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. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Equity investments are not loans, so there is no loan payback period or interest payments. Find a private equity firm or friendly individual.

Technical Review 105

Technical Review Equity Invest Startup 105

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. Here, we have the thoughts of Rob Freelen , Los Angeles Market Manager for Silicon Valley Bank (www.svb.com).

Southern California 133

Southern California SoCal Culver City Venture Capital 133

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

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. - On Entrepreneurship: What makes a great entrepreneur? [if On Entrepreneurship: What makes a great entrepreneur?

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

Yet as a business advisor I am convinced that making the jump from a startup to a the next unicorn takes a different mindset, and actions most entrepreneurs are reluctant to face. Of course, that means a mindset willing to give up much more equity, and taking on a whole new level of risk.

Startup 151

Startup Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2017

Until the recession a few years ago, market research indicated that as many as 90 percent of the roughly 20 million American small business owners were motivated more by lifestyle than growth and money. Being called a lifestyle entrepreneur should be a point of pride, not an insult. It seems that more people are focused on money today.

Entrepreneur 69

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Course 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. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Equity investments are not loans, so there is no loan payback period or interest payments. Find a private equity firm or friendly individual.

Entrepreneur 115

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 115

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Overcoming obstacles and learning is one of the biggest inspiration for most entrepreneurs. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Startup 118

Startup Satisfaction Customer Custom 118

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. Thus crowdfunding is clearly not the panacea for funding and success that many entrepreneurs envision.

Startup 151

Startup Equity Funding Demand 151

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. 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).

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2016

Despite a valiant effort, we only briefly succeeded in putting IBM in the personal computer business, but our efforts changed my view of entrepreneurs forever. For IBM, the Personal Computer was a paradigm shift from their big business legacy, built with new technologies for totally new markets, and battleships turn very slowly.

IBM 85

IBM IBM Entrepreneur Technical Review 85

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2015

The visibility of Google, Facebook and a few others continues to propagate the myth that the ultimate objective of every entrepreneur should be to take their startups public via an initial public offering at the earliest opportunity. Even with private equity and private acquisition transactions, control stays internal to the principals.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Report Statistics 98

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. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Equity investments are not loans, so there is no loan payback period or interest payments. Find a private equity firm or friendly individual.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Equity Statistics 150

InfoChachkie

JUNE 4, 2012

As an entrepreneur, I helped create companies which achieved two IPOs and two trade sales totaling $385 million. Perform China Syndrome Market Analysis. In order to reasonably assess the size of your addressable market, you must perform a bottoms-up analysis which is based on a number of elemental assumptions.

Entrepreneur 272

Entrepreneur Outsource Ideas Technical Review 272

socalTECH

JUNE 24, 2010

Los Angeles-based CapLinked , an online startup developing software to help link entrepreneurs with their investors, has raised $350,000 in an equity investment round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm today. Tags: caplinked paypal mafia venture capital investment startup entrepreneur. READ MORE>>.

Venture Capital 243

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Equity Invest 243

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2016

The last thing a new entrepreneur wants to think about for a new startup is how it will end. Yet one of the first things a potential equity investor asks about is your exit strategy. Equity investments are not loans, so there is no loan payback period or interest payments. Find a private equity firm or friendly individual.

Equity 55

Equity Startup Technical Review Statistics 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2022

Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. Today most startup investors still register with the SEC as “ accredited ” investors before they buy any startup equity in the U.S. Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust.

Startup 120

Startup Invest Equity Incubator 120

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 16, 2011

San Diego-based Resource Nation , an online business-to-business marketing provider, has acquired the brand name, domain, and assets of Business.com , the firm announced today. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed, however, the firm said that private equity firm JMI Equity has provided it funding in support of the transaction.

Resource 178

Resource Southern California Santa Monica Equity 178

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. A smart investor will take an independent final reading in the market on barriers to entry, active competition, demographics, and price sensitivity.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

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. Most companies have a roadmap describing what they’re planning to build, deliver or market. That causes friction internally.

Venture Capital 115

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Santa Barbara SaaS 115

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2020

Many experts are certain that successful entrepreneurs are the ones with the most inspiration (passion and dream), while others will assert that it’s about more perspiration (working harder). Overcoming obstacles and learning is one of the biggest inspiration for most entrepreneurs. Note the growth of your team and your own leadership.

Satisfaction 174

Satisfaction Customer Custom Outsource 174

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

SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Until the recent recession, market research indicated that as many as 90 percent of the roughly 20 million American small business owners were motivated more by lifestyle than growth and money. Being called a lifestyle entrepreneur should be a point of pride, not an insult. It seems that everyone wants to make a quick buck these days.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Course 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2010

Startups are usually so focused on selling more of their branded product or service to their own customer base (organic growth) that they don’t consider the more indirect methods (non-organic growth) of increasing revenue and market share. Even mergers and acquisitions (M&A) came early. Economies of scale. New management skills.

Acquisition 85

Acquisition Startup Organization Competition 85

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

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2015

Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. Today you still need to be registered with the SEC as an “ accredited ” investor to legally buy any startup equity in the U.S. Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Invest Incubator 102

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Technical Review Course Patents 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. 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).

Startup 148

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 148

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2012

Startups are usually so focused on selling more of their branded product or service to their own customer base (organic growth) that they don’t consider the more indirect methods (non-organic growth) of increasing revenue and market share. Even mergers and acquisitions (M&A) came early. Economies of scale. New management skills.

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Organization Startup Competition 99

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2017

We sat down with Jamie�who has been part of LA's technology industry, either as an investor or advisor since its very early days--to get his perspective on where we are today, especially as it relates to all of the companies he's worked with over the years on a more global stage and in Silicon Valley, and his advice to entrepreneurs.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Conference Silver Lake Cornerstone OnDemand 100

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2019

In an age of ever increasing marketing spend to attract customers, how do you make sure you aren't spending more acquiring a company than they are worth? Michael Greenberg: My co-founder, Emad Hasan, led the business marketing operations at Facebook. We spoke with Retina's CEO, Michael Greenberg , to learn more. What's next for you?

Dollar Shave Club 113

Dollar Shave Club Artificial Inteligence Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. A smart investor will take an independent final reading in the market on barriers to entry, active competition, demographics, and price sensitivity.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2019

Until the recession a few years ago, market research indicated that as many as 90 percent of the roughly 20 million American small business owners were motivated more by lifestyle than growth and money. Being called a lifestyle entrepreneur should be a point of pride, not an insult. It seems that more people are focused on money today.

Startup 77

Startup Equity Entrepreneur Course 77

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2019

Ian talked to us about the rewards and challenges of being an entrepreneur, plus how important it is to manage lifetime value (LTV) of a customer versus customer acquisition cost (CAC) in making a successful company. (We Ian Chen: In my previous life, I was working in private equity in LA. What is Discotech?

Startup 113

Startup Equity Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Many entrepreneurs still dream of “going public,” making billions of dollars, and playing with the big boys. They don’t realize that this option would likely be their worst nightmare, since it costs millions for the road show, usually dilutes your equity to a tiny fraction, and takes away all your entrepreneurial control.

Entrepreneur 95

Entrepreneur Startup Report Summary 95

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. On the top line, angel investors look to invest in entrepreneurs that have an almost unwavering passion and sense of urgency. If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Angel Technical Review Course 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2017

Very few people are experts in all facets of a new business, including finance, sales, marketing, and operations. Retain maximum equity by requesting minimal funding. The best strategy is to hire people who are smarter than you (in their domain), and allow you to learn from them, rather than the other way around.

Entrepreneur 72

Entrepreneur Competition Customer Custom 72

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2021

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs and occasional angel investor, I often see and hear innovative product pitches that sound exciting, but are missing one or more of the key business elements that investors deem critical for funding consideration. Identify your intellectual property or “secret sauce.” Outline your key activities to win.

Funding 132

Funding Template Resource Competition 132