Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 28, 2016

Lead — It’s hard to be a real leader. Decisions are never black or white, so most people fudge. The straddle middle grounds to keep everybody happy. They make compromises to try and hold together constituencies. On business decisions they want to hedge their bets so they do a little bit of everything but nothing extremely well. As highlighted by Brad Garlinghouse years ago in the famous “ peanut butter manifesto ”— it’s like spreading peanut butter evenly over a piece of bread.

Organization 252

Organization Course Ideas Class 252

Berkonomics

APRIL 28, 2016

Several years ago, I wrote an extensive article on the ten most important tests of a company in classifying a person as an independent contractor. See [link] for that important insight. But things have gotten much more complicated lately, partly because of the Uber, Lyft and other new generation of workers and the best description of their class as “semi–independent.”.

Class 139

Class Training Email Tool 139

socalTECH

APRIL 27, 2016

A new, Los Angeles-based startup, Airmule , said Tuesday that it has launched a new, international courier service, whcih lets travelers transport items for others when they travel on international flights. The startup--which is accessible via mobile phone, on either iOS or Android smartphones--lets savvy travelers who are traveling internationally but who don't have much luggage, offer to carry items for other people in their spare luggage space.

Services 133

Services Los Angeles Mobile Startup 133

InfoChachkie

APRIL 28, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. After 28 years as a public-school teacher, Bob Wood reluctantly left the classroom and took the helm of his elementary school. During his 10-year tenure as Principal, his team was awarded the White House’s National Blue Ribbon, a distinction granted to the top 0.3% of all elementary schools nationwide.

Santa Barbara 109

Santa Barbara Mentor Education Demand 109

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

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

There has been a lot of public debate over the past several weeks about whether it’s a good thing to be “gross margin positive” or not and commentary always reminds me that some people at startups don’t quite understand financial metrics or even how to think about which ones are healthy. When I publicly Tweeted that all companies should be gross margin positive many people pointed out that Amazon wasn’t profitable for many years.

Metrics 236

Metrics Startup SaaS Custom 236

Tech.Co

APRIL 26, 2016

AECX will be a first of its kind event in the Los Angeles area, highlighting and starting discussions related to emerging technologies within the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) realm. The event will consist of numerous exhibitor booths and a panelist round to showcase the technology and facilitate the conversation of how these companies are helping shape the future of the building industry.

Los Angeles 70

Los Angeles Angel Technology Help 70

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2016

Every entrepreneur and business executive knows that continuous innovation is required to survive, but most struggle with this more than any other challenge they face. They know they need to act proactively, but still are often blindsided by a new competitor coming out of the blue with a future they never imagined. Innovation driven by the next crisis is not leadership.

Framework 59

Framework Competition Ideas IBM 59

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2016

Why you do me like that? Over the year’s I’ve tried to offer some tangible, practical advice to help people communicate more effectively. I’ve weighed in on: Email 1 —  How to Get Busy People to Take Action Email 2 —  Etiquette to Email Introductions Email 3 —  Make it Easy for Me to Forward Your Email ! Phone Calls 1 —  Pick up the Damn Phone ! Phone Calls 2 —  How to Make Better Calls Presenting at Meetings —  Without Going Down a Rat Hole Presentations —  Where Should You Sit ??

Email 182

Email Course SaaS Tips 182

Tech.Co

APRIL 26, 2016

Welcome to the first tech & creative job fair from Startup DTLA. A new quarterly series, looking to help local Angeleno’s (particularly Downtown’ers) to find local positions. One of the biggest myths about Downtown LA is that: 1) there aren’t many tech companies and. 2) there isn’t enough local talent. That couldn’t be further from the truth with names like: Hyperloop, Nasty Gal, Nation Builder, General Assembly, and more… Join for an evening of networking

Los Angeles 70

Los Angeles Angel Networking Help 70

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2016

San Diego-based Slantrange , a startup developing sensors and analytics systems which are being applied to drones for agriculture, has raised $5M in a Series A funding, according to the company. The funding was led by The Investor Group, and also included other investors. Slantrange develops an aerial remote sensing product which lets farmers view images of their crops in near-real time, without requiring a network connection, which can be used to measure weed density, measure crop and plant str

Technology 126

Technology San Diego Networking Funding 126

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2016

Today is the new age of the entrepreneur, and I see an increasing number of new startups as the economy stabilizes. For new aspiring entrepreneurs, that’s the good news and the bad news, as it increases opportunities, but also increases the startup risk. Thus I often recommend taking a job in a startup first, to build connections and learn what you can, before stepping into the lead role.

Tips 58

Tips Startup Entrepreneur News 58

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2016

You may have noticed a new look at Both Sides of the Table today and that’s because I’ve migrated my blog to Medium.

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Blogging 198

Tech.Co

APRIL 26, 2016

The biggest free big data conference in Southern California organized by several volunteers spearheaded by Subash D’Souza working to make this conference free and useful as in past years. Come witness the fourth year of this conference. It has grown from 250+ in 2013 to 550+ in 2014 and 950+ last year. Organizers expect over 1200 this year. This event will sell out so make sure to get your passes ASAP.

Los Angeles 70

Los Angeles Southern California Conference Angel 70

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2016

Irvine-based Broadcom has sold its Wireless Internet of Things (IoT) business and related assets to Cypress Semiconductor , the two said this morning, in a $550M deal. According to the two, Cypress will acquire Broadcom's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee IoT product lines and intellectual property, Broadcom's WICED brand, along with 430 employees, as part of the acquisition.

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Acquisition Product 126

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2016

If you expect an equity investment from reputable investors for your new startup, you need to know the boundaries that often limit their interest. In the jargon of investors, certain businesses may be viable but not fundable. For example, investors recognize that online gambling sites or a medical marijuana site may generate big returns but may tarnish their squeaky clean reputation.

Funding 57

Funding Social Media Patents Startup 57

AllTopStartups

APRIL 29, 2016

The most successful businesses of our time thrive on innovation. Change is inevitable if you want your business to compete and win now and in the future. To succeed, you… The post Highlights from Microsoft Envision 2016: Technologies of the Future for Your Business appeared first on AllTopStartups.

Technology 40

Technology 40

Tech.Co

APRIL 26, 2016

VRLA is the world’s largest virtual and augmented reality expo, welcoming both consumers and industry professionals. The expo will feature cutting-edge demos of the most exciting projects in development for the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Google Cardboard, Samsung GearVR, and more! Each day will be stacked with a lineup of insightful presentations, panels, and announcements.

Los Angeles 70

Los Angeles Angel Google Develop 70

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2016

A new, Playa Vista-based startup, Wrapal , said this week that it is about to launch a new marketplace which will make your property--your home, business, apartment, or any other location--the potential star of an upcoming feature film, television show, or commercial. According to the company, it is launching its service on May 6th, which will help filmmakers find locations where they can shoot easily.

Pricing 122

Pricing Startup Help Services 122

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2016

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 56

Startup Custom Customer Netflix 56

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 26, 2016

Facebook opens up Instant Articles to all publishers. If you don’t know, Instant Articles are Facebook’s new way to natively load articles within the app using an adapted RSS feed. These native articles, which have a lightning bolt in the top right corner, load in half a second—10x faster than if user was to click out to a website. From what I’ve seen so far, they really do load instantaneously and have a great layout and user experience.

Buzzfeed 40

Buzzfeed Blogging RSS Netflix 40

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2016

San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies has sold off its microelectronics product line, to Data Device Corporation , in a deal worth $21M in cash, the company said today. The company said that the sale included all assets and certain liabilities related to that product line, as well as 37 employees. Data Device Corporation is a subsidiary of ILC Industries.

Technology 122

Technology San Diego Sales Acquisition 122

socalTECH

APRIL 27, 2016

A report this morning from the WSJ says that Glendale-based DreamWorks Animation SKG and Comcast are in talks, where Comcast will pay more than $3 billion for DreamWorks. Comcast already owns Universal Pictures. The WSJ report cited "people familiar with the matter" in its report, which it says will put Comcast up against Walt Disney Co. in the family entertainment business.

Report 122

Report Acquisition Glendale Entertainment 122

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2016

Agoura Hills-based Key Information Systems said Wednesday that it has tied into Hewlett Packard, and become part of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Partner Ready Program for Service Providers. The company said the move will allow it to provide hybrid cloud solutions for companies in Southern California. Key Information Systems will support the HPE Helion OpenStack software, HP's version of the OpenStack cloud computing project, which is tied into its ProLiant Server and 3PAR storage systems

Agoura Hills 116

Agoura Hills Cloud Computing Agoura Southern California 116

socalTECH

APRIL 27, 2016

Los Aneles-based Stem , a developer of musicians and content creators to track their content revenues, has raised $4.5M in a funding round, the company disclosed on Tuesday. The funding was led by Upfront Ventures, and also included Mark Cuban, Vayner Capital, and Scooter Braun. Stem is led by Milana Rabkin, with co-founders Tim Luckow and Jovin Cronin-Wilesmith.

Content 116

Content Capital Funding Develop 116

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2016

A new, microsatellite launch firm--founded by veterans of SpaceX--said today that it has raised more than $1M to launch the startup. Vector Space Systems led by former SpaceX executive Jim Cantrell, said it raised $1M in an angel funding to develop a mirosatellite launch company. The company's co-founders include John Garvey (SpaceX), Ken Sunshine (Virgin Galactic, Moon Express, Orbital Science), and Eric Besnard (NASA, Air Force).

SpaceX 116

SpaceX Los Angeles Funding Angel 116

socalTECH

APRIL 25, 2016

Santa Monica-based studio Lionsgate said Monday that it has inked a deal to offer up a library of films to Steam , the digital distribution platform run by Valve. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The deal will bring such films as Hunger Games, Twilight, Saw and Divergent to the Steam platform, best known for its videogame streaming.

Santa Monica 116

Santa Monica Platform Hollywood Content 116

socalTECH

APRIL 25, 2016

Pasadena-based Guidance Software said Friday that it has settled the proxy fight it had with its former Chairman and founder, Shawn McCreight. According to Guidance Software, it will appoint two nominees from McCreight to its board, but McCreight will resign from his current board positions, as will Chris Poole, currently chair of its nominating and governance committee.

Software 116

Software Pasadena Tool Develop 116

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2016

San Clemente-based Stance , which offers up its own lifestyle apparel brand, has raised $30M in a Series D funding, according to the company. The funding came from Mercato Partners, and also included August Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, Menlo Ventures, Shasta Ventures, and Sherpa Capital. The company says it targets "punks and poets" with its style.

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Capital Funding Company Companies 109

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2016

Irvine-based data analytics software developer Alteryx has named two new members to its board, the company said this week, including Chuck Cory, the former Chairman, Technology Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley, and Tim Maudlin, who sits on the baords of a number of technology companies. Cory is also on the advisory board of Tufton Venture Partners, and spent 30 years as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley.

NewEgg 109

NewEgg Software Development Invest Capital 109

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2016

Honor , a startup that operates a marketplace for senior home care professionals and is backed by Marc Andreessen, said it has expanded to Los Angeles and Orange County, and rounded up a local executive to head up its expansion efforts here. Honor said it has appointed Steve Seigel as General Manager of the company in Los Angeles. Seigel sits on the board of the Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), is a donor and part of the Concern Foundation and Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and is also on the board

Orange County 109

Orange County Los Angeles Invest Angel 109

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2016

Hawthorne-based SpaceX has won a big, $82.7M contract from the U.S. Air Force, to launch next generation, GPS III satellites into orbit. According to the contract award , the contract will include launch vehicle production, mission integration, and launch operations for a GPS III mission. The award is the first national security contract for SpaceX, and apparently the first time that someone other than the United Launch Alliance--the joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing--has actually won

SpaceX 109

SpaceX Hawthorne Product 109

socalTECH

APRIL 29, 2016

Los Angeles-based Mom Media Enterprises, LLC , the company which runs the Mom 2.0 Summit and Iris Awards, has acquired Tastemaker Mom from The Kive Company. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Tastemaker Mom helped gather opinions, feedback, surveys, and more from mothers for businesses. As part of the deal, Kive Company co-founder and CEO Jedd Gold will help advise Tastemaker Mom as an advisor.

Acquisition 109

Acquisition Los Angeles Media Help 109

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2016

Westlake Village-based Sienna Biopharmaceuticals , a new aesthetics and medical dermatology startup, said Thursday that it has raised $34M in a Series A financing round. The funding was led by ARCH Venture Partners, and also included Altitude Life Science Ventures, Partner Fund Management, and Venvest Capital, along with angels. The company's executive team are all formerly from Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, which was recently acquired by Allergan.

Westlake Village 109

Westlake Village Product Capital Funding 109

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2016

Irvine-based Quality Systems , a developer of healthcare information systems, says it is cutting 150 employees, or approximately six percent of its staff, as part of a broad restructuring of thee company. According to the copany, it has dropped all plans to develop its NextGen Now platform, saying it will immediately discontinue all efforts to use or repurpose its next generation platform, and instead will shift to the platform it acquired from MediTouch.

Platform 109

Platform Orange County Develop Development 109

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2016

Irvine-based laser and photonics company Newport Corporation said today that its shareholders have approved the acquisition of the company by MKS Instruments. The deal--which had been announced in February--is worth $23.00 per share in cash, or a total of $897M. MKS Instruments makes equipment used for semiconductor processing and manufacturing. Newport manufactures lasers, optics, optic-mechanics, and motion controllers.

Acquisition 109

Acquisition Company Companies 109

socalTECH

APRIL 28, 2016

Claremont-based Prisyna , a unit of Synedgen, said this morning that it has raised $6M in a growth equity investment, to help it advance its products. The funding came from Andrew Miller. Prisyna is developing a treatment called Moistagen, which it says relieves the symptoms of dry mouth, as well as treats oral mucositis due to chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

Claremont 109

Claremont Product Equity Los Angeles 109