Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 14, 2010
How to Interpret Analyst Reports. The headlines in the media are filled with that latest stats. Stats sell. The stats are often quoted from the latest reports. People then parrot them around like they’re fact when most of them are complete bullsh*t. People throw them around at cocktail parties. Often when they do I throw out my favorite statistic: 73.6% of all statistics are made up.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Los Angeles-based My Damn Channel , the online original video site run by Rob Barnett, said Thursday that it has been selected by Fox as a premium distribution partner for the network's original web series. According to My Damn Channel, it will also start developing and producing original new series together with Fox. Financial details on the partnership were not disclosed.
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Tech Coast Venture Network
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Manal Richa Being an entrepreneur and a business owner, a crucial part of your daily life is to concentrate on building relationships that last and which you can hopefully leverage on the long run. How? you may ask… Well, obviously through networking , attending events and mixers, following up with people and helping others. Some of us, who are not “ born &# with the skill to network, need to understand that networking is a skill that can be taught, learned or developed.
Eric Greenspan
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
That's me on the TEDActive stage. I posted about TED before the event. I was skeptical. I was concerned that this elitest group of smart people would be getting together to one up each other on who is smarter. I was right. It is elitest, they are smart and I had right to be skeptical. That said, they share all their content with the world, for free.
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Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 14, 2010
Back in November I agreed with Nivi over at VentureHacks to do a series on the ten most important attributes of a successful entrepreneur. This is the last post in that series. This is actually an addendum to my list rather than “on&# my list. That in itself will be controversial, I know. When Nivi published the series he titled it “the top 10 things I look for before I write a check.&# As a result I felt compelled to add this final attribute because it matters a lot to me.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
For this morning's interview, we talked with Noah Auerhahn , President of San Diego-based Extrabux (www.extrabux.com), an online site focused on providing consumers with comparison shopping combined with discount offers. We talked with Noah about how the company grew out of a business plan competition at the University of Southern California, his recent funding from the Maverick Angels, as well as how the firm hopes to stand out among a crowded list of comparison shopping sites.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Tech Coast Venture Network
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Debbie Machen With the 2010 Winter Olympics in full swing, fans worldwide continue to encourage their athletes to GO FOR THE GOLD and reach for that record-setting performance. Businesses today are striving for the same thing.record setting performance, or out-performing the competition. What Makes A Great Competitor? In business, as in sports, great competitors possess certain qualities that set them apart from the competition.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
It’s great to dream big, but your startup needs a laser focus in the beginning to get market and investor attention. Google did it with search engines, Apple did it with a personal computer, and even Wal-Mart did it through low prices. A business plan I saw recently to combine all the good features of several popular social networks on one site does not do it.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Demonstrating the sheer money making power of the online gaming space, Irvine-based Blizzard Entertainment is making a $1.1M donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the nonprofit which helps to grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. According to the Make-A-Wish-Foundation, the donation is part of an effort run by Blizzard for two months--November and December--within the firm's massively multiplayer online game, World of Warcraft, where the firm designated 50 percent
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 13, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010 -- SCALE 8X, is the 8th Annual Southern California Linux Expo. As the premier community run Linux / Open Source conference, it will feature tutorial sessions designed to show users of all skill levels what Open Source can do and how to do it. Whatever your interest is in Open Source, SCALE 8x will have something for you. See [link] (more).
Tech Coast Venture Network
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Jeff Monday How does an entrant/entrepreneur with less resources take on a larger organization? Answer: Disruptive Innovation. Tags: Business Strategy Food For Thought competition disruptive innovation small business toyota.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 13, 2010
I come from a high-tech software background, and only a few years ago, it would cost at least a million dollars ($1M) for a team of professionals to produce any commercial software product. Now, with open source software components, and low-cost development tools, the same job can be done by one good hacker for a few thousand dollars. Even for low-tech startups, the scope of information available on the Internet, and its global reach, has had a similar financial impact on the many other challeng
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
The Founder Institute (www.founderinstitute.com), an entrepreneurial training program that originally launched by Adeo Ressi in Silicon Valley, recently announced that it is setting up shop in Southern California, with branches both in San Diego and Los Angeles. Ken Rutkowski is the man making happen here. As President of the L.A. chapter of the Media, Entertainment and Technology Alliance (METal) and the voice of KenRadio's World Technology Roundup on CBS Radio, Rutkowski has recruited a roster
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 -- Google Analytics. Come join Social Media Club - Los Angeles as we discuss the topic of Google Analytics! Confused by Analytics? Want to know if your tweet really made a difference in your company's bottom line? This month we are going to take a deeper dive into one of the easiest ways to measure online social media efforts through Google analytics.
Tech Coast Venture Network
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Dr. Frumi Rachel Barr, MBA Every person and organization on earth knows what they do. Some even know how they do it. but very few know WHY they do what they do. Money is not a WHY, it's a result. Quality products or service are not a WHY. They too are a result. By WHY, we mean why does your company exist? Why do YOU get out of bed every morning? What is YOUR Purpose for Existence?
Tech Zulu Event
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Former Twiistup showoff Seethroo has undergone a lot changes since their debut at TU4. A complete rewrite their code, All new business model and made it really simple for a publisher to join in on their network. For those of you who may not know of Seethroo it's a behavioral targeting company. Their technology anonymizes and analyzes the content that people submit to social websites.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Hollywood-based Friendgiftr , a developer of a social media service which allows users to send gift cards to their friends, family, and others, has extended its service beyond Facebook and onto MySpace, iGogole, Ning, and Bebo, the firm announced today. The firm said it now offers gift cards from 120 different brands, including such companies as Gap, Dominos Pizza, Pottery Barn, Starbuck's, Chili;s and others.
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010 -- New Media Vault, Anniversary Bash. New Media Vault Celebrates its 1 Year Anniversary with a New Media Star Studed Bash at its new location THE STANDARD HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN LA! With Live Jazz and Musical Performances! Get your photo taken at our free photo booth to comemorate this historic evening! Tech and Software door prize give aways all night!
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
People with a victim mentality should never be entrepreneurs. We all know the role of starting and running a business is unpredictable, and has a high risk of failure. For people with a victim mentality, this fear of failure alone will almost certainly make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’m sure you all know someone who is the perennial victim. The problem is that most of these people aren’t likely to accept your assessment, so it’s hard to help them.
Tech Zulu Event
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Catching up with NeighborGoods was a treat. NeighborGoods launch back in October of 2009 and has made some huge leaps and bounds over the past few months. For those of you who may not know of NeighborGoods, it's an online community where you can save and earn money by sharing stuff with your friends. Through NeighborGoods you are able to borrow, lend, rent, sell and buy stuff to/from all your "Neighbors" on the site.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Three executives of Tesla Motors , the high profile electric car firm setting up operations in Los Angeles, apparently have died in a plane crash in Palo Alto, as they were heading towards Hawthorne Municipal Airport in Los Angeles. Names and identities of the deceased have not yet been released by the FAA. According to Bay Area TV station KTVU, the plane was piloted by a "high ranking" official at Tesla motors.
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 -- Paperless Tools. Softec. In this presentation we'll discuss the technology and programming behind recognizing and creating structured and unstructured forms. See [link] (more).
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Even though it has been a long haul, it’s nice to see some optimism on the horizon for 2010. Just yesterday, a new study “ U.S. Small Business Outlook 2010: Lessons Learned – A Case for Greater Optimism ,” was published by CIT Group, Inc., in conjunction with Forbes Insights. It shows that small business owners feel more confident and better positioned than ever.
Frank Addante
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Ok, I’m going to revive this blog. Thank you to all of you who have sent me emails requesting that I continue writing. My apologies for going MIA! Without trying to come across as though I’m making excuses, it was difficult for me to keep writing after I broke my arm last January. The recovery took about a year – even now, typing for extended periods of time strains my hand.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Fountain Valle-based memory manufacturer Kingston Digital said Thursday that it has shipped what it says is the first, 256GB USB Flash Drive in the U.S. According to Kingston, its new DataTraveler 310 is a follow on to a similar USB flash drive it shipped earlier this year to Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The flash drive has a MSRP of $1,108.00.
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010 -- Links for Learning. KOCE-TV's inaugural golf outing celebrates innovation in education. See https://events.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e2otacs611698080andoseq. (more).
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 15, 2010
To be an entrepreneur, you have to be navigate lots of unknowns, and the path is fraught with risk. Once you are past a certain mental age, you know too many of the things that can go wrong, so you never start. Sort of like the old saying that if we didn’t have young men to fight our wars, we could achieve world peace in no time. People who are young, or young at heart, don’t know all the negatives, or don’t worry about them.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Absolute Power Corrupts, Absolutely. I was living in Europe in 2000 when the first WAP phones (Wireless Access Protocol) were introduced. These phones were so over hyped. They were going to bring the Internet to your mobile phones ushering in the era of “m-commerce.&# Gag. I had just returned from living in Japan where I witnessed the hugely successful launch of i-mode by NTT DoCoMo so I knew the potential that the mobile web would ultimately bring, but I saw so many flaws in the launch
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Santa Barbara-based RingRevenue , the pay-per-call technology provider run by Jason Spievak , has linked with lead generations firm LeadClick Media , the firm said Thursday afternoon. The firm said that LeadClick Media, which is a subsidiary of First American Corp., is planning on using Ring Revenue's platform in 2010 to improve the performance of its email, display, and offline campaigns.
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010 -- The Art of the Start-Up. San Diego Software Industry Council. An interactive workshop and panel discussion focusing on practical guides to business, legal, and fund raising choices. See [link] (more).
Berkonomics
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Know your market and competition, or don’t spend a dime on anything else. I have stated previously that I love absolutes – statements with no wiggle room for gray-area responses. Well, here is one of those, and it deals with market research first and foremost. . Let me tell you a short story at my own expense. In 1994, (I know a long time ago), I invested over a million dollars into a company whose entrepreneurs had a vision that I bought into for many reasons,
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
A while back I found some great product leadership guidance in “ The Secrets of Tuned In Leaders ”, by Craig Stull, Phil Myers & David Meerman Scott. They did a series of interviews with CEOs to understand how technology companies create success, and why most fail. They found many similarities between the companies that are winning in the marketplace and those that are struggling.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Irvine-based Blizzard Entertainment said Wednesday that the firm has launched a beta test of the firm's real-time strategy game, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The new, massively multiplayer online game is a sequel to the firm's 1998 strategy game StrCraft. Blizzard said it expects to ship StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty in the first half of the year, and has invited thousands of gamers to provide feedback on the firm's beta.
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010 -- SoCalBio Business Mixer. This event will feature presentations and a panel discussion focusing on how bioscience entrepreneurs can use the media to their advantage. It will be moderated by PR expert Erik Deutsch of ExcelPR Group, who works with local medical device and biotech companies, such as STAAR Surgical of Monrovia, on PR and media outreach efforts.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Los Angeles-based Internet Brands revealed it spent $24.2M in acquisitions, earnout, and holdbacks during 2009, as part of its 2009 fiscal results release. The firm--which just this morning said it bought seven consumer websites for its health and home verticals--also revealed that the most recent purchases announced today cost it $8.1M. In addition to those details, Internet Brands said it is now seeing a monthly average of 50 million total monthly unique visitors to its collection of web sites
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Los Angeles-based TrueCar , the online car pricing site run by Scott Painter, said today that it has launched a mobile version of its site. According to the company, the new site runs on Apple iPhone, BlackBerry, and other web-enabled mobile devices. TrueCar said the site is accessible either by going to its main url, or to its mobile site at mobile.truecar.com.
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