur technology advances to solve major, human issues, is taking aim at a big issue with its newest XPRIZE: CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. The XPRIZE group said the technologies will be tested at either a coal power plant or natural gas facility.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Competition .Net Organization 100

Tech.Co

MARCH 8, 2018

Fortunately, for those headed to SXSW, Startup Night SXSW 2018 , presented by the Kauffman Foundation and TechCo, will be filled with investors from a multitude of industries who are looking to discover and fund startups building the latest solutions and tech innovations. Blackwell, iTech Program Executive & OCT Innovation Liaison, NASA.

Technical Review 70

Technical Review Startup Software Review Entrepreneur 70

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2023

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. The broad-brush push-marketing is no longer competitive. Make sure your users don’t have to think, and participating in your call to action is intuitive and organic. Understand the power of online reviews to your advantage.

Marketing 107

Marketing Technical Review Startup Innocal 107

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2010

Last week, the University of Southern California 's Viterbi School of Engineering announced that it had established a new, business plan competition, the Maseeh Entrepreneurship Prize Competition ([link] specifically aimed at students in the engineering school. Why a business plan competition, and why in engineering school?

Competition 154

Competition Southern California Mentor USC 154

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2020

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. The broad-brush push-marketing is no longer competitive. Make sure your users don’t have to think, and participating in your call to action is intuitive and organic. Understand the power of online reviews to your advantage.

Mobile 173

Mobile Marketing Technical Review Startup 173

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges. Every business team becomes inwardly- focused by default, comparing themselves only emotionally to others they know within the organization. Hone your process for due diligence and integrating these new elements.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

The “span of control” for a growing tech startup is probably 6-9 people. The “doers” in your organization. You help them prioritize their objectives and review the results. You motivate, cajole, reassign tasks, hire, fire and push the organization forward. You set direction. You hire great people.

Entrepreneur 385

Entrepreneur CTO Hire Startup Sales 385

socalTECH

JUNE 11, 2018

For our interview this morning, we caught up with Scot Lawrie , the President and technical Co-founder of Los Angeles-based Coverfly (www.coverfly.com), and John Rhodes , Coverfly's head of Marketing and Business Development, to learn a bit more about the early stage, bootstrapped startup focused on Hollywood script writers. What is Coverfly?

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Hollywood Platform Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2020

Charlene Li, in her classic book “ Open Leadership ,” shows leaders how to tap into the power of the social technology revolution and use social media to be “open” while still maintaining control. When done well, an organization’s online community can become a competitive advantage. Open microphone: encouraging participation.

Framework 159

Framework Social Media Software Review Social Network 159

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

Starting an entrepreneurial business, or maintaining the competitiveness of a mature business, requires innovation. Real innovation only happens in entrepreneurial organizations. Other innovations, such as the ones from Kaizen initiatives, can only come from established organizations and processes.

Organization 94

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 94

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to a recent Forbes article , UC Santa Barbara''s Technology Management Program offers students a superior startup education over the University of Pennsylvania (home of Wharton), as well Harvard, Northwestern and even its acclaimed southern neighbor, the University of Southern California. Organic Academia. Techpreneurs.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

According to a classic survey conducted by Dimensional Research for Zendesk , 90 percent of respondents asserted that positive online reviews influenced buying decisions, and 86 percent admitted buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews. Let your continuous innovation become your sustainable competitive advantage.

Tips 126

Tips Technical Review Organization Social Media 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2021

Starting an entrepreneurial business, or maintaining the competitiveness of a mature business, requires innovation. Real innovation only happens in entrepreneurial organizations. Other innovations, such as the ones from Kaizen initiatives, can only come from established organizations and processes.

Organization 172

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 172

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. Of course, I have an advantage because I organize the LA CTO Forum. How do we need to structure the systems to get ahead and stay ahead of the competition? What technologies will we use?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Many questioned whether it could survive under the fail whale, inevitable competition from Facebook, founder fighting, fights with 3rd-party developers let alone become a revolutionary business that could make money. Periodically we do portfolio reviews to evaluate whether we have enough diversified risk across the fund. Far from it.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

A nonprofit organization is generally defined as an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals. Examples include charitable organizations, trade unions, and public arts organizations. Government grants. Bartering services.

Equity 94

Equity Startup Technical Review Organization 94

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

We all like to think of startups as “non hierarchic&# organizations and to some extent that should be true. I never built a Google-sized business but I did build an organization from scratch that grew to 120 employees in 5 countries before we sold it. I’m not a big believer in too much hierarchy.

Startup 308

Startup CTO Coach Technical Review CTO Hire 308

InfoChachkie

APRIL 14, 2014

Even the organization''s lexicon reinforces its startup mindset. It performs "due diligence" before it makes "investments" and it measures results as a "return on its investment.". In order to learn more about ABC''s innovative approach, I sought out Liam Krehbiel, the organization''s Founder and CEO.I

Organization 199

Organization Startup Technical Review Invest 199

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. The best CEOs realize that they need to build organizations and hierarchy and delegate decision making while still holding their teams accountable.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286