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

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2019

Kevin sold his last company, Santa Barbara-based Graphiq, in July of 2017 to Amazon, but has a long history of successful companies, including founding DoubleClick. I ended up doing that for eight years, when it was bought by Amazon for use in Alexa, which is really cool. Congrats on the new name for your venture capital firm.

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Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

Tech.Co

JANUARY 29, 2018

Whether you’re an athlete or early-stage startup founder, getting your big break is a dream for any rookie. One of the best places for startups to expand their playbook is to participate in CES 2018 Eureka Park. But getting noticed by the right people is the just the beginning when it comes to launching your business.

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Startup Mentor Artificial Inteligence Research 87

socalTECH

OCTOBER 26, 2016

This morning, Techstars (www.techstars.org), the startup accelerator which has had great success in spreading its approach to helping to get startups to the next stage of their life�usually, funding�announced it has opened up its third accelerator in Los Angeles, Techstars LA. The focus is on helping the startup.

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Startup Los Angeles Mentor Class 100

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 13, 2016

The idea was to feature early stage companies in the region that have not attracted much attention or raised a substantial amount of startup capital. I started with a list of companies already screened by the San Diego Venture Group’s annual venture summit, and consulted with investors and startup mentors to refine the list.

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SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 6, 2017

Tuesday, June 6, 2017 -- Steve Blank is THE person to learn from about Entrepreneurship. In his Lean LaunchPad Stanford class he makes you question: - What significant pain point is your startup addressing? Join us to learn and collaborate with mentors and peers in a small group. That’s why we created the Office Hours series.

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Course Class Mentor Startup 100

Frank Addante

OCTOBER 12, 2021

That’s what my wife said to me back in June after I had been “retired” since 2017. Well, after months of soul searching and talking to 100 people (one of my key rules before starting any business or product) — I figured it out! We build and invest in startups with impact. Those zoom meetings and calls got me fired up!

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Startup Case Study Ideas Invest 105

Tech.Co

APRIL 24, 2018

But if you’re a startup founder, you too have the chance to find your own moment in the spotlight. Over the past decade, startups that have been part of the Startup of the Year programs have made new partnerships, grown into household names, and collectively raised billions of dollars in funding. Startup of the Year!

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Startup Competition Google Capital 70

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 8, 2021

This is an incredibly rewarding milestone and an apt tribute to the vision of my late mentor, Norman Rostoker,” said TAE’s current chief executive officer, Michl Binderbauer, in a statement announcing the company’s achievement. The new machine was first fired up in the summer of 2017.

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Technology Artificial Inteligence Google Orange County 354

socalTECH

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Today, we have Cody Simms , Executive Director of Techstars (www.techstars.org), which has been very active this year in the startup accelerator and mentoring area. What do you think will have the biggest impact on the technology industry in 2017? You'll be able to see all the many 2016 reflections here as they are posted.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 23, 2017

As an advisor to startups, and a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m still surprised at the number who are determined to go it alone. In short, if you’re killing yourself with work, and following up on every detail, you may want to look closer at your team to ensure you’ve surrounded yourself with the right people.

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Help Startup Course Technical Review 66

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2017

Even the most diligent investors are often surprised by apparently solid business startups that fail, while others succeed, despite the odds. I found this perspective validated in a new book, “ Plan Commit Win: 90 Days to Creating a Fundable Startup ,” by serial entrepreneur and strategic consultant Patrick Henry.

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Technical Review Startup Mentor Study 60

Frank Addante

OCTOBER 12, 2021

That’s what my wife said to me back in June after I had been “retired” since 2017. Well, after months of soul searching and talking to 100 people (one of my key rules before starting any business or product) — I figured it out! We build and invest in startups with impact. Those zoom meetings and calls got me fired up!

Startup 52

Startup Case Study Ideas Invest 52

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2017

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, the most common question I get is, “I want to be an entrepreneur -- how do I start?” Based on my experience, creating the solution is usually the easy part of starting a successful business. Yet startup founders are often lonely, since no one else can make their decisions.

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Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas Writing 90

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

When I saw World Series Poker Champion Annie Duke speak in 2017, I was inspired to write an article describing some of her recruiting techniques. Don’t Confuse Luck With Skill – Most people who win with a weak poker hand attribute the outcome to skill, saying, “I knew that card would come up!” I was not disappointed.

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Help Startup Santa Barbara Study 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2017

The challenge is to retain the same sense of urgency, energy, commitment, and readiness in a mature company that you felt during the startup stage. The best leaders are mentors to their team, and they are stewards of a company’s assets and vision. Set-up for success and don’t set-up for failure.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Most people believe that the hard part is coming up with the idea, and the easy part is turning it into a business. I have no doubt that starting and growing a business is hard, at least as difficult as developing an innovative solution.

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Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2019

According to a recent poll , contractors and freelancers could make up half of the American workforce within a decade. Every entrepreneur and every startup needs to have a clear “elevator pitch,” which identifies a unique strength and value they bring to the table. Start today thinking at least one job ahead.

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Startup Outsource Development Competition Social Media 98

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Don’t believe that Silicon Valley myth that all you have to do is sketch your idea on the back of a napkin, and investors will line up to give you money. Based on my experience as an angel investor and a mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs, having no business plan is the quickest way to define yourself as just a dreamer, or at best a hobbyist.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2017

Leaders who are able to optimize these find multipliers of 20 percent up to nine times the average productivity. Like most investors in startups, I rank the credentials of the team well above the value of an idea in deciding where to put my money. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 03/09/2017. Only you can do that.

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Product Startup Guide Framework 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2017

For example, you probably never knew that both Facebook and YouTube started out as dating-site experiments, but pivoted to something more unique when that experiment failed due to an apparently over-crowded market. Establish mentoring and coaching relationships. It’s up to you to make it happen.

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Coach Mentor Organization Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2017

As a business advisor and investor in new startups, I see how difficult it is to make any process work, no matter how well designed, if the team is dysfunctional. Priority is placed on employee mentoring and coaching. Marty Zwilling First published on Huffington Post on 04/19/2017.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2017

He cites eight leadership actions, which I also recommend, from a non-scientific perspective, as a mentor to entrepreneurs. Start with these to build the great business culture you need to succeed today: Show appreciation for individual contributions. Regular communication, both written and oral, is the place to start.

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Develop Development Claremont Mentor 58

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2017

Whether you are focused on your professional career, or starting your own company, YOU are the first or only brand that anyone will see and remember. Start a blog and write for industry forums and newsletters. Stock up with interesting insights, and don’t be afraid to take a position on recent trends.

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Startup Organization Newsletter Content 55

Tech.Co

JULY 19, 2017

Alumni of the program, which is called WM Labs , will gain access to the media network’s resources, which include co-producers and focused media coverage, as well as the chance to win prizes of up to $15,000 through the Lab. Read more about how TechCo can help your startup get noticed by investors.

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Mentor Media Activity Competition 71

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2017

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 57

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2017

Hopefully, between the two of us, more of you with big business dreams will follow the leads and generate more successful business results: Start by getting your hands dirty. Never give up in the face of adversity. One of the biggest causes of startup failure is simply giving up too early. The time to get started is now.

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Startup Entrepreneur Social Media Coach 63

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2017

They point out that establishing good habits and getting rid of bad ones involves the same basic skills; goal setting and motivation, getting started, and staying on track. That’s where starting small comes in. Use the positive feedback from a satisfied customer to make sure you do the follow-up with every key customer.

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Writing Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur 84

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2017

In my role as a mentor to entrepreneurs and an angel investor, I find that too many are stuck in this myth that a good pitch, and good marketing content, should consist of more product features, and more hype on customer benefits. That’s why I recommend every solution pitch must start with a painful problem, not just “nice-to-have.”

Marketing 69

Marketing Startup Social Media Guide 69

LATechDigest

MAY 13, 2016

Up to seven companies will be selected for this year’s program, which launches right after Labor Day, and wraps in the middle of November. Each mentor spoke for nearly an hour to the entire group, answered questions, and sat with each company for one-on-one mentoring. SMASHD LABS First-Round Cohorts.

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Mentor Venture Capital Draper USC 75

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2017

In my years of mentoring and advising business leaders, I find that real planning for the future always gets the short shrift. I believe these factors are key to the future success of every new startup, as well as every mature company: Leadership must be values-based and people focused.

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Company Companies Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 55

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2017

In the same way, you may think that people assessment is all about skills and experience, but as a mentor to business owners, I have learned to look more for the right attitude, persistence, and determination, as success factors. Start looking for what is right in a person or business situation, instead of looking for what is wrong.

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Software Review Technical Review Startup Press 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2017

I advocate his nine deliberate steps for bringing balance between purpose and execution to every organization, including new startups and mature businesses: Define a pragmatic organizational purpose first. The only way to do this is to assume that change is necessary to keep up with the market and competitors, and make it part of the process.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2017

I was mentoring some graduate students at a local university recently, and I sensed again that profit seems to be a dirty word these days to many aspiring entrepreneurs. It’s naïve to think you can sell below costs, and make it up by attracting more customers. Facebook spent $150 million getting started.

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Pricing Customer Custom Advertising 66

Tech.Co

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

Here at TechCo, we’ve done plenty of lists rounding up the most impressive incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces in plenty of major cities and across a variety of sectors, from the best healthcare accelerators to a collection of the top women-only coworking spaces. The Land O’Lakes Dairy Accelerator. Brooklyn Foodworks.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2017

Parents, it’s never too early to start nurturing entrepreneurial talents in your kids! I was participating on a panel to assess about 20 two-minute startup pitches, and she thoroughly impressed everyone with her pitch and her story. Find corporate sponsors to reduce startup costs. Startup pivots are best made early and quickly.

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Coach Entrepreneur Ideas Class 80

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2017

In my many years of experience in business, and recent work as a mentor to entrepreneurs, I have seen the business world change, and can relate well to his five success practices paraphrased here: Build the team from people with a shared obsession. Marty Zwilling First published on Huffington Post on 02/12/2017.

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Netflix Social Media Startup Mentor 62