Sat.Dec 24, 2016 - Fri.Dec 30, 2016

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How to make your recurring revenues oil and not glue

Berkonomics

Some types of businesses generate more and more recurring revenues over time, often growing to a size where recurring revenues pay all of the overhead of the company – an enviable position. There is a phenomenon I have observed time after time with mature companies receiving over 75% of their revenues from recurring sources. Management undertakes a simple exercise of calculating the increased profitability of shutting down all R&D, sales and subordinate operations, and universally notes wit

.Net 226
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Core Innovation Capital Raises $71.5M for Financial Tech Investments

L.A. Business Journal

Core Innovation Capital of Hollywood, a financial services technology investor, has raised a second fund worth $71.5 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Capital 159
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Reflections on 2016: Grant Hosford, codeSpark

socalTECH

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Grant Hosford , the CEO and co-founder of codeSpark (www.codespark.com), the company behind the game The Foos (www.thefoos.com), which teaches kids to learn how to code just by playing the game. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

Education 172
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Talk Presents ENGAGE: The LA Digital Storytelling Conference [ LOS ANGELES ]

Tech.Co

“ENGAGE LA is an in-depth look at how the digital age is evolving and transforming storytelling. We are bringing all the successful elements from our dynamic Talk Forum NYC events to our third ENGAGE LA Forum. This experience will change how you view the world of content creation and consumption, with fresh perspectives that can be applied to a variety of areas, including social, mobile, retail, video, TV and film.

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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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10 Mindset Checks Before You Start A New Business

Startup Professionals Musings

Making the decision to start your own business is a major commitment, with huge implications for skills and lifestyle. Yet there is no standardized testing or certification required or available anywhere to help you decide if you are a good fit for entrepreneurship, or founding a business is right for you. An MBA or other academic credentials just don’t do it.

Startup 71
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Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Trade Show Still Pplays Big Role for L.A. Businesses

L.A. Business Journal

While Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. might no longer be launching their products at Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show, the event still has appeal for a number of L.A. companies – mainstays and upstarts alike.

Product 164

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Hero Conf Los Angeles [ LOS ANGELES ]

Tech.Co

“Hero Conf Los Angeles marks our sixth annual US event, where PPC fanatics gather to share a passion, collaborate on solutions and simply have fun while learning about the latest trends in paid search. Hero Conf is hosted by the experts behind PPC Hero and is an event tailor-made for digital advertising pros ready to discuss tactics and actionable ideas to implement within their accounts.

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East Coast Silicon Valley

Xconomy

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller Reinvention A few months ago I was talking to executives in charge of innovation at a large U.S. bank. “Our biggest problem is that we look at all this new technology being developed by startups, but integrating it with our, frankly, archaic systems is incredibly complex and costly.

Design 72
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Faraday Future CEO Ding Lei Steps Down

L.A. Business Journal

Faraday Future’s Global Chief Executive Ding Lei has reportedly stepped aside from leading the electric car manufacturer, following a string of negative reports, including the stoppage of construction at its Nevada factory due to a cash shortage, and an exodus of senior executives.

Report 140
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Reflections on 2016: Greg Cohn, Burner

socalTECH

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Greg Cohn of Burner (www.burnerapp.com), which develops both a software app to allow you to create temporary "burner" phone numbers, and a new app to auto-respond to aggressive or annoying texters. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

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7 Key Principles of Question-Based Leadership To Win

Startup Professionals Musings

Too many people in business just expect their leaders to give orders. Maybe it’s for this reason that as professionals advance in their career, they tend to start asking fewer questions and providing more answers. Smart leaders, on the other hand, learn to ask more penetrating questions, listen carefully to expert input, and empower the right people to get the best solution.

Coach 64
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6 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2017: Ransomware, Skills Gap & More

Xconomy

In 2016, we saw cyber attacks increasingly shift from external breaches of confidential data to internal disruption of data and services, as attackers used distributed denial of service (DDoS) or encryption to hold businesses hostage. Attackers continue to focus more on exploiting users than technology. Users are often unaware and uneducated about the potential risks, yet have huge access to data and resources, presenting a huge area of risk.

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Snap Acquires Israeli Augmented Reality Firm Cimagine Media

L.A. Business Journal

Snap Inc., parent company of mobile messaging app Snapchat, acquired Israeli augmented reality startup Cimagine Media for an estimated $30-$40 million, according to the Calcalist financial daily.

Media 113
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Reflections on 2016: Michael Root, DogVacay

socalTECH

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Michael Root , the new CTO of DogVacay (www.dogvacay.com)--but longtime Los Angeles tech vet, having most recently been at Riot Games. DogVacay helps connect pet owners with pet sitters and dog walkers. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

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8 Challenges To Overcome In The Growth Of Hyperlocal

Startup Professionals Musings

In this age of instant communication via the Internet, It’s ironic that I can now find out what’s going on around the world often more easily than in my own neighborhood. This opens an area of business opportunity, popularly called hyperlocal, which still seems to be underserved. Some experts have tied this market to location detection hardware (GPS), but even that is now pervasive on all smart devices.

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Varmus, Sato on Steering De Blasio’s $500M Plan to Grow NY Biotech

Xconomy

The idea that New York City could become a biotech powerhouse dates back to the late 1990s. It’s been a slow, tedious process, and it’s nowhere near complete, but from near and far, Harold Varmus and Vicki Sato have been watching the gears begin to turn. Varmus , who earned a Nobel prize for his work in cancer research, has since 1993 mixed stints leading the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C., with top jobs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cance

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Silicon Beach Report Dec. 30: Core Innovation Capital Raises $71.5M for Financial Tech Investments

L.A. Business Journal

Core Innovation Capital raises $71.5 million for financial tech investments, SpaceX loads Falcon 9 for launch, and DirecTV to end $35 a month streaming service.

Invest 113
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Reflections on 2016: Michael Terpin, Transform Group

socalTECH

All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from the Southern California's technology ecosystem. Here, we have the thoughts of Michael Terpin of Transform Group. Michael--despite a recent move to Puerto Rico--is a longtime fixture of the LA technology community, having founded Marketwired here, and is an expert on Bitcoin. He's also a very active angel investor.

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How Closely Do You Follow Networking Etiquette Rules?

Startup Professionals Musings

I often recommend business networking as the most effective way for a startup founder to find investors, advisors, and even key executive candidates. But what if you are an introvert, or new to this game, and don’t know where or how to start? The answer is still the same, but I have learned over the years that there is an etiquette to this process, just like there is for social networking.

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Immigration Restrictions, Lack of Healthcare Could Imperil Innovation

Xconomy

It’s hard to predict what effect the new administration will have, since we have very little information on any concrete policies they plan to enact. We do know a few things—namely, they are anti-Obamacare and anti-immigration. Decreasing the number of visas granted to highly skilled workers (a likely possibility given Steve Bannon’s comments on Silicon Valley) will tighten the labor pool and drive up salaries.

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Silicon Beach Report Dec. 29: Faraday Future CEO Ding Lei Steps Down

L.A. Business Journal

Faraday Future Chief Executive Ding Lei steps down, Hulu signs 50 Disney movies, and Snap Inc. to compare itself to Facebook on IPO roadshow.

Hulu 113
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Core Innovation Capital Raises $71M In New Fund

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Core Innovation Capital , the fintech investment firm led by Arjan Schutte and Kathleen Utecht, has just raised $71.5M in a new fund, Core Innovation Capital II, L.P. , according to a regulatory filing by the company on Thursday. The fund's target size was $75M, and the filing indicates another $3.47M still remains to be raised in the fund.

Capital 124
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5 Qualities Customers Expect In The Next Big Thing

Startup Professionals Musings

Every entrepreneur wishes that he could predict whether his idea could be the “next big thing,” before he spent his life savings and years of energy on it. Investors, on the other hand, typically don’t even look very hard at the product or service, but prefer to evaluate first the entrepreneur, and secondly the business plan. I define these products and services as “solutions” (customers buy solutions to a problem), but Guy Kawasaki more generically calls them causes, meaning any new idea, compa

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Despite Political Rhetoric, Staff Diversity Remains a Top Priority

Xconomy

I don’t think the election of Donald Trump as president does much to bolster those in tech working on creating a more inclusive and diverse industry, but I will continue to be a champion for it nonetheless. Specifically, I’ve ended 2016 by doubling our team at Localeur and introducing an Advisory Board , both of which strongly reflect our continued understanding that our success is going to be fueled by a diverse community of locals.

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Reflections on 2016: Rob Freelen, Silicon Valley Bank

socalTECH

All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from the movers and shakers in Southern California's technology ecosystem. Here, we have the thoughts of Rob Freelen of Silicon Valley Bank (www.svb.com). Silicon Valley Bank is big supporter and has been a sponsor of socaltech for many, many years. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

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Reflections on 2016: Alon Goren, Crowd Invest Summit and 805 Startups

socalTECH

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Alon Goren , the co-founder of Crowd Invest Summit and 805 Startups. You can see all of our holiday reflections here. What's was biggest news from you or your‏ firm this year? Alon Goren: This year, my partners, Josef Holm (Krowdster), Darren Marble (CrowdfundX) and I started Crowd Invest Summit.

Invest 124
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Reflections on 2016: Louise Wannier, True Roses

socalTECH

All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Here, we have the thoughts of Louise Wannier of True Roses. Wannier is a longtime Southern California entrepreneur, having founded MyShape, Enfish, and co-founding Gemstar, the maker of VCR Plus. She also founded CEO Circle, a confidential forum for early-stage technology CEOs.

MyShape 113
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Reflections on 2016: Jeb Spencer, TVC Capital

socalTECH

All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from the movers and shakers in Southern California's technology ecosystem. Here, we have the thoughts of Jeb Spencer of TVC Capital (www.tvccapital.com), a software focused growth equity fund, and has had some great success in the market. TVC Capital has also been a big supporter and sponsor of socaltech over the years.

Capital 113
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SpaceX Gears Up For Iridium Launch

socalTECH

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX , the Los Angeles area space rocket developer led by billionaire Elon Musk, is getting set for its return to space, and has loaded up ten IridiumNEXT satellites into a Falcon 9 in preparation for a launch in January. According to Iridium, the first ten IridiumNEXT satellites have been stacked and encapsulated into a Falcon 9 fairing, as one of the first milestones to a launch of those satellites into space.

SpaceX 113
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Faraday Future Leadership In Turmoil

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based electric vehicle developer Faraday Future --which already has been in turmoil--apparently is seeing even more, on reports that another executive at the company has left, following the departure last week of the company's Chief Brand and Commercial Officer, Marco Mattiacci, and VP for Product Marketing and Growth, Joerg Sommer. Faraday Future--which is promising a big announcement at CES in January--also apparently halted work at its factory in Las Vegas in November.

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Report: Snapchat Buys Cimagine Media

socalTECH

Venice-based Snap, Inc. , the parent company of Snapchat, has reportedly acquired Israeli startup Cimagine Media. The deal is reportedly worth between $30M and $40M. Cimaging Media develops augmented reality technology. The acquisition was first reported by a local Israeli financial daily. Cimagine was founded in 2012. READ MORE>>.

Snapchat 113
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Reflections on 2016: Lawrence Ng, OnRamp Fund

socalTECH

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Lawrence Ng , serial entrepreneur who, last year, founded OnRamp Fund , a $10 million incubator that invests in early stage startups. You can see all of our holiday reflections here. What's was biggest news from you or your‏ firm this year?

Funding 113
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Hulu, Disney Ink Video-On-Demand Deal

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based television- and video-streaming service Hulu and Walt Disney Studios said earlier this week that the two are in a subscription, video-on-demand deal which make over 50 popular titles available for streaming on Hulu. The titles include such major titles as Lilo & Stitch, Tarzan, The Princess and the Frog, Pocahantas, and Mulan, along with such titles as Con Air, Gone in 60 Seconds, Pearl Harbor, and The Mighty Ducks.

Hulu 113
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Reflections on 2016: Brad Brooks, TigerText

socalTECH

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Brad Brooks , the co-founder and CEO of TigerText , which provides clinical communication solutions for the healthcare industry, and also co-founder of anonymous social media app Whisper. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

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Reflections on 2016: Scott Alderton, Stubbs, Alderton & Markiles LLP

socalTECH

All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from the Southern California's technology ecosystem. Here, we have the thoughts of Scott Alderton of Stubbs, Alderton, and Markiles LLP (stubbsalderton.com). Stubbs, Alderton, and Markiles is a longtime sponsor of socaltech.com, and represents a wide range of clients, including a significant number of Southern California's most visible startups.

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Reflections on 2016: Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop

socalTECH

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Stephen Stokols , founder and CEO of FreedomPop (www.freedompop.com), which offers up free, mobile Internet service. You can see all of our holiday reflections here. What's was biggest news from you or your‏ firm this year?