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

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2022

On the other hand, everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. We can all aspire to grow companies like TikTok, 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.

Startup 126

Startup Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Offshore 126

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2022

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. Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Startup 134

Startup Training Sales Entrepreneur 134

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. Successful entrepreneurs today must practice human-centered leadership to compete and win. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2021

It’s good for professionals, who get more control, and good for companies, who need more flexible staffing. In my view, the gig economy is a key driver to the current boom in entrepreneurship – every professional and consultant is actually a solo entrepreneur. Charging by the hour only makes sense for commodity work.

Pricing 149

Pricing Mentor Entrepreneur News 149

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Custom Customer Entrepreneur 143

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

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2022

Every entrepreneur thinks he can relax a bit after his business model is proven, funding is in place, and revenues are scaling as projected up that hockey-stick curve. To sustain long-term growth, every company needs to build a repeatable process for innovation and finding new opportunities before their core business growth disappears.

Startup 106

Startup Pricing Cloud Computing Custom 106

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. Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Training Sales 69

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. Equity is stock, but private company stock has no market value until the company goes public or is sold or merged with another company. Most entrepreneurs like the startup role, but not the big-company role.

Entrepreneur 115

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 115

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Fallacy: Startup ventures tend to evolve, especially after you begin speaking with pesky customers and demanding partners. No one has heard of you, your company or your solutions. Grant Exclusivity.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2021

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.,

Startup 119

Startup Entrepreneur Acquisition Demand 119

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2018

With the pace of change ever escalating, entrepreneurs today can’t afford to acquire talent through traditional hiring alone, and need to revise the perception that “talent” is only full-time employees. Conventional hiring strategies usually follow a vanilla approach to talent acquisition. Build an on-demand team of strategic do-ers.

Demand 92

Demand Startup Training Outsource Development 92

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2022

New entrepreneurs are always looking for a shortcut in getting their venture story and plan across to investors, and closing on the funding they need. The canvas is a visual chart with elements describing your value proposition, structure, finances, and customers, to help companies identify and align business activities. Key partners.

Funding 133

Funding Activity Custom Customer 133

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 24, 2013

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. Entrepreneurs growing companies create more value and more jobs.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Offshore Startup Technical Review 105

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 21, 2019

Thorstein Veblen coined the phrase “conspicuous consumption” in 1899 when commenting on the human desire to publicly display wealth through the acquisition of consumer goods. A Veblen good does not adhere to the traditional laws of price and demand. Fashion companies usually ramp production, as demand increases.

Demand 160

Demand Pricing Product Equity 160

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2018

Editor's note: All this week, and into the start of next year, we'll be featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. Over the last four years, I watched numerous entrepreneurs raise equity. What was the biggest news for your company in 2018?

Southern California 133

Southern California SoCal Culver City Venture Capital 133

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. Equity is stock, but private company stock has no market value until the company goes public or is sold or merged with another company. Most entrepreneurs like the startup role, but not the big-company role.

Technical Review 105

Technical Review Equity Invest Startup 105

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 9, 2010

Alinsky incited his followers to demand something for nothing. Your opinion of entrepreneurs is likely rooted in your understanding (or lack thereof) of the source of wealth. Mr. Alinsky would demand that I cut slices from my pie and give them to people who did not make an effort to create a pie of their own.

Entrepreneur 190

Entrepreneur Los Angeles Demand Organization 190

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2013

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. Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Training Sales Technical Review 97

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. A passionate entrepreneur I met a while back had found that a certain algae could be grown cheaply, and could end world hunger.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 9, 2010

Alinsky incited his followers to demand something for nothing. Your opinion of entrepreneurs is likely rooted in your understanding (or lack thereof) of the source of wealth. Mr. Alinsky would demand that I cut slices from my pie and give them to people who did not make an effort to create a pie of their own.

Entrepreneur 173

Entrepreneur Class Los Angeles Organization 173

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2020

Every entrepreneur thinks he can relax a bit after his business model is proven, funding is in place, and revenues are scaling as projected up that hockey-stick curve. To sustain long-term growth, every company needs to build a repeatable process for innovation and finding new opportunities before their core business growth disappears.

Pricing 123

Pricing Cloud Computing Custom Customer 123

socalTECH

JUNE 13, 2019

In January, Los Angeles-based Pluto TV (www.pluto.tv) was acquired by Viacom for $340M, one of the largest acquisition deals so far in the region this year. I had always kind of been a computer nerd, and had been starting companies in high school. Ilya also founded Coplex, a startup development studio.

Startup 124

Startup Content Demand Netflix 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue). It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” This is the exit stage for the entrepreneur, and for all earlier investors.

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2021

Most entrepreneurs avoid setting up a board of directors for their new business unless or until they sign up an investor who demands a seat on the board. Board members in constant conflict can kill your company more quickly than any market forces. In my view, nothing could be further from the truth. Size does matter.

Startup 145

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. Successful entrepreneurs today must practice human-centered leadership to compete and win. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high.

Training 123

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. Equity is stock, but private company stock has no market value until the company goes public or is sold or merged with another company. Most entrepreneurs like the startup role, but not the big-company role.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Equity Statistics 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2022

In the old days, every entrepreneur planned on taking their startup public, and making it big. Smart entrepreneurs are now starting to look at this option again, as well as the challenges of running a public company. Public companies of any size must comply immediately with the full reporting requirements of the SEC.

Startup 98

Startup Report IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2016

Most entrepreneurs avoid setting up a board of directors for their new business unless or until they sign up an investor who demands a seat on the board. Board members in constant conflict can kill your company more quickly than any market forces. In my view, nothing could be further from the truth. Size does matter.

Entrepreneur 58

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Writing 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2021

Based on my experience advising new entrepreneurs as well as more mature businesses, I recommend the following strategies for building business momentum, while still optimizing the limited resources of every small business: Find more customers that like what you do best. The company has since gone public, and is still a market leader.

Technical Review 160

Technical Review Technical Advisors Startup Mentor 160

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

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. Again, you get what you demand and reward.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Training Sales 100

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. A similar experience occurred at a cloud computing company where I acted as an addVisor. The company was approached by a Big Dumb Company (BDC) who made a nominal acquisition offer within months of the company’s founding.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Acquisition Pricing 124

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 27, 2010

Entrepreneurs who experience promising initial success also play a similar game. A similar experience occurred at a cloud computing company where I acted as an addVisor. The company was approached by a Big Dumb Company (BDC) who made a nominal acquisition offer within months of the company’s founding.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Acquisition Pricing .Net 124

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

The company recently raised a round of funding from Santa Barbara-based ScOps Venture Capital. There's lots of noise in the on-demand tutoring space, especially connecting people virtually, however, in my experience, it's in the best interest of consumers to get in-person, local tutoring. What is HeyTutor? Here's the reason why.

Startup 113

Startup Venture Capital Beverly Hills Acquisition 113