socalTECH

OCTOBER 15, 2014

The Disney Accelerator , the startup accelerator sponsored by Walt Disney and being run by TechStars, had its demo day Tuesday, showing off the nine companies to emerge out of the accelerator. Disney offered up up to $120K in investment capital, access to entrepreneurs and executives at Disney, and other resources to its startups.

Class 185

Class Startup Seed Funding Entertainment 185

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2016

In 2006 I started using Facebook and most of my friends & colleagues thought I was strange. In 2007 I started using Twitter and most of my friends & colleagues wondered why people would care what I ate for lunch. In 2008 I started VC blogging. I had blogged when I was an entrepreneur. Stay young.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Product Startup AMA 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2014

A few years ago I started calling the local tech ecosystem down here #LATech. I have the utmost respect for the tech produced by our northern colleagues and acknowledge it is the tech capital of the world and that won’t change. In fact, many people know I grew up in NorCal and still have a 650 area code on my mobile phone.

Startup 318

Startup Santa Monica Snapchat Yahoo 318

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 27, 2013

Meet the next generation of startup success stories at Be Great Fest in Los Angeles. 17, entrepreneurs, investors, civic leaders and other key players in the tech industry will gather at the historic Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, Calif. Although the Startup Genome Project named Los Angeles the No.

Los Angeles 101

Los Angeles Angel Startup Venture Capital 101

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 5, 2022

From Los Angeles to Silicon Valley , a trend emerged among social media influencers and startup founders alike: move into a mansion with 10 or so collaborators, work day and night together to build fame and wealth, and hope that your new roommates do their dishes. A post shared by Collab Studios (@collabstudiosatl).

Platform 210

Platform Social Media Netflix Content 210

socalTECH

MARCH 13, 2017

Los Angeles-based Flyr , a new startup founded by Hassan Uriostegui and Brett O'Brien, the serial entrepreneur behind Viddy and Xdrive, said today that it has launched a new app which lets users create interactive, shareable videos. READ MORE>>.

Social Media 113

Social Media Snapchat Funding Los Angeles 113

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. Most experienced VCs won’t push you to give up founder control at this stage of the business nor should they. As You Start to Mature. In the Early Days.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

I work with a lot of startups. I start to notice when bad behavior creeps into the system as a whole. If you are a super young, well-connected, Stanford CS or EE, worked at Facebook early, have a bit o’ dosh and have VCs chasing you … you are exempt. ” Case in point: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, SnapChat.

Venture Capital 412

Venture Capital Startup Funding Snapchat 412

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2016

This continues to solidify Los Angeles’ place as a major player in the global tech ecosystem and while any one success doesn’t define a city — the number of high-profile startups and exits has definitely increased. Frankly, it’s awesome to see a VC articulate a vision for the kind of company they would back in a given category.

Dollar Shave Club 150

Dollar Shave Club Venture Capital News Snapchat 150

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 28, 2014

There’s Snapchat that uses photos and then instantly disappears after 10 seconds, and then there’s the up-comer, Emojli , that uses tiny cartoonish icons for engagement. Snap Away with Snapchat. Snapchat, founded by Bobby Murphy and Evan Spiegel, boasts of its massive following among kids and teenagers.

Snapchat 82

Snapchat Social Media Social Network Media 82

LATechDigest

MAY 16, 2016

Silicon Beach Startup 101 (-5/20). Startups in the Sky. SNAPCHAT Expands into New Offices at Santa Monica Airport ( link ). Upfront VC Defends uBEAM Against Accusations ( link ). Manager IRVING AZOFF to YouTube: Pay Up ( link ). Rhubarb Hosted Entrepreneur Journeys. Startup Grind Hosted Jason Nazar.

Santa Monica 45

Santa Monica Snapchat Pasadena News 45

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

Today Upfront Ventures is announcing that we’ve backed Rebecca Kantar ’s startup Imbellus , a company designed to assess human potential and ultimately change the way we teach children. We led a $4 million investment along with Thrive Capital, GLG and Sound Ventures.

Design 150

Design Ideas Startup Writing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2016

Some of the most well-known include Uber, Airbnb, Snapchat, Xiaomi, and Pinterest. What every entrepreneur is asking me these days, is “How do I get to be a unicorn?” The fact is that valuations are largely set by top venture capital investors and financial firms, and they all have their own proprietary formulas for assigning value.

Company 100

Company Companies Startup Statistics 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2016

Whether you are talking to peers, competitors or investors, you as an active entrepreneur will be judged on your familiarity with today’s startup and funding jargon. In that context, I offer you my latest collection of popular investor-to-entrepreneur terms and concepts. Prime examples include Uber, Airbnb and Snapchat.

Startup 57

Startup Software Review Equity Invest 57

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

Earlier this week, Derek Norton , a long time advisor to the media, Internet, and technology industry in Los Angeles, announced a brand new venture capital fund called Watertower Ventures (www.watertowerventures.com). I hate to put us into the pre-seed and seed area, so I am saying literally, first institutional capital.

Invest 145

Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I rarely talk to any startup entrepreneur or VC who doesn’t feel it and somehow long for simpler times despite the benefits we all enjoy from increased enthusiasm for our sector. For entrepreneurs there’s too much money sloshing around. We are experiencing a frenetic time. For investors life is no different.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Another note: for some nominees, our nominating committee was unable to separate closely tied founders of startups, and so we've listed those founders together for convenience. Phillipe Browning , SnapChat. Here are this year's winners, along with the companies they are associated with: Brett Bouttier , AwesomenessTV. Renee Dua , Heal.

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Lootcrate Southern California Snapchat 100

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2014

A number of startups have tried to make sharing of premium clips more available to users, but none have yet managed to convince studios and other content creators to allow for widespread clipping and sharing of that content. We recently spoke with Mauhan about his startup, which is setting up offices in Los Angeles, but is based in New York.

Content 113

Content Los Angeles Seed Funding Hollywood 113

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

I have never been more optimistic about the impact that the tech startup community is having on cities in America or about the role that cities outside of San Francisco / Silicon Valley can play in our future. Changes in the Software World & in Venture Capital. Changes in the Startup Ecosystem. KickStarter?

Startup 390

Startup Venture Capital Capital Funding 390

LATechDigest

MAY 13, 2016

Up to seven companies will be selected for this year’s program, which launches right after Labor Day, and wraps in the middle of November. Troy Carter’s ATOM FACTORY recently announced dates for Season Two of its SMASHD LABS Accelerator Program ; applications are now being accepted until June 5.

Mentor 75

Mentor Venture Capital Draper USC 75

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 30, 2016

By now if you follow me on Twitter you probably know that I do near daily “Snapstorms” or a collection of short videos (usually < 5 mins in total) with entrepreneur advice on Snapchat. You can follow me on Snapchat at msuster. Snapchat for my “original run” and I’ll also store each video to be watched later.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Course Media Venture Capital 150

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 9, 2013

The topic of the conference was “The Sharing Economy” and as I read many of the session title descriptions I realized that people would be talking more about “collaborative consumption” (think airbnb, taskrabbit, uber) than about why people are sharing more on Instragram & Snapchat. Network Up. Prices down.

Marketing 361

Marketing Course Pricing Networking 361

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2014

Of course this can be done and of course I am a big proponent of the rise of startup centers across the country as the Internet has moved from the “infrastructure phase” to the “application phase” dominated by the three C’s: content, communications and commerce. Locally we call it “the Snapchat effect.”

Company 369

Company Companies Startup Snapchat 369

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

I’d like to explain as best I can my opinion on what is going on because most of what I hear from entrepreneurs is not only wrong but is reminiscent of what I heard in 1997-2000. What is the True Sentiment of VCs? The Motive for Speaking Up. ” “Mark has a vested interest in talking down valuations of startups.”

Startup 150

Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2017

He was running to be the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles and he outlined his vision to “open up the city government to technology and innovation” if he were elected. They always ask whether I see this as threatening as Upfront Ventures. Are you kidding me? And this is true. LA has only just begun.

Riot Games 191

Riot Games Los Angeles Technical Review Venture Capital 191

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 23, 2015

Crosscut Ventures has just announced their 3rd fund and clocking in at $75 million , which will be focused heavily on Los Angeles – FTW. Like many entrepreneurs, the founders of Crosscut quit their well-paid jobs in the belief that LA’s moment was about to arrive and they spent years on low (sometimes no) salaries to prove it.

News 150

News Funding Venture Capital Dollar Shave Club 150

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2015

Many people are too cautious in sales processes and as a result when they present their solutions they end up sounding milquetoast and undifferentiated from anybody else in the market. We knew that all buyers would be concerned about security, privacy, back-ups, data protection and so forth. Why Buy Anything ? Why Buy Me? Why Buy Now?

Sales 150

Sales SaaS Startup Venture Capital 150

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 16, 2016

Computer Vison Startup Nanit If you follow me on Snapchat ( msuster ) you might already know that I’ve been looking at and investing in a number of companies in the computer vision space. To some extent we’ve already started to accept this as a society because the conversation about “autonomous vehicles” has moved mainstream.

Invest 150

Invest Course Startup CTO Hire 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2016

As the human ear ages it loses its ability to hear high-pitched sound frequencies (above 15-16 kHz) through a condition known as presbycusis that starts at 18 years old. Thus begins Snapchat and why you don’t get it. Snapchat will be used for both like the Internet (and TV) are. That’s the point. So get over it.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Screening Venture Capital Guide 150

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Our social graphs are locked in Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. Breakout companies become much harder and this isn’t likely to improve unless we give new companies the tools and capital they need to flourish. For example, distribution to find new apps in a mobile Internet is tightly locked down by the oligopoly of Apple and Google.

Course 280

Course Startup Framework Marketing 280