Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. A good overall example is the synergy between Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, as well as long-time Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. Brings complementary skills and experience.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Companies that have leveraged technology to make the procurement and delivery of food more accessible to more people have been seeing a big surge of business this year, as millions of consumers are encouraged (or outright mandated, due to Covid-19) to socially distance or want to avoid the crowds of physical shopping and eating excursions.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

socalTECH

DECEMBER 3, 2012

It's surprising how often we run into rapidly growing companies that not many people have heard of, here in Southern California, but that's the case with El Segundo-based. NEOGOV , which has quietly built an enterprise software company supplying human resources software to the government and public sector. What is Neogov?

Software Review 243

Software Review SaaS Startup Technical Review 243

socalTECH

OCTOBER 8, 2015

The Disney Accelerator , held its Demo Day for its second class on Thursday, showing off ten companies to a theater packed full of venture and angel investors.

Artificial Inteligence 100

Artificial Inteligence Class Burbank Software Review 100

socalTECH

MARCH 15, 2016

Based on ratings, reviews, and price, designers are able to hire a factory or contractor from our platform. Our uusers can use ratings and reviews, to know if they are working with high quality manufacturers. I liked robots, calculus, and computers, and I even learned how to code at age 9. Right now, it takes too much time.

Software Review 100

Software Review Design Technical Review Platform 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Leave the world of new computer chips and new drugs to the big companies, and people with deep pockets. Join a startup incubator.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2020

If you think about it, most of the influential names in the entrepreneur world today, including Elon Musk and Richard Branson, have each started many companies, learning from each, and fully recognizing that not all are destined to be remembered. As an angel investor, you can bet I wasn’t convinced he would ever start his next proposal.

Entrepreneur 131

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2019

As an advisor to business owners, and an occasional angel investor, my job is to separate the actual challenges from the common misconceptions that distract many promising entrepreneurs while building the leadership team required for your solution, marketing, and finance success. Business success is all about having a winning idea.

Software Review 98

Software Review Ideas Outsource Development Entrepreneur 98

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based LifeCrowd (www.lifecrowd.com) unveiled its service to help connect people with real life activities. The firm is initially focusing on the Los Angeles market, and connecting people with fun, interesting classes, activities, and more in the local area. Bong Koh: We started at the end of April.

Startup 271

Startup CTO Coach Activity Software Review 271

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2021

Our interview this morning is with Alex Nocifera of Los Angeles-based Field Day. If they are trying to acquire audiences and attention, for example, on the Westwide of Los Angeles or West Village, New York, we go after very acute areas and try to drive more grass root efforts, but doing it in a programmatic fashion.

Marketing 113

Marketing Los Angeles Zag Startup 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

For example, if you are working on a great social networking idea to replace Facebook, and need funding, you probably won’t find any interested and focused VCs or angel investors in Arizona, where I live. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. The list goes on and on.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Los Angeles-based Signal Sciences (www.signalsciences.com), which develops web application firewall software, just inked a big, $35M series C funding round a few weeks ago, and now has plans to dramatically expand its hiring in Los Angeles. The easiest example is for an online banking system.

Startup 113

Startup Funding Technical Review Software Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

As a long-time business advisor and angel investor, I’m a believer that “two heads are better than one” in building a new business. A good overall example is the synergy between Google co-Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, as well as Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. This is a critical element of a good relationship, but a tough one.

Software Review 56

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach 56

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2018

Most of you new venture founders I meet as an angel investor seem convinced that starting the business is the hardest part. I’m sure you can all think of several examples of businesses that popped up quickly, with great business models, but then faded just as quickly. Examples would include Pets.com, Webvan, and Blockbuster.

Examples 67

Examples Custom Customer Software Review 67

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Leave the world of new computer chips and new drugs to the big companies, and people with deep pockets. Join a startup incubator.

Tips 104

Tips Startup Technical Review Equity 104

socalTECH

JUNE 4, 2018

Jay Goss: It's a fund focused on early stage companies, Seed or Series A. We're looking for companies that are doing health care. We proactively look for companies in the Los Angeles region, but we're opportunistic, and we'll look anywhere in the country or world. A number of those have been healthcare companies.

Startup 113

Startup Technical Review Software Review Artificial Inteligence 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 31, 2011

One of Urbandig's co-founders, Mike Macadaan -- the former VP of User Experience at MySpace, and creator of the technology conference Twiistup--sat down to talk to us about the company. They came down to Los Angeles, and we brainstormed ideas, and basically--in 24 hours-- we revitalized my original idea, but for the iPhone.

Guide 203

Guide Software Review Twiistup Technical Review 203

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In the world of online, mobile, and social games, there are now petabytes of data being collected by companies on what users are doing in those games--and trying to make sense of all that information. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Dmitri Williams: NinjaMetrics is a data analytics company.

Metrics 166

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 166

socalTECH

MAY 11, 2010

Last week, Los Angeles-based EcoMom (www.ecomom.com) launched its "green" parenting site, with backing from Dave McClure. We caught up with EcoMom CEO Jody Sherman , to learn more about the company. As an angel investor myself, I haven't done any deals without an introduction from someone first.

Software Review 200

Software Review Commerce Startup Sites 200

socalTECH

JULY 27, 2015

There's been a huge debate over the future of Adobe's Flash raging over the last month, as both Google and Mozilla disabled Flash due to security holes and other issues. One company which has been working on solving the Flash problem is Los Angeles-based Addroid (www.addroid.com).

Hollywood 100

Hollywood HTML Software Review Advertising 100

SoCal CTO

AUGUST 3, 2010

5 Lessons from 150 startup pitches - A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks , July 11, 2010 I just reviewed several hundred startup pitches for Capital Factory. Many of our job postings for Engineering positions describe the company as a place “where the word ‘millions’ is used frequently and in many contexts&#.

Startup 217

Startup Venture Capital Blogging Software Review 217

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Leave the world of new computer chips and new drugs to the big companies, and people with deep pockets. Join a startup incubator.

Startup 128

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 128

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

An alternate outcome that I also unfortunately observe in some cases are companies who had extreme early success with an initial product adoption but failed in key areas that limited the growth and therefore the ultimate financial outcomes. I see many companies that don’t make this transition well.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 286

SoCal CTO

JULY 23, 2012

This leads to a set of questions: What is the role of a CTO in the early stages of a company, and does that role change later on as both the company and that individual matures? It specifically answers the first questions about role and how it changes as the company matures. How will I know when the need has arisen? Accounting?

CTO Coach 231

CTO Coach CTO Hire Outsource Development Develop 231

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Exec Summary: Most companies (98+%) in the world (even tech startups) should be very profit focused. While Google and Facebook will buy “acquihires” (at least as of Dec 2011), many acquirers hate the idea of buying companies that aren’t profitable. ” But they want to do it with leverage.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

socalTECH

JULY 21, 2011

Los Angeles-based MomentFeed (www.momentfeed.com) is looking to sort through that data to help marketers better tap into location based, social networking. It combines all of the approaches, from a market point of view, that companies like Starbucks, McDonald's, or Walmart would be interested in. How did the company come about?

Social Media 248

Social Media Zumbox Media Startup 248

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In the world of online, mobile, and social games, there are now petabytes of data being collected by companies on what users are doing in those games--and trying to make sense of all that information. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Dmitri Williams: NinjaMetrics is a data analytics company.

Metrics 113

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 113

Steve Reich

JUNE 11, 2012

It is an article about how to make your company worth a fortune by listening to your customers. The good news is you can do it, too, and there are great examples in Socal. Originally funded by the Pasadena Angels , the Company is now backed by “A” list VCs, and growing phenomenally, with tens of thousands of customers.

Custom 97

Custom Customer Software Review SaaS 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2016

Prime examples include Uber, Airbnb and Snapchat. People are even talking about “decacorns" -- investable companies with net worth now exceeding $10 billion -- like Dropbox and Pinterest. Super-angel investors (micro-VCs). Could your startup be the next one? Frothy startup valuations. Sweat equity. Acquihire” a startup.

Startup 57

Startup Software Review Equity Invest 57

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2014

On one end, entrepreneurs who have (at minimum) built something customers love and are willing to pay for, and the other hand, investors who are looking for the very companies who fit that profile. What companies like SeedInvest and its peers are doing to help connect investors to startups. Introducing SeedInvest.

Invest 100

Invest Startup Technical Review Software Review 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

A deep dive into the Foundry Group investment philosophy including an interesting discussion of their investing Themes. “… our lens is: Internet Software Companies anywhere in the U.S. If you are outside internet software we are not going to invest. So I was an Angel investor from 1994 to 1996. we are not going to invest.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In the world of online, mobile, and social games, there are now petabytes of data being collected by companies on what users are doing in those games--and trying to make sense of all that information. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Dmitri Williams: NinjaMetrics is a data analytics company.

Metrics 100

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2012

These should all be people who bring credibility and value to your company just by their very association with your company name. They should have deep backgrounds and experience in a relevant domain to your startup, and executive experience in running a company. What better candidates than your Advisory Board?

Startup 95

Startup Technical Review Software Review High Tech 95

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

One of the largest concentrations of technical talent in Los Angeles is in Glendale, at YP -- staffed with a surprising number of Los Angeles startup vets. Though that sounds like the cost of admission of working as a tech company, even when we were part of AT&T, we worked hard to carve out that identity inside AT&T.

Technical Review 223

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 223

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

For example, if you are working on a great social networking idea to replace Facebook, and need funding, you probably won’t find any interested and focused VCs or Angel investors in Arizona, where I live. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. The list goes on and on.

Startup 97

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 97

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

One of the largest concentrations of technical talent in Los Angeles is in Glendale, at YP (www.yp.com) -- staffed with a surprising number of Los Angeles startup vets. Yelp and Agie''s List has been fantastic in the reviews path. How did what was a staid publisher of phone books become a hotbed of online talent?

Technical Review 211

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 211

socalTECH

JULY 12, 2013

Many companies would love to be able to get the benefits of cloud--easy configurability, low cost, scaling, and more--but, due to various reasons, can''t take advantage of public cloud services like Amazon. The company announced a funding round from Canaan Partners, Storm Ventures, and AME Cloud a couple of weeks ago.

CIO 207

CIO Southern California Technical Review Software Review 207