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.

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Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Metrics 134

socalTECH

AUGUST 21, 2013

Santa Monica-based advertising analytics startup SHIFT launched a new product Wednesday, aimed at helping marketers analyze social advertising campaigns. The startup, led by James Borow, said its new product, SHIFT Media Analyzer, is aimed at helping marketers with in-depth analysis of their paid social campaigns.

Advertising 178

Advertising Santa Monica Tool Pricing 178

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2023

Every one of you business owners I know periodically introduces new products and services to sustain growth, fight off competitors, or take advantage of new technologies. The cost of any new product these days must include education and rollout marketing, perhaps equal or greater than the development costs. Incent these early.

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Product Services Technical Review Artificial Inteligence 141

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2013

UberMedia , the Idealab-backed startup best known for its Twitter client software, has recast itself as a mobile advertising firm, saying yesterday that it has launched a new mobile advertising product called UberAds. ubermedia mobile advertising twitter social signals' READ MORE>>.

Advertising 173

Advertising Mobile Idealab Social Media 173

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

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

I’m convinced that this “me too” or incremental thinking is one of the key reasons that ninety percent of new startups fail, and most of the investors I know won’t sign non-disclosure forms, since they claim to hear the same startup ideas over and over again. Be prepared to ship a minimum viable product and pivot.

Startup 162

Startup Metrics Ideas Entrepreneur 162

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

Tech.Co

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

TikTok is struggling to make a dent in the world of US and European ecommerce , and has now enlisted the help of a number of startups to try and reverse that trend and bring the Live Shopping craze sweeping Asia to other markets. TikTok Teams Up With Ecommerce Startups. Please verify before subscribing. A Mountain to Climb.

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Social Media Startup Commerce News 148

TechEmpower

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

As part of the onboarding process, the app asks both job seekers and employers what they’re looking for - in a text box - while providing a few suggestions in a pop-up. This isn’t just our opinion - our startup metrics prove it! Even with the pop-up suggestions, we saw significant drop-off during user onboarding.

Generative AI 295

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence TechEmpower Tips 295

socalTECH

AUGUST 9, 2013

What really, is happening when you place that online advertisement, and where does it go, who looks at it, and what''s really happening? All too often, those ads disappear into a maze of middlemen, and advertisers don''t really know who is seeing their ads, and why. What''s your background, and how did you get into online advertising?

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Advertising Startup CTO Coach Study 153

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

For today's interview, we sat down to catch up with Jon Waterman, the founder and CEO of Ad.net, to understand what the company's business is nowadays, how the company has evolved over the years, and how the company has adjusted to life during a pandemic. We pride ourselves in being able to add incremental consumers to our advertisers.

Advertising 203

Advertising Startup Google Commerce 203

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2021

I’m fully convinced that both inspiration and perspiration are always required in a startup. Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. Starting a business may be fun, but it’s not easy. Start even before the product is ready.

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Startup Patents Competition Social Network 160

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2021

The founder explains that the product or service is so “buzz-worthy” that the merits will spread rapidly through word-of-mouth only, meaning people loving it and recommending it to their friends. It usually implies an opportunity to win big, like a lottery, or experience something sensational, like an incredible video or free product.

Marketing 139

Marketing Startup SEM Blogging 139

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2021

As an advisor to startups and entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that all new businesses must start with a great idea. I believe the best entrepreneurs start by finding a large opportunity, and only then use good ideas to capitalize on that opportunity. Offer a no-frills version of a high-end product (downgrade).

Startup 112

Startup Ideas Examples Entrepreneur 112

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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Artificial Inteligence Startup Yammer Los Angeles 200

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 Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

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.

Startup 172

Startup Seed Funding Mentor Ideas 172

socalTECH

MAY 7, 2013

Los Angeles-based TenFarms , the mobile application development startup headed by Nils Forsblom, announced this morning that it has raised $2.7M in an angel funding round, to launch a new mobile advertising product called Adtile to the market. TenFarms did not disclose the names of those angel investors. READ MORE>>.

Advertising 159

Advertising Software Mobile Los Angeles 159

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

This post is part of my series “ Startup Lessons &#. Elephants, Deer and Rabbits – Some thoughts on start-up segmentation. I know that this advice won’t apply to every possible startup – but I think it applies to many. So when I started my first company I naturally went for elephants.

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Startup Custom Customer Resource 389

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. Long-term sales.

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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. According to ventureLab, it will provide seed funding, along with product, marketing, and opertional support to its companies.

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Incubator Seed Funding Startup Social Media 229

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.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 286

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 2, 2013

I've had several Startup CTO Consulting sessions recently where it became apparent that the Founder needed help with the business and product as much or more than the technology. Then we discussed how they could go about finding this startup business advisor. Do you have any suggestions for how to find a good mentor?

CTO Coach 259

CTO Coach Mentor Startup Technical Advisors 259

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 21, 2010

When I started investing the US advertising market was $300 billion with only 10% of it ($30 billion) of it being online and measurable. One recession later and the US advertising market is about $245 billion – but still only 10-12% is online and measurable. This was their next act so they brought domain knowledge.

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Advertising Invest RSS CPC 284

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 11, 2023

This is the confirmation that your product or service fills a real need in the marketplace. Similarly, it will be very satisfying to see the productivity increases from your leadership and mentoring. Even with the perfect product, your customers won’t even know you exist without marketing.

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Startup Satisfaction Custom Customer 118

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2021

There is also more going on in every location, so this personal need and super sensitivity to the local community has spawned a new breed of Internet startups, called “hyperlocal.” These hyperlocal sites don’t have to compete with global sites, and always have unique content, community advertising, and local issues.

Startup 144

Startup Sites Content Sales 144

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2023

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.

Marketing 114

Marketing Invest Social Media SEM 114

socalTECH

JANUARY 9, 2013

Combine that with the growing startup community here, and you end up with at. We've compiled a list of five of the startups that are revolutionizing some part of music, based here in Southern California. The firm's products are an example of what applying technology, and smartphones and tablets, can do for music education.

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Southern California Startup Sherman Oaks Venice 254

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?

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 157

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 4, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. Many entrepreneurs who start technology companies are product people, technologists or savvy business people who worked previously for a larger company. Most start-up entrepreneurs have little or no sales experience. I know I didn’t. To the contrary.

Sales 319

Sales Startup Platform Tips 319

socalTECH

JUNE 12, 2014

In a demonstration of the power of targeting in a world of ubiquitous computing power, Santa Monica-based ad startup GumGum is powering a new advertising campaign which is able to target ads based on hair color shown in photos. L''Oreal will show ads for dark hair coloring products based on images with brown or black hair.

Technology 147

Technology Slides Santa Monica Help 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2022

There are hundreds of consultants out there who will take your money for guidance in this area, but I recommend that you start with some free resources on the Internet, or one of the many recent books on this topic. As with many startup activities, you only have one chance for a great first impression.

Social Media 126

Social Media Media Startup Platform 126

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.

Startup 121

Startup Metrics Custom Customer 121

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 20, 2019

Image via Jisc As an advisor to startups and entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that all new businesses must start with a great idea. I believe the best entrepreneurs start by finding a large opportunity, and only then use good ideas to capitalize on that opportunity. Find products that seem to fit together (bundle).

Startup 90

Startup Ideas Examples Entrepreneur 90

socalTECH

OCTOBER 10, 2013

In what is a fairly unusual move, last week, Tradesparq (www.tradesparq.com), a Chinese startup in the area of B2B trade information, said it was planning on setting up its operations here in Southern California, as part of an expansion and scaling of the company. Michael Kleist: We started in 2010. What is Tradesparq?

Southern California 170

Southern California Startup SoCal CTO Hire 170

socalTECH

MARCH 8, 2013

UberMedia , the Pasadena-based startup developing third party, Twitter clients and other mobile apps, said yesterday that it has launched a new mobile ad campaign product called Appvertise.

Advertising 138

Advertising CPC Tool Idealab 138

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2023

In the world of entrepreneurs and startups, high level relationships are everything. You can’t start a business alone. This is where most business relationships start and remain. You need something specific from the other person – a loan, or product order, or help solving a problem. Marty Zwilling

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Startup Guide Networking Help 127