Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2020

Although most people believe that being a successful entrepreneur is all about having the right idea, I’m convinced from my years of experience as a startup advisor and investor that’s it’s more about you as a person. If you don’t have a successful prior startup to demonstrate your ability, it’s time to be creative.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

The realm of an entrepreneur is all about change, but in my experience as a mentor to business founders, I hear too much about incremental change, and not enough about revolutionary change. Uber and Airbnb are examples of startups that started the sharing movement, but quickly grew to challenge large conglomerates.

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TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 22, 2018

In an attempt to boost diversity and inclusion efforts and civic engagement between the growing technology industry in Los Angeles and the community that surrounds it, over 80 venture capitalists and entrepreneurs joined the city’s mayor, Eric Garcetti, and the non-profit Annenberg Foundation to announce PledgeLA.

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Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. “There’s something going on in LA.” LA By The Numbers.

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InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

.” – Elon Musk, Founder Tesla Motors and SpaceX. MBA’s are an easy target for entrepreneurs’ scorn. I too have taken shots at MBA’s, describing why they are not typically well suited for startup life in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs. My contrarian nature sparked, I began researching MBA led startups.

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socalTECH

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

Santa Monica-based Troy Capital Partners , a new venture investment firm led by Josh Berman, Brian Sullivan, and Samit Varma, has backed a veteran of TrueCar for a new startup called Rollick Outdoor. Rollick Outdoor is based in Austin, where Brenner was based while at Santa Moinca-based TrueCar. READ MORE>>.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2020

In my work with new startups, I often find people who believe that the terms “ entrepreneur ” and “ inventor ” are interchangeable. Yet I find a big difference between “starting a new business” and “creating a new product.” A good entrepreneur starts with quantifying the problem, rather than a solution looking for a problem.

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TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 13, 2020

Every radical turn in technology history has its great entrepreneur, and for space that person is SpaceX founder Elon Musk. In 2018 alone, venture investments in space topped $2 billion for the first time, and 187 investors wrote checks to 90 startups, according to Bryce Space and Technology. Air Force and, of course, SpaceX.

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TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Already a major hub for the space and aerospace startup industry, with companies like SpaceX, Relativity Space, Virgin Orbit, Rocket Lab, Phase Four, and others calling Los Angeles home, the new accelerator will provide another booster for LA’s growing startup scene. billion over the last year.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2021

The ultimate compliment that any entrepreneur can get is that they can “see around corners.” Elon Musk with Tesla and SpaceX may be the most current example of this phenomenon, but others often mentioned include Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Joe Costello (Cadence Design), and Howard Schultz (Starbucks).

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

I’m over-paying for every check I write into the VC ecosystem and valuations are being pushed up to absurd levels and many of these valuations and companies won’t hold in the long term. Today you have funders focused exclusively on “Day 0” startups or ones that aren’t even created yet. By definition?—?I’m two founders in a garage?—?(HP

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Last week a company we enthusiastically backed, uBeam , led by a very special entrepreneur, 25-year-old Meredith Perry , announced a $10 million round of financing. Here I make the case that entrepreneurs must stay focused on the prize, not the doubters. Entrepreneurs. ” **. It can be one of the strongest motivators.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 18, 2022

You can’t win as an entrepreneur or business owner without full confidence in your own ability, as well as in your solution and business model. As an angel investor in startups, I always look for this self-confidence, no matter how innovative the solution. Use acceptance, forgiveness, and compassion, to keep up your confidence.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2016

As a small business and startup advisor, I find that entrepreneurs often love to talk about their latest idea, but not their execution. For example, Elon Musk is recognized as a visionary entrepreneur, but his fortune and his impact has come from the great companies he has built, including SpaceX, Tesla Motors, and PayPal.

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socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2012

The Giving Pledge looks to sign up billionaires to publicly pledge to give away a significant chunk of their wealth, and to spur philanthropy among the super-rich. The Giving Pledge added twelve billionaires Thursday at a private, hosted dinner in Southern California yesterday with Buffett. The group now has 81 members on their list.

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socalTECH

JULY 22, 2019

This morning's interview is with Matt Kozlov , the Managing Director of the new Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator , which just got started in Los Angeles. Our ten companies are meeting with over 100 executives and entrepreneurs, who are really accomplished from the space industry and adjacent industries, who can help them.

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socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Our interview this morning is with James Borow , the co-founder of Pepper Financial (www.trypepper.com), a startup which is creating a new set of tools to help businesses grow smarter. Tell us a little bit about what you're up to now? We all left together fairly recently to start this business, and have raised $5.6M.

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socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2018

Editor's note: All this week, and into the start of next year, we'll be featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. We're already seeing strong engineers and founders from Snap, Riot Games, Musically and others launch their new startups in LA.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2016

The cost of entry to the entrepreneur lifestyle is at an all-time low, but the challenge of winning and success is at an all-time high. As an Angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. Take a hard look at SpaceX or HyperLoop.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. The best new idea for any entrepreneur should first be based on their own personal interests, skills, and lifestyle, rather than the characteristics of a given market or technology. I can assess execution plans, if you have any.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Everyone who starts or owns a business expects to be the best of breed, but only a few achieve that status. As a startup mentor and advisor, I often contemplate what makes the difference between winners and losers. Stop dreaming about your passion and start acting on it. I believe the best make their own luck.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. The best new idea for any entrepreneur should first be based on their own personal interests, skills, and lifestyle, rather than the characteristics of a given market or technology. I can assess execution plans, if you have any.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2016

Have you noticed that the really big startup wins in the last couple of decades have come from creating and dominating new market categories, more than just new solutions? Bold entrepreneurs put more effort into communicating the new market ecosystem value, and their natural product fit. Overtly design the ecosystem as well as product.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

A common request I hear from aspiring entrepreneurs is for an assessment of their latest idea. The best new idea for any entrepreneur should first be based on their own personal interests, skills, and lifestyle, rather than the characteristics of a given market or technology. I can assess execution plans, if you have any.

Entrepreneur 62

Entrepreneur Tips Ideas Satisfaction 62

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2014

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2015

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2016

There are a few entrepreneurs who seem to always be ahead of the rest, and are able to sense where the market is going tomorrow. Everyone wants to support the entrepreneur with the courage to make bold decisions, and can make it happen. Steve Jobs of Apple and Richard Branson of Virgin Group are other popular examples.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Whether you are a business professional in a big company, or an entrepreneur with a startup, innovation is a key strategy. Elon Musk with SpaceX is an example of a new business bringing in technologies from artificial intelligence and solar power to develop smart and reusable rockets to do satellite delivery and space travel.

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socalTECH

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

All schmoozing and networking aside, what are investors, entrepreneurs, and others in the industry thinking about? More than one attendee expressed worries about seed level startups having issues getting more funding; seeing too many "me-too" startups; and the importance of proving out viable business models. READ MORE>>.

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Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

The cost of entry to the entrepreneur lifestyle is at an all-time low, but the challenge of winning and success is at an all-time high. As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. Take a hard look at SpaceX or HyperLoop.

Entrepreneur 143

Entrepreneur Social Network SpaceX Ideas 143

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2017

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. One way of identifying the right characteristics and approaches is to take a hard look at entrepreneurs who have done it.

Entrepreneur 56

Entrepreneur Resource Social Network SpaceX 56

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2018

They don’t realize that you can make your own luck as an entrepreneur, start your own business, and get an unprecedented opportunity to achieve your highest potential. In fact, I’m convinced that most employees in business are not living up to their real potential, while feeling overworked and underappreciated.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2022

I’m sure you will agree that not all business leaders are created equal, starting from the CEO on down. As an example, Elon Musk , while best known for his success with Tesla electric vehicles, continues to make forays into other transportation alternatives, with SpaceX, Hyperloop, and others.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2021

In my experience, many entrepreneurs rely too much on the perspective of a trusted advisor, or try to emulate a competitor who is getting attention. For example, no one should be convinced that Elon Musk is following someone else’s lead as he charges ahead with Tesla, SpaceX, and other initiatives.

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TechCrunch LA

MARCH 25, 2021

And it extends to the firm’s portfolio, a clutch of startup companies headquartered around the globe — from Seattle to Houston and Los Angeles to Nairobi. “We’re seeing these SpaceX and Tesla mafias spin out, entrepreneurs who have had best-in-class training at an Elon Musk company,” said Palank.

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Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 20, 2013

Chris Johnson and his partner Tarek Pertew were once startup guys who founded a software company in New York, but within one year they lost their CTO three times. What we recognized is that startups by their very nature cannot be very good at recruiting because they simply don’t have the staff, “ said Chris Johnson. “And

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