Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2013

Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). In fact, some very innovative individuals, known as ‘idea people’ or inventors, often end up creating the most dysfunctional teams. Innovation is not all about coming up with new ideas. Generate ideas.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Ideas Framework Satisfaction 104

socalTECH

JANUARY 29, 2020

This week, Los Angeles-based Crosscut Ventures announced a brand new effort to provide health and wellness to the founders of companies it invests in, helping those founders with well being, mental health, stress management, coaching, and leadership development. That's the framework we've build with Evolution.

Invest 113

Invest Framework Coach Startup 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2021

Every entrepreneur tries to maximize his startup growth by building and selling more product and services for the widest geographic area that he can support. Many entrepreneurs are paranoid about the partnership approach, and think that M&A is only an alternative for large companies who are flush with cash. Look for new horizons.

Organization 132

Organization CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 132

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2022

The best entrepreneurs, and the best executives in mature businesses, have learned how to foster both high efficiency and high creativity, in a balance that keeps their business ahead of the pack on both sides of the equation. A natural human reaction to any new idea is to point out potential weaknesses. Marty Zwilling.

Ideas 111

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2019

Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). In fact, some very innovative individuals, known as ‘idea people’ or inventors, often end up creating the most dysfunctional teams. Innovation is not all about coming up with new ideas. Generate ideas.

Ideas 97

Ideas Framework Satisfaction Entrepreneur 97

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2023

Most entrepreneurs are so overwhelmed by the day-to-day challenges of their business that they rarely take the time to work on longer-term strategy (they work in the business versus on the business). Every entrepreneur benefits from critical thinking and learning. Gut reactions are rarely the optimal solution to any problem.

Framework 86

Framework Entrepreneur Startup Examples 86

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2020

Most entrepreneurs are so overwhelmed by the day-to-day challenges of their business that they rarely take the time to work on longer-term strategy (they work in the business versus on the business). Every entrepreneur benefits from critical thinking and learning. Gut reactions are rarely the optimal solution to any problem.

Framework 152

Framework Entrepreneur Startup Examples 152

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). In fact, some very innovative individuals, known as ‘idea people’ or inventors, often end up creating the most dysfunctional teams. Innovation is not all about coming up with new ideas. Generate ideas.

Ideas 97

Ideas Framework Entrepreneur Satisfaction 97

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

Where did the idea for the company come from? I'm more of a serial entrepreneur. Those experiences really sparked in me that the idea that this can be done better. We're launching five more over the next couple of months, as our team builds out the technology framework. That framework is beautiful in that way.

Guide 232

Guide Framework Mobile Startup 232

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2016

Every entrepreneur and business executive knows that continuous innovation is required to survive, but most struggle with this more than any other challenge they face. The best leaders selectively forget the past, and are constantly on the lookout for the future’s raw material of new ideas. Both are always recommended.

Framework 59

Framework Competition Ideas IBM 59

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Coming up with a new idea, and launching your startup is one thing, three entrepreneurs do this every second. Actually taking the action steps to transform an idea into a sustainable business and scaling is a very different story. Be creative, and look to your team to also provide ideas. Alon Rajic, Finofin LTD.

Entrepreneur 40

Entrepreneur Startup Framework Ideas 40

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

The conversation centered around a founder who's key question is "Where Do I Find a Developer for My Startup?" " In this case, he had a pretty compelling idea, had very little money, and didn't have the capacity himself to build it. Have you tested what you can without development? Ask a few CTO type people.

Guide 349

Guide Startup Mobile Framework 349

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

The best entrepreneurs, and the best executives in mature businesses, have learned how to foster both high efficiency and high creativity, in a balance that keeps their business ahead of the pack on both sides of the equation. A natural human reaction to any new idea is to point out potential weaknesses. Marty Zwilling.

Ideas 94

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2012

Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). In fact, some very innovative individuals, known as ‘idea people’ or inventors, often end up creating the most dysfunctional teams. Innovation is not all about coming up with new ideas. Generate ideas.

Startup 101

Startup Ideas Framework Entrepreneur 101

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

The conversation centered around a founder who's key question is "Where Do I Find a Developer for My Startup?" " In this case, he had a pretty compelling idea, had very little money, and didn't have the capacity himself to build it. Have you tested what you can without development? Ask a few CTO type people.

Guide 296

Guide Startup Mobile Framework 296

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 26, 2011

I have often said that what separates real entrepreneurs from pundits and bystanders is a bias towards getting things done versus over analyzing things. The startup entrepreneur knows that they’re going to be wrong often. The idea has become conventional wisdom. They over think the decision framework. Hiring at a Startup.

Startup 335

Startup Technical Review Framework Entrepreneur 335

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2013

Every entrepreneur tries to maximize his startup growth by building and selling more product and services for the widest geographic area that he can support. Many entrepreneurs are paranoid about the partnership approach, and think that M&A is only an alternative for large companies who are flush with cash. Look for new horizons.

Acquisition 88

Acquisition CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 88

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Watching him develop over the past 4.5 The take-away I’d love to leave you with is that we love to back entrepreneurs super early and if we lead a seed we will often offer to proactively lead an A-round or graciously step back if another lead comes to the table that the founder wants to include. We are sparring partners, not “deciders.”

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Invest Course 150

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

I thought I’d try to offer a framework for thinking about the topic. This conversation seems to come up very frequently these days both with portfolio companies and with entrepreneurs just looking for mentorship. So here’s my framework. Are you in the “lean&# phase? So if you can take 27% dilution for $1.5

Help 303

Help Startup Competition Framework 303

socalTECH

JUNE 15, 2017

Our interview this morning is with Milana Rabkin , co-founder of Stem , a new startup which is developing a financial application which helps musicians and other content creators automate payments to members of their creative team. We spent a lot of time developing talent coming out of YouTube, and helped to grow that business.

Startup 140

Startup Content Metrics Platform 140

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 19, 2017

The best entrepreneurs, and the best executives in mature businesses, have learned how to foster both high efficiency and high creativity, in a balance that keeps their business ahead of the pack on both sides of the equation. A natural human reaction to any new idea is to point out potential weaknesses.

Ideas 56

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 56

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 2, 2012

He recently produced the Silicon Beach Fest along with Kevin Winston of Digital LA , and his mobile ad optimization and re-engagement company PageWoo came out of the 1st graduating class for the new Los Angeles accelerator Start Engine (developed by serial entrepreneur of Activision fame, Howard Marks). The framework in L.A.

News 95

News Los Angeles Ideas Startup 95

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

Every entrepreneur tries to maximize his startup growth by building and selling more product and services for the widest geographic area that he can support. Many entrepreneurs are paranoid about the partnership approach, and think that M&A is only an alternative for large companies who are flush with cash. Look for new horizons.

CTO Hire 91

CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development Resource 91

socalTECH

MARCH 2, 2020

Croquet is developing software for collaborative applications, which has applications in virtual worlds and augmented and virtual reality. The idea is pretty simple. In the real world, the idea that what you see is what I see is a central aspect of our experience. What is Croquet? David Smith: Croquet is a long term project.

Platform 168

Platform Startup Examples Web 168

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 19, 2014

In Spring of 2012, a former colleague at Goldman Sachs suggested she connect with David Zhu, an entrepreneur with an eccentric but compelling background (professional poker player, dropped out of MIT). “ Our initial ideas looked nothing like what we’re working with now. Like Zach, he left UCLA to jump in with both feet.

Social Media 106

Social Media Startup Screening Advertising 106

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

Guide to Evaluating Startup Ideas - Tony Wright dot com , May 27, 2010 A great developer I once worked with was kvetching at lunch one day. He’d been working at a well-funded startup for about a year and had come to terms with the fact that the startup was really a pretty dumb idea. Why Entrepreneurs Hate Lawyers.

Startup 248

Startup Venture Capital Conference Social Media 248

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

Most entrepreneurs are so overwhelmed by the day-to-day challenges of their business that they rarely take the time to work on longer-term strategy (they work in the business versus on the business). Every entrepreneur benefits from critical thinking and learning. Gut reactions are rarely the optimal solution to any problem.

Framework 53

Framework Entrepreneur Startup Examples 53

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 19, 2014

In Spring of 2012, a former colleague at Goldman Sachs suggested she connect with David Zhu, an entrepreneur with an eccentric but compelling background (professional poker player, dropped out of MIT). “ Our initial ideas looked nothing like what we’re working with now. Like Zach, he left UCLA to jump in with both feet.

Social Media 81

Social Media Startup Screening Advertising 81

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Soon into college he realized that a career as a professional athlete is not what he wanted and instead quickly caught the entrepreneur/startup bug. Audiolife was built on a framework to handle all the back-end work through store fronts allowing musicians to focus on what they do best. Online Awareness.

Technology 95

Technology Framework USC Platform 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2017

Like most investors in startups, I rank the credentials of the team well above the value of an idea in deciding where to put my money. Every organization needs a talent pipeline that holds leaders at all levels accountable for identifying and developing internal difference makers, and nurturing networks of external talent.

Product 58

Product Startup Guide Framework 58

SoCal Delicious

JANUARY 9, 2014

Too often people dive straight into their shiny solution ideas without thinking about why they’re doing what they’re doing or considering the change they want to see in the world. I recently developed a more human framework for early-stage startups to define their startup DNA and lay some foundations for a sustainable business.

Startup 78

Startup Design Customer Custom 78

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

No, the ideas aren’t conflicting. In reading the comments on Bijan’s blog and having discussed this so many times, I know some entrepreneurs only want to talk with VCs that think that Powerpoint causes leprosy. Use it as a framework for a dialog not a script. Isn’t it antithetical to my arguments above?

Venture Capital 299

Venture Capital Slides Technical Advisors Startup 299

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2014

The very mention of the word fundraising can illicit some powerful emotions among entrepreneurs. On one end, entrepreneurs who have (at minimum) built something customers love and are willing to pay for, and the other hand, investors who are looking for the very companies who fit that profile. Where SeedInvest Sprouted.

Invest 100

Invest Startup Technical Review Software Review 100

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 20, 2014

The morning, spent with the incredible group of entrepreneurs fostering # bigDOCC (Big “D” Open Coffee Club – Dallas that is ), was focused on not just what it means to be a startup in Dallas, but Texas, and the role that industry plays therein. Addison, Texas is home of The open source eCommerce framework Broadleaf.

Technical Review 71

Technical Review Commerce Yahoo Web 71

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 18, 2008

What's the idea behind OpenCandy? After I left DivX, I chose to go forward with a concept that leveraged that experience I had in the past, with a way to help software developers increase their distribution and make money with their software. When did you decide to pursue this idea? How are you doing that?

Software Review 100

Software Review Software Startup Examples 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

I told people privately my perfect spec: computer science undergrad from MIT (or any other great school), 2-years at McKinsey but no more than that (I love the analytical framework that the top strategy consulting firms provide. My first job after college was as a developer at Andersen Consulting. I installed Windows 3.1

Startup 337

Startup Venture Capital Study Course 337

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

It's quite a different framework from an Airbnb or HomeAway. How did the idea come about for Overnight? I was just starting out in mobile app development, and a friend of mine was just starting out as a VC at Greycroft. It gives our hosts an opportunity to not live by a calendar. From there, I was working at a starrtup here.

Startup 100

Startup Los Angeles Mobile Pricing 100