Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2015

'Last week Fred Wilson and I sat down in Santa Monica for an hour+ discussion with the video cameras rolling. One of the questions we discussed is, “How much capital should a startup raise?” Fred & I are both in agreement that there is a tension between capital constraints and creativity. In his words, [in some instances] “because lots of capital is available, the company takes on the capital and that ends up resulting in no constraints on decision making and so the company

Venture Capital 268

Venture Capital Startup Writing Blogging 268

Berkonomics

MARCH 26, 2015

'This is the tale of two CEOs, one of them unfortunately….me. It’s a story of how people handle unusual situations when selling to the top – an executive of a prospective customer. And the stories couldn’t be more different. Recently a CEO friend told me her story of a dinner with her director of business development and an executive of a major company, a candidate for a large sale.

Sales 159

Sales Conference Startup Course 159

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2015

'San Diego-based GoFormz , a startup which develops software to turn paper forms into mobile-fillable electronic forms, has raised $3M in a Series A funding, the company said today. The funding came from Cloud Apps Capital Partners and FLOODGATE. Cloud Apps Capital Partners'' Matt Holleran joins the company''s board with the funding. GoFormz develops software which transfers paper forms into electronic apps, which can be filled out on a smartphone or tablet, and preserves the same information an

Mobile 125

Mobile San Diego Software Capital 125

InfoChachkie

MARCH 30, 2015

'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Raising too much cash, too early, can kill your startup. It can provoke spending on unproven business models, hiring employees before their talents can be fully tapped and entering into long-term, unsustainable relationships with partners, landlords and other third parties. To avoid these death knell mistakes, create a culture in which you and your employees (your CFO excepted) spend your precious cash with zero regard for how much money

Startup 172

Startup Pricing Coach Incubator 172

Advertiser: Aggregage

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.

Company

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 21, 2015

Eight weeks is what the port of Oakland estimated it would take to recover from the paralyzing effects of the west coast port labor disputes. That’s right, as much as eight weeks of delays for domestic car manufacturers to receive parts, grocery stores to receive food and retailers to get their hands on the new Apple Watches. And eight weeks for the U.S. exporters to get their goods… Read More.

Long Beach 100

Long Beach Los Angeles Angel 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2015

'A popular approach for aspiring entrepreneurs these days seems to be to corner anyone who will listen, with a pitch on their current “million dollar idea.” The initial monologue usually ends with the question “How much money do you think this is worth?” In my opinion, ideas are a commodity, and are really not worth much, outside the context of a visionary leader who can execute.

Ideas 115

Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Resource 115

Berkonomics

MARCH 19, 2015

'Here’s one for executives of technology companies, or any company with next generation products in mind. As your business grows more complex and there are more employees to manage and more customers to care for, slowly you will notice that more and more time of your chief innovation officer or system architect or R&D department is spent focused upon enhancements in response to needs of the user base.

Resource 171

Resource Cloud Computing Tool Startup 171

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2015

'San Diego-based venture capital investor Correlation Ventures is looking to raise a second fund, Correlation Ventures II, worth $170M, according to a regulatory filing by the firm today. According to the filing, the venture firm has yet to ink any limited partner commitments on the new fund. Correlation Ventures last raised a fund back in 2011, and says it currently has $165M under management.

Funding 131

Funding San Diego Venture Capital Capital 131

InfoChachkie

MARCH 23, 2015

'A version of this article previously appeared in the Wall Street Journal. “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Wayne Gretzky. Imagine how difficult it would be to score in hockey if you were required to rely on someone who is not your teammate to convince another third-party, whom you have not met, to take a shot on your behalf. As crazy as this scenario sounds, it is very similar to the “scoring process” companies engage in when they track Net Promoter Scores.

.Net 185

.Net Startup Satisfaction Technical Review 185

Tech.Co

MARCH 7, 2015

Aaron is the founder & CEO of DogVacay. He’s an active member of the Santa Monica startup community. Aaron was previously with Monitor Ventures and Upfront Ventures.

Santa Monica 70

Santa Monica Activity Startup 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 13, 2015

'According to most definitions, an entrepreneur is one who envisions a new and different business, meaning one that is not a copy of an existing business model. Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Even fewer are able to grow the startup into a viable business.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Ideas Satisfaction Summary 109

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2015

'*. If you are a 20-something tech entrepreneur you could be forgiven for thinking that seed-stage investors, Angellist Syndicates and widely available angel money always existed. It is, of course, a very recent phenomenon. Let me take you back just 10 years ago to 2005 in Silicon Valley where I returned after 11 years of living in Europe. I was out to raise my first seed money in my second startup of $500,000.

Venture Capital 282

Venture Capital Startup Invest Cloud Computing 282

Berkonomics

MARCH 12, 2015

'When a new CEO or manager is hired into a company, for a while lots of energy flows from the top and new ideas seem to be generated daily. It is one reason not to fear the unknown when upper level management long in place turns over, often leaving most everyone worried about the future of the company and for their own prospects. Even the best of us fall into a routine in our jobs.

Ideas 176

Ideas Company Companies 176

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2015

'Los Angeles-based online, real estate crowdfunding site Asset Avenue has upped its funding to $4.0M, according to a recent regulatory filing by the firm. According to the filing, the company now has raised a total of $4.0M, from a total of 43 investors. Details on the latest funding--which appears to be a convertible note funding--have not yet been announced.

Funding 162

Funding Venture Capital Los Angeles Sites 162

InfoChachkie

MARCH 16, 2015

'A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Trade show veterans know that the louder you scream at an industry event, the less your voice is heard. Instead, you have to push the envelope of propriety to cut through the noise. Even at a show the size of Dreamforce, you can cut through the noise, but you have to push the envelope to do it. .

Conference 185

Conference SaaS Ideas Sales 185

Tech.Co

MARCH 13, 2015

Ideally, when a customer asks if you accept a certain form of payment, the answer should always be yes. GoCoin is the first checkout solution designed to accommodate bitcoin and other popular altcoins like litecoin and dogecoin. Give your customers the convenience of choice, and in turn, you can choose to keep the coins or instantly exchange them to your preferred currency.

Design 70

Design Customer Custom 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2015

'Every entrepreneur realizes that change is now the norm, and they have to adapt their business quickly to survive and prosper. In fact, the best entrepreneurs seem to see breakthrough changes coming even before they really happen, and are able to turn them into huge new opportunities. In the trade, this rare capability is called the ability to see around corners.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Summary Patents Examples 109

The Huffington Post

MARCH 30, 2015

Five teams competed in Orange County this past weekend. Particularly notable in this Southern California version of a San Francisco hackathon was a focus on product viability. Teams were here to build a product to sell, not merely to produce an idea without a market. Read more: Slidepollajax , Hackathon , Startups , Tech Startups , Los-Angeles-Tech , Startup Weekend , Orange County , Los Angeles News.

Orange County 75

Orange County Southern California Startup News 75

Berkonomics

MARCH 5, 2015

'Negotiating an agreement, especially one that involves personal gain, is tough for the person personally involved. There is too much to lose to be objective, to be willing to walk when terms go upside down. It is my experience that you should have an expert negotiator with you or even in your place, whether from your board or an employee or outside professional such as an attorney – when the issue is personal.

Pricing 188

Pricing Training Examples Sales 188

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2015

'Costa Mesa-based wireless access point manufacturer EnGenius said today that it has launched a new, 30-day free trial program for its WLAN controllers and switches. The products are aimed at both businesses and consumers. The company said the free trial for its Neutron Series products helps both resellers and end users ability to experience its products.

Networking 125

Networking Product Help Company 125

InfoChachkie

MARCH 9, 2015

'A version of this article previously appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Freemium business models are popular because they allow startups to quickly drive user adoption. Unfortunately, many of these companies fail to properly monetize such non-paying users. Let''s face it. It''s frankly easier to accelerate your startup''s growth and show faux traction if you omit the pesky step of asking users to pull out their credit cards.Let''s face it.

Technical Support 191

Technical Support Customer Custom Demand 191

Tech.Co

MARCH 13, 2015

Droplabs is a coworking space, computer lab, classroom and makerspace in Los Angeles, California, and they collaborate with other spaces and organizations around LA County. They’re the leading low-cost coworking space and business incubator in the Greater Los Angeles Area and have services, programs and workspaces that are uniquely designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers, lifelong learners and remote workers.

Incubator 70

Incubator Los Angeles Design Organization 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 1, 2015

'Deciding to be an entrepreneur is a lifestyle move, and should be part of a long-term strategic plan. You shouldn’t be making this decision just because you are mad at your boss, you would like to be rich, or someone else thinks it’s a good idea. In these changing times, if you already have a startup, with no plan, maybe it’s time to think ahead for a change.

Startup 109

Startup Resource Ideas Training 109

The Huffington Post

MARCH 23, 2015

Tech has many facets that could infuse the entertainment industry taking interestings ideas from Seed to rapid growth stage. Read more: Thunderstruck Competition , Los Angeles , Los-Angeles-Tech , Los Angeles News.

Los Angeles 76

Los Angeles Angel News Entertainment 76

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 31, 2015

'U.S. Telecom has announced that it has filed suit against the United States government in response to the recent ruling by the Federal Communications Commission on Net Neutrality. The suit was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit comes after the FCC passed a law to prevent network owners, such as Comcast (CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (TWC), from discriminating against certain content being sent over its networks.

.Net 57

.Net Networking Content Services 57

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2015

'Irvine-based Printronix said late Monday evening that it has named a a new CEO. According to the company, Werner Heid has been named as the company''s new CEO and member of the board. Heid replaces Randy Eisenbach, who is retiring. Heid previously had served at Logitech, Hewlett Packard, Iomega, and Proxima. Printronix is a developer of thermal printers for the industrial market.

Marketing 125

Marketing Develop Development Company 125

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 10, 2015

'I write about sales often both because it’s the lifeblood of any organization and because in my experience it is the area in which more startups are least experienced or inclined. I also write and talk about it frequently because raising capital is a part of sales and this is important for entrepreneurs to understand. To make it simple and easy to remember – there are three basic rules of sales: 1.

Sales 269

Sales Startup Venture Capital Funding 269

Tech.Co

MARCH 13, 2015

Amplify is a hands-on startup accelerator and multi-faceted entrepreneurial campus in Los Angeles. All companies are not created equal, nor do they travel similar paths. A flexible approach to accelerating startups is at the core of the Amplify program. The experience is tailored to each company — no mandatory schedule or recycled calendar of activities.

Venice 70

Venice Activity Los Angeles Startup 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2015

'A common request I get while mentoring entrepreneurs is for a copy of the startup checklist they need to follow, in order to build a successful new business. I wish it was that easy. The challenge is that every new business needs to be innovative and different, in order to rise above the crowd, bring real change to the world, and give you the satisfaction you seek.

Startup 107

Startup Cloud Computing Social Media Entrepreneur 107

The Huffington Post

MARCH 30, 2015

Five teams competed in Orange County this past weekend. Particularly notable in this Southern California version of a San Francisco hackathon was a focus on product viability. Teams were here to build a product to sell, not merely to produce an idea without a market.

Orange County 40

Orange County Southern California Startup Ideas 40

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 31, 2015

'When running your small business, you probably hear all the time about moving over to big data and shifting everything over to the cloud as it is easier for you to run and operate. Now, it might be true that just dumping everything you have over to the cloud is easy, but there are are right and wrong ways to approach business process management (BPM).

Services 55

Services Invest Ideas Help 55

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2015

'e-MDs , a company developing electronic health records (EHR) and practice management software, has been acquired by Los Angeles-based private equity investor Marlin Equity , and has merged with MDeverywhere. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. e-MDs founder and CEO David Winn is retiring from the company as part of the deal. MDeverywhere is an existing portfolio company of Marlin Equity, and is based in the Boston area.

Equity 125

Equity Acquisition Los Angeles Software 125

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 7, 2015

'*. Ok. If you work in tech this week you’ve no doubt heard much of this new app called Meerkat. In case you’ve spent the week living under a rock, Meerkat is an app integrated (currently) with Twitter in which if you click on the link of somebody who shares a “Meerkat Stream” you will be transported into a live session of their phone streaming.

Course 292

Course Startup Venture Capital Snapchat 292

Tech.Co

MARCH 13, 2015

Securely text your co-workers.TigerText was conceived in 2010 in Los Angeles, with one simple goal in mind: empowering organizations and individuals to securely communicate with their mobile phones. In a world where every email, every SMS and every data bit we ever created lives on forever in some computer server, owned by some unknown company, in some unknown location we believe impermanence should be an inalienable right.

Organization 70

Organization Email Los Angeles Mobile 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2015

'Every new business quickly realizes that revenue coming in every period on a committed basis is the Holy Grail to survival and growth. According to many experts , getting new customers is five to ten times harder than getting additional revenue from existing customers. Thus the subscription model (low fixed monthly payments), is rapidly becoming the norm for new products and services.

Startup 106

Startup Netflix Custom Customer 106

The Huffington Post

MARCH 30, 2015

Five teams competed in Orange County this past weekend. Particularly notable in this Southern California version of a San Francisco hackathon was a focus on product viability. Teams were here to build a product to sell, not merely to produce an idea without a market.

Orange County 40

Orange County Southern California Startup Ideas 40