Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 22, 2012
Intros.They’re the lifeblood of networking – the currency of mavens. They are your route to angel money. Your entrée to sales meetings. We couldn’t live without them. But when misused, overused or abused they can diminish your personal brand, consume your valuable time and waste that of the relationships you value the most. I would like to make the case for being judicious with your introductions.
InfoChachkie
MARCH 20, 2012
As part of the UC Santa Barbara’s Distinguished Lecture Series, Emmy Award winner Seth Epstein and current Founder and CEO of SocialStay , described seven practical, hands-on techniques entrepreneurs can use to enhance their overall awesomeness. Seth’s comments were particularly intriguing, as he attended UCSB but departed school before graduating in order to start a successful clothing company.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
socalTECH
MARCH 21, 2012
If you're looking get your startup off the ground in Los Angeles, it always helps to have help from folks with connections to the venture and angel community. One of the accelerators which recently set up shop in town which does is Amplify , which is headed by Paul Bricault, who runs Amplify and also is a Venture Partner at Greycroft Partners. Bricault was the founder of The Mailroom Fund, which was focused on early stage investments in Southern California digital media, and prior to that spent
Technology Council
MARCH 19, 2012
By Richard E. Neff There is so much in the news about cyber-security. Much of the focus is on cyber war as a new and inevitable weapon, Stuxnet and the vulnerability of our national infrastructure. Some of the news is about use of computers to steal US technology and trade secrets, with culprits—if traceable—often located in China or [.].
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.
SoCal Tech Calendar
MARCH 23, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012 -- NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Symposium. The NIAC examines early stage concepts that may lead to advanced and innovative space technologies critical for NASA to enable missions 10 to 100 years from today. Panel topics during the symposium include space debris elimination, fission fragment rocket engine propelled spacecraft, and the potential for ambient plasma wave propulsion systems.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 18, 2012
I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Technology Council
MARCH 20, 2012
By Greg Sikes If you have watched TV in the last two years, or walked through an airport, you have likely seen an IBM Smarter Planet advertisement. At the core of this message is the idea that the world is becoming more Instrumented, Interconnected, and Intelligent. Just take a look around your house, or at [.].
SoCal Tech Calendar
MARCH 23, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 -- Maverick Angels Open Evening for Entrepreneurs. The Open Evening is an event geared towards familiarizing entrepreneurs with: Angel and Venture Capital investing strategies; Maverick Angels unique investment process; Entrepreneur resource networks; Navigating the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 22, 2012
You hear a lot of talk these days about the importance of customer satisfaction, but customer loyalty is the real win. A satisfied customer is necessary, but not sufficient, to be a loyal customer who will come back repeatedly, refer their friends and family to you, and be faithful even when your price is not the lowest. Herein lies an opportunity for startups to beat the big guys.
socalTECH
MARCH 19, 2012
Los Angeles-based Fandango announced htis morning that it has scored an exclusive deal with Yahoo , where it will be the exclusive ticket seller for Yahoo! Movies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fandango said the move will give Internet users access to nearly 20,000 screens across the country. Fandango won the deal over rival MovieTickets.com.
Tech Zulu Event
MARCH 21, 2012
Recently we talked with Grocery Coupon Network about the future of couponing and the push towards mobile solutions. Now we bring in the Chief Marketing Officer, Jeffrey Hudson to talk about the new application Grocery Coupon Network engineered to allow the entire coupon printing process to happen from inside Facebook. Enhancing the user experience to be faster and easier so that a user never has to leave their Facebook page.
SoCal Tech Calendar
MARCH 23, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012 -- Tech Coast Angels Open Forum. Listen to Angels, Investors, Venture Capitalists and Catalysts and what they have to say about investing and being investor ready. Pitch your business, idea or concept through live video feed and hear feedback from industry veterans. Ask questions and learn.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 21, 2012
I’m a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness. Like any other relationship, it takes work on both sides to make mentoring work.
socalTECH
MARCH 22, 2012
Earlier this month, Los Angeles startup Dollar Shave Club (www.dollarshaveclub.com) made a huge splash with its launch of a subscription, monthly delivery service for razor blades. The company also made quite an impression with its viral video --which you have to watch to appreciate--of CEO Michael Dubin extolling the virtues of the company's products, and panning overpriced, expensive razor brands.
Tech Zulu Event
MARCH 23, 2012
In our last article, I detailed the steps in trying to decide what sort of app you were looking to make. Once you’ve decided on an idea to move forward with, you’re ready to start deciphering the data you’ve compiled on the existing competition and choosing what to do with your own app. The Hook Brings You back. If you forget everything else I write about creating an app, remember this: every app needs a hook.
SoCal Tech Calendar
MARCH 23, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012 -- HOW TO WIN SBIR/STTR GRANT FUNDS. Entrepreneurs and businesses looking to capitalize on the $1 Billion annual Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) funds will receive expert training on how to successfully make an SBIR/STTR proposal. TriTech will also offer follow up sessions on how best to navigate through the SBIR post award process.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 23, 2012
Where did this pervasive sense of entitlement in our business culture come from? I’ve written about this before, but I was surprised again recently at a conference for startups when a couple of entrepreneurs started berating investors for their low rate of funding for early-stage startups. It sounded to investors like me that they expected a funding entitlement for their startup idea.
socalTECH
MARCH 19, 2012
Here's an interesting Kickstarter project looking for some (crowd) funding: a Caltech scientist is looking to raise $50,000 to create "nanoart". Kickstarter is an online website which allows users to crowd source funding for their projects, and is now listing a project from Caltech physicist Sameer Walavalkar, to create silicon nanostructures which are pictures, text, and portraits, which are carved directly into silicon.
Alon Schwartz
MARCH 21, 2012
Let me start by saying that I owned an iPad from the very beginning. I had the first iPad and currently have the iPad 2 and I love it! My wife loves it and my kids love it. The iPad is on a very short list of technologies that changed the world as well as changed us, and probably for the better. I’m sure that we’ve seen only the beginning of that the iPad/Widows8/Android type devices will do in the future.
SoCal Tech Calendar
MARCH 22, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 -- 10 Strategies for Startup Success with @JasonNazar -Startups Uncensored #25. This month's Startups Uncensored event will be a special presentation by Docstoc's CEO, Jason Nazar, on 10 Strategies for Startup Success. This tailored event is meant for anyone in the process of starting a new company or working in a startup. Jason will be talking about the lessons learned in growing Docstoc to one of the top 500 most trafficked websites in the world, and the success habit
Frank Addante
MARCH 22, 2012
Here is a video of my keynote at the Rubicon Project Real Time Trading Summit 2012. I give an overview of the state of the online advertising industry and how a disproportionate amount of the ad spend is going to the Top 10 publishers. The comScore 500 publishers stand to level the playing field and get their fair share from the benefits of increased automation and easier access for buyer.
socalTECH
MARCH 22, 2012
Pasadena-based LeisureLink , the developer of a vacation rental marketplace and software, said that its relationship with travel site Travelocity is paying off for its clients. The firm, which announced a deal to distriute its clients' listing to Travelocity in July of 2011, said that its hotel clients are saw a 108 percent increase in number of room nights booked, and a 94 percent increase in sales since the deal was made last year.
Steve Reich
MARCH 23, 2012
More than 150 MIT alums gathered Wednesday night for a discussion of incubators/accelerators. Appropriately enough, we gathered in the about-to-open Synergy Business and Technology Center, Santa Barbara’s latest incubator. The panel had many kind words for the incubator concept, but generated some controversy around the investments made by some accelerators.
SoCal Tech Calendar
MARCH 22, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 -- Business Incubation Panel. Come network with Investors, Start-ups and the SBDC Incubators can provide you with access to capital, consulting, targeted trainings, networking opportunities, access to work space, and a calendar of relevant events and our panelists are going to expand upon how this applies to your business. Panel includes Stan Tomsic, Business Incubation Network of Southern California; Mark Lieberman, Business Technology Center of LA County; Joey Briglio
Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 17, 2012
I’ve started a series on negotiations in startups. In it I list some books and also link to some of my previous posts. It’s the first functional series I’ve done since sales & marketing. The very first time I ever negotiated a term sheet (and then legal docs for closing the round) I found the experience very frustrating. I was desperate to get my funding finalized to derisk my business as well as to get capital in the bank to meet our growing cash needs.
socalTECH
MARCH 23, 2012
Los Angeles-based LuxeYard , the flash sales site headed by Braden Richter, said Friday morning that it has named Tony Winders as its Executive Vice President of Revenue. Winders was most recently VP of Marketing at ValueClick Media, and also had served at Search123. Tony also co-founded interactive Agency (iAgency). LuxeYard operates a members only flash sales site focused on luxury home furnishings, decor and fashion.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 20, 2012
I’m often approached by people who claim to have invented the next big thing, and ask me how much it’s worth, or complain that they can’t find an investor who will fund it. The honest answer is that ideas and new technologies are worth nothing, outside the context of a specific entrepreneur and a specific business plan that meets a market need for a fair price.
SoCal Tech Calendar
MARCH 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 -- Social Media Beyond Targeted Ads. SDSIC. More and more, companies feel the need to adopt a Social Media strategy. However, they dont know where to start, what their customers expect, what they can do with the data they collect, and most importantly, how all of the effort will increase their ROI. During this evening, youll learn how Social Media can enhance your companys Customer Experience.
socalTECH
MARCH 21, 2012
Los Angeles-based PromoJam , a developer of enterprise, social marketing tools, has raised $1.2M in a Series A investment, the firm said today. The round was led by Golden Seeds, and also included the Band of Angels. According to the company, the new round will go towards growing its social marketing software, plus expansion of sales and marketing. PromoJam was founded in 2008 by brother and sister Matt and Amanda MacNaughton.
socalTECH
MARCH 20, 2012
Los Angeles-based Mogreet , the provider of a mobile video marketing product which is headed by James Citron, said yesterday that it has been targeting the Hispanic market with its services, and now counts a number of large customers in that category. The firm said Entravision Communications and impreMedia, two large Hispanic media firms, as customers of the company.
socalTECH
MARCH 20, 2012
Santa Barbara-based Sonos , the developer of easy to use, wireless, whole-house music systems, said this morning that it has updated its controller apps for the Mac and PC. The software--which is a free upgrade to all of its current customers--includes new features to let users control music from a "mini controller" app, a way to control volume across rooms with a single volume control; expanded language support; and better Android support.
socalTECH
MARCH 20, 2012
Los Angeles-based Gridtest Systems , a developer of measurement tools for the electric vehicle (EV) market, said this morning that it has raised a seed round of funding from the Pasadena Angels and the Tech Coast Angels. Financial terms of the investment were not announced. Gridtest Systems develops testing tools aimed at the R&D labs of major EV charging system manufacturers and product suppliers.
socalTECH
MARCH 19, 2012
Monrovia-based Aerovironment , which develops both electric charging stations and unmanned aerial vehicles, has scored a big win in Oregon, saying that it has installed the first phase of a project to make it possible to drive electric vehicles (EVs) from Canada to Mexico. Aerovironment said that it installed the first set of charging stations in Southern Oregon, across towns at roughly 25-mile intervals, which makes it possible for EV drivers to "refuel" along the I-5.
socalTECH
MARCH 19, 2012
San Clemente-based Gen-E , a developer of IT process automation software, said Monday that it has received a private equity investment from Solis Capital Partners. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed. According to the company, the firm will use the funding to accelerate adoption of its software. gen-E--formerly known as generationE Technologies--explained that the funds will go towards growing its channel partner program.
socalTECH
MARCH 22, 2012
Yucca Valley-based FundaGeek , an online, crowdfunding site headed by Dan Gutierrez, said this week that it has entered into a partnership with the United Inventors Association of America (UIA). According to FundaGeek, the group will use FundaGeek as a crowdfunding resource to help inventors with projects. The two firms also said they are working with home shopping channel QVC, as part of a new program called QVC Sprouts.
socalTECH
MARCH 21, 2012
Adding another group to the growing list of Southern California startup accelerators and incubators: a new, Orange County incubator, Frost Venture Partners , looks to be gearing up to tackle the "big data" market. The new incubator, headed by Stuart Frost , the founder of DATAllegro , lists five startups in its portfolio of companies. The company describes itself as a "new kind of technology incubator" on its web site, and says it is focused on big data and cloud companies.
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
359 
Let's personalize your content