Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

A common pain of startups after an exhilarating first surge of early adopters is a long and frustrating plateau of slow growth, where it seems like nothing you do will get your business to profitability. This starts with multiple messages from the top that growth is now the highest job priority, and key to survival. Marty Zwilling.

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Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Metrics 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2020

Contrary to popular opinion, viral marketing has not eliminated the need for old-fashioned lead generation to bring customers to a startup. His professional background includes having held marketing-executive roles at big companies as well as startups. Social-media advertising. Display advertising. Cold calling.

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Custom Customer Marketing Startup 146

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

But as sweet as that success has been (we invested pre-revenue in a small team) today my even more important news was the further expansion of our partner ranks. He first came to see me in 2008 when we was raising money for his 1st startup – NextMedium. Startup DNA. I’ve known Hamet for 5 years. Media relationships.

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Invest Venture Capital Startup News 340

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2022

Yet if you wait for an economy bubble before starting your new business, you will be making a comparable mistake to the people who thought during the dot-com bubble "all I have to do is a startup, and I'll be rich." If your alternative is no job security, and low pay, why not work for yourself and build your startup?

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Startup Advertising Social Network Ideas 103

TechCrunch LA

MAY 8, 2019

GumGum , the Los Angeles-based startup that’s spent the past decade applying machine learning technologies to advertising and sports, has spun out a new healthcare startup focused on the dental industry called Pearl. “I started the process of collecting dental x-rays over three years ago.”

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 22, 2009

The topic of whether in-stream advertising has heated up. I myself recently covered the topic when I spoke about why GRP Partners invested in Ad.ly. Let me lay out my defense of In-Stream Advertising because I believe the topic is really important. GRP Partners invested in GoTo.com which rebranded as Overture.

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Advertising Technical Review GRP Partners Google 277

socalTECH

MARCH 3, 2016

Santa Monica-based Pathmatics , a startup developing analytics software for analyzing the programmatic advertising market, has raised $3M in a Series A funding. BDMI's Sim Blaustein joins the company's baord with the funding. Pathmatics is led by Gabe Gottlieb, and was founded in 2010. READ MORE>>.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

When you see startups like SpaceX and Pinterest grow from a low valuation to a billion dollars in just a few years, it’s easy to assume that if you just keep doing what you are doing, you can get there as well. Of course, that means a mindset willing to give up much more equity, and taking on a whole new level of risk.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2017

The power and influence of paid media advertising, including print ads, TV commercials, radio, and even online digital campaigns is waning, in favor of unpaid earned and owned messaging from your website, social media, key market influencers, and existing customer word-of-mouth. Real customers.

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Advertising Marketing Startup Framework 66

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 19, 2014

Los Angeles-based ventureLab Growth Partners said Tuesday afternoon that it has launched a new "startup studio" to invest in and build early stage startups. The new startup studio is led by Mike Prasad. The company did not say how much funding it intends to provide to startups. READ MORE>>.

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socalTECH

MAY 30, 2019

Los Angeles-based venture investor Moonshots Capital is the lead investor in a new startup, Backtracks , a developer of podcast analytics software. backtracks develops a podcast analytics product for audio, which helps collect behavioral information and details on the performance of podcast advertising.

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socalTECH

MAY 10, 2013

Four years ago, Los Angeles-based Adly (www.adly.com) launched to much fanfare as one of the first local startups to tie into the brand-new, Twitter micro messaging platform. We''re the leading social advertising platform that leverages celebrity relationships. Why would a brand or advertiser want to work with Adly?

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Social Media Advertising Media Metrics 237

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2018

What is Startup Boost , and how is it looking to help early stage startups in Los Angeles? We recently sat down with Matt Stodder , Co-Director of Startup Boost/Los Angeles, and Blake Caldwell , Global Director of Startup Boost, to learn more about the program, what it offers up to startups.

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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. Innovate In the early years of a startup there is a lot of kinetic energy of enthusiastic innovators looking to launch a product that changes how an industry works.

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Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 286

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 20, 2014

By “vertical production” I meant that many online video production companies will have a strong vertical focus that will help them win the battle to sign up talent, build stronger & more loyal audiences and align with stronger advertiser relationships because they serve more endemic audiences. What Next?

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

The relationships are online, with influencers other than your advertising and promotions setting the trends, customers deciding where to buy, and how much they’re willing to pay. For example, at every Ritz-Carlton , employees are empowered to spend up to $2,000 per guest to overcome any negatives and make a stay more memorable.

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Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

Last Friday I was on This Week in Startups with Jason Calacanis. Ok, I know it’s an hour-long video, but if you have time in the evening, we had a series of great discussions once you get 6 minutes in or so past the upfront advertisements. Why did the VC investment pace slow down so much? - Lots of great discussions here.

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Startup Venture Capital Advertising News 245

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2014

Today, with the help of the aptly named JOBS act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act) and companies like SeedInvest , it has never been easier for companies to gain exposure and enter the investment solicitation process. The investment environment at large in light of the JOBS Act. From Finance to Crowd-Investing.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2022

Most social media outlets don’t require a subscription charge, but they certainly always require an investment, sometimes large, in people, in technology, your reputation, and your time. As with many startup activities, you only have one chance for a great first impression. Find the right tools to analyze the ROI. Marty Zwilling.

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Social Media Media Startup Platform 126

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 2, 2017

the parent firm behind Snapchat , has joined up with R/GA Marketing --which helps run the Dodgers Accelerator in Los Angeles--to launched a new startup accelerator, the R/GA Marketing Tech Venture Studio with IPG. Venice, California-based Snap Inc. , READ MORE>>.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 1, 2022

I tell entrepreneurs that Google was an “exception” to all the investment and startup rules, but I’ve always wondered what it takes to be an exception. Google developed the most profitable form of advertising anyone had ever seen, ads selected real-time based on search terms. Unique business tactics. Business tactics do.

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socalTECH

JULY 17, 2014

The latest venture capital totals from the PricewaterhouseCoopers/National Venture Capital Association''s MoneyTree Report was released this evening, tallying up $761.12M in investments in Q2 of 2014 in Southern California, up from Q2 of 2013, when $616.83M was invested in the region. Nationally, there was $13.0

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socalTECH

JUNE 3, 2010

Los Angeles-based MySpace and startup Ad.ly , also based in LA, said today that they have linked in an in-stream advertising deal. is an investment of GRP's Mark Suster, who hosts This Week in Venture Capital along with Mahalo's Jason Calacanis. twitter tweets advertising. According to MySpace, it will use Ad.ly

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Advertising Userplane GRP Partners Mahalo 168

socalTECH

APRIL 15, 2010

Southern California venture capital investments totaled $686.5M for the quarter, up from both Q4 of last year as well as the comparable Q1 quarter in 2009, according to the latest numbers from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the NVCA. According to the report, released today, Southern California investments totaled $686.5M

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Southern California Orange County Invest GRP Partners 208

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2019

My biggest takeaway this year was truly understanding the strength and cohesion of the Los Angeles startup community. There was no monetary reward for those who participated (and Startup Boost does not take fees or equity from the companies that we help). What was the biggest lesson you learned this year?

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Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 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. One of them is profitability.

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Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

Brand evangelists offline talk up your product lines at cocktail parties or recommend your services to friends while watching their kids' soccer game. However, the cost of entry has gone up as the concept of viral marketing has become pervasive. Develop viral content. That’s a double death wish. Marty Zwilling.

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Marketing Invest SEM Startup 107

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

I recently sat down with Matt Coffin , the founder of LowerMyBills, which sold for $400 million but was very nearly a bankruptcy only a few years early, and talked “startups.&#. Matt is one of the most transparent, focused & honest startup guys you’ll meet. Or read the quick, informative summary below the image!

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Tracy DiNunzio isn’t your typical Silicon Valley startup founder. She did her first tech startup after the age of 30. And she didn’t start her company in Northern California. She leveraged herself and even sold many of her possessions to get started. She started her business from a personal need.

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Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2010

I’m very pleased today to announce that I invested, on behalf of GRP Partners, in Burstly alongside Rincon Venture Partners , an early stage VC in Southern California whith whom we love to work (and were our co-investors on RingRevenue ). Naturally I’m excited about this investment or I wouldn’t have done it.

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Mobile Invest Company Companies 282

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Interested in getting some help in getting your startup off the ground and funded? Launchpad LA , the Los Angeles startup accelerator program which is run by Sam Teller, and was founded by venture capitalist Mark Suster, is gearing up for another class, to start next month.

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2021

The Valley has obsessed with a quick up-and-to-right momentum story because we were thought to live in “winner take most” markets. But markets have changed and I think investors, founders and experienced executives who want to join later-stage startups can all benefit from playing the long game. It literally drove FOMO.

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Venture Capital Capital Funding Startup 363

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 18, 2011

What I’d like to do is tell you the story of how the investment came to be, what my thesis is / was and share some thoughts on macro trends. I always try hard to make this blog a place where you can learn lessons rather than an advertisement for portfolio companies. I’m also on record as saying I invest in lines & not dots.

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SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

Continuing my series of posts that I’ve been collecting that live at the intersection of Startups and being a Startup CTO : Startup CTO Top 30 Posts for April 16 Great Startup Posts from March here are the top posts from May 2010. Through advertising or direct sales, these sites harvest intent. It is to out friend.

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Startup Venture Capital Conference Social Media 248

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Almost every early-stage startup who has approached investors for funding has heard the innocuous sounding rejection “I love your idea, but come back when you have more traction.” A graph that shows a hockey-stick “up and to the right” curve with at least three data points per key indicator is a great visual assist.

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Startup Metrics Custom Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. This is the last step of the process, where surprises in the evaluation of the management team, documentation, and personnel problems can derail the investment.

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Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 152

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

But very few are talking about how to measure your results and return on investment (ROI), and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment. Measuring message delivery in social media is a lot like measuring it in classic advertising, so classic metrics apply. Get attention and reach your audience. Project the future.

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Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 127