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Pay non-cash incentives to service providers?    

Berkonomics

Use stock options and warrants to pay for service only rarely. Earlier, I stated that stock options are the currency of early-stage business. This truth is obvious when a start-up has no cash. So, we will assume a business is perhaps well beyond start-up and growing, but that cash is tight, used for growth and for working capital as earned. There are times when services of others are available for stock instead of – or in addition to cash.

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Small Business Grants You Can Apply For in October 2024

Tech.Co

Free money might sound like it’s too good to be true – especially in 2024 when businesses are finding it harder than ever to access traditional financing. Yet, whether you’re looking to start a business or take an existing venture to the next level, there is actually a wealth of opportunities out there to help you reach your potential.

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Be approximately right rather than exactly wrong.

Berkonomics

John Tukey, coiner of the word ‘bit’ to describe a single switch of digital micro-data made this provocative statement. Tukey was a statistician; one you would expect to describe events in terms reeking with precision. Where’s the precision in that? Instead, Tukey of asking for precision as we’d expect, he implored us to think in terms of relevancy, cause and comparisons to known events.

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1,600+ Made Waves of Innovation for the 12th Annual San Diego Startup Week

Startup San Diego

Over 1,600+ attendees joined us throughout October 21st-25th for the 12th Annual San Diego Startup Week. This was a monumental event, “Making Waves of Innovation,” from Carlsbad all the way […] The post 1,600+ Made Waves of Innovation for the 12th Annual San Diego Startup Week appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

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LA Game Co SCOPELY Lands $35 Million

LATechDigest

Multi-player mobile games network just raised $35 million in Series A funding from a pool that includes Knoll Ventures, Sands Capital Ventures, The Chernin Group, Greycroft Partners, Highland Capital Partners, and Evolution Media Capital. More details at VentureBeat.

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Vorro, XeneX, Inc. Announce Healthcare Industry Enterprise Integration and CyberSecurity as a Service Partnership 

StartUp Beat

XeneX, Inc., a leader in Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS) for threat hunting, detection, and response, today announced a new Integration Platform as a Service (IPaaS) partnership for the Healthcare industry with Vorro. This partnership offers healthcare providers and their partners access to the enterprise integration, and cybersecurity managed services needed for business […] The post Vorro, XeneX, Inc.

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Oh, come on! Jockey or horse again?  

Berkonomics

This argument is getting trite for those of us who’ve been around for a few years. We’re always asked the question, and almost always have the same answer. Let me explain it to those newer to the game or curious about our attitudes. Early-stage investors have been arguing over this for years. Do they bet on the entrepreneur (jockey) or the business idea and plan (the horse)?

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Announcing Our Founders Fight Club Finalists!

Startup San Diego

After much deliberation with our all-star selection committee, we’re excited to announce the top 8 finalists for this year’s Founders Fight Club! These startups come from a range of industries, […] The post Announcing Our Founders Fight Club Finalists! appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Drumroll…Announcing the Lightweight Intercollegiate Pitch Competitors!

Startup San Diego

The selection committee has finalized the top 10 startups from our intercollegiate community to compete in the Lightweight Intercollegiate Pitch Competition! This tournament will take place at the Parma Payne […] The post Drumroll…Announcing the Lightweight Intercollegiate Pitch Competitors! appeared first on Startup San Diego.

San Diego 111
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Newest Strategic Partners at Startup San Diego – Q4 2024

Startup San Diego

Startup San Diego is excited to announce the latest strategic community partnerships established this past quarter. We welcome the Don Norman Design Awards, WomenHack, UC San Diego Institute for the […] The post Newest Strategic Partners at Startup San Diego – Q4 2024 appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Newest Partnerships for 2024 – TiE San Diego & The School of Young Entrepreneurs (SofYE)

Startup San Diego

Were wrapping up 2024 and were excited to announce the newest partnerships for Startup San Diego! Weve renewed our partnership with TiE San Diego and introduced The School of Young […] The post Newest Partnerships for 2024 – TiE San Diego & The School of Young Entrepreneurs (SofYE) appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Five Selected Startups to Participate in FirstWave Innovator HackNight

Startup San Diego

Congratulations to the five groundbreaking startups selected to take center stage at the Hack Your Heart Out – FirstWave Innovator HackNight presented by Neo4j happening February 19th from 3:30 PM […] The post Five Selected Startups to Participate in FirstWave Innovator HackNight appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Startup San Diego Tech Report Episode 5 – FirstWave Innovator HackNight & Startup Ecosystem Calendar 2025

Startup San Diego

In the first LinkedIn Tech Report show of 2025, Startup San Diego’s Vice Chair Cheryl Goodman, along with technology co-chair Ping Wang and Neo4j’s Developer Advocate Jason Koo, announced exciting […] The post Startup San Diego Tech Report Episode 5 – FirstWave Innovator HackNight & Startup Ecosystem Calendar 2025 appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Introducing our Technical Partners for the Upcoming FirstWave Innovator HackNight

Startup San Diego

Get ready to push the boundaries of innovation at the Hack Your Heart Out, FirstWave Innovator HackNight presented by Neo4j at Intuit on Wednesday, February 19th, from 3:30 PM – […] The post Introducing our Technical Partners for the Upcoming FirstWave Innovator HackNight appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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December 1st Mondays – Networking & Lightning Talks Recap

Startup San Diego

On Monday, December 2nd, Startup San Diego hosted its signature quarterly event, 1st Mondays – Networking & Lightning Talks at the Cooley LLP headquarters in Torrey Pines. This end-of-the-year celebration […] The post December 1st Mondays – Networking & Lightning Talks Recap appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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The New Wave of Tech – Photos & Recap

Startup San Diego

It’s a wrap! The 12th Annual San Diego Startup Week is officially over! Huge thank you to our day sponsor, Aleph One, who made this day possible! It was truly a […] The post The New Wave of Tech – Photos & Recap appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Connecting Currents – SDSW 2024 Day 4 Recap & Photos

Startup San Diego

Connections were made last night during the Downtown Startup Crawl! Startup Week hasn’t had a crawl for nearly five years, and it came back strong. Over 200+ SDSW attendees hopped […] The post Connecting Currents – SDSW 2024 Day 4 Recap & Photos appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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San Diego Startup Week 2024 – Day 3 Recap & Photos

Startup San Diego

Over 500+ came for our midweek “Rising Tides: The Ripple Effect of Grit” at the Parma Payne Goodall SDSU Alumni Center. We started the day with Expo booths, featuring local […] The post San Diego Startup Week 2024 – Day 3 Recap & Photos appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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San Diego Startup Week 2024 – Day 2 Recap & Photos

Startup San Diego

For the 3rd consecutive year, we brought San Diego Startup Week to Tijuana! We showcased the power of binational collaboration and welcomed over 100+ attendees from Tijuana and San Diego […] The post San Diego Startup Week 2024 – Day 2 Recap & Photos appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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San Diego Startup Week 2024 – Kick-Off Day Recap & Pictures

Startup San Diego

San Diego Startup Week has officially kicked off, and the first day in Carlsbad Village focused on “Making waves in the Creative Economy.” This opening day took place at Carlsbad […] The post San Diego Startup Week 2024 – Kick-Off Day Recap & Pictures appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Confirmed Lightning Talks Speakers for December 1st Mondays – Networking & Social Innovation

Startup San Diego

For the last 1st Mondays of the year, we’re doing something a little different. Introducing, lightning talks! The theme of the night will be Naughty Problems, Nice Ideas: Innovating for […] The post Confirmed Lightning Talks Speakers for December 1st Mondays – Networking & Social Innovation appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Newest Strategic Partners at Startup San Diego – Q4 2024

Startup San Diego

Startup San Diego is excited to announce the latest strategic community partnerships established this past quarter. We welcome the Don Norman Design Awards, WomenHack, UC San Diego Institute of the […] The post Newest Strategic Partners at Startup San Diego – Q4 2024 appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Connecting Currents – SDSW 2024 Day 4 Recap & Photos

Startup San Diego

Connections were made last night during the Downtown Startup Crawl! Startup Week hasn’t had a crawl for nearly five years, and it came back strong. Over 200+ SDSW attendees hopped […] The post Connecting Currents – SDSW 2024 Day 4 Recap & Photos appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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The Latest Exhibitors for San Diego Startup Week 2024

Startup San Diego

Now announcing the first round of exhibitors that will be part of this year’s San Diego Startup Week! Learn and connect from startups building right here in our city and […] The post The Latest Exhibitors for San Diego Startup Week 2024 appeared first on Startup San Diego.

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Oh, go ahead and ask for $5M for your startup.  

Berkonomics

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen executive summaries of business plans in which the entrepreneur seeks $5,000,000 to build the business. Four reasons you should reconsider. First, few startups can use that much money today with all the virtual services available and increasingly inexpensive methods of development, prototyping and marketing.

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The Berkus Method: Valuing an Early-Stage Investment

Berkonomics

How do you value pre-revenue companies? Last time we examined ten different ways to value companies already in revenue, usually beyond the early stage. Now we tackle the more difficult and subjective task of placing a value upon those startups that don’t fit into that mold. For those of us who’ve invested in early-stage companies, especially technology startups, we have confronted a universal problem.

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How to increase your valuation by reducing risk       

Berkonomics

Why reduce investor risk? In the creation of a young company, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. Professional investors will probe these five risk areas and make the decision to invest based upon comfort with each. So, it is important for the entrepreneur to identify, address and mitigate each of these in order to increase valuation and decrease the risk of ultimate loss of the business.

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How little information can you give to investors-lenders?  

Berkonomics

Every investor or lender wants regular information from companies taking their money. And most of us are frustrated by the lack of regular communication – unless the company needs more money. On the other side, entrepreneurs and CEOs usually have a natural fear of giving too much information to investors and bankers after the initial amounts have been received.

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What founders often get wrong!

Berkonomics

Thoughts from BERKONOMICS – Dave Berkus After 50 years in entrepreneurship and 200+ startup investments, here’s what most first-time founders get dangerously wrong: They obsess over the wrong metrics. The five most important metrics I’ve watched brilliant ideas fail because founders tracked vanity numbers while ignoring the real drivers of sustainable growth.

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Find great advisors for your team!

Berkonomics

Your valuable resources are often missed. Whether you find advisors from family, friends, faculty or fellow managers, great advisors can become an informal resource that rivals that of more formal resources, including board members. You will certainly know when youve found such a treasure, almost always through introduction by others and rarely because you have deliberately approached someone to fill a needed hole.

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Really do think outside the box.

Berkonomics

So, youre managing all that work, all those interruptions, all those texts and pesky emails. You get home or stop your reading at some reasonable hour, kind of tired, and need a recharge. Sound familiar? Well, thats probably because youve wasted a significant portion of your time on tasks others could have done effectively. So, where do you get those sparks of genius that could change your company and change the world?

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Don’t stray from your core competence!

Berkonomics

Consider your core. It is the one skill, process or advantage you have over your competition. Then think of all the things you do to surround that core with people and assets that complete your company and allow you to release your product or perform your service. Which of your IP assets are your core? Now consider how many of those surrounding assets and services are really necessary for you to perform in order to protect and grow your core.

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Does AI aid or challenge your core competency?

Berkonomics

Consider your core It is the one skill, process or advantage you have over your competition. Then think of all the things you do to surround that core with people and assets that complete the company and allow you to release your product or perform your service. Dont diminish the effectiveness of AI in your decision. Well discuss that next below. Now consider how many of those surrounding assets and services are necessary for you to perform to protect and grow your core.

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Know your four “P’s” to build business in a new year!    

Berkonomics

How do you manage a great business, as opposed to being a survivor? Well, here are the four areas you should focus upon every day. Now, some of us remember things better when given a catchy phrase or rhyme. So, heres one to help you with squeezing the most out of your own available resources. In this new reality in our business world, there is certainly little room for mistakes and no room for bloat within our companies.

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The last money has the first say.

Berkonomics

Be careful about investor rights This important variation on money talks is an important consideration for entrepreneurs when seeking an investment from professionals such as VCs. Something like a marriage (and often lasting just as long statistically), your investment partner can be a great cheerleader, coach and resource. But the moment things turn sour, including missed plans, some investors on company boards go into a predictable mode of dictating terms for emergency loans or additional inve

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A lesson: How NOT to define your competition!     

Berkonomics

We investors see this all the time. An entrepreneur pitches using a deck with no slide for competition. When asked (as we always do), the response is This is new. We have no competition. Niet! No! Unh unh. Professional investors laugh when they hear an entrepreneur come out with that one. That statement has killed more investment deals than almost any other.