Tech Coast Venture Network

APRIL 22, 2010

Virgina Lorimor There are several options for financing a start-up business that tend to follow a natural course in a business’ development: Personal Investment. This is where all entrepreneurs have to start. Here are the basics that you need to know: Be prepared with a professional, polished presentation.

Startup 124

Startup Tech Coast Angels TCVN Incubator 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2017

Techstars LA , one of three, Los Angeles area startup accelerator programs run by Techstars , launched the first class of startups at its first Demo Day on Tuesday at the El Rey Theater. READ MORE>>.

Class 100

Class Startup Mentor Education 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2022

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. For one-on-one coaching from the startup founder, I call this approach five-minute mentoring.

Mentor 154

Mentor Technical Review Coach Slides 154

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. I just finished a new book for entrepreneurs, “ Secrets to a Successful Startup ,” by Trevor Blake, which makes the same points, based on his own real-life experience with three successful startups.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

SoCal CTO

MAY 13, 2014

A large part of this conversation is what kinds of advisors startups should be looking for. A little while ago, I suggested that Every Web/Mobile Startup Should Have a Technical Advisor. We both felt that most startups are not taking a very systematic approach to defining with they need in terms of advisors. Connected Advisors?

CTO Coach 241

CTO Coach Startup CTO Hire Template 241

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2014

I believe you can be much more productive, as well as a more effective leader, if you approach most meetings as mentoring opportunities, and limit them to five minutes. In a traditional meeting, another person presents you with multiple options, and you make the decision. Start by open listening.

Mentor 101

Mentor High Tech Coach Guide 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment. Set your startup health gauges and use them.

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2022

Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. First of all, it’s more of an investment in people than in a business, since the startup is usually an idea barely half-baked when they need your money. Start in a business domain you know well.

Startup 120

Startup Invest Equity Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

Most of you business professionals that I know have at least thought about or talked about starting their own business, to get more control, make more money, or to get more satisfaction out of their life. As a mentor to young aspiring entrepreneurs , I often get asked for tips on a strategy to get started.

Startup 114

Startup Tips Coach Satisfaction 114

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

In a VC business when you raise additional capital you need to “level up” and act the round you are. I’d say 20% of startups I see level-up early after their A round. These are important leveling-up activities but the CEO is often still up at 10pm f **g around with QuickBooks entries.

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 13, 2018

Presented by the Pasadena Angels in partnership with LAVA and Expert Dojo Launching a successful start-up requires more than grit, caffeine and an innovative idea. A successful start-up requires funding, mentoring, and smart connections.

LAVA 100

LAVA Pasadena Angels Funding Santa Monica 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2021

Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment. Set your startup health gauges and use them.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173

socalTECH

JANUARY 16, 2013

MuckerLab , the Los Angeles startup accelerator headed by Erik Rannala, is presenting its newest startup class today in a Demo Day. MuckerLab's prior class included such hot Los Angeles startups as SurfAir, Retention Science, Wallaby, and InstaCanvas. READ MORE>>.

Class 159

Class Startup Incubator Los Angeles 159

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

If you want to make a great first impression on a startup investor or an advisor like me, don’t try to convince me or show me how busy you are. I’m sure you all know someone who always seems to be overworked, but often comes up short on the delivery side. As an entrepreneur starting a new business, you have a lot to learn.

Product 123

Product Startup Tips Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2012

I believe you can be much more productive, as well as a more effective leader, if you approach most meetings as mentoring opportunities, and limit them to five minutes. In a traditional meeting, another person presents you with multiple options, and you make the decision. Start by open listening.

Mentor 91

Mentor Product High Tech Coach 91

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2019

My biggest takeaway this year was truly understanding the strength and cohesion of the Los Angeles startup community. There was no monetary reward for those who participated (and Startup Boost does not take fees or equity from the companies that we help). What was the biggest lesson you learned this year?

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 157

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2021

Most entrepreneurs avoid setting up a board of directors for their new business unless or until they sign up an investor who demands a seat on the board. High-performing startups today are the ones that use every resource at their disposal. I recommend three or five members to start (an uneven number prevents tie votes).

Startup 145

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2021

Career survival today requires thinking and acting like an entrepreneur starting a business, staying nimble and resilient, willing to pivot, and supersensitive to the market realities of supply and demand. Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn, helped me crystallize these similarities with his classic book “ The Start-up of You.”

Startup 143

Startup Entrepreneur Demand Competition 143

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 30, 2011

TechZulu is excited to invite you to the 2012 Startup and Entrepreneurial Forecast taking place on Tuesday Jan. We have a line up of amazing speakers who will share their insights and forecast for startup trends in 2012. Mike is actively involved with early-stage start-ups as an investor, advisor and board member.

Tech Coast Angels 105

Tech Coast Angels Startup Angel Southern California 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2021

If employees don’t see their leaders stand up and lead by example, employees will feel less engaged—and be less willing to do their best work. It all must start with hiring people who are the right fit for your desired culture. After the hire comes mentoring and continuous training as the key to engagement. Marty Zwilling.

Mentor 155

Mentor Startup Training Resource 155

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. Successful startups are all about the right people with the right stuff. Even if you have an hour booked, the advice is the same.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 10, 2010

I believe you can be much more productive, as well as a more effective leader, if you approach most meetings as mentoring opportunities, and limit them to five minutes. In a traditional meeting, another person presents you with multiple options, and you make the decision. Management by walking around” in a good start.

Mentor 88

Mentor High Tech Coach Guide 88

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

Even as you stop, look, and listen to messages in the present, you also need to spend considerable time reading, thinking, and talking about the long-term view. The best leaders spend more time supporting and mentoring their constituents to develop their competence and confidence, and then delegate effectively with accountability.

Startup 133

Startup Activity Mentor Writing 133

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

A company presents. I think newer associates are surprised by how blunt we are with each other but I’ll always remember the words of my mentor our founding partner, Yves Sisteron, who said, “reciprocity makes for terrible investment decisions.” The same is true at startups. You’re a startup, not GE.

Startup 150

Startup Venture Capital Invest Framework 150

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2012

I recently read Brad Feld’s thought provoking piece encouraging founders to sit on the board of another startup company. I found it thought provoking because I’ve always believed startup founders need extreme focus on only their company to succeed. We have Ian Rogers , the CEO of Topspin Media on our board.

Startup 294

Startup Carson Summary Press 294

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 10, 2012

This weekend UCLA has put together 48hr Startup and TechZulu will be there to bring you all the final startup presentations live. UCLA 48hr Startup brings together people with technical, design or business background to share ideas, form teams, build products and launch startups. 7:30pm – Pitches Start.

UCLA 87

UCLA Startup Ideas Mentor 87

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Are you an entrepreneur hoping to startup a company in the Los Angeles area? The latest to enter the scene is Los Angeles accelerator Start Engine (www.startengine.com), which was created by Howard Marks and Paul Kessler. Howard Marks: We're a startup accelerator, which will help entrepreneurs become successful in 90 days.

CTO Coach 194

CTO Coach Startup Mentor Activision 194

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 7, 2013

If you use the mentor-driven model that we pioneered at TechStars, you get entrepreneurs who are deeply connected with the broader entrepreneurial landscape. If their first companies don’t work, it’s totally fine, because they built… muscle around creating a startup that would take many years and lots more money to create.”

Incubator 238

Incubator Startup News Entrepreneur 238

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2022

As a business advisor and investor in new startups, I see how difficult it is to make any process work, no matter how well designed, if the team is dysfunctional. You need a team focused on the future as well as the present. Priority is placed on employee mentoring and coaching.

Coach 128

Coach Organization Mentor Startup 128

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Yet I find in my mentoring practice that more and more team members prefer the human-centered approach and respond with more engagement and commitment. I’ve found that you can best start by asking for another perspective, whether of yourself or a team member. Diversity and inclusion will get you started.

Case Study 112

Case Study Study Startup Examples 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2015

Most entrepreneurs avoid setting up a board of directors for their new business unless or until they sign up an investor who demands a seat on the board. High-performing startups today are the ones that use every resource at their disposal. I recommend three or five members to start (an uneven number prevents tie votes).

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2022

However, when aspiring leaders ask me how to ramp up their emotional intelligence, I’ve never been able to offer any real formula. Always assume positive intent, stay present, be open-minded, actively listen, the thank the person for their feedback. Barriers open up new possibilities, which themselves will likely have barriers.

Coach 140

Coach Guide Startup Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2015

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. For one-on-one coaching from the startup founder, I call this approach five-minute mentoring.

Product 99

Product Mentor Startup Technical Review 99

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015

Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment. Set your startup health gauges and use them.

Startup 98

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

Just because you are an entrepreneur, or work in a startup, you can’t ignore the rules of building and maintaining relationships. From my experience and hers, here are ten top relationship strategies, as practiced by Richard Branson and other well-known startup leaders: Create a favorable first impression. Jan Yager, Ph.D.,

Startup 127

Startup Social Network Mentor Networking 127

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2022

As a mentor to many early business leaders, I always emphasize that need to switch from a product focus to a team focus. You need to use active listening to unlock the underlying causes, and start giving your best encouragement and mentoring. Not showing up or consistently late to meetings.

Coach 95

Coach Activity Mentor Startup 95

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 25, 2012

On August 9th, Startup Weekend San Diego and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University partnered with Google to host the very first Startup Weekend focused on helping Veterans, Service Members and Military Families turn their visions into reality in creating a startup company.

San Diego 96

San Diego Startup Services Google 96