June, 2016

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Why Raising Too Much Money Can Harm Your Startup

Both Sides of the Table

Amongst the most often asked questions I get from founders is, “How much money should I raise?” Reflexively founders want to raise as much money as they can because they figure it will give them more resources, better chances of competing and a longer runways before they have to do the often painful job of asking, yet again, for money. Every time you ask for money you’re faced with the possible of feeling literally and figuratively like a failure.

Startup 292
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ReachLocal Acquired By Gannett For $156M

socalTECH

Woodland Hills-based ReachLocal is being acquired by publishing giant Gannett Co. , in a deal worth approximately $156M, the two companies said on Monday afternoon. ReachLocal said Gannett would pay $4.60 per share in cash for the company. VantagePoint Venture Partners and Rho Ventures--who own approximately 40% of ReachLocal--said it had agreed to tender their shares to Gannett as part of the acquisition deal.

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Hyperloop One plans to project Russians across Moscow

TechCrunch LA

Hyperloop One, a Los Angeles-based startup working on making Elon Musk’s crazy-fast vacuum tube transportation blueprint a reality, has agreed to partner with the Summa Group and the Russian Government to build a Hyperloop in Moscow. The Summa Group is a Russsian investment group with a large stake in infrastructure investments in the country including port logistics, engineering… Read More.

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Angels Flight Railway Gets Back on Track Online

L.A. Business Journal

The Angels Flight funicular, billed as the shortest railway in the world, might be out of commission, but there’s a new way for enthusiasts to get their Angels Flight fix without leaving their computer.

Angel 167
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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

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10 Essential Branding Maxims

InfoChachkie

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. In 1987, when Rick Astley filmed the video for his hit song Never Gonna Give You Up , he had no idea it would eventually become one of the most viewed videos of all time. By 2016, the video had been watched over 218 million times. Never Gonna Give You Up ’s resurgence began in 2007, when a user on an obscure gaming site posted a link to Rick’s video under the heading for a trailer of the not-yet-released Grand Theft Auto IV video game.

Customer 162
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Are you the leader if no one follows?

Berkonomics

Here is a variation of the “tree falls in the forest” question. In past insights, we’ve looked at leadership skills, ways to enhance effectiveness, and how to develop creative ideas that motivate and propel your organization to greatness. Here is the ultimate question for a leader…. You’ve heard the old saying that you can lead by fear or lead because people want to follow.

Examples 136

More Trending

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Disney Launches High School Computer Science Program For Girls

socalTECH

In what might end up being the most-sought-after summer camp experience ever for girls interested in technology and science, The Walt Disney Company said on Thursday that it is launching an on-campus, computer science immersion program aimed at high school girls. Disney said the program which will combine seven weeks of computer coding, with field trips to parts of The Walt Disney Company.

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Thrive Market raises $111 million for its online organic grocery store

TechCrunch LA

Buy organic groceries online, at an affordable price. That’s the mantra of Los Angeles-based Thrive Market, which has raised a significant $111 million Series B funding round, led by Invus. Thrive, which competes with similar online grocery services like Vitacost, believes there is a significant market opportunity to make natural foods more accessible to consumers and they’ve… Read More.

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Financial Doc Management Firm Docupace Raises $16.5 Million

L.A. Business Journal

Docupace Technologies, which develops financial document management software, has raised a $16.5 million round of capital from Palisades Growth Capital and TVC Capital.

Doc 162
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What Would You Pay To Have Dinner With A Lost Loved One?

InfoChachkie

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. “How much would you pay to have dinner with a lost loved one?” This was a question that my friend and mentor, Bob Wood and I recently discussed during one of our epic bike rides. We both concluded that we would sacrifice an absurd amount of our wealth to spend a few hours with the dear folks we have lost to old age and illness.

News 150
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What can you buy for an extra $1 million?

Berkonomics

Dave’s note: Here comes my favorite “tell-it-like-it-is” CEO, Kim Shepherd, with another of her “crazy” (meaning excellent) ideas to pry innovative ideas from associates. Does the headline grab your attention? Read on… By Kim Shepherd. What can your department or company buy if it had an extra million dollars? The quick answer is: a whole slew of great ideas.

Ideas 136
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Alternative Accelerators and Start-Up Resources

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 30, 2016 -- Alternative Accelerators and Start-Up Resources. LAVA. Today, start-ups have more choices for accessing business resources and seed funding than ever. This is especially true for first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs not yet ready to pursue venture capital or who lack certain critical capabilities. To meet these needs are emergent alternative accelerators, incubators and preccelerator models.

Startup 100
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How Kaleo Is Tackling Enterprise Knowledge Sharing

socalTECH

Phil Hui-Bon-Hoa , the CEO of El Segundo-based Kaleo (www.kaleo.com), is a serial entrepreneur who has previously built and sold four companies, including one acquired by IFILM, and another by Sun Microsystems. He's now hard at work at a new company, Kaleo, which is tackling the enterprise, knowledge sharing market�and already has an impressive list of Fortune 500 customers.

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Do Things That Don’t Scale

Tech Coast Venture Network

Graham calls it “doing things that don’t scale” because part of the definition of a startup is having a scalable technology. So what has changed? Playing Startup. Doing a startup is relatively popular. You know it is when universities start offering “entrepreneurship” programs. As is true for all things popular, there are people who actually do startups and those who play startup.

Startup 100
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J2 Global Submits $100M Bid for Gawker Media

L.A. Business Journal

J2 Global Inc.’s publishing division Ziff Davis has reportedly submitted an opening bid of $90 million to $100 million for Gawker Media, which is putting itself up for sale after filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Friday.

Media 140
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Entrepreneurs Should Create A Degree – Not Buy One Off The Rack

InfoChachkie

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Entrepreneurs create their own jobs, why shouldn’t they also create their own degrees? As described in Should Millennial Entrepreneurs Skip College? , most young entrepreneurs benefit greatly from the college experience. However, off-the-shelf majors are typically not suited to the eclectic skills required to succeed in the startup world.

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Don’t go on a phishing trip!

Berkonomics

Dave’s note: Our guest author this week is Kevin McDonald, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Alvaka Networks, a network services and security firm in Irvine, California. He is a trusted technology and security consultant and public policy advisory to some of America’s most influential people and organizations. .

Anthem 139
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Cybertech

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 30, 2016 -- Cybertech. CyberTech Beverly Hills is the premier event for cyber security, threats solutions and innovative technologies, taking place at the Wallis Annenberg Theater in Beverly Hills on June 30th, 2016! CyberTech Beverly Hills will include keynote sessions on the world of Cyber Crime Investigations, Fintech, Media and Entertainment and Critical Infrastructure, as well as an exhibition of innovative technologies, meetings with leading start-ups and investors.

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Paladin Software, Tipalti Link On Video Content Payments

socalTECH

Two, Los Angeles area companies, Paladin Software , and Tipalti , said this week that they have linked up in a strategic partnership, to enable payments to video content creators across different countries. Paladin--which offers up software to manage contracts and payments for multi-channel networks (MCNs)--said it is using Tipalti's technology to streamline payment processing in a creator's local currency.

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Do Things That Don’t Scale

Tech Coast Venture Network

Graham calls it “doing things that don’t scale” because part of the definition of a startup is having a scalable technology. So what has changed? Playing Startup. Doing a startup is relatively popular. You know it is when universities start offering “entrepreneurship” programs. As is true for all things popular, there are people who actually do startups and those who play startup.

Startup 100
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Loot Crate Raises $18.5M, Posts $100M in Sales

L.A. Business Journal

Subscription box startup Loot Crate, which sends toys and fan gear to subscribers in monthly mystery boxes, said it surpassed $100 million in sales last year and raised an $18.5 million Series A funding round.

Sales 140
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Startups Are Tribal – Are You A Shaman Or A Hunter?

InfoChachkie

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Startups, much like ancient tribes, are comprised of a small number of people who band together to battle a cruel, hostile world. Like the tribe, a nascent venture’s survival is precarious and never guaranteed. Success requires everyone applying their specialized skills in concert toward the group’s common good.

Startup 116
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The lion and the ant: A managerial lesson

Berkonomics

This story has been making the rounds lately, and I confess that our research cannot find the source. So, with thanks to whomever created this great little parable, here it is: “Every day, a small Ant arrived at work early and started work immediately, she produced a lot and she was happy. The boss, a lion, was surprised to see that the ant was working without supervision.

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Hub101 Hacks Presents: Student Life Startup Competition

SoCal Tech Calendar

Friday, June 24, 2016 -- Hub101 Hacks Presents: Student Life Startup Competition. Event Description Life as a student can be pretty rough. Think you have the innovativeness to make it more bearable? Then come on out and show us your great idea for the startup to solve every student's problems!

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MAKE IT IN LA Aims To Bridge Entrepreneurs, Manufacturers

socalTECH

A new effort, led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and headed up by startup evangelist Krisztina 'Z' Holly, is looking to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and manufacturers in LA. The new MAKE IT IN LA effort recently published a study , which found that manufacturing has more employment in LA than the creative industry; and that there is excess capacity in Los Angeles for manufacturing, with lots of potential to tie that manufacturing expertise with LA's new startup culture.

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GIBLIB Makes Surgical Education Easier Than Ever

Tech.Co

Did you know that approximately 4,000 preventable mistakes occur in surgery every year, resulting in about $1.3 billion in malpractice lawsuits? That’s right, apparently the skilled surgeons rooting around in your stomach are not only falling asleep at the wheel, but they are also costing hospitals more money than you’ve ever seen in your entire life.

Education 110
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Snapchat to Roll Out Redesign

L.A. Business Journal

Snapchat is reportedly set to roll out a redesign of its app in mid-June by merging its Discover and Live Story features.

Snapchat 173
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6 Principles for Personal and Business Success

Startup Professionals Musings

The startup lifestyle is known to be stressful and challenging, but it’s also meant to be satisfying and fulfilling, with you as the entrepreneur in control of your own destiny. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way, based on my many years of experience with entrepreneurs and advising startups. The business can be successful, while the entrepreneur feels like a failure.

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With $18M, Reflexion Health Expands Physical Therapy Technology

Xconomy

Reflexion Health, a San Diego startup founded in 2012 at the nonprofit West Health Institute, is moving to commercialize Vera, its physical rehabilitation system based on Microsoft Kinect’s motion tracking technology. After recently raising $18 million in Series B funding, the healthtech company also plans to add new products as it expands nationally among U.S. healthcare systems, CEO Joe Smith said late Monday.

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Preccelerator Program Demo Day

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 23, 2016 -- Preccelerator Program Demo Day. Clear your calendar - It's going down! Preccelerator® Program Demo Day kicks off on June 23rd @ 5:30pm, and you're invited to take part in the festivities. SAM Preccelerator® Program (1453 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 300) is our meeting spot to showcase the Preccelerator's current class of all-star companies to investors and the start-up community.

Class 100
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Universal Robots Sets Up Headquarters In Irvine

socalTECH

Universal Robotics , a Danish maker of robots for the industrial and medical markets, says it has set up a new West Coast headquarters in Irvine. According to the company, the new, 3,000 square foot plus base will help it expand local technology and sales support. The new office will be led by Craig Tomita. According to Universal Robotics, the new location is also very close to the University of California, Irvine, which it says is a potential source of engineering talent for the company.

Sales 145
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Loot Crate Raises $18.5M to Get More Loot Into the Hands of Nerds

Tech.Co

This week the popular Los Angeles, CA-based ecommerce subscription company Loot Crate announced the successful close of a $18.5 million Series A fund. Loot Crate is monthly subscription that provides toys, accessories, swag and apparel based on pop culture, games, and other nerd related brands. They are considered a pioneer and one of the more successful offerings in the subscription space with more than 600,000 subscribers.

Downey 70
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Silicon Beach Roundup June 24: Virgin Galactic Begins Fundraising $300M

L.A. Business Journal

Virgin Galactic begins fundraising $300 million, AppliedVR partners with Cedars-Sinai for therapeutic virtual reality, Lionsgate sells YouTube Red its first big-budget TV show, and more.

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How To Talk About Competitors And Gain Credibility

Startup Professionals Musings

Most entrepreneurs spend far too much time thinking negatively about competitors, and can’t resist making derogatory statements to their own team, to investors, and even to customers. This approach only makes these important constituents question your integrity, intelligence, and your understanding of business basics. Pointing out flaws in others does not give you strength.

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Xconomy Guide to Best Sessions at Startup Week San Diego

Xconomy

Startup Week San Diego, like a lot of other places that host similar events, has been billed as a weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship. Seattle’s UP Global, now part of Techstars, oversees the operation of Startup Week and other programs for tech entrepreneurs across the U.S. and abroad. But while Startup Week San Diego has always collaborated with UP Global, San Diego entrepreneur and Startup Week organizer Austin Neudecker said, “We’ve always been an independent entity.”.

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Alternative Accelerators and Start-Up Resources

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, June 23, 2016 -- Alternative Accelerators and Start-Up Resources. LAVA. Today, start-ups have more choices for accessing business resources and seed funding than ever. This is especially true for first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs not yet ready to pursue venture capital or who lack certain critical capabilities. To meet these needs are emergent alternative accelerators, incubators and preccelerator models.

Startup 100