Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Re-live that moment of inspiration that resulted in an innovative design and implementation for your product, and is now providing you with a sustainable competitive advantage. This may also be the moment when you get your first big acquisition offer, rather than a clone appearing.

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Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

Los Angeles-based MySpace has been among the most visible of Southern California's Internet era success stories, although the site--now owned by News Corporation--has had its own share of ups-and-downs, as well as questions about its future. Here are four startups of them, and what they're doing: Demand Media. www.demandmedia.com).

Startup 178

Startup Tech Coast Angels Demand News 178

socalTECH

APRIL 13, 2021

Los Angeles-based Material, a marketing services company that focuses on B2C and B2B brands, said this morning that it has acquired Aruliden, a global design agency also focused on brands. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced.

Design 113

Design Google Acquisition Los Angeles 113

socalTECH

MARCH 26, 2018

According to the report, Snap acquired PlayCanvas, a developer of 3D game design software, last May. No details on the acquisition have been announced by either of the companies. Venice, California-based Snap , the parent firm of Snapchat , has quietly acquired a 3D gaming engine developer based in the UK, according to a report.

Snapchat 138

Snapchat Venice Startup Report 138

Tech.Co

MAY 9, 2024

There are thousands of grants up for grabs through government website portals, but since this type of financing is designed to support the public, their eligibility criteria tend to be quite specific. The contracts are designated for specific industries where female-owned businesses are underrepresented.

Outsource Development 207

Outsource Development Technical Review Research Writing 207

SoCal CTO

MARCH 1, 2010

Here are some recent great posts that I’ve come across that generally fall in the intersection of startups and CTOs. Of course, one of the best ideas around this is to have Negative Customer Acquisition Costs. Of course, one of the best ideas around this is to have Negative Customer Acquisition Costs. Great stuff.

Pricing 150

Pricing Acquisition Customer Custom 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

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. In reality, crowdfunding has become a major startup funding vehicle, expected to reach $3.62

Startup 100

Startup Equity Entrepreneur Demand 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 16, 2020

Los Angeles-based electric vehicle designer Fisker Inc. According to Fisker, it expects Magna to manufacture the Ocean SUV at its European vehicle assembly facility, starting in Q4 of 2022. The deal values Fisker Automotive at approximately $3 billion.

Startup 100

Startup Los Angeles Design Platform 100

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 17, 2009

He’s done several startups and is a board member of the Technology Council of Southern California (which is where I met him originally). A typical day starts with email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Yammer checks/updates. What's keeping you up at night? I recently posted about SEO for Startups. Great stuff!

Acquisition 170

Acquisition Customer Custom Ideas 170

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 27, 2020

Los Angeles was always more than a one-industry town, even when it comes to technology startups, as media and entertainment (and social networking) were always the big draws in Tinseltown. Together with Signal Sciences, we will give developers modern security tools designed for the way they work.”.

Culver City 249

Culver City SaaS Los Angeles Social Network 249

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

The new batch of startups coming from across the U.S. Wabisabi Design, Inc. — hailing from Mexico City, this startup makes mini games in augmented reality for brands and advertisers. Yellow , the accelerator program launched by Snap in 2018, has selected ten companies to join its latest cohort.

Artificial Inteligence 331

Artificial Inteligence Social Network Los Angeles Snapchat 331

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

socalTECH

JANUARY 31, 2011

AutoESL Design Technologies , a developer of software tools used for high level synthesis of electronic circuit designs, and a spinout of UCLA, was acquired this morning by Xilinx. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

UCLA 157

UCLA Design Startup Acquisition 157

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

I find it amusing when a journalist writes an article about a prominent startup (either privately held or preparing for an IPO) and decries that, “They’re not even profitable!” Exec Summary: Most companies (98+%) in the world (even tech startups) should be very profit focused. What makes up revenue?

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2020

In my experience with entrepreneurs, there seems to a wealth of self-proclaimed “idea people” who aspire to start businesses, but only a few who are willing and able to dig in and get the job done. Finding a co-founder is rarely a bad thing, since two heads are always better than one in meeting all the startup challenges.

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Ideas Entrepreneur Startup IBM 122

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. Ilya also founded Coplex, a startup development studio. What's your story and how did you end up founding Pluto TV? I grew up in Maryland.

Startup 124

Startup Content Demand Netflix 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2015

In my experience with entrepreneurs, there seems to a wealth of self-proclaimed “idea people” who aspire to start businesses, but only a few who are willing and able to dig in and get the job done. Finding a co-founder is rarely a bad thing, since two heads are always better than one in meeting all the startup challenges.

Ideas 115

Ideas Startup IBM IBM 115

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

While free money may sound too good to be true, there are hundreds of grants available to small businesses in 2024 designed to make financing more accessible to business owners. FedEx Small Business Grant For: Small businesses Amount: Up to $50,000 Grantor: FedEx FedEx's Small Business Grant is a grant contest run by delivery company FedEx.

Technical Review 193

Technical Review Software Review Startup Competition 193

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 18, 2015

If I had one wish for all startup employees it would be that you watch this film. I watched with headphones on with my wife in the room and I cackled so loudly and so often I think she wondered what I was up to. A few take aways for me that parallel startups. So he started with market schtick. I laughed. I got verklempt.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Course Social Media 150

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

Bose , the privately held maker of headphones, loudspeakers, and other electronics for audiophiles, has acquired Hush, a San Diego startup founded by three undergraduate engineering students to develop “smart” noise-masking earbuds designed to help users sleep. Lee did not reveal.

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San Diego Develop Development Newsletter 72

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

Fred Wilson also wrote on a similar topic in his usual more succinct manner , with a great quote being: “One thing I know for sure is that those who advise and invest in startups cannot and should not meddle in the day to day decision making. It’s harmful and hurtful to the startup and those that lead it. Startup Lessons'

Startup 150

Startup Sales CTO Coach Course 150

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

Can getting a car be as easy as opening up an app, scanning your driver's license, and inputting your credit card? Fair (www.fair.com), the latest startup by serial entrepreneur Scott Painter , does just that, letting users shop for a car, get approved, and pay for a car through a month-to-month payment--with no long term committment.

Startup 124

Startup Truecar Pricing Entrepreneur 124

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. But today I want to give you advice on how to decrease your odds of failure in a startup.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

Los Angeles-based startup The Sugar Lab , which was developing technology to print edible, 3D designs with sugar, has been acquired by 3D Systems. Financial terms of the acquisition wer enot disclosed. The Sugar Lab has been using 3D Systems'' products to print edible, food-safe 3D designs. READ MORE>>.

Silver Lake 159

Silver Lake Acquisition Design Los Angeles 159

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

After operating in stealth mode for about two years, First Resonance , a company founded by former SpaceX engineers, is finally showing the world their software toolkit designed to let manufacturers make things using the processes employed by their former boss.

SpaceX 248

SpaceX Tool Los Angeles Design 248

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

we spoke with co-founder Chuka Ikokwu to learn more about the startup and how it's helping companies to recruit more diverse workers. Companies can get on the platform and set up a company profile, and post jobs, and source candidates for those jobs. How long have you been offering up this service? Describe what Divercity.io

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Startup Platform Resource 140

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

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Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

Thus I offer the following outline for how to organize and present your business plan, with specific examples: Start with outlining the customer problem, and your solution. The most common business entity used for startups is a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), which is the cheapest and simplest to manage.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

TechCrunch is heading to UCLA on October 18 and we’ve assembled some of the AR/VR industry’s most prescient founders, investors and executives to chat about the startups and trends driving virtual and augmented reality in 2018. If anything, the OculusVR acquisition in 2014 signaled that Facebook saw VR as a social final frontier.

UCLA 185

UCLA Startup Snapchat Los Angeles 185

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 10, 2010

Intellectual Property (IP) is an ugly thing at a startup. However, to a Big Dumb Company (BDC), a startup’s IP is a thing of beauty. How can IP be worthless to a startup yet very worthwhile to a BDC? Patents held by startups generally have a limited ability to reduce competition. Three years is a lifetime at a startup.

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IP Patents Company Companies 256

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 15, 2014

Google’s acquisition of Nest gives the the co-founders an early exit and resources to up their hardware game. Nest is not Google’s first hardware acquisition. “We will continue to reimagine and reinvent the unloved products that proliferate in our homes, just as we have since we started.

Google 86

Google Acquisition Resource Social Media 86

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

Today's interview is with Jo Webber , the CEO and founder of Pod.io , a startup which has developed an app to help people connect with others over shared interests. What's your background and how did you start the company? That's proving very useful for our design. What is Pod.io? We're using Google Maps for our GPS component.

Mentor 157

Mentor Southern California Startup Networking 157

SoCal Delicious

JANUARY 9, 2014

No clear vision or purpose This should be the starting point for any startup founder, but it’s often overlooked. The money will end up following you.” Tony Hsieh Without a clear purpose, a startup can meander along without much momentum. Chase the vision not the money. By focusing on the ‘why?’

Startup 78

Startup Design Customer Custom 78

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Sekur.me , a new Santa Ana-based startup, has come up with a new app and service to use your cell phone for payment, bypassing the complexity of shopping carts. Where are you in terms of launch, and what inspired you to start up the company? We started because of abandoned shopping carts. READ MORE>>.

Startup 214

Startup Symantec Commerce Software 214

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2014

Kraft, who co-founded Thrively with fellow startup veteran Girish Venkat, sat down to talk to us about Thrively, as it emerges out of beta. However, the pull of this new idea became too strong, so we set out to start the company. There are only a hand full of activities every kid does, and it just fills up their schedule.

Help 252

Help Idealab Activity Startup 252

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 9, 2014

As our first time covering a 500 Startups demo day , we could only imagine the stratospheric levels of stress our Batch 8 founders must have gone through to get on stage and present their progress from their last four months of startup bootcamp. In true 500 Startups fashion, Demo Day had an almost cathartic feel.

Startup 111

Startup Mobile Commerce Education 111

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Over 500 startups applied last quarter to Launchpad LA’s accelerator, but only eight were chosen. Meet the Graduates: · Connectifier, which connects recruiters to potential job candidates, consists of 4 ex-Google employees and local angel investor, Terrence Yang, has dubbed Connectifier one of the best startups of 2012.

GRP Partners 96

GRP Partners Startup Tech Coast Angels Bertelsmann 96