Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 22, 2015
This morning Clutter.io announced they raised $9 million from Sequoia , arguably the best venture capital firm that exists. Congratulations. Sincerely. Conventional wisdom says I shouldn’t tell you this because I invested in their main competitor, MakeSpace. I know my MakeSpace friends will forgive me because I just don’t believe the conventional wisdom is right.
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 29, 2015
Taking money from professional investors such as angels or VCs usually requires that you agree to seek an exit for those investors in your plan, often targeting five to seven years as the ideal period for growth before a liquidity event. Of course, even though that is your contract with the investors, way over half of those implied contracts never work out that way.
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socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Los Angeles, which appears to be the capital of on-demand, mobile phone driven services (Uber-for-almost anything), has yet another entry into the on-demand personal services market: Hairdoo , a startup which says it can connect users with a haircut as soon as an hour from booking. According to Hairdoo, the service is launching first in Los Angeles, and runs on iOS and will soon be on Android.
InfoChachkie
OCTOBER 12, 2015
A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. On a micro level, you can do your part to fix tech's gender problem by recruiting people with diverse backgrounds and place them in a company culture that rewards those who challenge the status quo. Like all important social movements, the change begins with you. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!
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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.
TechCrunch LA
OCTOBER 10, 2015
L.A. tech has clearly hit its growth inflection point, but the City of Angels has yet to get its startup wings. Here’s the good news: In 2014 alone, we raised more than $3 billion, saw more than $5 billion realized capital across over 80 exits and became the fastest growing startup region in the U.S. Read More.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 25, 2015
In this world of constant change, new technologies, and a thousand cultures, it’s evident and somehow comforting to me that the basic rules for business prosperity really haven’t changed in the last hundred years. Business success is still more about the people than the technology or idea involved. As an angel investor and a mentor to entrepreneurs I still see this every day.
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Berkonomics
OCTOBER 22, 2015
The first rule for raising money is to do it on good news – right when sales are increasing at an increasing rate. Or when a major customer signs a significant deal. Or when something happens that makes an investor think this company is about to break out. Unfortunately, the longer you wait without significant upward news, the harder it is to get attention.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Venice, California-based startup accelerator Amplify.LA has kicked off fundraising for a third fund, Amplify.LA Capital III , according to a regulatory filing from the firm. The filing indicates the accelerator is targeting $10.0M in funding for the third fund. Amplify.LA is an investor in a host of LA startups, including HelloTech, StackSocial, Vadio, Gem, and many others.
InfoChachkie
OCTOBER 5, 2015
A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. As a Professor of Practice in Entrepreneurship at UC Santa Barbara , students ask me dozens of times each quarter, “What do you think of my idea?” My response is typically, “What I think of your idea is irrelevant. Tell me what you think of it.”. If you haven't already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles!
Tech.Co
OCTOBER 20, 2015
If you’ve got even a modicum of grilling experience under your belt, then you know it only takes a few moments of inattention to totally ruin a good cut of meat. In my opinion, one of the best tools you can have aside from experience is a meat thermometer. The problem is that they’re unwieldy sometimes and don’t give the most accurate read out depending on what model you buy.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 3, 2015
Entrepreneurship is all about leading – leading customers to a new product or service, leading a startup team to peak performance, and leading a new business to the market opportunity, while providing maximum return to stakeholders. Most entrepreneurs feel they have innate leadership talents, but struggle with how to nurture these abilities and measure their effectiveness.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 8, 2015
A while back when I was reading the press I saw a quote from Randy Komisar, a partner at Kleiner Perkins that was simple, yet profound. He was quoted as saying, “Being a great partner is as important as being smart or being right.”. I liked it so much I wrote it down and tried to think about what it meant to me and I promised myself I would write about that one day.
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 15, 2015
Let me tell you a few short hair-raising stories of entrepreneurs who have raised money and regretted it later. Here are some rules that entrepreneurs almost always ignore to their future peril. Don’t take money from relatives who can’t afford to walk away without remorse. Do take money from experienced family members only after you ask them if they are sure three or more separate times.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2015
San Diego-based residential solar services and financing provider OneRoof Energy has named Brian Alexson as its new Chief Operating Officer, according to the company. Alexson was previously CEO of CS operating inc., and also had served at Verengo Solar, ServiceMaster, and Terminix. OneRoof Energy provides solar installation services and lease and PPA financing to the residential market.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 29, 2015
InVisage Technologies Inc. , the camera sensor company, announced the release of “Prix”, a short film shot entirely with InVisage’s Quantum Film smartphone camera sensor. The film captures a stunning level of detail despite dynamic lighting environments and shooting fast-moving subjects outdoors. This quality is made possible thanks to InVisage’s QuantumFilm, a quantum dot camera sensor technology. “Today, filmmakers of all types have access to HD-quality cameras through
Frank Addante
OCTOBER 26, 2015
Does an activity (be it a meeting, project, or decision…) bring you closer to achieving your goals or farther away? Asking this simple question before beginning a task has not only made me more productive, but it has helped me more effectively lead. I refer to this results-oriented approach with my team as: activity ≠ results. When you look at the most successful companies and thriving work cultures, there’s a common theme: they focus on output and results, as opposed to activity.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 24, 2015
Many entrepreneurs forget that their success is more about helping other people than about personally becoming famous, or overcoming the odds and getting rich. A successful business has to satisfy customers with a strong team, by helping them solve problems, save money, or experience more pleasure. That means more focus on helping others achieve their goals.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 6, 2015
Rental cars. I have never met a person who loved their rental car company or the experience of turning up at an airport, waiting in line, paying a huge fee and then dealing with returns, airport shuttle buses and so forth not to mention half-washed and smelly cars. I think the closest parallel I have is the feeling I had for taxi cabs (inconvenient, smelly, expensive) before Uber.
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 8, 2015
We come to the end of this cycle of insights with a thought about how you might view your successful exit from the company you have spent so much effort to build. You’ve worked hard for years to reach the payoff, and the money sure looks good as you contemplate the wire transfer to come, and then watch your bank account fill to a level you only dreamed of during those rough cash flow years.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2015
A three day festival, focused on NASA and space exploration, is running at the California Science Center through the weekend, according to the museum. According to the Center, which is centrally located in Los Angeles, its three day festival, Space Fest , runs from today through November 1st, and will feature a host of displays from NASA and demonstrations all focused on aeronautics and space exploration, talks from scientists and a NASA astronaut, and more.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 29, 2015
With the 2015 holiday shopping season now upon us, it’s “go time” for retailers across the country — an opportunity to put their carefully crafted holiday plans into action and deliver on their bottom-line expectations. That includes e-commerce retailers, which continue to claim a growing slice of overall retail sales. Last year alone, online holiday sales rose 15% over 2013 figures, including increases of 32% on Thanksgiving, 26% on Black Friday, and 17% on Cyber Monday.
Frank Addante
OCTOBER 26, 2015
Does an activity (be it a meeting, project, or decision…) bring you closer to achieving your goals or farther away? Asking this simple question before beginning a task has not only made me more productive, but it has helped me more effectively lead. I refer to this results-oriented approach with my team as: activity ≠ results. When you look at the most successful companies and thriving work cultures, there’s a common theme: they focus on output and results, as opposed to activity.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 2, 2015
By definition, every startup is predictably unpredictable, since new solutions have no proven track record, startups are usually building a new market, and the world around them is changing faster than ever. Yet, as an advisor to startups, I see some common disasters, and recommend some anticipation and recovery moves that can save every entrepreneur some painful time and money.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 2, 2015
Like many of you I read the Is Web Summit a Scam article making the rounds this week. I have attended Web Summits three times – it is not a scam. Let me get that out of the way. It’s a big conference and all big conferences charge money, make money and serve a diverse set of needs. I even wrote about my experiences attending Web Summit , something I rarely ever write about.
Berkonomics
OCTOBER 1, 2015
Sometimes the end game or sale of the company is not a happy event for the early investors, including the entrepreneur or the founders. Especially when outside investors, venture capitalists or angels have put in substantial money, and the sales price is not enough to give them a reasonable return for the time and money invested, these investors can be – in a word – greedy.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2015
It's the last day for open, reader nominations for our annual list of the top 50 up-and-coming individuals in Southern California's technology industry. We are looking to identify the individuals here in the technology industry, across all sectors, who are most likely to create the next big thing, produce the next big exit or to influence the industry in a significant way.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 28, 2015
Insurance companies need to adjust their methods for charging for claims in a way that is in line with the current markets. When a company gets hundreds of thousands of records, a system to manage, filter and process those records becomes essential. This is where Big Data comes in. By creating a platform that can quickly analyze large amounts of data, insurance companies can make more effective claims and ensure greater profits.
Frank Addante
OCTOBER 5, 2015
People often ask me to define my management style. It’s interesting because I would say I wear many hats, but the word that comes to mind is “adaptive.” Whether you are a Founder, CEO, Chairman, or senior executive… you not only have to wear a number of different hats, but you have to become adaptable about constantly changing from one role to the other.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 5, 2015
Even if you work every day in the world of new-venture funding, as I do, the options are confusing, and their meanings seem to change on a regular basis. I challenge any entrepreneur, for example, to define the difference between "seed-stage" and "early-stage" financing. Yet, knowing this distinction is important. Remember, you have only one chance to make a great first impression, so it helps to know the lingo when dealing with investors.
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 31, 2015
Let me start the post with three statements. 1. I have attention deficit disorder, it is a real condition , I have been diagnosed including having radioactive isotopes through my brain to map my development and yet I’m a leader, I have accomplished much, I did well in school and went on to earn a master’s degree and I can actually concentrate when I want to.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Los Angeles-based Tongal , which provides crowdsourced content for brands, agencies, studios, and others by tapping into a network of independent filmmakers, said Thursday that it has been selected as a Facebook Marketing Partner, specifically in the content marketing area. Tongal operates a crowdsourced studio, where marketers and others propose projects--ads, stories, short films, and other videos--and allows its pool of film makers and other creatives to work on those ideas, ultimately creati
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2015
Laguna Hills-based medical device maker Glaukos said this morning that it has entered into a settlement of a patent lawsuit with Transcend Medical. According to the company, it has agreed not to sue Transcend for patent infringement related to Transcend's CyPass Micro-Stent devices. In exchange, it said Transcend will pay the company 1% of future net sales, via quarterly payments, up to a maximum amount of $6M.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 29, 2015
Think you're saving money and helping the environment by putting those solar panels on your house? Maybe not saving as much money--thanks to Southern California Edison , which told its utility users this morning that it will soon be charging a minimum of $10 in "delivery charges" to all of its customers, if they fail to spend $10 a month on electricity.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 29, 2015
Los Angeles-based electronics e-commerce giant Newegg is again planning to ramp up its holiday deal activity for the entire month of November, the company said this morning, with a steady stream of special deals the entire month. Newegg--which calls its efforts "Black November"--has been using the entire month for discounts on items for the seventh year, although the company does say it will also be offering "massive price cuts" and special deals on the usual frenzied "Black Friday" shopping day
socalTECH
OCTOBER 29, 2015
Los Angeles-based RFID technology developer Mojix said this morning that it has named Dan Doles as its new President and CEO, replacing longtime founder and CEO Dr. Ramin Sadr. Doles was most recently Director of Connexive, which he had co-founded in 2009, and also had served as President and CEO of WhereNet, along with time at Zebra Technologies, PeopleSoft, Red Pepper Software, and Ernst & Young.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 29, 2015
La Jolla-based Aira.IO , a developer of software tools which use Google Glass to help the blind and low-vision individuals, has raised $790,000 in a seed funding round, the company said this morning. The funding came from Lux Capital and ARCH Venture Partners,a long with futurist Ray Kurzweil and blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayor. Aira.IO develops software which runs on Google Glass, and providing additional information to blind or sight impaired individuals, including navigation hints, identify
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