Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day. That should equate to an adequate valuation for a $2 million follow-on Series-A round, without giving away all the equity.

Search Engine Optimization 124

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day. That should equate to an adequate valuation for a $2 million follow-on Series-A round, without giving away all the equity.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front. Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cash flow personally every day. That should equate to an adequate valuation for a $2 million follow-on Series-A round, without giving away all the equity.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2013

Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Incorporate, register your domain name, trademarks, and copyrights, then patent if possible.

Startup 100

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2012

Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Incorporate, register your domain name, trademarks, and copyrights, then patent if possible.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Ideas 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Based on my experience as an angel investor and a mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs, having no business plan is the quickest way to define yourself as just a dreamer, or at best a hobbyist. For example, “I just patented a new cell-phone technology that will double battery life for half the cost.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2014

As a mentor to many entrepreneurs and startups, here are my best recommendations for keeping the burn rate low, planning ahead and maintaining credibility with investors: Manage cashflow personally every day. That should equate to an adequate valuation for a $2 million follow-on Series-A round, without giving away all the equity.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 16, 2015

That’s why all those so-called million dollar ideas I hear about as an investor don’t get me excited, and entrepreneurs find that working twenty hours a day often generates nothing more than sweat, instead of the desired sweat equity. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring.

Satisfaction 101

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Customer Custom 101

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2016

Patents issued to you before you incorporate the business will not be considered part of the business valuation by investors. Co-founder and equity negotiations work best if you own all the equity. Negotiation and equity ownership needs to happen when they join you, and you need the leverage of being the business owner.

Company 61

Company Companies Startup Equity 61

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2010

Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the results of your mentoring and leadership. Incorporate, register your domain name, trademarks, and copyrights, then patent if possible.

Startup 88

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 88

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2016

That’s why all those so-called million dollar ideas I hear about as an investor don’t get me excited, and entrepreneurs find that working twenty hours a day often generates nothing more than sweat, instead of the desired sweat equity. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring.

Satisfaction 61

Satisfaction Startup Customer Custom 61

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2012

Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. Barter services and use equity to get things done for minimum cash. The patent process is far from perfect, but it’s a huge step ahead of no proprietary content. Reign-in expenses. Do not delegate this task!

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Social Network Startup Patents 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. Barter services and use equity to get things done for minimum cash. The patent process is far from perfect, but it’s a huge step ahead of no proprietary content. Reign-in expenses. Do not delegate this task!

Tips 102

Tips Help Startup Blogging 102

Xconomy

MAY 30, 2016

X: I read an article from 1998 that you were quoted in—it sounded like Stanford’s Niels Reimers helped MIT reorganize its patenting and licensing office in 1986 to make it more like Stanford’s model. It basically helped invent the ultra-filtration field. Then it got acquired by Millipore. LN: Right, he came on a sabbatical year.

Startup 67

Startup Compton Research Technology 67

socalTECH

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Barry was a lead mentor there at Chapman University's Launch Labs, and we paired up. Barry Lieberman: That funding round, which was a preferred seed equity round, took place in the summer of 2015, and there was $785,000 in the round. We worked on Beatshare at Chapman, where there was a business plan competition, which we won.

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach Startup Pasadena Angels 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2010

Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. Barter services and use equity to get things done for minimum cash. The patent process is far from perfect, but it’s a huge step ahead of no proprietary content. Reign-in expenses. Do not delegate this task!

Guide 92

Guide Startup Social Network Patents 92

Jason Nazar

MAY 2, 2016

If you are inventing or creating a product, understand patents and register for one at the USPTO. Business Mentors. Speak to entrepreneurs and leaders in your industry and consider asking them to be your mentor. Ask mentors to join your Board of Advisors (for the overall benefit of the company). Recommended.

Outsource Development 40

Outsource Development Startup Google Mentor 40

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2013

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders, I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues. That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurs who utter this line are kidding themselves.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network IBM 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2012

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues: “Business plans are for dummies.” That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. No need to risk my own funds.

Startup 95

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2011

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders, I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues. That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurs who utter this line are kidding themselves.

Startup 98

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2010

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues: “Business plans are for dummies.” That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. No need to risk my own funds.”

Startup 52

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 52