Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 1, 2023

As a mentor to entrepreneurs and business owners, and seeing their workload and challenges, it would be easy for me to conclude that starting a business is a big hit to health and happiness. After all, most of us spend more hours in this role than any other, and life is too short to spend most of your life unhappy. Keep track of your wins.

Satisfaction 119

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 119

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2019

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Mentor 85

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Summary 85

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

You probably already know the key challenges to complete each step, but it helps to write them down, review them with peers, and have a written list to update as you learn more. Stop talking and writing, and start executing the plan. Populate each step with actions required for success. Now is the perfect time to take that next step.

Writing 139

Writing Startup Summary Activity 139

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

Finally, implementation requires a commitment of real money and other resources that can’t be written off so easily as an idea ahead of it’s time. In addition, creating a business requires leading and interacting with other people, including partners, investors, and customers. Create a written plan, with target milestones and metrics.

Ideas 126

Ideas Writing Examples Outsource 126

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2021

High-performing startups today are the ones that use every resource at their disposal. Board rules and governance policies should be articulated in writing and voted upon. Of course, if the board is set up or used incorrectly, the impact can indeed be more negative than positive. Fail to establish adequate structure.

Startup 145

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Technology experts tend to have a very deep level of knowledge, but not very wide.

Startup 171

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Ideas 171

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

If you’re an early investor like I am that often means writing the first $2-3 million check into a business that previously had either survived on fumes or on a $500,000 angel round. I have seen many companies raise their first $3 million and still act like a company that has no resources at all.

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Technology experts tend to have a very deep level of knowledge, but not very wide.

Entrepreneur 70

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 70

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 6, 2015

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Mentor 105

Mentor Entrepreneur Technical Review Satisfaction 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 1, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs and business owners, and seeing their workload and challenges, it would be easy for me to conclude that starting a business is a big hit to health and happiness. After all, most of us spend more hours in this role than any other, and life is too short to spend most of your life unhappy. Keep track of your wins.

Entrepreneur 137

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Mentor Writing 137

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

Don’t waste your resources on the wrong ones. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services.

Funding 94

Funding Startup Organization Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

There are lots of resources available for the challenge of that activity, including the Internet and mentors like me. Writing down key parameters will force you solidify the specifics, and mentally commit to them. Some dreams sound great, but may not yet be viable or proven with today’s technology.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Berkonomics

MAY 29, 2014

Richa is a successful entrepreneur and technologist giving back to the entrepreneurial community in many ways, including his weekly Internet TV program on entrepreneurism, and participation in several mentoring programs. . Business planning is a crucial part of a successful business. Can we pull it off? Can we make money?

Startup 166

Startup Guide Help Mentor 166

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I tend to see many of the same obstacles appearing in every new startup, and since I don’t want to appear to be a downer , I’m not sure how to properly warn people ahead of time to be on the alert for these challenges. Keep control by writing every check personally, and manage receivable and payables tightly.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 28, 2014

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Mentor Technical Review Satisfaction 102

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2015

Fred has of course been a public mentor to us all with his market-defining terminology that he popularized including “freemium” and “mobile first.” What you may not know is that Fred has been a behind-the-scenes mentor to many of the newer VCs in the industry including myself. But it’s not who I am.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Writing Blogging 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. After some review of available resources, I’m convinced that problem solving is a learnable trait, rather than just a birthright. A good alternative is to enlist the help of a business mentor you can trust.

Satisfaction 53

Satisfaction Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 53

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

Don’t waste your resources on the wrong ones. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services.

Organization 93

Organization Startup Incubator Ideas 93

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

When I saw World Series Poker Champion Annie Duke speak in 2017, I was inspired to write an article describing some of her recruiting techniques. Annie is well positioned to write a book on decision analysis, combining her decades as a professional poker player with her graduate psychology research at the University of Pennsylvania.

Help 100

Help Startup Santa Barbara Study 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2010

A little known, but valuable resource, every startup should investigate is a formal or informal connection to your local university. These resources are definitely are not limited to students, since every university wants and needs the real world exposure and experience of entrepreneurs who already have credibility in the marketplace.

Help 94

Help Startup Mentor Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2013

As long as somebody recognizes their million dollar idea and writes them a check, the source really doesn''t matter. They know you won''t have the resources to fight them, so they count on you "caving.” The mentoring offer always sounds good up front. Many entrepreneurs believe all money is created equal. Superior angels.

Angel 105

Angel Writing Startup Invest 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

Use blogging, outside publication, and speaking or mentoring opportunities to establish credibility and stand out above peers. Real entrepreneurs are quick to make the tough decisions, with proper respect, to minimize frustration, resource drain, and reputation loss. Write down some target objectives and milestones.

Startup 98

Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Technology experts tend to have a very deep level of knowledge, but not very wide.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2012

As long as somebody recognizes their million dollar idea and writes them a check, the source really doesn't matter. They know you won't have the resources to fight them, so they count on you "caving.” The mentoring offer always sounds good up front. Many entrepreneurs believe all money is created equal. Superior angels.

Angel 112

Angel Entrepreneur Writing Invest 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2015

Everyone must know how to listen, talk and write. Provide mentoring and self-learning opportunities. Most startups don’t have the time or resources to send team members to formal training classes, either in-house or off-site. As the founder, you won’t have a finance chief, a marketing staff or a requirements manager.

Startup 99

Startup Mentor Layoffs News 99

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 5, 2013

You don’t really understand a new idea, until you try to write it down and succinctly communicate it to peers and critics. Even the best have mentors they really use. A mentor is someone who will tell you what you need to hear, while friends and associates often tell you what you want to hear.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Startup 101

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

The biggest problem with over-stealthing yourself is that you cut off some of your most valuable resources in terms of testing your ideas, getting feedback from smart entrepreneurs & investors and helping you figure out the potential flaws in your approach. Nobody likes writing re-hashed stories. Read their articles.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. The discipline of writing down a plan is the best way to make sure you actually understand how to transform your idea into a business. Resource requirements not understood. How can you improve your odds?

Startup 100

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Resource 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Relentlessly resourceful. Being relentlessly resourceful is definitely not what you learn in big companies, or in most schools. There is no substitute for experience and mentoring. The quicker you get it, the sooner you can be the next Jim Clark and write your own check. The buck stops here. ” Marty Zwilling.

Startup 94

Startup Resource Social Network Mentor 94

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 10, 2012

During the weekend participants with a technical background write code for prototypes, designers create branding and user interfaces, business people model potential revenue sources and test marketing strategies, and everyone engages potential customers. Be honest, and direct about what resources and skills are needed for the weekend.

UCLA 87

UCLA Startup Ideas Mentor 87

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2012

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. The discipline of writing down a plan is the best way to make sure you actually understand how to transform your idea into a business. Resource requirements not understood. How can you improve your odds?

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Statistics 109

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

You join teams that got good write-ups on TechCrunch, have great VCs, have star CEO’s, whatever. Our founder, Yves Sisteron, was my mentor and board member at my first startup. Writing a book will be fun. The truth is you really don’t know how your teammates or your bosses will perform in good times and bad.

CTO Hire 320

CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach Venture Capital 320

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2010

As long as somebody recognizes their million dollar idea and writes them a check, the source really doesn't matter. They know you won't have the resources to fight them, so they count on you "caving.” The mentoring offer always sounds good up front. Many entrepreneurs believe all money is created equal. Superior angels.

Angel 97

Angel Writing Invest Startup 97

Alon Schwartz

APRIL 7, 2014

Trying to improve your leadership skills is like trying to write a song. I never had a legendary mentor (Yoda was too busy) or a teacher that changed my life. You don’t have to have a mentor just open your eyes, learn and be ready to change. It drives me crazy when leaders and managers refer to employees as “resources”.

Resource 82

Resource Mentor Ideas Writing 82

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 1, 2018

As a mentor to entrepreneurs and business owners, and seeing their workload and challenges, it would be easy for me to conclude that starting a business is a big hit to health and happiness. After all, most of us spend more hours in this role than any other, and life is too short to spend most of your life unhappy. Keep track of your wins.

Satisfaction 60

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2015

High-performing startups today are the ones that use every resource at their disposal. Board rules and governance policies should be articulated in writing and voted upon. Of course, if the board is set up or used incorrectly, the impact can indeed be more negative than positive. Failing to establish adequate structure.

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2010

Relentlessly resourceful. Being relentlessly resourceful is definitely not what you learn in big companies, or in most schools. There is no substitute for experience and mentoring. The quicker you get it, the sooner you can be the next Jim Clark and write your own check. The buck stops here. ” Marty Zwilling.

Startup 93

Startup Resource Mentor Writing 93