socalTECH

FEBRUARY 1, 2017

Los Angeles-based mobile video sharing and creation company Flipagram , let by Farhad Mohit, has beenacquired by Chinese company Toutiao , the companies said this morning. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. Toutiao said it will use the acquisition to help expand into the U.S.

Flipagram 100

Flipagram Company Companies Los Angeles 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2021

“Intrapreneurs” are entrepreneurs inside big companies, who do corporate spin-offs. A spin-off is merely a startup spawned by a mature parent (company), and conventional logic would dictate that it has a survival advantage over the lowly startup. Foreign companies in the US like to use spin-offs to find expansion opportunities.

Company 125

Company Companies Startup Examples 125

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

The road to becoming an entrepreneur is a journey , and it’s not a short trip. Every entrepreneur starts by accepting the reality that you have a rare mindset of joy of discovery, with an intense curiosity about how certain things or people work, or why a new technology hasn’t yet been accepted.

Entrepreneur 139

Entrepreneur Help Incubator Startup 139

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

One of the vivid memories I have from being a startup CEO is the feeling that most people in your company have a look in their eyes that like they can do your job as well as you. Most companies that are scaling have CFOs, heads of HR or talent. How hard could it be? You just assign out tasks to all of us. Startup life.

Entrepreneur 385

Entrepreneur CTO Hire Startup Sales 385

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2010

I said in the following video that I thought Twitter would by Seesmic , the company that makes one of the most popular Twitter clients. (If you’re interested you can watch my comments by fast forwarding to minute 31.25 But wait, aren’t you the guy who invested in Ad.ly, the in-stream advertising company?

Acquisition 287

Acquisition Develop Development Conference 287

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2016

Last week El Segundo-based Wpromote acquired fellow marketing agency Standing Dog, in a deal which brings the company to 260 employees, and continues to grow the company. Mike Mothner: The business today, is we are a digital agency focused on customer acquisition and growth for businesses of all types.

Acquisition 100

Acquisition Paid Search El Segundo SEO 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Don’t and you might make one catastrophic mistake that leaves you in the annals of Effed Companies. He is very hands-on and helpful – especially for any company looking into customer acquisition. o CPM model gave him control over the information in the acquisition cycle so he focused on that. -

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Custom Customer 304

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

Peter Adderton , the founder of Boost Mobile , the prepaid cell phone provider now owned by Sprint , is looking to buy back the company for up to $2 billion, according to reports.

Mobile 113

Mobile Southern California Company Companies 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

On the other hand, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. We can all aspire to grow companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple, which have the aura of fun, while still improving your lifestyle and offering the dream of untold riches. His focus is on entrepreneurs in America, but what he says applies to every other country as well.

Entrepreneur 87

Entrepreneur Offshore Technical Review Outsource 87

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2013

Every entrepreneur tries to maximize his startup growth by building and selling more product and services for the widest geographic area that he can support. Many entrepreneurs are paranoid about the partnership approach, and think that M&A is only an alternative for large companies who are flush with cash.

Acquisition 88

Acquisition CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 88

socalTECH

OCTOBER 17, 2016

(www.science-inc.com), the startup �studio� led by former MySpace CEO and technology veteran Mike Jones , just saw its third acquisition out of its portfolio this year�the acquisition of FameBit by Google/Youtube. What made these three companies successful acquisitions out of all your companies? Mike Jones: We are.

Dollar Shave Club 100

Dollar Shave Club Entrepreneur Startup Google 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. Running a mature company is totally different from running a startup. Listen carefully and act accordingly. Marty Zwilling

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

Every mature company I know is looking for more innovation from within. They are painfully aware that tenure on the list of S&P companies is shrinking – from thirty-three years back in 1964, down to twenty-four in 2016, and predicted to be just twelve by 2027. Intrapreneurs have to always think like entrepreneurs.

Company 93

Company Companies Software Review IBM 93

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

But what IS the right amount of burn for a company? Burn rate in case you don’t know is the amount of money a company is either spending (gross) or losing (net) per month. (it Conversely if you’re burning $600,000 per month (yes, some companies do) then you only have 5 months of cash left. Gross Burn vs. Net Burn.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2020

As near as I can tell these are smaller ones, who don’t sell clothes, but typically sell companies and securities in a particular set of industries. None normally work for or provide funds for early-stage startups. Many investment banks even call themselves “boutiques.” Very confusing.

Invest 144

Invest Entrepreneur Venture Capital Funding 144

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. What is perhaps different from other regions is that we have large indigenous aerospace industry and a big high-tech import/export trade as opposed to a lot of software companies. “There’s something going on in LA.”

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 13, 2017

coming up, the future’s so bright entrepreneurs might want to wear… Spectacles. Last year saw the city reap windfall exits from the acquisition of companies like Dollar Shave Club, and has a number of promising e-commerce companies… Read More.

Dollar Shave Club 80

Dollar Shave Club Los Angeles Company Companies 80

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 26, 2012

Hodes talks about how you might position your company for a sale, and some of the things you need to do as part of that process. In times of recession there is pent-up demand by entrepreneurs to sell their companies. What needs to be prepared to position a company for sale? Continued.). READ MORE>>.

Sales 124

Sales Company Companies Demand 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2021

Every entrepreneur tries to maximize his startup growth by building and selling more product and services for the widest geographic area that he can support. Many entrepreneurs are paranoid about the partnership approach, and think that M&A is only an alternative for large companies who are flush with cash.

Organization 132

Organization CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 132

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

When an entrepreneur first incorporates a business, they may find themselves the proud owner of 10 million shares of common stock, commonly called founder’s shares. Startup owners need to assume a three to five year wait for a liquidity event, such as acquisition or going public, before they can cash out. In the U.S.,

.Net 96

.Net Startup Entrepreneur Acquisition 96

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

In many instances, investors simply do not have the patience to wait for an entrepreneur to sufficiently clean up their deal once a significant issue is identified during the due diligence process. However, as a company's growth accelerates, the core team members are often handicapped by disparate locales. Frictionless Fundraising.

Technical Review 264

Technical Review Entrepreneur IP RSS 264

socalTECH

OCTOBER 2, 2012

We thought it might be interesting to talk with one of the fund's managing directors, Jeb Spencer about the fund's success in technology investments, plus how it managed to raise another fund in this kind of environment, plus its unique goal of getting companies to an acquisition--and not an IPO.

Acquisition 168

Acquisition Software Review Technical Review Equity 168

socalTECH

MAY 9, 2019

StoryBots , the kids' mobile app and content developer created by long time Southern California entrepreneurs Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, has been acquired by Netflix , Netflix announced on Thursday. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. READ MORE>>.

Netflix 133

Netflix Southern California Content Acquisition 133

socalTECH

OCTOBER 7, 2016

Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. Wolters Kluwer said the acquisition will help strengthen its existing portfolio of legal and compliance products and services.

Services 202

Services Los Angeles Acquisition Entrepreneur 202

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2019

Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust. Most entrepreneurs start asking for money from this tier, when they have very little more than an idea. Do your homework before investing.

Invest 89

Invest Entrepreneur Startup Equity 89

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2021

Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur. Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. Running a mature company is totally different from running a startup. Listen carefully and act accordingly. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2010

I wrote several of the characteristics when I did the Top 10 (11) Attributes of an Entrepreneur. How much do we bail out companies that were culpable of helping create our woes and what moral hazards does this create? Companies are the same. Bad leaders want to be loved too much and their companies (or countries) suffer.

Entrepreneur 330

Entrepreneur Yahoo Startup Technical Review 330

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 24, 2011

There has recently been a common theme among the entrepreneurs I have interviewed and the conferences I have attended: despite the relatively weak state of the world economy, now is a great time to create a high-tech startup. As Guy Kawasaki pointed out in our recent conversation , “…it is cheaper than ever to start a company.

Company 257

Company Companies Startup Study 257

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2023

Entrepreneurs seem to have blinders on when looking at competitors. If your customers would benefit by having products from both companies, you might negotiate the opportunity to include the other’s product as an add-on. Let market response dictate a later split, merger, or acquisition. Willing to learn from each other.

Startup 105

Startup Outsource Competition Entrepreneur 105

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2014

I’m convinced that’s why most mature companies are slowing down or buying their innovation through acquisition, rather than building it. True entrepreneurs, like backpackers, are ready to explore new terrain, more open to new possibilities, and don’t get stuck in yesterday’s practices. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction Ideas 107

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2016

For example, even though we were leading an entrepreneurial effort within IBM, we found it a challenge to deal with the inbred mainframe culture, reverence for process, and accounting practices of a large company. No consideration can be given to experience running a startup, breadth of skills, or even thinking like an entrepreneur.

IBM 85

IBM IBM Entrepreneur Technical Review 85

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 16, 2018

Without taking a dime of outside capital, the company has achieved impressive success in a competitive, SaaS market segment, landing companies such as Nike, Intuit, NASA, AutoDesk and PBS. What makes their story more remarkable, in the age of 20-something billionaires, is that both of the company’s founders are in their 50’s.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Yellow , the accelerator program launched by Snap in 2018, has selected ten companies to join its latest cohort. The list of new companies include: Brightly — an Oakland, Calif.-based based media company angling to be the conscious consumer’s answer to Refinery29. Hardworkers — a Cambridge, Mass.

Artificial Inteligence 331

Artificial Inteligence Social Network Los Angeles Snapchat 331

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 23, 2013

There are a lot of valuation companies out there, so I know many entrepreneurs are tempted to just shop around until they find the lowest price, but this is a mistake. All valuations are not created equally; there are better valuations, better processes, and better valuations business partners for your company.

Company 102

Company Companies Startup Acquisition 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2017

What they should be doing is hiring only “entrepreneurs,” meaning people who think and act as if this is their own business. This commitment to hire people who think like entrepreneurs, or instill an “owner’s mindset” in every employee, should be a high priority in every business. Employees will lose focus on their work.”

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Training Sales 69

socalTECH

MAY 4, 2021

Irvine-based e-commerce software developer Kajabi said this morning that it has raised a massive, $550M funding round, which values the company at over $2 billion. The company said the round was led by Tiger Global Management and included TPG, Tidemark, Owl Rock Capital and Meritech Capital, along with existing investor Spectrum Equity.

Commerce 113

Commerce Coach Course Equity 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. In my experience, finding real innovation in existing company environments is even tougher. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. Followers and linear thinkers need not apply. Ownership.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101