Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 9, 2017

If you are an entrepreneur today, and not using social media to promote your business, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly always require an investment, sometimes large, in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time.

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Social Media Media Tips Platform 66

TechCrunch LA

JULY 2, 2020

Even specialist fund investors like Karan Wadhera of the cannabis-focused investment firm Casa Verde Capital and Brendan Wallace at the real estate-focused firm Fifth Wall believe that Los Angeles will thrive in the post-COVID world. How much is Upfront focused on investing in the local LA ecosystem versus less geographically focused? .

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Los Angeles Venture Capital Capital Invest 277

socalTECH

JANUARY 8, 2020

For today's interview, we spoke to Bill Curtis , the founder of Malibu-based CurtCo Media (www.curtco.com). We spoke to Bill about CurtCo's move into the podcasting area, and why he thinks podcasting is the next frontier in media. Talk about what CurtCo is working on? That's what we want to be here.

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Media Report Advertising Content 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2013

If you are an entrepreneur today, and not using social media to promote your business, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly require an investment – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time.

Social Media 101

Social Media Media Entrepreneur Metrics 101

socalTECH

MARCH 6, 2017

Los Angeles-based Maple Media (maplemedia.io) recently announced a big, $30M funding from Shamrock Capital, to assemble a collection of mobile applications in the utility, productivity, games and entertainment verticals. What's the idea behind Maple Media? What's the idea behind Maple Media?

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Media Mobile Startup Acquisition 153

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 7, 2013

It an era of social media and newsreaders titles matter a lot. When I first started writing this blog several years ago I had less followers than you have right now. But the realist in me knew I couldn’t write daily nor could I convince you to think to check out my blog with regularity. I should know. And so it should be.

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Writing Buzzfeed Social Media Blogging 326

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

This is a post I’ve been dying to write for 18 months. I invested in LA-based Gogii , one of the fastest growing, most exciting mobile social networking companies you’ve never heard of and maker of a product called textPlus. I only recently invested and I only got here through persistence. But I never gave up.

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Gogii Invest Blogging Startup 310

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2010

I’d rather be Roger Ehrenberg with a thesis around data-centric companies and base my investment decisions on the skills I’ve developed in my career. To some extent Keith Rabois agreed with me about domain knowledge and argued that most of his investments are in the consumer Internet space as a result. Always have been.

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Invest Angel Venture Capital Startup 284

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2017

If you are an entrepreneur today, and not using social media to promote your business, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly require an investment to be hard hitting – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time.

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Social Media Media Platform Tool 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2012

If you are an entrepreneur today, and not using social media to promote your business, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly require an investment – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time.

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Social Media Media Startup Platform 95

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 23, 2018

i am deeply invested in the drama surrounding lil miquela and now you all have to be too. It’s less well-known that the company is backed by some of the biggest names in venture capital investment — firms like Sequoia Capital. Around this time McFedries also began investing in companies, according to AngelList.

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Social Media Los Angeles Media Geni 254

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2023

The cost of entry has never been lower, with new tools to create your own website , and free social media to get your message out everywhere. Make sure the name and trademarks you want are available, as well as web site address, social media tags, and any other intellectual property. Pick a name, location, and marketing strategy early.

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Social Media Metrics Media Tool 98

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

As a result I didn’t write my first venture capital check until March 2009 – exactly 5 years ago. At the time I pointed out: “If I had realized exits almost certainly it would be because I invested in a company that failed. “Ok, so this guy can write a blog and source deals but can he make any money?”

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Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

He explained to me that especially for young girls social media apps are really intimidating because increasingly teens are judged by the number of followers they have or by the number of people who like their photos on Instagram. So I sat down with John (whose Twitter account is, well, @john) and learned his story.

Social Media 150

Social Media Media Technical Review Startup 150

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

They have marked-up paper gains propped up by an over excited venture capital market that has validated their investments. Logic tells me the following: It is hard to make money angel investing. Too many angel deals just means more to watch and invest in for the ones that do succeed (if the VCs can get in at reasonable prices).

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Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

RunwayML Runway is an applied AI tool artists can use to create AI-generated media, like video, audio and text. Not only has this helped to raise its profile, it's also allowed them to invest further into their science team, and their cloud-based planning and monitoring tool, Land Tender. Vibrant Planet's Land Tender tool.

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Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 210

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2011

If you are an entrepreneur today, and not using social media to promote your business, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly require an investment – in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time.

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Social Media Media Entrepreneur Platform 93

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 29, 2018

At our next event the panel of investors will focus on Early-Stage Venture Investing and a fireside chat about ICO basics: How to meet investors, pitch them, and what it really takes to get them to write you a check! Manager, Interstellar Capital Steve Kuh, Group Project Keynote - Patrick Lowry, Iconiq Lab Markus Levin, XYO Network.

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Los Angeles Angel Writing Course 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

Most business advisors I know will say that writing a business plan is the first step to starting your own business, but I believe that a better first step is to do a self-analysis of your real drivers, strengths, and assumptions before committing to this lifestyle. Assess your connections, both social media and financial.

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Social Media Writing Ideas Resource 105

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

For much of 2013 I watched the press write articles about how the YouTube “MCNs” (multi-channel networks) were doomed and tried to square that with the data I was watching at the one I invested in, Maker Studios, who has had one hell of a year.

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Networking Media Content Customer 366

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). Where are you planning making investments? Derek Norton: We're investing in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and New York.

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Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Be accessible on social media, write a blog or articles for industry publications, and participate in conference panels and speaking engagements. Capture your “secret sauce.”

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Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

In addition, the discipline of producing it, like writing a business plan, will help you immensely in understanding the key elements that drive you and your business. I often hear the excuse that writing a book takes precious time away from building and running your business, which you cannot afford.

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Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them over ten years ago. In addition to the normal hurdles of growing up, millennials have had to deal with a media-saturated world of conflicting messages, celebrity excesses, and viral distractions. Their success is now vital to our success.

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Mentor Coach Guide Startup 134

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

At Upfront, our partners have been fortunate enough to be part of 18 companies that have reached north of $1 billion and the average tenure of an investment that exits at this scale is more than 10 years. We not only have our Series A funds that can write $500k?—?$15 15 million first checks but we also have three growth funds.

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Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

Even artisan-based services, like graphic design and writing good ad copy, have innovative processes and principles. Be accessible on social media, write a blog or articles for industry publications, and participate in conference panels and speaking engagements. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2013

We caught up with Mark Suster , one of Upfront''s General Partners and a well known blogger and technology personality, the new fund, and how his blogging is now driving the firm''s investment activity. As you probably know, two thirds of our investments go into Los Angeles. Tell us about the new fund? Mark Suster: It''s a $200M fund.

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Funding Venture Capital Los Angeles Social Media 196

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 8, 2019

Responding to Elizabeth Warren’s call to regulate and break up some of the nation’s largest technology companies, the venture capitalists that invest in technology companies are advising the presidential hopeful to move slowly and not break anything. As a whole, venture capitalists viewing the policy were underwhelmed.

Technical Review 144

Technical Review Startup Chief Technology Officer Social Media 144

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

The double-digit drop actually came from Meta’s earnings report which investors feared would be indicative of a broader revenue slump across social media stocks. I’ve been writing quite a bit about crypto lately, and this week I dug into a particularly interesting facet of the industry called DAOs.

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Marketing Newsletter Technical Review News 246

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Along the way, they created a supportive community of emotionally attached stakeholders that would be the envy of any Social Media Manager. Consistent with the statistics cited in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs , the large majority of John and Kyle''s classmates accepted positions at investment banks and consulting firms upon graduation.

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Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 18, 2014

Sometimes those motives are positive (they really want the chance to work with you, they think you have unique skills) and sometimes they are less positive (their first-tier of “go to” referrals passed on the deal, they don’t want to write another check themselves, etc.). I seek out great entrepreneurs.

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Venture Capital Invest Ideas Entrepreneur 337

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

You’ll wonder: ‘’Is this a worthy investment with probable payback in revenues? Create social media posts with links to your site that drive search engine scores and increase search traffic. Here’s a quick nod to the folks at Colour Graphics for urging me to write this insight. You’ll Think more deeply. – Dave.

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Marketing Resource Advertising Social Media 266

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

When should a VC invest? Start writing down predictions about people, companies, and markets. It’s the only way forward in capitalism, and it’s worth every investment you can make. The whole point of delegating investment decisions to a GP is to empower them to organize their firm to win deals and get stuff done.

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Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2019

These days, customers want two-way relationships, and people who follow your writing will feel this bond. Hone your writing style for all communication. Writing improves with practice, and real reader comments, so blogging is a valuable learning process or every business communication you need to do.

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Blogging Search Engine Optimization Writing SEO 85

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 7, 2012

Plus anyone who knows the book industry is well aware that it’s close to impossible to hit an epic pay day from writing a book unless you’re Harry Potter or Twilight. Most auth ors write from a place of passion and a desire to share. Cheers to discovering a real return on using social media. To entertain us and/or inform.

Social Media 68

Social Media Media Writing Blogging 68

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

I invest heavily in relationships with journalists both because I like them and respect their profession and I know that there is a benefit to me in the long run if I’m not transactional in my relationships. And you need somebody who is committed to keeping up your presence in blogs, social media and other online forums.

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Press Startup Writing Training 319

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Some entrepreneurs love to talk and produce videos, but hate to write anything down. In this context, investors are attracted to thought-leaders visible on social media, and people with strong technical credentials. Others send investors email and business plans in all uppercase or no punctuation.

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Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111