Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

This method was perfected by Gil Elbaz and his team at Applied Semantics in LA and in what some have called “ the most important acquisition ever made by Google ” they acquired the company for $102 million before Google had even IPO’d. He built & IPOd Demand Media. He led and sold MySpace to Fox for $650 million.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

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. That implies that a board of directors has no value to the founder, and is just another burden that to be assumed for the privilege of attracting outside investors or going public.

Startup 145

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high. Office politics are really about self-interest and self-esteem.

Training 142

Training Startup Coach Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Congratulations! Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

Startup 148

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 148

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 20, 2012

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even.

Startup 118

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Customer 118

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even.

Startup 114

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Customer 114

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2014

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Customer 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

Although his focus is naturally on bigger companies, I contend that his recommended strategies apply equally well to entrepreneurs and startups: Demand a mindset of deep thinking for the long term. You need to be constantly assessing mergers and acquisitions, as well as divestitures. Cote, former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high. Office politics are really about self-interest and self-esteem.

Training 123

Training Startup Coach Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Congratulations! Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2019

Image via Pixabay As a mentor to many small business owners, I always caution them that you can never relax completely, just because your initial solution or product set appears to be getting traction, and the market buzz is positive. With that first wave of customers comes a whole set of additional demands on your time and energy.

Metrics 86

Metrics Startup Training Customer 86

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2015

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. That implies that a board of directors has no value to the founder, and is just another burden that to be assumed for the privilege of attracting outside investors or going public.

Startup 103

Startup Entrepreneur Mentor Writing 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2015

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high. Office politics are really about self-interest and self-esteem.

Startup 103

Startup Training Coach Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2014

It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Congratulations! Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

Startup 93

Startup Funding Venture Capital Ideas 93

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2017

She speaks from years of experience mentoring and facilitating independent contractors and helping large companies, since well before the term “gig economy” was even coined. As a new business advisor and mentor myself, I enjoyed her recommendations on many of these issues. Charging by the hour only makes sense for commodity work.

Pricing 68

Pricing Entrepreneur Mentor News 68

socalTECH

MAY 14, 2015

I have been on the board of Tradesy with Jim Andelman, and have been friends with Mark Suster since he first moved to LA, and was a mentor at LaunchpadLA. MCNs are just the first wave of big acquisitions, I see lots of innovation there over the next five to 10 years, which is really cool. I'm excited to have them as my partners.

Startup 100

Startup Content Technical Review Product 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2017

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Don’t forget a viable financial model of costs, margins, customer acquisition, and break-even.

Startup 64

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Customer 64

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2013

Learning experience includes: on-demand online video tutorial courses, live video-conference workshops, as well as individual online consultations, live workshops, and group programs. Mike’s work in sales, marketing, distribution, and business development is essential to customer acquisition, growth, and scalability. How does it work?

Web 93

Web USC Course Guide 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2018

It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Congratulations! Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

Startup 73

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 73

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2016

It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” The new investors you need at this stage are investment bankers, private equity, or competitors, to buy you out via merger or acquisition (M&A), or to go public with an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Congratulations! Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

Startup 67

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 67

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. That implies that a board of directors has no value to the founder, and is just another burden that to be assumed for the privilege of attracting outside investors or going public.

Entrepreneur 58

Entrepreneur Startup Mentor Writing 58

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2018

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high. Office politics are really about self-interest and self-esteem.

Training 55

Training Startup Coach Entrepreneur 55

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2021

You can learn to be an entrepreneur by working in a startup, talking to peers, and mentoring. Starting a new business does put you in control, but you will face a harrowing new set of demands from partners, investors, suppliers, and customers. Every inventor is an entrepreneur by default.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Satisfaction 171