Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2020

Saving cost won’t help you if you can’t make the daily innovations required to stay competitive. Leading edge technology software and manufacturing require constant course corrections and iterative restarts. If your software or your manufacturing process is your “secret sauce,” you need to keep the work in-house.

Outsource Development 122

Outsource Development Outsource Software Review Technical Review 122

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

So I know I’m getting myself into a bit of trouble by writing this. Many times they also pick up product and tech, too. Often times you find the CEO who really just likes to do product or tech. Similarly I talk to CEOs who can’t do a sales pipeline review with me.

Startup 325

Startup Technical Review Sales Report 325

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. ” Climate resiliency . Given the steady drumbeat of climate disasters that hit the U.S.

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2017

And of course we help with business development introductions and with fund raising events. Sometimes it comes because investors believe the company needs more experienced leadership to run the company or more often to help run the company. I will work evenings or weekends to help a founder in need.

Startup 217

Startup Technical Review Equity Report 217

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

The main thrust of the post is that with YouTube taking a 45% of revenue and talent taking 70% of the remaining revenue, YouTube Networks didn’t have sustainable businesses unless they invested heavily in technology as a tool to increase margin and provide defensibility. That is the definition of Disruptive Technology.

Company 339

Company Companies Technical Review Content 339

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

A critical stage for most first-time entrepreneurs is getting their idea developed into at least a prototype to validate their technology. Specifically, I often point to the NSF or the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for high-tech startups. Experts are available to help, but fees are high.

Funding 90

Funding Technical Review Startup Research 90

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

It’s obvious that we can be too late to these decisions of course. Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. If — and it’s a big if of course — they can do that on the cheap, then why should an LP care at all? Quality tech news from around the web. How can you practice timing?

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. While many tech startups do this intuitively (say, SnapChat thinking it would be much better if our photos out partying disappeared) it still happens. Of course reciprocity matters so they would all leap into action. But it wasn’t to be.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2012

Santa Monica-based Demand Media (www.demandmedia.com) has seen its share of ups and downs as one of the highest visibility technology and media companies to come out of Southern California's technology ecosystem in recent years. But, they could not write, and did not know what to write from the travel perspective.

Demand 240

Demand Media eHow Content 240

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2013

And it’s the latest in a series of investments we’ve made in building out our practice as the LA technology market continues to grow robustly and attract entrepreneurs and investors. Of course – some people can be remote. He of coursed required me to lobby on his behalf as well. Help us review a few deals.

Startup 372

Startup Course Ideas Invest 372

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 15, 2014

” I have been weighing in slowly on the topic over the past few weeks on Twitter but have avoided writing a blog post about it until now. I have thought a lot about anonymity over the years and actually have enjoyed debating the topic with those passionate about anonymity’s benefits because of course that’s how I learn.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Blogging Examples Startup 329

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 2, 2011

I’m sitting at my computer now at 9.00pm writing this – which is an hour earlier than I normally write (there are about 8 women at my kitchen table having a book club (aka excuse to drink wine & gossip so I’m locked in another room writing. Of course not. I enjoy that. I read 95% of my email.

Email 287

Email Blogging Venture Capital Writing 287

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

He eventually founded and sold consumer health firm ViSalus to a public company and is now back making investments, in technology companies, as a venture capitalist here at Los Angeles-based HashtagOne (www.hashtagone.com). As a result, I really saw Visalus as a technology company. What's the theme of your investments?

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Technical Review Software Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2015

Thus founders seeking funding for a good cause or a new technology often seize on grants from universities, government agencies and philanthropic organizations as free money to solve their problems. Of course, nothing is really free in the business world. Otherwise find an inexpensive class on grant writing. In the U.S.

Pricing 100

Pricing Equity Technical Review Research 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2010

The reason for that, is in my opinion, the majority of the innovations that have improved our nation in the past 150 years have been due to technology and engineering innovations. Fariborz Maseeh: Initially ,we hope that the business plan competition would help solve one of the fourteen National Academy of Engineering grant challenges.

Competition 154

Competition Southern California Mentor USC 154

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

Saving cost wont help you if you cant make the daily innovations required to stay competitive. Leading edge technology software and manufacturing require constant course corrections and iterative restarts. If your software or your manufacturing process is your secret sauce, you need to keep the work in-house.

Outsource Development 95

Outsource Development Outsource Offshore Software Review 95

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 11, 2010

This month’s big question is Examples of Big Impact from Technology and I’ve taken it as an opportunity to go back and look at the elements of different projects that I’ve worked on over the years that have had a big impact. I’ve seen that in courses and in design specs many times, and it’s a HORRIBLE IDEA.

Satisfaction 167

Satisfaction Examples Course Technical Review 167

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

Yet, it does nothing to help you execute your business model. One is obvious, without protection, such IP might prove to be of little worth, as other companies can mimic the technology without recourse. It is often a feature or set of features which enhances the overall efficacy and value of a more comprehensive technology.

IP 256

IP Patents Company Companies 256

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2011

This is a blog post I really didn’t want to write. I didn’t want to write it because I have mixed feelings about AngelList. I didn’t want to write it because the bloggosphere doesn’t always do nuance well. So why I am writing it then? A few reasons. You should read this post. Isolated incident?

Venture Capital 267

Venture Capital Writing Blogging Startup 267

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2 preamble issues having read the comments on TC today: 1: I know that the prices of startup companies is much great in Silicon Valley than in smaller towns / less tech focused areas in the US and the US prices higher than many foreign markets. Well, obviously if you knew that in advance it would be big of course that would be true.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2010

The company provides SAT, ACT, and other similar test preparation courses and related software. I had worked as a tutor for Princeton Review, and Jake for Kaplan. We thought, we could put out a better product than Kaplan or Princeton Review, which would be more compelling, and also would tie in a strong social mission.

Software Review 178

Software Review Technical Review Education Startup 178

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2010

It made me laugh because the technical world has this exact phrase to talk in computing sense about the need to block out interruptions in order to complete a task. They taught us to write down questions when they came up and batch them together in point sheets. I believe in consensus building and understand Sikakkar’s sentiment.

Product 280

Product Startup Email Technical Review 280

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

I was happy to see a real focus on preparing for tomorrow highlighted in a new book, “ Start a Successful Business ,” by Colleen DeBaise, who has made a career of studying and writing about entrepreneur challenges. Regularly follow reviews and influencers in your industry. Thus no amount of input will help, if you are not listening.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Technical Review Software Review 57

socalTECH

MARCH 12, 2013

The company--which is in the business of operating a content delivery network (CDN) to accelerate the delivery of web graphics, multimedia, applications, and more to end users-- recently disclosed it more than doubled its revenues in 2012, and has grown to over 230 employees--all due to a huge amount of demand for CDN services by its customers.

CTO Hire 248

CTO Hire Content Networking Web 248

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Of course I went through normal other channels of deal flow. I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). Before I tell you my reasons for never doing a deal that a banker intro’d I have to preface by where I think bankers are enormously helpful on VC deals. I spent time on college campuses.

Startup 361

Startup Venture Capital Pricing Technical Review 361

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Hopefully this article and the accompanying six-minute video will help you avoid learning these mission-critical lessons the hard way. Value is created through diligent hard work. Fallacy: Yes.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2016

Saving cost won’t help you if you can’t make the daily innovations required to stay competitive. Leading edge technology software and manufacturing require constant course corrections and iterative restarts. If your software or your manufacturing process is your “secret sauce,” you need to keep the work in-house.

Outsource Development 53

Outsource Development Outsource Software Review Technical Review 53

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Of course I went through normal other channels of deal flow. I tapped my friends at big tech companies (Salesforce, Google, Oracle). Before I tell you the reasons I’m concerned about investment banking intros, I should start by saying I think bankers are enormously helpful for entrepreneurs in raising money.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2010

Bill Gates once famously said that people tend to overestimate the impact of technology in the 1-year timeframe and underestimate its impact in the 10-year timeframe. I tend not to go into heat when I hear the latest buzz on the tech blogs about the latest gadgets. There is, of course, a paid version. We’ll see.

Technical Review 278

Technical Review Software Review Startup SoCal 278

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 6, 2014

I would start by asking the candidate, “How did you decide on these five people” as part of your review process. Most people delay reference calls until that point both due to expediency of time (why make phone calls unless you think you might hire the person?) You expected no less. Having an accomplice.

Startup 302

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Report 302

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2016

Of course, we all need friend relationships in our private lives, and some of these may evolve from or lead to business relationships. Friends are motivated to help you, while business people want to help their business. In the world of entrepreneurs and startups, professional relationships are critical.

Entrepreneur 66

Entrepreneur Social Network Technical Review Social Media 66

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 10, 2010

If you’re not familiar with the term it’s basically trying to help all of us who are deluged with technology to find ways to cope with the masses of information without having it ruin our lives. Of course the 4-hour work week and DL plan is a gross over generalization and meant to be shocking. If not now, then when?

Startup 295

Startup Email Technical Review Course 295

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!” Exec Summary: Most companies (98+%) in the world (even tech startups) should be very profit focused. One of them is profitability.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

If you look at what you go through, starting high school, and maybe even middle or grade school, you go through your educational life managing courses, relationships with your teachers, and relationships with your parents. We've basically taken advantage of all the new technology out there--especially, the web-based service model.

Education 124

Education Startup Course Tool 124

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

I had seen many cycles and decided that since I was going to do it all over again I should write about it. I decided to write about my experience and to be blunt. It became a huge kerfuffle with many VC partners writing to thank me for the post, which exposed those that gave their industry a bad name. And covered we did.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

I know you’re not a tech guy and haven’t done anything other than an HTML course you once took, but if you’re inspirational and a leader you’ll find somebody to moonlight for free to get your prototype built. Existing tech or industry executives - Do you have strong relationships in your industry?

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

Eric Greenspan

FEBRUARY 2, 2010

Your BBB has formed a strategic alliance to help save you money in your everyday costs starting immediately. I have been asked by your Better Business Bureau to help accredited businesses like you keep more of the money you earn. Please let me know if there is anything else we can help you with. First, we remain an A-.

Santa Barbara 265

Santa Barbara Technical Advisors Email Technical Review 265