Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Every entrepreneur has an idea for transforming a market with innovative new technology, or transforming society with a new process. Entrepreneurs who have been really transformative, like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney, seemed to know how to deal with all the right elements. Seek innovation that begets invention. Innovate or die.

Startup 171

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2022

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin.

Sales 147

Sales Metrics Guide Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. I realized that he and I see several common patterns that account for a large percentage of new venture failures.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2014

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup Founders dilemmas in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Not facing these dilemmas squarely and honestly is one of the biggest pitfalls facing every entrepreneur. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Statistics Equity Satisfaction 107

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2013

There''s been a lot of activity over the past two years in the Southern California accelerator/incubator market, with numerous groups (Amplify, EvoNexus, K5, LaunchpadLA, MediaCamp, Science, StartEngine, and many, many others) looking to help entrepreneurs start and fund their companies. But, how successful have they been? Our analysis.

Southern California 222

Southern California Incubator Report Startup 222

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. They cite sources like Profitable Venture Magazine, “ Why Business Plans are a Waste of Time ” and this Forbes article. Clemson University professor William B.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 126

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Program Overview: This interactive workshop educates and empowers angel investors, entrepreneurs, and others interested in access to capital on a variety of ways to value pre-revenue companies. It will explain three valuation methodologies: the Venture Capital Method, the Scorecard Method and the Risk Factor Summation Method.

Tech Coast Angels 113

Tech Coast Angels Case Study San Diego Study 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders quandaries in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Not facing these dilemmas squarely and honestly is one of the biggest pitfalls facing every entrepreneur. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 130

Startup USC Entrepreneur Statistics 130

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2017

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders dilemmas in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Not facing these dilemmas squarely and honestly is one of the biggest pitfalls facing every entrepreneur. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 57

Entrepreneur USC Statistics Equity 57

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 5, 2022

A few minutes away from downtown Atlanta, Collab Studio ATL describes itself as “a tech-based one-stop shop for content creators, HBCU students and young entrepreneurs to achieve their business goals.” A post shared by Collab Studios (@collabstudiosatl). Image Credits: Robiiiworld (Brandy Merriweather via BStarPR).

Platform 210

Platform Social Media Netflix Content 210

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 5, 2019

Santa Monica-based venture investor March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com) announced last week that it has raised a second fund, worth $300M. We have 80 percent of our dollars in enterprise deals, and as they break out, we double and triple down. Speaking of cycles, where are we in the venture cycle today?

Funding 160

Funding Capital Artificial Inteligence Startup 160

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

By now you will likely have read Andy Dunn’s scathing post about Venture Capitalists in which he decries the industry’s masses. After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur. The second is not.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2019

in Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences from West Virginia University, and told us a bit about the fund, its investments, and his advice to entrepreneurs looking for investment from the company. Chris Bostick: We're a mid-Wilshire venture firm, with a $260M fund. What are you looking for in a company and entrepreneur?

Venture Capital 113

Venture Capital Invest SaaS Entrepreneur 113

Xconomy

APRIL 11, 2017

All three were former Laguna Pharmaceuticals executives who spent the past 16 months scouting for Frazier as entrepreneurs-in-residence. As part of the financing, Kalamazoo-based Octeta Therapeutics has been rechristened Cirius Therapeutics, and three San Diego-based biotech executives are stepping into key executive roles.

Study 55

Study San Diego Entrepreneur Venture Capital 55

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 12, 2012

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Blank, author of Four Steps To The Epiphany , Stanford Professor and noted entrepreneur. The subject discussed in the video below is Steve’s belief that Venture Capitalists should begin their careers as operational entrepreneurs. The Alchemy Of A Great Venture Capitalist.

Venture Capital 239

Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur SaaS 239

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2022

Business partners can be co-founders in a startup, multiple owners of an existing business, or a joint venture. Differences you find after the deal is consummated can be painful and expensive, just as in any marriage. A recent study shows that happy people in business are also the most successful.

Technical Review 125

Technical Review Satisfaction Summary Startup 125

socalTECH

MAY 8, 2017

The company is backed by more than $67M in funding from such investors as Glynn Capital Management, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Amgen Ventures, Lux Capital, Redmile Group, dRx Capital (a Qualcomm and Novartis joint investment company), and Sanofi Ventures. Belinda Tan: Most of our trials are Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies.

Technology 133

Technology Study UCLA Research 133

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2016

I’ve spoken before about our desire at Upfront Ventures to fund really big ideas that solve hard problems, are science led and if successful will both have a positive effect on people’s lives as well as make great financial returns. In short, we’re after venture returns. We’re not Pollyannaish about this.

Company 207

Company Companies CTO Coach Funding 207

InfoChachkie

JUNE 11, 2012

The primary stipulation is that each Thiel Fellow must drop out of college, for at least two years, and pursue their “entrepreneurial ventures, research and self-education.”. For many entrepreneurs, college has little appeal. Entrepreneurs are misfits. Others, such as Walt Disney and Richard Branson never even enroll.

Tips 279

Tips Startup Education Entrepreneur 279

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 24, 2011

There has recently been a common theme among the entrepreneurs I have interviewed and the conferences I have attended: despite the relatively weak state of the world economy, now is a great time to create a high-tech startup. At the end of the period studied, 94.5% People are free or cheap because of the recession.

Company 257

Company Companies Startup Study 257

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Every entrepreneur has an idea for transforming a market with innovative new technology, or transforming society with a new process. Entrepreneurs who have been really transformative, like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney, seemed to know how to deal with all the right elements. Seek innovation that begets invention. Innovate or die.

Guide 95

Guide Startup Ideas Entrepreneur 95

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. How does one come up with the right idea to start a company?

Design 150

Design Ideas Startup Writing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

Every entrepreneur has an idea for transforming a market with innovative new technology, or transforming society with a new process. Entrepreneurs who have been really transformative, like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney, seemed to know how to deal with all the right elements. Seek innovation that begets invention. Innovate or die.

Startup 103

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin.

Startup 97

Startup Sales Metrics Guide 97

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Yeah, that was when I changed for me…” “…there was so much positive feedback on demystifying this one element of venture capital. The value of Pitch Decks; Brad’s personal preferences on deal presentation; and Brad’s practice of accepting cold approaches via email. see deal evaluations the Foundry way)”. was starting.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Want to be an entrepreneur? In addition, Entrepreneur Magazine recently included UCSB in its Top 50 Schools For VC Backed Entrepreneurs at number 37. As shown below, it was recently ranked as the fifth most active metropolitan area in the US, in terms of venture deals and dollars, on a per capita basis.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 12, 2010

We had a great hour-long chat about the industry and the deals of the week. Dan believed that consumer internet entrepreneurs have a choice now: traditional VC vs. super seed investors. Deals are getting done with a lot less capital which is creating a healthy debate in the industry. Tags: This Week in Venture Capital.

Venture Capital 232

Venture Capital Slides Seed Funding Google 232

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

Santa Monica-based March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com) has just announced a brand new, $240M venture investment fund, led by longtime venture investing veterans Jim Armstrong, Sumant Mandal, Gregory Milken and Jamie Montgomery. As veterans of the venture business, biggest lesson you are applying to this new fund?

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2014

He wants to compete to be the lead drummer in the competitive ensemble and study under Terence, an obsessive instructor who is hell bent on winning competitions for the school. I’ve even written about the Top 12 attributes of an entrepreneur here (each number is clickable). I absolutely loved the film. I loved the music.

Competition 394

Competition Startup Writing Marketing 394

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

This is part of a series of advice for founders who need to raise money from venture capitalists. For simplicity I’ll assume you’ve raised some money from angels or seed investors and you’re either raising an A round or a B round of venture capital. Remember, I was an entrepreneur for 10 years before a VC).

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2019

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders quandaries in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Not facing these dilemmas squarely and honestly is one of the biggest pitfalls facing every entrepreneur. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 97

Startup USC Entrepreneur Statistics 97

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

Early-stage entrepreneurs rightly keep their focus on creating an innovative product or service. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin. That’s where I see too much entrepreneur burnout, growth plateaus, and founders being replaced, to their chagrin.

Startup 108

Startup Sales Metrics Entrepreneur 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2013

Every entrepreneur has an idea for transforming a market with innovative new technology, or transforming society with a new process. Entrepreneurs who have been really transformative, like Steve Jobs and Walt Disney, seemed to know how to deal with all the right elements. Seek innovation that begets invention. Innovate or die.

Startup 105

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 105

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

Also, some of the deals I write about I have actually seen as part of their fund raising process. Our “hot deal of the week&# turned out to be more of the “hot theme of the week.&# P2P lending networks are revived and brought it a whopping $40 million in investments announced recently. Other deals. Really!).

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 4, 2009

Many entrepreneurs who start technology companies are product people, technologists or savvy business people who worked previously for a larger company. Most start-up entrepreneurs have little or no sales experience. This is the easiest one for most entrepreneurs. But most good entrepreneurs do this naturally.

Sales 319

Sales Startup Platform Tips 319

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2013

The San Diego firm is headed by Ethan Senturia , who sat down with us to tell us how Dealstruck is trying to help build small businesses and jobs--and also tells us a bit about what it''s like to come from a family full of very successful, and high profile entrepreneurs, and how that has influenced his experience as an entrepreneur himself.

Startup 247

Startup Software Review Entrepreneur Equity 247

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2010

“Yes&# was given to me by one of my favorite angel investor / seed VC’s to work with – John Greathouse of Rincon Venture Partners and author of the blog InfoChachkie that you should check out because it is filled with great info from a guy who has been a very successful operator. You should, too. (no,

Guide 293

Guide Funding Venture Capital Technical Review 293