Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Something happened in the past 7 years in the startup and venture capital world that I hadn’t experienced since the late 90’s — we all began praying to the God of Valuation. How might our next phase of the journey seem brighter, even with more uncertain days for startups and capital markets? There was no money train.

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Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2022

In fact, I believe the majority of true entrepreneurs are not interested in this new role, and jump ship quickly by hiring an experienced CEO or merging with another company, to start their next entrepreneurial effort. That means making sure the right people are hired, trained, and in the right place at the right time.

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Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 137

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2022

In my consulting work, when I ask team members in startups and small businesses how they know whether they are doing a good job, the typical response I get is “Nobody has yelled at me today,” or “No news is good news.” One mistake to avoid in all cases is to dress up praise as a comparison to others , such as “You were the best speaker today.”

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Startup Mentor News Coach 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2020

Almost every entrepreneur starts their journey by developing a solution, based on their idea of a new technology or required service. One answer is for the developer to find a partner, like Steve Jobs, who is a leader to build and run the business, and two heads in a startup are almost always better than one.

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Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Summary 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2021

The last thing they can afford is to waste any of these, but in my mentoring and coaching activities, I see it happening all too often. Waste in a startup is any activity that burns resources, but creates no value or competitive advantage in the eyes of customers. In the startup world, this is often seen as a lack of focus.

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Startup Resource Training Entrepreneur 161

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2019

Image via Flickr by World Economic Forum As a long-time mentor and advisor to new business owners, I can attest to both the need for mentoring, and the satisfaction that comes from watching an aspiring but tentative entrepreneur grow into someone capable of changing the world. Face-to-face mentoring generates more inspiration.

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Mentor Satisfaction Summary Entrepreneur 88

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2019

You have to be extra tough mentally to start a new business venture. He spent many years with the SEALs, but has since started and built six multimillion-dollar business ventures. To be an entrepreneur or a Navy SEAL, you must first have vision, focus, and the courage to step up to lead. Are you up to the challenge?

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Training Startup Entrepreneur Mentor 87

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. Friends tell you what you want to hear.

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Mentor Coach Startup Entrepreneur 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2020

One of the biggest impediments to starting a new venture is the “ terror barrier ,” as popularized by Bob Proctor, a 85-year-old millionaire and world renowned entrepreneur. If you want to be an entrepreneur and start a new business, you must be willing and able to break through your terror barrier. Work on one step at a time.

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Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Mentor 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2020

Entrepreneurs inherently understand that they have to be the initial leader of their startup, but often they don’t have the experience or the training to know where their leadership competencies lie, or how to build a leadership team. They are excellent mentors and coaches, but have a strong need to be admired and respected in return.

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Startup Entertainment Entrepreneur Coach 173

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2023

I recall a good summary of how to motivate and train a team to accomplish this in the classic book, “ The Business of Creativity: How to Build the Right Team for Success ,” by Keith Granet. The best startups give everyone business cards and encourage team members to talk about the business with anyone who should be interested.

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Startup Coach Mentor Social Media 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2017

As a long-time mentor and advisor to new business owners, I can attest to both the need for mentoring, and the satisfaction that comes from watching an aspiring but tentative entrepreneur grow into someone capable of changing the world. Building relationships, and finding ways for a win-win, is what mentoring is about.

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Mentor Entrepreneur Satisfaction Summary 73

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

As a mentor to startups, I see more startups that are really an individual professional, marketing themselves as a consultant or freelancer in this new gig economy. This world changes rapidly, and needs a professional with experience in digital and conventional media to keep up. Software Development Professional.

Startup 106

Startup Social Media Course Entrepreneur 106

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Great leaders learn to listen actively to conversations, so people don’t hold up progress just to be understood. Disruptive office politics start to show.

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Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

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

JUNE 5, 2023

In big businesses, people are quick to defer with “that’s not my department,” and even startup founders too often blame failures on the economy or the lack of investors. His advice starts with a request to stop blaming, and start asking, “What can I do to improve this situation?” The Question Behind The Question.”

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Startup Resource Training Tool 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2023

Almost every entrepreneur starts their journey by developing a solution, based on their idea of a new technology or required service. One answer is for the developer to find a partner, like Steve Jobs, who is a leader to build and run the business, and two heads in a startup are almost always better than one.

Develop 110

Develop Development Startup Entrepreneur 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

As an angel investor in early-stage startups, I’ve long noticed my peers apparent bias toward the strength and character of the founding entrepreneurs, often overriding a strong solution to a painful problem with a big opportunity. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors. That means all of us have a chance.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Invest 165

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. Friends tell you what you want to hear.

Mentor 95

Mentor Coach Startup Ideas 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2020

In fact, I believe the majority of true entrepreneurs are not interested in this new role, and jump ship quickly by hiring an experienced CEO or merging with another company, to start their next entrepreneurial effort. That means making sure the right people are hired, trained, and in the right place at the right time.

Startup 125

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 125

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Kara said “no” because she wanted to start her own company, which she did and I backed. In any job you either find leadership opportunities for your best people BEFORE they ask or other people start asking them to become leaders somewhere else. Leadership is about recognizing your next generation of talent and helping lift them up.

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Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Due to the pervasive Internet, the scope of most successful startup teams today has become global. According to recent reports , these come from all the way up and down the age and experience spectrum, including up to ninety percent of the current Baby Boomers, as well as Millennials.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

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.

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Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2022

I agree with those of you who tell me that you learn the most from your own mistakes, but that shouldn’t keep you from starting with some best practices , and the feedback from others who have been there and done that. Start business discussions only from a positive mindset. Hire the best, and provide necessary training and tools.

Startup 134

Startup Training Tool Demand 134

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2021

It can come from experience, or from training in a prior company, and it can even be self-taught from the Internet by smart entrepreneurs, just like they learned the skill of establishing a company, negotiating a contract, or filing a patent. : Inspire, Motivate, and Bring Out the Best in Your People.” Organize your work before you begin.

Startup 171

Startup Organization Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2023

Listen to your team, mentors, and customers to recognize real successes and failures, and surround yourself with people who can fill in the gaps. Practice, train, and rehearse giving 100 percent. In my experience as a startup investor, I have become convinced that the biggest reason for business failure is giving up too early.

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Mentor Startup Coach Satisfaction 104

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

In big businesses, people are quick to defer with “that’s not my department,” and even startup founders too often blame failures on the economy or the lack of investors. His advice starts with a request to stop blaming, and start asking, “What can I do to improve this situation?” The Question Behind The Question.”

Startup 96

Startup Resource Training Tool 96

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2022

In my role as a business mentor and advisor, I now always look for a culture and recommend team roles that nurture collaboration rather than contention, communities rather than silos , and transparent communication at all levels. Where do you see your fit in this leadership transformation ? Discourage internal team competition and silos.

Organization 105

Organization Mentor Startup Training 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2020

In big businesses, people are quick to defer with “that’s not my department,” and even startup founders too often blame failures on the economy or the lack of investors. His advice starts with a request to stop blaming, and start asking, “What can I do to improve this situation?” The Question Behind The Question.”

Startup 147

Startup Resource Training Tool 147

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

I recall a good summary of how to motivate and train a team to accomplish this in the classic book, “ The Business of Creativity: How to Build the Right Team for Success ,” by Keith Granet. The best startups give everyone business cards and encourage team members to talk about the business with anyone who should be interested.

Marketing 130

Marketing Develop Development Startup 130

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2022

With the cost of entry at an all-time low, and the odds of success equally low, more and more entrepreneurs are starting multiple companies concurrently. Other prolific entrepreneurs, like Richard Branson and Elon Musk , simply have several startups on the table at any given moment. Advisors and mentors are busy people.

Entrepreneur 145

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Course 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2021

By definition, all of you entrepreneurs are leaders, by taking the initiative to start a new company. Yet I have learned over the years as a startup advisor that all business leaders are not the same. You generally don’t fix things by throwing them away and starting over. The time to get started is now.

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Coach Startup Resource Competition 162

socalTECH

JUNE 1, 2017

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) has just received $5M to fund a new initiative, called Energize California , to help boost clean technology startups. READ MORE>>.

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Incubator Orange County Santa Barbara Ventura 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2021

They are quick to claim the credit for things in their domain that work, but also quick to disclaim responsibility for problems that keep popping up. He later closed more than 8,000 of his stores for a day to provide employee racial-bias training. Communication must be positive and consistent, both up and down the line.

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Training Examples Startup Social Media 173

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2022

One of the attributes that I often recommend to the business professionals and entrepreneurs I mentor is to always be totally accountable for your actions and ideas. In any business, accountability ideally starts at the top. Accountability requires that you manage your own efforts, as well as keep others up to speed.

Activity 109

Activity Organization Mentor Training 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2023

One of the biggest impediments to starting a new venture is the “ terror barrier ,” as popularized by Bob Proctor, a 85-year-old millionaire and world renowned entrepreneur. If you want to be an entrepreneur and start a new business, you must be willing and able to break through your terror barrier. Work on one step at a time.

Satisfaction 124

Satisfaction Startup Entrepreneur Mentor 124

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.

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Mentor Startup Training Resource 155