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. That's what allows you to win in the end.

Acquisition 168

Acquisition Software Review Technical Review Equity 168

TechCrunch LA

JULY 23, 2019

On Tuesday, Haptik announced it has acqui-hired Convrg, a Los Angeles-based startup that develops chatbots, to serve customers in North America. Many players including Coca Cola, Oyo, Samsung, Tata Group, and KFC use Haptik’s chatbots in their customer support services. 60% of all software is bought in the U.S.,

Los Angeles 209

Los Angeles Angel Startup Google 209

Berkonomics

AUGUST 1, 2013

But businesses that expose their story to tens of millions of potential customers through the Internet need additional tools. You will recognize the value of these for any business, even if they have not been in common use in the past. CHURN (% customer cancelling each month). CHURN (% customer cancelling each month).

Acquisition 189

Acquisition Statistics Sales Customer 189

Berkonomics

MAY 10, 2018

Long term debt is taken on for the acquisition of fixed assets such as equipment, cars, facilities and acquisitions of companies or their assets. Typically, companies may arrange to borrow between 70% and 80% of those non-government receivables that have not aged past 60 days from invoice, up to a maximum amount, or “credit line”.

Company 226

Company Companies Acquisition Class 226

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 31, 2012

Most then add customer service at the rollout, but very few really understand what it means to be truly customer centric, and even fewer really achieve it. Customer centricity is far more than providing excellent customer service, although that’s a step in the right direction. Focus on individual customer value.

Customer 90

Customer Custom Startup Pricing 90

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. Unattributed – There is no such thing as organic customers.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

Many entrepreneurs never get past their first-stage focus on their innovative product, to scaling the business globally, organizing a structure to handle thousands of employees, and concentrating their focus “on the business” rather than working “in the business.” Isolate marketing from sales for maximum customer focus.

Startup 151

Startup Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2021

For example, a few years ago, the company Beepi had a vision to build a new market for buying and selling used cars, but became overly focused on fundraising to grow fast, and ignored many customer complaints. Locked-in syndrome – do what worked in the past. While the idea was great, they failed on execution.

Metrics 133

Metrics Product Yahoo Examples 133

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 4, 2020

Under Hsieh’s leadership, Zappos revolutionized the apparel industry, and e-commerce in general, by being one of the first to prioritize customer satisfaction and service. To build trust in e-commerce with the greater public, his company came up with innovative ideas and fostered new customer behaviors.

Commerce 207

Commerce Statistics Customer Custom 207

socalTECH

MAY 2, 2012

FInancial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Getronics LATAM provides data center and consulting services, and other services to large enterprise customers. OpenGate said the acquisition is its third in the past six months, and is the third telecommunications business in its portfolio. READ MORE>>.

Capital 124

Capital Equity Acquisition Los Angeles 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. Research has confirmed that culture is a primary driver for financial performance, customer experience, and team productivity.

Technical Review 129

Technical Review Funding Organization Coach 129

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Past investors also included Y Combinator, where GrubMarket was part of the Winter 2015 cohort), and for some more context, GrubMarket last raised money in April 2019 , $28 million at a $228 million valuation, a source says. It has made some 15 acquisitions in the last two years, including Boston Organics and EJ Food Distributor this year.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

There are many leadership styles out there that may have worked well in the past, including authoritarian and paternalistic. There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run. Investments and acquisitions fail.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

There has been a lot of public debate over the past several weeks about whether it’s a good thing to be “gross margin positive” or not and commentary always reminds me that some people at startups don’t quite understand financial metrics or even how to think about which ones are healthy. Customer acquisition cost.

Metrics 150

Metrics Startup SaaS Course 150

Berkonomics

AUGUST 13, 2015

Dave’s note: John Huston is founder and past manager of the 300+ member Ohio TechAngel Funds and a past Chairman of both the Angel Capital Association and the Angel Resource Institute. . Ideally each target company has a history of consistently making acquisitions with deal terms you would accept. By John Huston.

Template 120

Template Activity Sales Resource 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2021

For example, if you have ever watched the Shark Tank show on TV, they always ask about the cost of customer acquisition. It still amazes me that some entrepreneurs seem totally at a loss on this question, or customer retention rate, or even margin expectations. Show that you have to ability to move the ball forward.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

Building direct customer relationships with viewers (who want to tune into your channels). Your goal at Walmart ought to be to build customer awareness and ultimately persuade a sub-segment of the Walmart shopper to come buy your candy bars at specialty shops or at your companies website directly, where you’ll make much better margin.

Networking 366

Networking Media Content Customer 366

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. There is nothing more pure than building a product, putting it out in the world and seeing paying customers using your product and in some cases loving it.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 286

Eric Greenspan

JULY 9, 2012

Thankfully, for every angry investor or customer, there is someone amazing who says something supportive and kind. But over the past 11 years, after a career at IBM and 15 Thinkpads later, even I switched from my Thinkpad to a Mac, from my Blackberry to an iPhone and soon enough, an iPad too. Someone called my company a scam today.

IBM 191

IBM IBM .Net Writing 191

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2012

We thought it would be insightful for our readerswho are usually looking to get acquired by other companieson what the thought process of those large companies making those acquisitions are. For a company like yours, what goes into your acquisition strategy and what thoughts went behind the Anue acquisition?

Acquisition 173

Acquisition IP Networking Marketing 173

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 13, 2016

Well, even though that acquisition is still playing itself out on the field of battle, it appears quite clear that the new parent has directed its new subsidiary to abandon the lower end of the market and focus upon the larger sales, corporate customers, and major brands. Been skewered for slow customer service?

Resource 120

Resource Competition Examples Customer 120

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

When a product is truly unique and demanded a retailer willingly promotes and sells it en masse in part because it does get margin on the good but also because it brings customers in the door who spend on other products. Ariel understood her customer?—?the So Why Does This Matter? the modern buyer of home products?—?better

Product 296

Product Course Customer Custom 296

Berkonomics

MARCH 21, 2011

Long term debt is taken on for the acquisition of fixed assets such as equipment, cars, facilities and acquisitions of companies or their assets. Typically, companies may arrange to borrow between 70% and 80% of those non-government receivables that have not aged past 60 days from invoice, up to a maximum amount, or “credit line”.

Acquisition 198

Acquisition Email Customer Custom 198

socalTECH

JANUARY 2, 2020

Every year, at the end of the year, we share some reflections on the past year from our readers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, sponsors, and others in the local technology community. With customer acquisition costs (CAC) rising significantly across most products, one company experimented with a few low-cost initiatives.

Capital 100

Capital SoCal Southern California SaaS 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. Research has confirmed that culture is a primary driver for financial performance, customer experience, and team productivity.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Organization Coach Invest 124

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 2, 2013

Mark framed his comments around the culture he built at Citrix, which has been augmented (and complicated) by the significant number of acquisitions the company executed during the past decade. one is an existing customer, they've got a problem. The other one is a new customer that wants to buy something from you.

RSS 221

RSS Startup Customer Custom 221

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2012

Last week, Pasadena-based Punchcard (www.punchcard.com) launched its mobile apps, which help local retailers provide rewards to loyal customers. It provides consumer rewards, and on the merchant side, it allows them to identify local customers and reacquire them by pushing them offers and incentives to come back. What is Punchcard?

Southern California 245

Southern California Idealab Startup Customer 245

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

There are many leadership styles out there that may have worked well in the past, including authoritarian and paternalistic. There is more and more evidence that a more human-centered or heart-centered leadership yields the best results with your team and with customers in the long run. Investments and acquisitions fail.

Training 123

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 123

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

RedBeacon went on to sell to HomeDepot in what was considered a very successful acquisition on all sides. But Ethan had left by the time of the acquisition. The goal is not only to help local service-based merchants find new business but also to help them be more efficient in booking existing customers which should help with loyalty.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Constance Curtis: I have been a successful entrepreneur for the past thirteen years. Another big thing that I've learned, which is really useful, is about acquiring customers. Have a business that generates revenues from the beginning, and know how you are going to acquire your customers. How did you start the company?

Startup 203

Startup Entrepreneur Southern California Netflix 203

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2014

We''ve spent the past year and a half working with two of seven board-certified, Neuropsychologists, to develop a strength assessment test, to develop a strength profile for each kid. Jon Kraft: We just launched our public beta, and essentially what we''re doing now is lots of testing of different customer acquisition channels.

Help 252

Help Idealab Activity Startup 252

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 29, 2009

He had pitched me in the past and I told him that for a variety of reasons his company was too early stage for me but that I would happily keep track of their progress. In another post I’ll talk about how PR has changed dramatically in the past 10 years or you can just read Brian Solis’s blog or buy his book on the subject.

Venture Capital 291

Venture Capital Press News Startup 291

socalTECH

AUGUST 2, 2011

I have lots of past experience in that area, as I owned a group of nightlife venues in Europe, and also have done some big nightlife venues here in Hollywood and Los Angeles. What we're doing with our reservation system, is we're able to drive customers at non-peak times, which is what venues, bars, and nightclubs need. READ MORE>>.

Startup 245

Startup Hollywood Sites Los Angeles 245

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2009

As shown at left, pour your money into a customer acquisition funnel, apply a bit of gentle stirring to generate a steady flow of mo money, mo money, mo money. The essence of the Pour and Stir model is represented by the following simple formula: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer.

Customer 153

Customer Custom Acquisition Entrepreneur 153

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2013

For the past 5 years or so Google, Facebook and a handful of tech industry giants have been quietly buying scores of early-stage startups for their talent. But the press (and I suspect many of the senior execs of these companies) don’t really explore the corrosive downside of these acquisition. has now employed the same strategy.

Press 357

Press Startup Yahoo Venture Capital 357

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2017

The biggest hurdle, initially, was getting suppliers past the �friend or foe� question. From a customer standpoint, though, it's pretty clear. So, from the customer side, it was much easier. You have to make sure your cost of acquisition, retention rates, and conversion metrics are all in place.

Startup 174

Startup Metrics Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Asking for early-stage money before you have customers and revenue will likely kill your credibility with real investors. Seed-stage, meanwhil e, is technically that critical period when you need funding to do solution- and business-model development, to prove that your new product or service works, before you try to sell it to customers.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104