Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2022

Over my many years as a business advisor and angel investor, I have become a firm believer in the opposite position, that you make your own luck , which drives business success, rather than the other way around. In my view, too many businesses fail, simply because founders give up too early.

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Startup Competition Coach Satisfaction 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

Based on my own career as a business owner and angel investor, in this age of change, I still see key successes and growth from the same team member work qualities. For example, it has long been widely accepted that one of the primary causes for entrepreneur failure in new startups is that many give up too soon.

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Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

In your opinion, are your angels more or less active this year? So do you think the environment still tough for startups? I think that makes everyone happy, because even those who end up turned down appreciate knowing that quickly. Mike Napoli: It's quality versus quantity. Mike Napoli: It's quality versus quantity.

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Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Launchpad LA today announces it will accept applications for its third class of Los Angeles-based tech startups. years there has been an initiative in Los Angeles called Launchpad LA. But the most important metric has been the deep and lasting relationships that have been built with startups and also between senior executives.

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Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). It’s hard for me to imagine that angel investing outcomes judged 10 years from now will have a drastically different profile. The best angels or angel funds will do tremendously well. I agreed to help.

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Invest Angel Venture Capital Yahoo 280

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 5, 2010

I attended the inaugural Open Angel Forum in Los Angeles back in January and wrote about it here. Jason Calacanis started this initiative in response to the pay-to-play network of angel events that he despised. The first event was a big success and brought out many of LA’s angel elite. Watch this space.

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Angel Technical Review Software Review Platform 254

Tech.Co

JULY 12, 2017

Other Disney startups such as Atom Ticket , a new movie ticketing app, partnered with the next Star Wars movie and will continue to work with Walt Disney Studios on major film releases. This corporate partnership has proven well for these startups in helping them launch their products and services into another galaxy.

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Artificial Inteligence Startup Entertainment Press 108

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 8, 2018

If you’re an entrepreneur who would like to see this clause in more startups please ask your VC to include it in future term sheets and link to it from their home page. “We We can unequivocally say this has started to work in the companies that we have funded since this clause was inserted. Ours is: upfront.com/inclusion.

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Venture Capital Coach Ideas Startup 284

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

Working with early-stage teams : coaching, mentoring, setting strategy, rolling up sleeves: 9/10. ” So it’s now March 2014 – 5 years since I started investing. Disney Acquires Maker Studios f0r $500 million and with earn-out potentially up to $950 million. Sourcing high-quality leads : 9/10. Since then?

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Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

socalTECH

JANUARY 29, 2020

This week, Los Angeles-based Crosscut Ventures announced a brand new effort to provide health and wellness to the founders of companies it invests in, helping those founders with well being, mental health, stress management, coaching, and leadership development. It's a comprehensive bucket.

Invest 113

Invest Framework Coach Startup 113

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. Most experienced VCs won’t push you to give up founder control at this stage of the business nor should they. As You Start to Mature. In the Early Days. You’ll get empathy. Experience.

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Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 20, 2011

As you all know TechZulu is a huge supporter of Startup Weekend, and when we had the chance to be part of the very first Orange County (my home town) Startup Weekend we jumped on board. Tonights Startup Weekend presentations are being judged by the following: Maneesh Goyal. He blogs at startup-marketing.com.

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Orange County Miramar Startup Tech Coast Angels 106

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

In big business, as well as startups, I have found that your effectiveness can be highly correlated to your ability to build and maintain people relationships, often more so than hard work, or how many hours you give. But, like most other skills, you can learn from these priorities: Everyone benefits from active mentoring.

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Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I started in 2007 with a thesis that my primary investment decision would be about the team (70%) and only afterward about the market opportunity (30%). I was telling him that it was much easier when I started because there were fewer deals, life was less public and somehow the world seemed to be spinning more slowly. I don’t.

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Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

I recently got together with Aaron Shechet and an early stage startup to discuss the direction the company might want to take. I grew up in Los Angeles and went to undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 2003 with Honors in Economics. While at UC Santa Barbara, I started a café which served over 1100 dorm residents.

Startup 150

Startup SEO Pepperdine Blogging 150

Steve Reich

AUGUST 9, 2012

At a recent accelerator event on the West Side, a friendly young founder told me that he had been coached by his mentor not to talk to Angel groups. As a Pasadena Angel, I wanted to be shocked, but I wasn’t. The Angel funding process can be arduous. The entrepreneurs in startups are trained to go fast and run lean.

Angel 49

Angel Pasadena Angels Venture Capital Pasadena 49

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

I have been involved with a high profile one in Los Angeles – Launchpad LA – and we’ve decided to make a shift so I thought this was a good time for reflection. My good friend Adam Lilling and I started Launchpad more than 5 years ago . By 2011 the market had started to change dramatically.

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Venture Capital Startup Idealab Funding 290

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2017

Parents, it’s never too early to start nurturing entrepreneurial talents in your kids! As an active business advisor and angel investor, I’m convinced that we are rapidly entering a new age of the entrepreneur, and those who are best prepared will be the first to reap some big rewards. Network conference.

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Coach Entrepreneur Ideas Class 80

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2017

Our interview this morning is with Jonathan Zweig , the CEO of Los Angeles-based AppOnboard (www.apponboard.com), which has created software which allows mobile app developers--and in particular, mobile game developers--to create demos of those games which can be played without having to download and install those apps. What is AppOnboard?

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Startup Southern California UCLA Technical Review 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2010

The group--which was started by Richard Koffler and John Morris , two well known investors in Los Angeles--has been trying to help connect CEOs with interesting university and other technology projects. The third situation is the middle ground--where a startup needs to be formed, but there is no company there yet.

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Networking Research Startup USC 215

socalTECH

OCTOBER 19, 2016

Arivale (www.arivale.com), a startup founded by Dr. Leroy Hood, the well known DNA and genomics pioneer�which combines gene sequencing with a host of other diagnostic tests, with personalized counselors and health and wellness recommendations, recently launched an expansion into California, starting in Los Angeles.

Coach 100

Coach Startup Study Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2012

Los Angeles-based WePlay (www.weplay.com) is hoping to be the site for all of that, and more. The firm--which is backed by such investors as Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, LeBron James, and Jennie Fince--is headed by CEO Lane Soelberg , who spoke to us a bit about what the firm's up to. How did WePlay come about?

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Southern California Startup Platform Coach 183

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

Having time to think about “leadership” at most startups feels like a luxury. The reality of most startups is about survival. If you have a team of 10 people then by definition 90% of the time spent on activities is not put in by you and on a team of 100 it’s 99%. It’s important to get buy in.

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Startup Coach Course Invest 150

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2017

In my activities as an angel investor, and my work with new ventures seeking investment, I find the “due diligence” stage to be fraught with the most risk. Usually this stage only really starts after an investor has expressed serious interest, or already informally agreed to invest. Be prepared to follow-up as required.

Invest 59

Invest Startup Doc Slides 59

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 18, 2010

We will be selecting 10 startup companies to participate. There is no cost but you must physically be based in or move to Los Angeles for the 6 months of the program. Encourage the most successful LA tech entrepreneurs who had previously started companies to get involved as mentors, instructors or just informal advisors.

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Technical Review Venture Capital Southern California Tech Coast Angels 259

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2019

Our interview this morning is with Robin Richards , the CEO of Los Angeles-based CareerArc (www.careerarc.com). Richards also has been an active angel investor in local startups. You've had prior success, and you've been an angel investors in companies here. What is CareerArc?

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Content Social Network Coach Help 193

socalTECH

MARCH 10, 2010

Robin's latest startup is Internships.com (www.internships.com), an online site focused on aggregating internship opportunities and providing resources to potential interns. We spoke to Robin about the new startup, his executive team, as well as his angel investing activity here. We started taking a deep look into this.

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Startup Content Sites CTO Coach 223

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

This is part of my Startup Advice series. So I was surprised at the sheer volumes of decisions that had to be made when I became a startup CEO. Somebody asks whether you plan to set up 401k’s and do contribution matching. Yes, I know it’s my job as the CEO to be the coach for people and that’s fine.

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Entrepreneur Technical Review Slides CTO Coach 414

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

I have never been more optimistic about the impact that the tech startup community is having on cities in America or about the role that cities outside of San Francisco / Silicon Valley can play in our future. Changes in the Startup Ecosystem. Open source computing, which reduced costs to start a company by 90%.

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Startup Venture Capital Capital Funding 390

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 7, 2013

According to Snodgrass, SGL wants to deliver products and services that can quickly help entrepreneurs get the attention, and funding they need and have been overwhelmed with mentor, Angels, and VC requests since launch and to date. Comprehensive App Directory.

Google 87

Google Technical Review Press Software Review 87

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 27, 2013

In addition to helping manage the board Chris also helps represent the interests of the angel investors / common stock holders. Oh, and did I mention: Roger – NYC, Rob/Rory – NorCal, Nick/Chris – London & me – Los Angeles. Each of your angels or seed investors may have 20-30 investments. And improve.

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Tips Email Venture Capital CTO Coach 365

Tech Coast Venture Network

MARCH 9, 2011

Last year, venture capitalists and angels who co-invested with them placed $7 billion into seed and early-stage deals, an 11 percent increase from 2009, according to the most recent PricewaterhouseCoopers/National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree report. Meet angels via the entrepreneurs they’ve funded. By Monica Mehta.

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Tips Capital Tech Coast Angels Screening 100

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I am taking the lead from GRP and we also invested alongside a number of friends including Dave McClure, Dave Tisch, Ben Smith (Merchant Circle), Brian Lee (ShoeDazzle, LegalZoom), Jason Calacanis, Evan Rifkin, Jennifer Lum, Jay Weintraub and a whole host of other angels. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan.

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CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 28, 2012

There are so many activities and events that have sprouted this year to support the thriving tech scene in Southern California. From LA Demo Day to Silicon Beach Fest to Crowdstart LA to hackathons to Startup Weekends, companies and entrepreneurs alike have joined forces to feed the startup ecosystem.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas San Diego Mentor 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

Bockerstette, Main Street Venture Fund Angel investing in most parts of the country remains a relatively informal and unstructured process. The depressed economy has dampened the angel community’s appetite, making the identification of the trophy investor more important than ever. For an angel investor, it’s a buyer’s market.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Invest Angel 83

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 11, 2021

The link-in-bio business is heating up as more mobile website builders compete for a coveted slice of real estate on a creator’s TikTok, Instagram or Twitter. Linktree has been around since 2016 and has more funding than its up-and-coming competitors. Now, Snipfeed enters the ring with its own $5.5 Image Credits: Snipfeed.

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Platform Commerce Startup Tool 286