Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. It’s common cocktail party chatter to hear people confidently pronounce that some well known startup is sure to blow up because, “How could they succeed when they’re not even profitable!”

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. Given how efficient markets are when a large market like LA starts to blossom it attracts capital pretty quickly. LA By The Numbers. But even this is changing.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

Lower costs to start a business (95% reduction), many more companies created & funded by angels / seed. But it still takes VC to scale a business (thus large capital into industry winners like Uber, Airbnb, SnapChat, etc). Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.”

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. The start of marketing is figuring out a market need and a way to solve that need better than anybody else.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

Should Jeff Bezos be required to address every written complaint that shows up in Seattle or Satya Nadella at Microsoft? I know it may feel this way since I’m writing this tongue in cheek. I try to speak at universities, high schools, startup accelerators?—?as He has a startup you’re going to love. You two should meet.”

Email 250

Email Writing Conference Mobile 250

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2013

I work with a lot of startups. I start to notice when bad behavior creeps into the system as a whole. The minute you try to monetize now they have metrics with which to beat you up and say you’re business has limitations.” ” Case in point: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, SnapChat. Should I write off my $2.5

Venture Capital 412

Venture Capital Startup Funding Snapchat 412

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

Today Upfront Ventures is announcing that we’ve backed Rebecca Kantar ’s startup Imbellus , a company designed to assess human potential and ultimately change the way we teach children. How does one come up with the right idea to start a company? We led a $4 million investment along with Thrive Capital, GLG and Sound Ventures.

Design 150

Design Ideas Startup Writing 150

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 14, 2017

And while this has been the standard for years, one startup is hoping to personalize the birthday wishes even more. Initially Hagger wasn’t sure this concept would take off, but then Doppels started experiencing early success and ended up catching the eye of the 17-25 year-old demographic. During some early pop up events in L.A.,

Startup 128

Startup Venice Social Network Tool 128

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

We are going to write checks of between $100,000 and $500,000, and we are going to invest in what we are calling first institutional capital. You've been an angel investor here for awhile, why did you decide to open up a fund this time to external LPs? We'll also do some light ad-tech. Derek Norton: There were two specific things.

Invest 145

Invest Funding Capital Startup 145

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. In the end it will be up to you to figure out what to do. Nothing blows up great opportunities faster than founders who are constantly fighting. Politics are a part of human nature and thus a part of all startups.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2015

I must admit I discuss this very frequently with portfolio companies but hadn’t thought to write about it. Although the carriers made a lot of money initially by selling dial-up Internet services, customers never took their software because, well, it sucked. PR Malloy (@diddly_do_indy) June 13, 2015.

Outsource Development 150

Outsource Development Startup Customer Custom 150

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 5, 2013

We live in a generation of startups,” Marks began. He described why the time is so ripe for innovation and why this was a great time to build startups. Marks continued to talk about his past and then talked about the startup landscape in Los Angeles. I built up credibility.”. The Time Is Now. “We

Startup 107

Startup Los Angeles USC Southern California 107

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2018

San Diego-based Wildfire Systems , led by startup veteran Jordan Glazier , has developed software which product referrals and automatically transform them into trackable links across email, text messaging, chat, and social messaging. How was it you ended up in San Diego? Wildlink is backed by Mucker Capital.

San Diego 159

San Diego Social Media Commerce Snapchat 159

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Most are sitting on large portfolios of private companies that are raising money now or will need to do so in the future and they know that they’re up against some headwinds. The Motive for Speaking Up. ” “Mark has a vested interest in talking down valuations of startups.” So prices start dropping.

Startup 150

Startup Company Companies Venture Capital 150

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 17, 2016

As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but think how excited I am about our future. And I’ll tell you why, starting with where you started and why you succeeded. Users could set up their phone to tweet from it; send an SMS txt and the tweet would appear on your profile. Users on the platform started to tune out.

Platform 40

Platform Startup News Content 40

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Why ADD Might Actually Benefit Startup Entrepreneurs. From the stresses of being a startup founder I began to have pain in my chest that I became worried was heart trouble. My brain ends up on the roof, bouncing around and my concentration goes from 100 to 0. I’ve written about Attention Deficit Disorder a couple of times.

Tips 150

Tips Startup Help Mobile 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 11, 2016

As the human ear ages it loses its ability to hear high-pitched sound frequencies (above 15-16 kHz) through a condition known as presbycusis that starts at 18 years old. Thus begins Snapchat and why you don’t get it. Snapchat will be used for both like the Internet (and TV) are. That’s the point. So get over it.

Snapchat 150

Snapchat Screening Venture Capital Guide 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2021

How I Shifted from Just Counting Calories to Supercharging My Fitness Workouts This is part of a weight loss and fitness improvement series that I’m writing to share how I went from 222 pounds and unable to bike more than 20 minutes on a Peloton to 153 pounds and running 8–12 miles / day in just 18 months. Not this time.

Startup 302

Startup Screening Competition Training 302

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

In more than a decade of writing about the Internet and tech-enabled businesses I’ve learned that mobs don’t do nuance well. Our social graphs are locked in Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. The reality is that cryptocurrencies can be both and can be liberating and corrupting at the same time. It’s certainly food for thought.

Course 280

Course Startup Framework Marketing 280

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 17, 2017

Starting back in 2015 and throughout much of 2016 people started commenting that my blog had become a lot more political. My blog has always been a mixture of what was on my mind and a blend of venture, startup life, tech views and current society events that related to my interests: Venture, startup & tech.

Startup 197

Startup Blogging Technical Review Writing 197

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2016

As of this morning Clinton still holds a lead in the popular vote but even that as I write is only by 0.2% Sensible people need to fight back and hold ground and offer competing solutions and hold the media accountable and start preparing for mid-term elections. We wake up and we march on. And yet he won. This is MY blog.

Blogging 267

Blogging Course Venture Capital Media 267