Sat.Sep 22, 2012 - Fri.Sep 28, 2012

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Is Going for Rapid Growth Always Good? Aren’t Startups So Much More?

Both Sides of the Table

I think I’ve read Paul Graham’s post on “ Startup = Growth ” three or four times now. And of course on Twitter I’ve seen the Tweets, ReTweets and superlatives on what a great post it is. Viewing the article through the lens of a venture capitalist there’s much to agree with under the mantra of “growth!” And when you read the article carefully it allows for a period of discovery in your business.

Startup 390
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In Venice Beach, A Coming Out for Silicon Beach

socalTECH

These days, it's not unusual for a handful of tech and startup mixers and events to be going down on the westside. Still, there was something special about the Nextspace @ Amplify Grand opening on Wednesday night. Something very, established about it. I've lived in Los Angeles for ten years now. And when you live in a city that long, you're bound to find yourself at a Hollywood, celebrity-driven party.

Venice 259
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Shutup And Sell: Entrepreneurs Shouldn’t Discuss Religion, Politics Or Sex(ual Orientation)

InfoChachkie

In 2003, the lead singer of the country music group, The Dixie Chicks, criticized then-current President George Bush during a concert in London. The reaction among the group's American fans, who were largely politically conservative, was visceral and negative. One irate fan sent the group a death threat, which offered them "clemency" if they would, "shut up and sing.

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Digital Music Forum West

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 -- Digital Music Forum West. On October 3 and 4, DMW hosts the 8th Annual Digital Music Forum West, where 300+ of the most influential music and digital media leaders gather in the heart of Hollywood to socialize, share ideas, do deals and learn about new technologies and services. This year's event is packed with great content, stellar people and a lot of companies that are new on the music-tech scene so come on out and join us!

Hollywood 124
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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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What Makes a Successful Startup Community? Is it Possible to Build One Where You Live?

Both Sides of the Table

This article originally appeared on TechCrunch. Recently I wrote a post arguing to make the definition of a Startup more inclusive than that to which Silicon Valley, fueled by Venture Capital return profiles, would sometimes like to attach to the word. Today I’d like to talk about what startup communities outside of Silicon Valley look like, how they emerge and what makes them take hold.

Startup 378
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How Wedge Buster is Building A Sports Gaming Empire, With Scott Philp

socalTECH

How do you convince guys to start playing social games? For Wedge Buster (www.wedgebuster.com), you do it by pulling together a huge collection of sports-related social and mobile games. Wedge Buster just raised a $2.2M round from the NFL's Drew Brees, skating's Rob Dyrdek, and a number of local venture and angel investors to create what the company hopes is the dominant provider of social and mobile sports game.

Mobile 248

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Insider's Guide: How to Raise Capital for Your Startup

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 -- Insider's Guide: How to Raise Capital for Your Startup. Jon Funk ? Ocean Road Partners. One of the biggest hurdles for a startup is raising capital. Learn from a veteran LA venture capitalist in this updated version of Jon's successful 3-hour intensive course where he covers how to plan for, find and raise capital for your startup.

Guide 124
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Too Many Small Businesses Still Ignore Social Media

Startup Professionals Musings

When my friend’s small business was struggling a while back, I suggested he add some social media marketing initiatives, and his answer was that he was “too busy.” His business has since closed, but his mindset is still out there. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article , only 60% of companies today use social media for marketing, and only 12% of those feel that they are using it effectively.

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EverySignal Looks To Filter Social Noise, With Backing From Science

socalTECH

In a world where we are overwhelmed with social updates ("had a turkey sandwich for lunch", "just went for a walk"), how do you cut through all that noise and actually learn about important things going on in your personal networks without spending 100 percent of your time on Facebook or other sites? A new, Los Angeles startup, EverySignal looks to be tackling that problem with its new service.

Incubator 228
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Recruiting Star Talent? Do This First

Frank Addante

When it comes to top hires, the questions people ask tell you far more than the answers they give. When I interview, I don't ask many questions. Instead, I simply open with, "What can I tell you about the company?" It forces candidates to think of questions to ask me, rather than inviting them to recite canned, rehearsed responses about their background and goals.

Examples 111
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LA CEOs

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, October 4, 2012 -- LA CEOs, an education and support group for CEOs presents: Planning for growth the ins and outs of location and structure; using the lease as a financing tool. Entrepreneur and Commercial Real Estate veteran Gray DeFevere will share insights into the art of picking the right Commercial Real Estate broker When, Why and How to use him or her.

Education 113
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9 Keys to Adding Street Smarts to Your Book Smarts

Startup Professionals Musings

Creating a startup, or managing any business, is all about problem solving. Some people are good at it and some are not – independent of their IQ or their book smarts (there may even be an inverse relationship here). Yet I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. Entrepreneurs who are great problem solvers within any business are the best prepared to solve their customers’ needs effectively as well.

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WSJ Top Startups List: SoCal Matches Silicon Valley On IPOs

socalTECH

One of the most interesting things about the Wall Street Journal's list of top startups in the U.S.? The number of IPOs of companies on the Journal's list from 2011 from Southern California matched the number of IPOs of Silicon Valley companies. Of the list of 50 startups, both San Diego's ServiceNow and fellow San Diego firm Active Network has IPOs last year, out of only a total of six IPO exits from the WSJ's list.

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How to Talk to a Journalist When You Only Have 30 Seconds

Tech Zulu Event

It’s unbelievable how often start up founders stifle their company from growing by not knowing how to effectively communicate their brand. From devising a tweet length pitch to having an easy to remember name, each branding opportunity is a touch point for a new customer to be attracted to what you have to offer. In this article the focus will be on how to successfully attract media attention.

Press 97
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USC CTM Fall 2012 Executive Roundtable

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 -- USC CTM Fall 2012 Executive Roundtable. Disruptive technologies, new consumer habits, and emerging business models have transformed the communications value chain from network service providers to content creators and beyond. The industry leaders who will shape the next wave of change must meet the challenges of increasing network demand, new modes of content distribution, and innovation.

USC 113
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How Many Startup Stock Options are Enough?

Startup Professionals Musings

Wouldn’t you like to be one of the lucky people who joined Google and Facebook when these were startups, and now be a multi-millionaire? So people ask me “How many shares should I ask for when I join a startup today?” In reality, the number of shares doesn’t mean anything – it’s your percent of the total that you need to negotiate. For example, 200,000 shares may sound like a lot, but if the startup has issued 20 million (a common starting point), that’s just 1% of the company.

Startup 92
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ParkMe To Provide TomTom With Parking Info

socalTECH

ParkMe , the provider of parking information and mobile applications founded by Sam Friedman and Alex Israel, has inked a deal to provide its parking database information to navigation provider TomTom. TomTom announced the deal Tuesday, saying the information will be used to provide location information for parking garages and lots, as well as contact information in its map products.

Mobile 213
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Carpooling Wants You To Share Your Car, Meet New Friends & Get Paid For It!

Tech Zulu Event

Founded in 2001 by 3 German MBA students, Carpooling connects people in over 40 countries and is available in English , French , German , Greek , Italian , Polish and Spanish. The carpooling team has also grown, from the original three co founders to now over 50 people with one goal: to offer a new, sustainable transport alternative to all.

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Clean Technology Council Workshop

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 -- Clean Technology Council Workshop. Can new water recycling technology prevent a water crisis?Carlos G. Reyes, PE, Director of Resource Conservation, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District reviews new technology that can create a reliable water supply to arid regions. Recycled water is accepted worldwide as part of a water supply system.

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How to Relate Your Technology to Business Values

Startup Professionals Musings

Presenting your startup vision as a founder to a potential investor, or presenting an idea as an employee to an executive, requires that you effectively communicate, or “translate”, the value proposition into terms that the receiver can fully understand and appreciate. If you fail, it’s your loss, not theirs, no matter what the reason. For example, if your investor has been a senior business leader, like Steve Forbes here, you need to transform your message so that it addresses the issues that s

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Beachmint Trims Staff

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based BeachMint , the online e-commerce and celebrity startup, has quietly let go of some staff this Friday, in what an insider called a "slight trim" of the firm's employee base. News of the layoffs first hit began circulating right before noon. BeachMint has not commented on the moves, which is believed to have hit around a dozen employees.

Layoffs 203
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Listen to any Article on the Go | Sound Gecko

Tech Zulu Event

When on long drives or stuck in LA traffic a lot of business owners rely on the radio and books on audio to keep them entertained and distracted from the bumper to bumper grind. An Australian company, who demoed at TechCrunch Disrupt 2012, has given us a more “newsworthy” option called Sound Gecko which enabling us to listen to articles on the go. It’s 3 simple steps.

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Essential Business Lessons to Lead, Drive Change, and Grow Profits

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, September 27, 2012 -- Essential Business Lessons to Lead, Drive Change, and Grow Profits. Without a clear vision, you could lose the respect and loyalty of your employees and peers who respect leaders who put time and effort into thinking about where the business is going and how best to get there. Global business celebrity and former Fortune 100 c-suite executive, Jeffrey Hayzlett will share how to develop the necessary mental, emotional, and physical toughness they must have for smar

Develop 113
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How to Create a Culture Shift in the Age of Illogic

Startup Professionals Musings

I’m a very logical guy, so I still fondly remember when new solutions and technologies started trends on the basis of their logical strengths. In today’s world, it seems that emotion, not logic, sparks the new trends that become culture, and drives our devotion or disappointment in new products and brands. How does an entrepreneur best deal with that environment?

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EQAL Acquired By Everyday Health

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based EQAL , the digital media and content developer founded by Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, has been acquired by Everyday Health , Everyday Health said this morning. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Everyday Health said that EQAL will be integrated into its Lifestyle Division, and will remain headquartered in Los Angeles, headed by Beckett and Goodfried.

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First Round Capital Launches Dorm Room Fund | $500,000 Pilot Investment Fund For Students

Tech Zulu Event

Josh Kopelman, managing partner at Philadelphia based First Round Capital has launched Dorm Room Fund, in a move to reach out to college dorm entrepreneurs, like he was in 1992 while at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He says on his blog , “I was a dorm room entrepreneur. I co-founded my first company, Infonautics , back in 1991 while I was a junior at Penn.

Funding 71
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Women in Technology International Santa Barbara

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 -- Women in Technology International Launches Santa Barbara Network: Citrix Executive Elizabeth Cholawsky to Speak at Kickoff Event. Join local Citrix executive Elizabeth Cholawsky, VP/GM of the company?s IT Support business line, at Women in Technology International?s Santa Barbara kickoff event. Elizabeth will speak on the challenges today?

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What to do with a dysfunctional board

Berkonomics

It happens. Boards are elected by the shareholders, sometimes with preferred shareholders holding seats by right of their investment. In that instance, often the investor selects the board member and the CEO goes along with the choice, mostly out of having no alternative at the time. Then there comes the first – or better yet the fourth – meeting of the board following the appointment of a new member.

Design 176
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Movie Hackathon Combines Film, Technology, Prizes

socalTECH

In the latest "hackathon" to hit Southern California, the Film Independent Forum has just announced a new Movie Hackathon , hosted by Zach James' ZEFR , which will look to spur programmers to create new, engagement experiences and tools for filmmakers and film lovers. The group is hosting an all night hackathon starting Friday, October 19th which will put up to fifty programmers against each other to create new web, mobile, or desktop apps on the theme of film and technology.

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Tips for Quality Analysis and Testing Before Deploying a Cloud Application

Tech Zulu Event

By Jennifer Marsh. Jennifer Marsh is a software developer, programmer and technology writer and occasionally blogs for Rackspace Hosting. . Without quality analysis, a company will introduce application errors to its products, and its customers will stumble upon to do their work within the cloud application. Customers have thousands of websites to choose from when ordering products.

Tips 71
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OnHollywood 2012

SoCal Tech Calendar

Friday, September 28, 2012 -- OnHollywood 2012: Where Innovation Meets Entertainment, is a two day executive event featuring high-level debates on which forces are disrupting user behavior and creating new opportunities, content strategies and monetization schemes in the video, music, gaming, search, and mobile industries. See https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ereg/index.php?

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8 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Master the Creative Mind

Startup Professionals Musings

An entrepreneur is literally “one who creates a new business.” The best new businesses are ones that have never been done before, so mastering creativity and recognizing creativity are key skills and mind-sets. But how does one recognize and nurture creativity in a person or team? Recently, I was reviewing a new book by Bryan Mattimore, “ Idea Stormers: How to Lead and Inspire Creative Breakthroughs ,” which outlines well eight attributes of the most creative people, which seem to match the mind

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Mogreet Targets Developers, Debuts Mobile API

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based mobile messaging firm Mogreet is expanding into the telephony API market, telling its users that it has just opened up a new suite of APIs which allow users to send SMS and MMS messages, look up user information, and trancode media. Mogreet said in an email to users that its new service is aimed at quickly and easily add messaging and rich media to mobile applications.

Mogreet 182
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Is Ken Goldman New Yahoo CFO Its Messiah?

Tech Zulu Event

Yahoo! Hired in Ken Goldman as its new chief financial officer (CFO), in a bid to redeem the internet pioneer’s fading glory in a sector it once reigned. Ken Goldman begins work on Oct. 22 replacing CFO Tim Morse, once acting CEO, hired in 2009 by then CEO Carol Bartz. Goldman will be responsible for Yahoo!’s global finance functions including financial planning and analysis, controllership, tax, treasury, and investor relations and reporting directly to CEO Marissa Mayer.

Yahoo 70
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USC Startup Weekend

SoCal Tech Calendar

Friday, September 28, 2012 -- USC Startup Weekend. Ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur? The professional and personal challenges, the high and lows, the failures and the success? Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures.

USC 113
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Add Startups to Balance Your Portfolio, If You Dare

Startup Professionals Musings

Reuters TV Interview by Rhonda Schaffler Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. First of all, it’s more of an investment in people than in a business, since the startup is usually an idea barely half-baked when they need your money. Secondly, the risk is very high, since as many as 90% of startups fail in the first five years.

Startup 91