Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 11, 2011

I recently had the pleasure of spending an hour with Jon Steinberg, president of Buzzfeed , a company who focuses on helping media companies make their content go viral. His words, “we find things on Sunday morning that will be on the Today show on Tuesday morning.&# That’s why people turn up to Buzzfeed. We talked about a lot of great stuff in the video including how to do sales calls and a how a new “culture of writing&# is emerging as a critical skill set in business today.

Buzzfeed 354

Buzzfeed Content Tips Blogging 354

SoCal CTO

APRIL 27, 2011

Several people have recently come to me to help them source and/or hire full-time CTOs for their startup having found me through my post that looks at: Startup CTO Salary and Equity Data. The first thing I do is suggest they explore if they really need to hire a full-time CTO for their startup and if so, what kind of CTO they need. There's a lot on my blog already around this topic.

CTO Hire 282

CTO Hire CTO Coach Technical Review Startup 282

InfoChachkie

APRIL 25, 2011

As I noted in Why Most Business Books (Still) Suck , I am generally not a fan of business books. Although many are entertaining, most fail to provide entrepreneurs with a sufficient return on their time investment. If you are a leader at a startup and you are reading a business book, you are not closing customers, raising capital, improving your product, or spending time with your loved ones.

Technical Review 279

Technical Review Blogging Class Entrepreneur 279

socalTECH

APRIL 1, 2011

Visitors to Los Angeles-based video streaming service Hulu Friday were greeted with a surprise "redesign" of the web site, as part of a Hulu April Fool's gag. Users who logged into Hulu of Friday saw a Geocities-inspired, framed browser view featuring such notable 1990's shows as the X Files, Sliders, Murder One, and News Radio -- not to mention tacky, 1996-eras web design and highlighted links to the A-Team and Saturday Night Live.

Web Design 264

Web Design Hulu Web Design 264

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

Berkonomics

APRIL 3, 2011

Here we must do a little math calculation together to make a point. Assume that your gross margin from sales is 50% for ease in calculation. Assume 30 days to collect receivables from completed work, and 30 days to complete the work. Finally, assume a fixed overhead equal to all of the remaining 50% of revenues, just for the sake of making this point.

Sales 159

Sales Startup Resource Email 159

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 28, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 -- Alternative Clean Transportation Expo. Launching in Southern Californiaa region with twenty five years of groundbreaking alternative fuel vehicle technology successACT Expo provides a sharp focus on the world of Alternative Clean Transportation. Plan to attend for the latest information on funding opportunities, regulatory policies, and inside details on new and emerging technologies.

Southern California 124

Southern California Technology Funding 124

SoCal CTO

APRIL 27, 2011

Several people have recently come to me to help them source and/or hire full-time CTOs for their startup having found me through my post that looks at: Startup CTO Salary and Equity Data. The first thing I do is suggest they explore if they really need to hire a full-time CTO for their startup and if so, what kind of CTO they need. There's a lot on my blog already around this topic.

CTO Hire 225

CTO Hire CTO Coach Technical Review Startup 225

InfoChachkie

APRIL 11, 2011

As a young boy, Bruce Wayne watched his parents die in an alley after they were shot by a mugger. This event was pivotal in his life and became the basis of his future career as Batman, Gotham City’s crime.

Tool 239

Tool Entrepreneur 239

socalTECH

APRIL 22, 2011

El Segundo-based iChange , the operator of an online community focused on lifestyle changes, weight loss, and nutrition, has been acquired by Herbalife , according to investor Momentum Venture Management. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. iChange, which was headed by Stu MacFarlane, will be used by Herbalife's independent distributors to provide wellness coaching to clients.

El Segundo 263

El Segundo Coach Invest Company 263

Berkonomics

APRIL 11, 2011

In the past insight, we created an example to demonstrate that it truly takes money to make money; that growth calls for increases in working capital. The example we crafted proved that companies can easily find themselves strapped for cash during periods of rapid growth as well as in downturns. There are many techniques and time horizons for forecasting cash.

Examples 153

Examples Tool Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2011

I don’t have an MBA. I used to fear that this would put me at a disadvantage in starting my own company, but now I’m convinced that it may be the other way around. In some recent surveys, as many as two-thirds of entrepreneurs felt that their entrepreneurial spirit was more ingrained than learned, so a specific education level is at least irrelevant.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Education .Net Class 111

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

You Manage What you Measure. One of the things I discuss the most with the portfolio companies I’m involved with is that “you manage what you measure.”. It’s a very important concept for me because in a startup you are constantly under pressure and have way too many distractions. Having a set of metrics that you watch & that you feel are the key drivers of your success helps keep clarity.

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup SEO Customer 346

Jason Nazar

APRIL 7, 2011

Whatever else I accomplish in life, I certainly hope I keep my non-douchebaggy status. Treat each person you meet with respect, kindness and thoughtfulness. It’s a standard we can all strive for, but some seem to fall extra short. So here are my muses on the types of Douchebags you can run across in the tech world, and how not to be one. 1.) CEOs Whose Cockiness is Just Dickiness.

Technical Advisors 112

Technical Advisors Startup Social Media Ideas 112

InfoChachkie

APRIL 7, 2011

Marc Bolan, lead singer of T. Rex, was a modestly talented glam rocker during the early 1970s who lyrically never had much to say. However, when he sang, “Bang a Gong, Get It On,” he hit upon a key entrepreneurial.

Startup 237

Startup 237

socalTECH

APRIL 5, 2011

Los Angeles-based Break Media , the online content publisher headed by Keith Richman, said today that it has partnered with Scripped.com , an online community for screenwriters, on a new screenwriting contest. Break said the contest will give an up-and-coming screenwriter an opportunity to have his or her script produced as an original video on the site, via break Media Creative Lab.

Media 257

Media UCLA Los Angeles Sites 257

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 6, 2011

I first heard of Startup Weekend almost exactly one a year ago. It seemed like a cool idea; get a bunch of driven and exciting people together, give them 54 hours to build a company/project, and then allow them the chance to present it to their peers and investors. But once I was able to actually experience it, I realized it was so much more. Visit TechZulu for full story.

Startup 102

Startup Ideas Social Media Company 102

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2011

After working with dozens of startup founders, I’m still amazed that some seem to be able to do the job easily and effectively, always in control, while others always seem to be struggling, out-of-control, and fighting the latest crisis. I am more and more convinced that it is the right founder behavior that leads to success, rather than some exceptional intelligence or training.

Startup 105

Startup Training News Resource 105

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

This post originally appeared on TechCrunch. There’s a line of thinking in Silicon Valley that you should build product businesses rather than services businesses. This thinking is largely driven by the venture capital industry (and subsequently Wall Street) who are in search of high margin, highly scalable businesses. It’s nearly impossible to get a services company financed by VCs.

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

Jason Nazar

APRIL 28, 2011

One of the most common themes I talk about is starting a new business, and among that topic answering the question of Why. A lot of us naturally ask things in the beginning like “what should I do&# or “how do I do that&# , but those aren’t the most important questions to ask. Here is my explanation of why WHY is the most important questions when starting out.

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93

InfoChachkie

APRIL 14, 2011

Messenger: Angie Hicks, Co-Founder Angie’s List 8 ) Angie, why does the world need Angie’s List? “Everyone’s heard, or maybe even told, a story about how hard it is to find good help. In 1995, my co-founder and I decided.

Help 231

Help Entrepreneur 231

socalTECH

APRIL 14, 2011

Howard Lindzon is CEO and Co-founder of StockTwits (www.stocktwits.com), the financial micro-messaging service. He was also the founder of Wallstrip, which he sold to CBS back in 2007, is an investor in a significant number of web and social media companies. Through Howards investment in betaworks, he also owns early shares in Twitter. Howard is based in San Diego, and spoke to us about StockTwits.

Ideas 248

Ideas Web Startup Content 248

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 25, 2011

Join us tonight live at 8pm PST from UCLA Korn Hall for Digital LA’s Branded Entertainment panel right here on TechZulu. They’ll discuss how content creators and brands work together to create, develop, and market digital branded entertainment. Scheduled speakers include. David Beebe, ABC Digital Studio. Director, oversees creative development and physical production of derivative webisodes (Grey’s Anatomy, Cougar Town, Ugly Betty, etc.), original series (EMHE Life With Confide

Entertainment 96

Entertainment Yahoo Electronic Arts Social Media 96

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2011

The measure of an entrepreneur used to be the number of real friends claimed, but times have changed. Now the measure is how many hits one has on a Google name search, factored by some formula, like the sum of all positive messages minus 100 for every negative message. If you don’t define yourself effectively, the Internet will do it for you in ways you never imagined.

Google 102

Google Social Network Networking Coach 102

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 16, 2011

It’s easy to think that the wife of a well-known & successful VC ( Fred Wilson ) would have had an easy and storied life of wealth and privilege. I had previously had the opportunity to spend time with Joanne Wilson , Fred’s wife, and knew otherwise. That’s why I was so interested in having “ The Gotham Gal &# come on This Week in VC ( video link on YouTube , download iTunes, episode 15) ) and dispel those myths.

Startup 311

Startup Venture Capital Sales Entrepreneur 311

Jason Nazar

APRIL 4, 2011

This month’s Startups Uncensored will be on “How to Build a Great Internet Company”. It will be an open and frank town-hall conversation with the Docstoc Family. I’ll be interviewing different team members of Docstoc to talk about the specific tips and advice on topics such as Product Management & Design, Web Development, BizDev, Content Creation, and much more.

Santa Monica 87

Santa Monica Company Companies Startup 87

InfoChachkie

APRIL 28, 2011

Odysseus could not help himself. He knew the risks, but he had to hear the alluring sound of the Sirens’ song. In Greek mythology, the Sirens were a combination of birds and women who sang to passing sailors, enticing them to approach the shore and crash on its hidden shoals. To avoid wrecking his ship, Odysseus instructed his crew to plug their ears and ignore his orders, no matter how much he implored them to approach the Sirens’ island.

Entrepreneur 225

Entrepreneur SaaS Pricing Cloud Computing 225

socalTECH

APRIL 15, 2011

Sherman Oaks-based SaveFans , an online, third party marketplace for sports, concert, theatre, and other tickets, has recently scored a round of investment. The firm's first outside round came from angel investor Jamie Kennedy. SaveFans is headed by Wes Brodsky. Amount of the angel funding was not disclosed. READ MORE>>.

Sherman Oaks 242

Sherman Oaks Invest Angel Funding 242

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 8, 2011

This instalment of the TZ Startup Hotseat is with Jeff Morris Marketing Strategist with Zaarly. Zaarly recently won Startup Weekend LA and have been on fire ever since. Let’s put Jeff in the Hot Seat and see how he does. First however, I would like to point out that LA is 3rd on the list of rollout cities. Comment below and tweet the heck out of this article and maybe we can bump LA higher on the list!!

Startup 96

Startup Funding Examples Product 96

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2011

Face reality. As an entrepreneur, you should assume none of your customers is like you, yet I find that most entrepreneurs assume just the opposite. Customers don’t have your technical base, the passion, and interest in your solution. In fact, even if they did, they couldn’t find you in the clutter. An underrated portion of every startup effort must be about communication and marketing.

Marketing 99

Marketing Search Engine Optimization Startup Custom 99

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

I recently sat down with Matt Coffin , the founder of LowerMyBills, which sold for $400 million but was very nearly a bankruptcy only a few years early, and talked “startups.&#. Matt is one of the most transparent, focused & honest startup guys you’ll meet. You can watch him on YouTube , download in iTunes (for gym or commute) 3/31/11 edition.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Brad Feld is a fountain of knowledge & wisdom. I had the chance to sit down with him for an hour and ask him loads of questions that I thought you’d enjoy hearing. If you have time check out the video (or download on iTunes – Episode 27 - and listen at the gym or on your commute!). Or, as always, summary notes available below. Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

If you read this blog often you'll know that I'm a huge fan of First Round Capital. They have totally changed the way you run a VC firm, investing heavily in systems & events for their founders that are pushing the boundaries of the way our industry works. One example is that they introduced a program where their founders can pool together shares from their company and exchange them for a small portfolio of other First Round Capital companies.

Capital 284

Capital Venture Capital Startup Technical Review 284

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2011

I’ve just finished a week away from the office for Spring Break, which was much needed. I’m now back & ready for action. I took the opportunity this past week to publish summary notes of some of the VCs and entrepreneurs I had interviewed on This Week in VC. Back to regular writing this week so check back in. One of my goals in doing the show was not only to educate entrepreneurs but also to put a human face on many of the VCs in our industry as VCs can be hard to get to know.

Capital 265

Capital Venture Capital Veoh Startup 265

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2011

NASA , which is in the process of retiring the Space Shuttle, announced the final destination of the space shuttle fleet Tuesday, saying that the Space Shuttle Endeavor will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The Endeavor, which is set to have its final flight at the end of the month, is one of four Space Shuttles which are going to museums after the shutdown of the Space Shuttle program.

Palmdale 240

Palmdale Los Angeles Angel 240

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2011

Santa Monica-based BetterWorks , the employee benefit and perks startup headed by angel investor Paige Craig, said Tuesday that it has added a slew of new vendors to its service. BetterWorks, which provides pre-negotiated local deals, discounts, and savings on gyms, restaurants, and services to employees of companies, said it added six health and wellness vendors, and half a dozen food and restaurants to its list of vendors.

Santa Monica 235

Santa Monica Hulu Los Angeles Services 235

socalTECH

APRIL 5, 2011

Santa Monica-based TrueCar , the online car pricing site headed by Scott Painter, has scored a new, equity investment and partnership with direct marketing firm Guthy-Renker , the firm announced today. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed. TrueCar said that Guthy-Renker will play an "integral role" in shaping the firm's brand visibility, through TV, print, radio, and other advertising channels.

Truecar 232

Truecar Invest Edmunds Santa Monica 232