Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait.

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Resource Ideas Competition Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

One thing I have learned the hard way in business is that implementing new ideas is usually much more difficult than conceiving the idea in the first place. That’s why I caution my aspiring entrepreneur clients against proclaiming to investors that they are a great “idea” person. For example, I have a friend with a Ph.D.

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Ideas Writing Examples Outsource 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2023

Ask for help from advisors and mentor your team. The best entrepreneurs relish the challenges, and get great satisfaction from overcoming and learning from adversity. They enjoy the journey, as well as the destination. Don’t let your pride or fear keep you from seeking the help that you need.

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Ideas Startup Entrepreneur Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Why is it that only the most successful entrepreneurs , including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson, admit to having a mentor and actually use them? Obviously, I’m a big fan of business mentors based on my own experience, since I have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the relationship.

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Mentor Metrics Coach Entrepreneur 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2017

As a long-time mentor and business advisor, I find it ironic that many look only to friends for advice. They forget that friends tell you what you want to hear, while good mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you probably don’t need the mentor anymore, but you always need the friend.

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Mentor Coach Help Ideas 72

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2013

Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. You need someone who: Applies pragmatics to your ideas.

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Mentor Coach Startup Entrepreneur 101

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 16, 2012

A new competition--part of the Startup America effort launched by the Obama Administration, and spearheaded locally by Caltech, USC, and UCLA--said today that it is looking to award $200,000 in prize money to university students with clean energy business ideas.

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Competition Ideas CalTech USC 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

In other words, the entrepreneur quality is more important than the idea -- in investor jargon, people invest in the jockey, and not the horse. High leaders continually challenged their own ideas and were quicker to adapt them to encompass new information, experiences, and meaning. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Invest 165

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. In reality, I like most ideas, but I have to tell them that the real challenge is taking the inspiration from a dream to a business. Now you see why no one should judge business success potential by the idea alone.

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Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2013

I’m a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness. When you meet with a mentor, you should lead the discussion.

Mentor 102

Mentor Startup Coach Entrepreneur 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2012

Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. You need someone who: Applies pragmatics to your ideas.

Mentor 95

Mentor Coach Startup Ideas 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2012

I’m a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness. When you meet with a mentor, you should lead the discussion.

Mentor 94

Mentor Coach Entrepreneur Press 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. In reality, I like most ideas, but I have to tell them that the real challenge is taking the inspiration from a dream to a business. Now you see why no one should judge business success potential by the idea alone.

Ideas 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2011

Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. You need someone who: Applies pragmatics to your ideas.

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Mentor Coach Ideas Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2022

During my many years of mentoring professionals and entrepreneurs in business, I more often see people focusing on how to get their ideas heard , than how to promote themselves. I’m convinced that great results are better than great ideas, and a great perception of you as a person is better than both ideas and results.

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Tips Social Media Mentor Technical Review 121

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Most people believe that the hard part is coming up with the idea, and the easy part is turning it into a business.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Most colleges have now added classes in entrepreneurship to include the necessary business focus to technical majors that usually drive innovative ideas. Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. Every school recognizes the power of “hands-on” work to help you develop your own ideas into a business.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

In many ways this was the precursor to the MVP philosophy our era espoused by Steve Blank and the ideas we discuss around product/market fit. The hard core supporters become your “referenceable accounts” and Moore’s teachings probably influence us today subconsciously more than many in the tech industry probably realize.

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Mentor Venture Capital Marketing Product 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2017

Ideas are a dime a dozen, but the inspiration to drive a great business is a lot harder to find. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I often get asked for next sure-fire idea. I have to tell them that anyone can find ideas, but only you as a person can find the passion to transform one into a successful business.

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Ideas Study Entrepreneur Custom 54

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

Here is a short list of the areas where you should be able to find help, whether you are a student or an independent entrepreneur: Exploring hot ideas. Connections to a mentor. Similar to finding experienced team members, you can use university contacts who do mentoring in the real world.

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Incubator Mentor Class Resource 172

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2021

Here are the key recommendations from both of us, based on my own business mentoring insights: Re-launch using your enhanced core competency. Listen and act on the ideas of others around you. Find mentors who have the skills you lack. Proven problem solvers only get better with practice.

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Entrepreneur Technical Review Mentor Custom 167

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Thus, in my view, entrepreneurship is an evolution of an idea through a series of developmental stages, culminating in a self-sustaining business. Startup and development stage.

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Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Satisfaction 108

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2023

But, for the rest of us, don’t believe the Silicon Valley myth that all you have to do is sketch your million-dollar idea on the back of a napkin, and investors will line up to give you money. Your idea may be technically right, but without a business plan, it could be dead right, which is not the result anyone is looking for.

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Startup Writing Mentor Sample 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

Every entrepreneur I know is dismayed by the number of friends who approach them with a line such as “I have an even better idea that will change the world, and one of these days I’m going to get around to starting my own business.” There must be something deeper that slows people down.

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Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Knowledge Base 153

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

The common term for this is networking, but I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs like to do all the talking about their latest new idea and fail to listen. Find a business mentor, as well as a friend. A mentor is someone who will tell you what you need to hear, while a friend might tell you what you want to hear.

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Startup Case Study Course Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Many people believe that new ideas are the critical element of innovation, but in my experience as a mentor and investor, long-term business success is more about implementation than ideas. Everyone has ideas, but only a few can make them happen.

Artificial Inteligence 114

Artificial Inteligence Ideas Satisfaction Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2021

Most of you aspiring entrepreneurs probably have long searched for that special idea that will catapult you and your startup to success. Yet, my experience as a business advisor and investor has convinced me that the magic is not the idea, but you and the execution. Every investor I know hears the same ones over and over again.

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Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Satisfaction 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2023

As standalone innovators, these may have trouble recognizing where the mother ship skills and expertise can be applied to develop innovation ideas properly. These personas are sought out in every company to better understand an initiative and plug gaps in ideas and plans, and recommend required resources and tactical moves.

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Coach Ideas Mentor Organization 96

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

As a mentor to many business professionals and owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs, I find a wealth of innovative ideas, but often less insight on what it really takes to transform ideas into an income stream that can excite new customers into long-term business success. A great innovation starts with at least three ideas.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2021

Kevin Cope, in his classic book “ Seeing the Big Picture ”, does a great job of outlining the basics of business acumen for executives, and helped me assimilate some practical ideas on building the essential elements for entrepreneurs: Reserve time daily to research the market, as well as technology.

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Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Networking 139

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2021

As an entrepreneur mentor, my mission is to foster the attributes in you as a startup founder that I believe will lead to success. For example, I worked with an entrepreneur a while back who was clearly intelligent, had a great idea, and communicated well. I sometimes find entrepreneurs who highlight that their strength is “ideas.”

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Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Mentor 136

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. Unfortunately, for every success story you see, there is an even longer list of failure stories with mistakes that you don’t see. There is no substitute for domain experience.

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Mentor Startup Social Network Patents 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 30, 2017

Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event, where attendees pitch ideas, form teams and launch companies/products. The event is very community focused and provides a place for budding entrepreneurs to find co-founders, mentors and momentum for their ideas. We are looking for the next big thing in Sports, Fitness, and Performance.

Startup 100

Startup Mentor Ideas Entrepreneur 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 29, 2017

Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event, where attendees pitch ideas, form teams and launch companies/products. The event is very community focused and provides a place for budding entrepreneurs to find co-founders, mentors and momentum for their ideas. We are looking for the next big thing in Sports, Fitness, and Performance.

Startup 100

Startup Mentor Ideas Entrepreneur 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 28, 2017

Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event, where attendees pitch ideas, form teams and launch companies/products. The event is very community focused and provides a place for budding entrepreneurs to find co-founders, mentors and momentum for their ideas. We are looking for the next big thing in Sports, Fitness, and Performance.

Startup 100

Startup Mentor Ideas Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2020

This trait, sometimes called mental complexity, will convince others that you likely understand the relevant issues, are willing to challenge your own ideas, and will be quicker to adapt them to encompass new information, experiences, and meaning. Shares views and learns from a personal mentor.

Entrepreneur 168

Entrepreneur Mentor Metrics Customer 168

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. Many smart people I know fall into the category of “idea” people.

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Mentor Startup Custom Customer 133