Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2010

The most important thing is a proven team, meaning one who has built a startup before, and has experience with the execution process in this domain. I’ve talked before about the best personality traits for a good entrepreneur, but I’ve never talked about the importance of process. Every process needs a system. Manage priorities.

Ideas 92

Ideas Training Guide Entrepreneur 92

socalTECH

OCTOBER 1, 2010

For today's profile, we decided to talk with Taher Scherzay , Founder of FavRav (www.FavRav.com), a Los Angeles-based firm which has created a Facebook application to help small businesses find customers through social media, and also allow consumers to better tap the referral network of their friends. How did you start the business?

Startup 193

Startup Newsletter Customer Custom 193

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2010

You bump into the person you’ve always wanted to chat with or your perfect business development partner who can “make” you. It’s hard to imagine that somebody pitching a content business business in LA really could have captured my attention – there are so many of them. Most are squandered. But I was hooked with his opener.

Startup 315

Startup Content Conference Media 315

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2008

The company has developed technology which uses deep space communications techniques to dramatically extend the range of passive RFID tags, used for things like supply chain automation, asset tracking, and warehouse operations. It's really a quantum leap in performance in range for tags. We spoke with Dr. Sadr about the firm.

Technical Review 113

Technical Review Innocal Technology Software Review 113

socalTECH

AUGUST 22, 2018

At our prior life at Edgecast and Verizon, we had ten badges on a loop on our belt, kind of like a bunch of dog tags to burden you. It allows you to have a smart office, which is completely automated. What was the thought process on selecting this as the opportunity you wanted to pursue? All of that is now gone.

Startup 100

Startup Customer Custom Mobile 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2010

The conventional wisdom is that “early adopters” are the ideal target for startups, to get business rolling. Features you designed for average users, like wizards for configuration, and simple buttons to eliminate complex processes, will get no feedback, or removal recommendations. Increased control and flexibility. Marty Zwilling.

Marketing 94

Marketing News Pricing Press 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2010

Every startup founder I know talks about the chaos of his business, which he usually attributes to that burst of growth that is required to get to positive cashflow. Sadly, this false perception often leads to the death of his business, or at least the end of his tenure as CEO. Change is the only constant in a successful business.

Startup 57

Startup Slides Entrepreneur IP 57

socalTECH

JUNE 8, 2009

We built a product that was really, really deep, meant for the business traveler, got rid of manual entry, allowed for cash transactions when you're out in the field, records receipt images from your Blackberry or iPhone type of camera. Let's build a product, which automates all these expense reports and exports to all those systems.

Web 2.0 100

Web 2.0 Startup SaaS Report 100

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

It's in the automated translation category of the industry. We've been two years in development, and are excited to provide a revolutionary platform for web sites, blogs, and social sites to create and grow their international business. Tags: idris manley nativetung interview startup entrepreneur demo demofall.

Startup 133

Startup Technical Review Social Network Content 133

socalTECH

JULY 23, 2009

It's somewhat unusual in this economy to find companies who are seeing strong growth, so we were intrigued recently in running into BlackLine Systems (www.blackline.com), a firm which develops software for helping in the financial reporting process. People don't have control over the Excel processes.

Startup 124

Startup Software Review CTO Hire Oracle 124

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 10, 2009

Unlike the current situation--where a sales person basically has to hunt and peck for inventory--it might take days for a response to a proposal--now, a sales person can answer four, five, or maybe six simple questions, they can hit a button, and it comes back with an automated proposal. Steve Pelletier: We try to bring up a couple of points.

Advertising 127

Advertising Startup Sales Tool 127

socalTECH

MAY 11, 2009

The idea behind LetSimonDecide is there is now one place where you can structure your analysis process. LetSimonDecide asks specific questions, and takes you through the analytics process, step-by-step. What's the business model behind the site? I wanted something automated, and something easy to use.

Research 100

Research Statistics Pepperdine Sites 100

socalTECH

MARCH 4, 2009

If you remember, the challenge was, if you were on dial-up, and the line was busy, there was no chance you could get through to that particular person. How much technology automation is involved here, or is there just lots of labor involved? In your business model, it looks like you're charging for the service.

Santa Barbara 100

Santa Barbara Startup Software Review Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2010

Operational products, like process automation or reservation systems, may be large but mundane, and more easily outsourced. Watch for evidence of inadequate staff and training, high turnover, poor or inadequate process, and lack of vendor project management. Tags: startup software outsource offshore business.

Outsource Development 51

Outsource Development Outsource Software Offshore 51

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 28, 2010

Marketing and lead automation software for businesses; claim to have largest market share in sector since March 2008. I almost ended up working with Emergence at my second company so I got to know Kevin well through this process. Tags: This Week in Venture Capital. Read more: PEHub. Happy to see him get this deal done.

Venture Capital 270

Venture Capital Capital Rustic Canyon Mobile 270

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2010

Equally often, I see startups who are on the road to implementing an idea, but haven’t figured out what problem it solves – the business plan waxes on eloquently for 20 pages about how great this product and technology is, but never gets around to defining the problem (investors call this the “solution looking for a problem” syndrome).

Startup 48

Startup Ideas Competition Demand 48

socalTECH

AUGUST 24, 2009

I and my business partner moved to Los Angeles, less than two years ago. They don't use it because it can help them close opportunities and to win business. My business partner and I kept thinking, what is missing to help solve this problem? I needed a change, and wanted to start a new company, and came to L.A.

Oracle 145

Oracle Sales Startup Screening 145

socalTECH

JULY 8, 2009

How much human input is needed in this process? It's very automated. I spent almost 20 years at Chiat/Day advertising, and ran major brands such as Apple, Nissan, and Disney, and did new business development. What's the business model behind the service? Do you run your own panels for the rating process?

Advertising 100

Advertising Palomar Startup Customer 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2010

The rebound may be here, but business will never be the same. Here are the key attributes of agility to optimize in your business: Bureaucracy eliminated. An agile business listens to customers and proactively embraces change, rather than waiting for the pain of competitors’ arrows. Proactive pursuit of new markets.

Startup 48

Startup Outsource Ideas Organization 48