Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2015

The successful entrepreneurs I have met and worked with over the years all seem to share that passion for learning, and they see rapid market change not as a problem, but as an opportunity for them to move ahead of the crowd in changing the world. Successful entrepreneurs love to share, but they respond better to pull rather than push.

Startup 103

Startup Case Study Entrepreneur Class 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2016

That’s down from 69 in the first five months of 2015, and 115 over the same five-month period in 2014, according to Barrons. The total proceeds raised in Q2 2016 from IPOs diminished by three-quarters compared to Q2 2015. Concerns over valuations being reset to a new normal, and a soft exit market, are seen as key drivers.

Company 55

Company Companies Acquisition Entrepreneur 55

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2015

Applied research is still primarily scientific study, seeking to solve practical problems, but doesn’t yet focus on a commercial product. Product development at this stage is the process of scaling up for manufacturing and marketing rollout. Thus the best entrepreneur strategy for funding is to build solutions, not technology.

Develop 102

Develop Development Product Funding 102

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2015

As an angel investor, I hear many entrepreneurs making negative comments about competitors or asserting they don’t have any competitors. They don’t realize that knocking competitors is assessed as a weakness and denying that you have any competition suggests there is no market for your solution.

Capital 63

Capital Competition Case Study Patents 63

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

We caught up with Jim Armstrong to learn more about the new fund, areas of interest, his insights into what makes startups successful, and where he thinks the venture market is today. There's also a great network effect happening in the area of industry clouds, and network capitalism, which is not just marketing poof.

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2015

Businesses stopped hiring for lifetime commitments some time ago, as markets change so rapidly and companies need to tune their workforce for changing economic conditions. Simply defining yourself as a specialist or professional minimizes the stigma of a consultant role (think marketing specialist or staffing professional).

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Services Startup Software Review Social Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2016

As an advisor to entrepreneurs and a technologist, I’m happy to report that the tide may be turning, and we are experiencing a new era of opportunity for entrepreneurs, and a new appreciation of the power of the digital world. In his new book, “ Digital Context 2.0: Norton, Ph.D., Is your business ready to ride the wave?

Social Media 53

Social Media Tool Anthem Google 53

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2012

Marketers see it as a better way to target customers, but the current consumer offerings have been slow to deliver. But entrepreneurs need to look more broadly into the B2B space for more lucrative opportunities. Event marketing. Are you seeing a lot of your contacts attending certain business events? Thought leadership.

Services 82

Services Competition Mobile Entertainment 82

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2014

The world today is going increasingly digital, to such a degree that even quick serve and fast casual restaurant chains are eager to connect with consumers online, via smartphone, and even in their stores--so that they can better get to know you, market to you, and encourage you to visit. That was also the driver of the name change.

Mobile 127

Mobile Customer Custom Platform 127

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

Twilio has now raised around $235 million, including a July 2015 round totaling $130 million. We typically do not ask entrepreneurs to visit our offices in Santa Barbara, but Jeff wanted to meet with Kevin, an investor in our Fund who helped us vet opportunities and occasionally invested alongside of us.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Xconomy

AUGUST 12, 2016

Xconomy spoke with Jacks and CEO and longtime tech entrepreneur Bill Haney about the venture, a cancer immunotherapy startup that is relying on funding from family offices—among them the Disney family—rather than venture firms. And Pfizer’s is already on the market, and generated $514 million in the last quarter alone.

Google 40

Google Technical Review News Research 40

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 3, 2015

It’s been a fascinating sociology study starting with the first panel of all female executives I heard during a conference on the Santa Monica Pier all the way up until now. When Roxy approached them there was “authentic core-synergies in how each brand approached the market.” Novel concept.

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Conference Entertainment Startup Digital Hollywood 40