socalTECH

JANUARY 5, 2021

What are you most looking forward to in the technology/startup world in 2021? For the tech/startup ecosystem in SoCal, I am looking forward to continued momentum in addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workforce and support for emerging entrepreneurs.

Southern California 202

Southern California SoCal Technical Review Startup 202

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs I know are just waiting for that unique idea to strike them that will kickstart their new venture, put them in control of their lifestyle, achieve financial independence, and maybe even change the world. Timing is critical for every startup. Of course, if you wait for the perfect time, you may never start.

Startup 159

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Equity 159

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

As an advisor to many startups today, I still see that most of you entrepreneurs see yourselves as the sole driver of your new solution, and the key driver of your new business. As your business grows from a startup to a sustainable business, you too have to grow from an entrepreneur to a business leader.

Startup 147

Startup Customer Custom Ideas 147

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 15, 2021

E-commerce is booming, but among the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs of online businesses are finding a place to store the items they are selling and dealing with the logistics of operating. There are no leases and tenants have the flexibility to scale up or down based on their needs.

Commerce 237

Commerce Help Startup Los Angeles 237

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. You need all these before you start looking for funding. The company name becomes your intellectual property at the moment you incorporate your startup as an LLC or a Corporation. Here are the key elements: Company name. Trademarks.

Startup 145

Startup Patents IP Social Media 145

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 10, 2020

In response to VCs’ sudden rush to invest in more Black founders , Black venture capitalists and entrepreneurs have penned a bunch of advice on the best way to tap into talent. Team up with Black firms already doing the work. The program is expanding to Chicago in 2021, the blog post notes. Among the strategies?

Equity 220

Equity Technical Review Venture Capital Blogging 220

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2021

As an entrepreneur mentor, my mission is to foster the attributes in you as a startup founder that I believe will lead to success. For example, I worked with an entrepreneur a while back who was clearly intelligent, had a great idea, and communicated well. Start today. The ability to make timely and fact-based decisions.

Entrepreneur 136

Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Mentor 136

SoCal Tech Calendar

MAY 5, 2021

Saturday, May 8, 2021 -- LAVA: First Time Entrepreneur Training Seminar. His practice revolves around startups, securities and mergers and acquisitions. Speaker: Matthew Crowley, Crowley Corporate Legal Strategy. Matthew Crowley is a former president and board member of LAVA.

LAVA 100

LAVA Training Entrepreneur Acquisition 100

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 8, 2019

Just weeks after Canoo took the wraps off of its electric vehicle , the Los Angeles-based startup and co-founder Stefan Krause has been accused of gender and marital discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The first cars are slated to appear on the road by 2021.

CTO Hire 198

CTO Hire Startup Los Angeles Design 198

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Constance Curtis , the Founder and CEO of The List (www.getthelistapp.com), thinks so, and tells us about her startup's efforts to bring the world of matchmaking to the modern worldand how her own frustration with online dating let to her startup. With matchmaking, you hire someone to do everything for you, setting you up for dates.

Startup 203

Startup Entrepreneur Southern California Netflix 203

SoCal Tech Calendar

JULY 27, 2021

Wednesday, July 28, 2021 -- Viterbi Startup Garage Oceanside Chat. Most startups come to early stage VCs and angels woefully unprepared for equity funding. What will successfully garner you non-dilutive financing is not the same as what makes a startup a venture fundable opportunity.

Startup 100

Startup USC Equity Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2021

In my experience as an angel investor for new startups, I’m always surprised by how many entrepreneurs are looking for funding without outside advisors. An experienced Board can give them credibility, as well as advice on the many pitfalls of starting a new company. Key board members multiply your networking efforts.

Startup 142

Startup Technical Review Equity Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

In my view, starting a new business has never been easier, and according to reports from the Kauffman Foundation , the numbers are here to show it. The rate of new entrepreneurs increased between 2013 and 2021, from 280 to 360 out of 100,000 of the adult population. Establishing your brand with interactive social media.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media News 104

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 3, 2022

On Lafayette Street in SoHo, young, fashionable women lined up around the block to enter a minimalist, millennial oasis, the most perfect Instagram feed brought to life. After all, Glossier’s founder and CEO Emily Weiss is very, very far from the first entrepreneur to profit off of our desire to look good. And who cares?

Startup 280

Startup Netflix Los Angeles Innocal 280

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 17, 2021

Wednesday, June 23, 2021 -- Viterbi Startup Garage: Oceanside Chat: Cleantech 2.0: What Every Entrepreneur Needs To Know. Who: Aaron Fyke (Founder and Managing Partner of Thin Line Capital). See [link] (more)

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Capital Invest 100

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2020

As an advisor to many entrepreneurs, I still hear frequently the irrational exuberance that crowdfunding is the quick alternative for startups that are passed over by overly demanding angels or venture capital investors. Startups need to build a large passionate group of fans before the campaign. Startup revenues come later.

Startup 151

Startup Equity Funding Demand 151

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Many of the startup investors I know are disappointed that so few of the startup ideas they see are really innovative or disruptive. That ability to “ see around the next corner ” seems to be limited to a very few entrepreneurs, such as Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Don’t give up on your dream after the first setback.

Startup 137

Startup Artificial Inteligence Ideas Entrepreneur 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2021

In the eyes of investors like me, to be an entrepreneur, it’s not enough to create an innovative solution – you need to convince me that you can build a profitable business. Great entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are always talking about their next venture to another planet, underground transportation, or electric vehicles.

Funding 152

Funding Startup Ideas Resource 152

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2020

In a year filled with challenging news, we were fortunate (across Archer Venture Capital and Liquid Stock) to have some high quality exits in our portfolio, but moreover to see how our amazing entrepreneurs successfully managed the disruption caused by COVID-19. What are you most looking forward to in the technology/startup world in 2021?

Venture Capital 124

Venture Capital Capital Technical Review Brentwood 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

Every entrepreneur and every business I meet in my consulting and mentoring role has great intentions of bringing real innovation to the market, yet I find that most ideas are merely small extensions to existing solutions. On the other end of the spectrum, entrepreneurs are quick to propose one more feature that they can do easily.

Startup 146

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Ideas 146

TechCrunch LA

MAY 19, 2020

The passage of the law has unlocked a wave of entrepreneurial energy as startups look to build things that can make money and solve a real problem for the state — and eventually — the nation. “ What was important to me was creating affordable housing,” said United Dwelling founder and chief executive Steven Dietz.

Los Angeles 191

Los Angeles Startup Culver City .Net 191

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2021

As a business adviser, I still see too many new venture founders who skimp on their marketing focus, or start too late. You really need to start marketing your solution before you even build it, to validate the need, and keep your focus on the features that customers really want and need.

Technical Advisors 154

Technical Advisors Tips Marketing Case Study 154

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of those demanding angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. Have you ever wondered what professional startup investors think about all this? Lack of checks and balances on startup valuations.

Equity 164

Equity Statistics Platform Demand 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2021

As a long-time advisor to new entrepreneurs here in the USA, I’ve long been impressed with the number that come here from other countries, and the positive traits that most of these seem to bring with them. People starting with nothing in this country expect to have to work harder and longer to get ahead.

Startup 146

Startup Resource Summary Entrepreneur 146

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2021

I often wonder whether you as the entrepreneur have worked as hard on your pricing strategy as you have on your innovative solution. This pricing strategy started primarily associated with buffet restaurants, but the concept has now been applied to many other businesses. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 04/28/2021.

Pricing 145

Pricing Startup Competition Examples 145

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough resources to bootstrap our own startups, so we are completely dependent on investors to help turn great ideas into great businesses. Investors love entrepreneurs who come across as constantly on the lookout for new ideas, and able to grasp the larger implications for market change.

Ideas 140

Ideas Entrepreneur Equity Resource 140

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

Based on my own years of experience in startups and big business, and more recently as an angel investor, I often cringe when I see one of you entrepreneurs missing a cue that I have seen work for many before you. I find that good entrepreneurs always find ways to keep their project moving forward, in good times and in bad.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2021

Over my years as an advisor to new businesses and startups, I have learned that the only certainty that I can offer entrepreneurs is the fact they will face many uncertainties. So my first advice is that if you can’t handle uncertainty, don’t even start down that road. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 05/27/2021.

Marketing 148

Marketing Coach Startup Product 148

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 12, 2022

In 2018, co-founders Schuyler Deerman and James Chan started selling healthy meals at WeWork offices around Los Angeles out of giant Yeti coolers, standing around the kitchens during lunch time. “At Nestlé acquires healthy meal startup Freshly for up to $1.5B. Positive Food Co.,

Invest 175

Invest Los Angeles Startup Funding 175

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2021

The recent pandemic was a strong signal for change, and I see most of you entrepreneurs and business owners responding to the business changes required and new opportunities presented. It may be time to start your own home delivery service, or subscription offering, or time to acquire a struggling competitor to scale your business.

Marketing 162

Marketing Social Media Metrics Custom 162

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2022

Most startups, and many big businesses, still don’t have a clue on how to use social media productively for marketing their business. The next thing that entrepreneurs need to realize is that the process and framework for making social media marketing work are different from traditional marketing, and trial and error certainly doesn’t work.

Social Media 135

Social Media Framework Media Metrics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2021

Investors often chalk this up to inbred charisma or charm, but I’ve often wondered if could be a learned skill. Entrepreneurs who think they can “wing-it” with investors through natural salesmanship are rarely successful. In the world of new entrepreneurs, giving your pitch twenty-one times before success is not unusual.

Entrepreneur 174

Entrepreneur Examples Google Funding 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Most of the entrepreneurs I meet as an investor and advisor have no shortage of right-brain thinking, showing vision and creativity, but often don’t realize that their potential is being limited by a balancing focus on results, metrics, and customer specifics. Keep up with the curve, but don’t get too far ahead.

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Satisfaction Metrics Startup 133

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Today, we have Brian Mac Mahon of startup accelerator ExpertDojo (www.expertdojo.com). I believe that most of our success came from startups resonating with our message to build big, fast. What are you most looking forward to in the technology/startup world in 2021? We'll be posting these throughout the next two weeks.

Southern California 113

Southern California Technical Review Santa Monica Invest 113

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2021

As a logical and data-driven business advisor, I have long focused on facts, technology, and quantifiable pain in guiding entrepreneurs. Other startups use technology to provide personalized products to all customers. Other studies have shown a return of up to 400 percent for this approach.

Custom 172

Custom Customer Social Media Technical Review 172

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2022

With the ITRC 2021 End-of-Year Data Breach Report revealing a 68 percent increase in stolen sensitive personal information, there is a growing population out there worried about all the people intent on hurting them. That challenge is a major business opportunity, as well as a risk, for startups. Don’t take shortcuts on these.

Custom 137

Custom Customer Technical Review Symantec 137

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2020

We made 7 investments in SoCal founders in our first year (out of 8 total), and even the 1 exception has deep SoCal ties and we hope to relocate her here in 2021. We know that California has seen some criticism for a variety of reasons, but we're believers that SoCal's next decade will be an incredible one for innovation and entrepreneurs.

Southern California 113

Southern California Technical Review SoCal High Tech 113