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. I find that good entrepreneurs always find ways to keep their project moving forward, in good times and in bad.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Make sure everyone comes with an entrepreneur mindset for real innovation. In my experience, team members with an entrepreneur mindset are rare in mature companies, due to a growing focus on low risk fixed processes, narrow job roles with specialized expertise, and long-term tenure. Entrepreneurs crave more ownership.

Incubator 143

Incubator Seed Funding Metrics Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2017

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders dilemmas in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Don’t wait for the harsh reality of the demanding business world to start thinking about these tradeoffs. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 57

Entrepreneur USC Statistics Equity 57

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs understand that you can’t build a business if you won’t commit to delivering a product or service, but many are hesitant or refuse to commit to any financial forecasts. External investors will demand a financial forecast, but it’s equally valuable to you, even if bootstrapping.

Startup 147

Startup Pricing Sales Statistics 147

socalTECH

JUNE 2, 2014

Last month, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti created a new program, aimed at growing, assisting and sustaining entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. The new "Entrepreneur-in-Residence" program has appointed its first, two, EIRs--Krisztina "Z" Holly and Amir Tehrani.--both Los Angeles is poised to play a huge role in that area.

Los Angeles 216

Los Angeles Startup USC Angel 216

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2022

In the old days, every entrepreneur planned on taking their startup public, and making it big. Smart entrepreneurs are now starting to look at this option again, as well as the challenges of running a public company. Public companies of any size must comply immediately with the full reporting requirements of the SEC.

Startup 98

Startup Report IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that their idea and passion are so great that failure is not a possibility. As a startup advisor and angel investor, I tend to focus on the much longer list of ways your startup can fail, based on my own experience and inside knowledge from peers who you will never see highlighted on the Internet.

Startup 99

Startup Competition Examples Ideas 99

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2017

The startup is backed by the Tech Coast Angels and Dolby Ventures. Eugene Cho: We had a seed round for less than $3M, and we did a note round with the Tech Coast Angels for $2M after we won their Quick Pitch competition, over about 150 other companies. Do you think the sales focus has been valuable to you as an entrepreneur?

Tech Coast Angels 124

Tech Coast Angels Startup Sales Slides 124

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

These tensions seep out in some angels or seed funds publicly or semi-privately deriding later-stage VCs for their “bad” behavior. Why prorata rights used to be less of a big deal to angels. In the old days there weren’t many fights about whether angels would take their prorata rights in financing rounds.

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

entrepreneur” and by Forbes as “New York’s Archangel”, David is a former Inc. 500 CEO, serial entrepreneur and the founder of New York Angels. founder and CEO of Gust, the angel financing platform used by over 50,000. accredited investors in 1,000 angel groups and venture capital funds to.

Startup 189

Startup Sales Ideas Entrepreneur 189

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2017

The startup is backed by the Tech Coast Angels and Dolby Ventures. Eugene Cho: We had a seed round for less than $3M, and we did a note round with the Tech Coast Angels for $2M after we won their Quick Pitch competition, over about 150 other companies. Do you think the sales focus has been valuable to you as an entrepreneur?

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels Startup Sales Slides 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2019

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders quandaries in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Don’t wait for the harsh reality of the demanding business world to start thinking about these tradeoffs. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 97

Startup USC Entrepreneur Statistics 97

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2018

Now is the time to be an entrepreneur and create a business from your passion. On the other hand, everyone is doing it, so that means more competition, and the market and technology are changing faster than ever before. In the early Internet days, it would cost a million dollars to get this far.

Funding 73

Funding Social Media Slides Platform 73

socalTECH

OCTOBER 7, 2015

If you've ever flown into Los Angeles International Airport�or pretty much any other, major airport--on a busy, holiday weekend, you might be familiar with the sometime hours long lines at rental car counters, horrible customer service, and companies looking to nickel and dime you with all kinds of add on insurance and options.

Startup 100

Startup Los Angeles Marketing Mobile 100

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Helping entrepreneurs succeed. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. An on-line community for entrepreneurs. Los Angeles-based executive search for emerging growth companies. Tech Coast Angels Fast Pitch - February 24th - UCLA. Redpoint Ventures (www.redpoint.com). Need office or Tech Space?

Southern California 113

Southern California Tech Coast Angels IP Orange County 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2019

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of easily taking their startup public, and making it big. Smart entrepreneurs are just now starting to look at this option again, due to its unpredictability and the challenges of running a public company. Public companies are always at risk for takeovers.

Startup 84

Startup Technical Review Report IBM 84

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2010

It's the source for keeping a pulse on the dynamic world of technology, reaching venture capitalists, angel investors, entrepreneurs, CEOs, social media. Funding great entrepreneurs. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Los Angeles-based executive search for emerging growth companies. learn more.

SoCalTech 127

SoCalTech Advertising Rustic Canyon Glendale 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Reverse due diligence on the investor is a comparable process whereby the entrepreneur seeks to validate the track record, operating style, and motivation of every potential partner.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2017

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. Outside of dreams, there is no real business opportunity without risk.

Entrepreneur 68

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 68

socalTECH

MAY 8, 2015

In a world awash with on-demand startups, Los Angeles-based Serviz (www.serviz.com) stands out--not because of the market segment it is tackling, but because it was founded by two, very experienced serial entrepreneurs-- Zorik Gordon and Michael Kline. Why did you decide on the on-demand service area for a startup?

Services 100

Services ReachLocal Demand Startup 100

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

Los Angeles-based Tilofy (www.tilofy.com)--out of USC''s Viterbi Startup Garage--is doing just that, helping to highlight what is going on around you, by absorbing all of that location data out there at any particular time and place. Markets now, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Las Vegas. How did Tilofy come about?

USC 236

USC Southern California Organization UCLA 236

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of easily taking their startup public, and making it big. Smart entrepreneurs are just now starting to look at this option again, due to its unpredictability and the challenges of running a public company. Public companies are always at risk for takeovers.

Startup 87

Startup Technical Review Report Entrepreneur 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2014

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive dream of a get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active Angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk or no competition. There is no real business opportunity without risk.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 93

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

I have conversations with entrepreneurs and other VCs on a daily basis about fund raising, the prices of deals, how much companies should raise, etc. If you invested in the first angel round of a startup company it is usually very hard to sell your stock – usually for many years if ever at all. They are pretty illiquid.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2010

I know many super experienced entrepreneurs who don’t understand the basics of how fund size and age can affect them so I thought it was worth establishing a baseline. In a world of The Funded, VentureHacks and entrepreneur blogs this kind of informations spreads like wildfire. As always it comes down to competition.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Seed Funding Pricing Invest 265

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of easily taking their startup public, and making it big. Smart entrepreneurs now avoid this option like the plague, due to its unpredictability and the challenges of running a public company. entrepreneur IPO m&a startup Stock Exchange' Startup founders don’t fit in a public company.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Report Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2013

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup Founders dilemmas in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. Don’t wait for the harsh reality of the demanding business world to start thinking about these tradeoffs. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 98

Startup Entrepreneur Statistics Equity 98

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

Los Angeles-based Radical.FM (www.radical.fm) thinks it has a new formula for Internet streaming, and can take on Pandora and others in head to head competition. The difference between Pandroa and us, versus who we are, and on demand services like Spotify, Beats, or Rhapsody, is they have direct licenses.

Startup 237

Startup Services Advertising Content 237

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

Too many entrepreneurs develop a new product without regard to market demand, then build an entire strategy based on creating a need, rather than acting on an existing market need. Analyze how competition will react. The best entrepreneurs solve problems that they and their team have personally experienced.

Technology 91

Technology Funding Competition Entrepreneur 91

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of someday taking their startup public, and making it a multi-national powerhouse. In my view, the key reasons that IPOs have lost their luster from an entrepreneur and investor perspective include the following: The US IPO process seems broken. Startup founders don’t fit in a public company.

Startup 97

Startup Report Entrepreneur Statistics 97

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. In the same year they won Business Insider’s Startup competition.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

It encompasses everything from crumbling roads and bridges to a lack of clean drinking water, failing sewage systems, inadequate recycling facilities, and increasing demands on power generation, transmission and distribution assets that the nation’s electricity grid is unable to meet. Sick of your ISP?

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

For simplicity I’ll assume you’ve raised some money from angels or seed investors and you’re either raising an A round or a B round of venture capital. People who believe the former believe that you should see the market demand before too many people know you’re “in market.” Remember, I was an entrepreneur for 10 years before a VC).

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

socalTECH

JUNE 9, 2014

Los Angeles-based Jukin Media (www.jukinmedia.com) thinks it has figured that out, and instead of trying to create viral videos, has been buying up the rights to those videos--before they really go viral--to create not just a one-hit, viral video wonder, but a sustainable business. Lee Essner: That''s one of the competitive edges we have.

Media 235

Media Content Startup IP 235

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2010

Too many entrepreneurs develop a new product without regard to market demand, then build an entire strategy based on creating a need, rather than acting on an existing market need. Analyze how competition will react. The best entrepreneurs solve problems that they and their team have personally experienced.

Funding 88

Funding Entrepreneur Competition Pricing 88

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

We’ve had an explosion of alternate sources of financing from crowd-sourcing, angels, accelerators, incubators, corporates, corporate incubators. You need to listen to your product team, watch your competition and work hard on determining whether you’re truly providing value to your customers. Sales Startup Lessons'

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

In our industry we applaud the efforts for entrepreneurs to have tried and we know that today’s failure can bring the experience for tomorrow’s success. In many ways the fact that it has become so cheap to start a company and relatively cheap to raise angel/seed money that we as an industry have gotten lazy on basic planning.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150