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. For example, if you have ever watched the Shark Tank show on TV, they always ask about the cost of customer acquisition.

Entrepreneur 162

Entrepreneur Social Media Examples Metrics 162

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2020

For example, if your idea is so new and different that it implies real social or technological change is necessary before widespread acceptance, investors will define your market as nascent or unproven, and be very reluctant to fund you, no matter how convincing your projections may be.

Marketing 174

Marketing Startup Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 174

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. I remember, for example, when business intelligence swept through companies globally. Create company measures for success that go beyond financial metrics.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 28, 2011

To prove that point, tonight I had the privilege of hearing him speak at Lean LA , a Los Angeles group that helps high tech start-ups build great companies on a budget. And he showed us examples how implementing his team’s innovations directly sky rocketed company sales. Noah has what I believe he called “Thank You metrics”.

Metrics 87

Metrics Email Startup Technical Review 87

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

Unfortunately, in my experience as an angel investor, about ninety percent of new business efforts fall short , leading me to believe that many of you may be better off staying where you are. You may be comfortable driving your future based on vision and emotion, or have long been a stickler for details and metrics.

Startup 94

Startup Ideas Metrics Entrepreneur 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall.

Search Engine Optimization 103

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 19, 2021

As an angel investor in new startups, I’ve long believed that investors invest in people, not ideas. An example of a good balance is clearly Whole Foods , whose focus on healthy foods and a sustainable environment is legendary. Define and use real metrics to measure progress. billion buyout. Don’t play the blame game.

Customer 157

Customer Custom Metrics Ideas 157

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2019

The Vinetta Project (www.vinettaproject.com), a group which is focused on helping to accelerate the growth of female-led startups, announced a few weeks ago that it is working with P&G Ventures, the internal "startup studio" of Procter and Gamble on an effort to help female-led companies in Los Angeles. What is The Vinetta Project?

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Metrics Los Angeles Help 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

See the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos for an example of product snags leading to a disaster. The solution here is to never stop the fundraising cycle, moving quickly from friends and family, to angels, to venture capitalists. Keep control by writing every check personally, and manage receivable and payables tightly.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2011

This site aggregates and filters content from thought leaders who talk about topics such as Marketing , Sales , Design , Revenue , Hiring , Social Media , Business Models , Metrics , PR , Venture Capital , Angel Investors , Bootstrapping , Incubators , Agile and many others.

Content 175

Content Startup Social Media IP 175

socalTECH

JUNE 15, 2017

The company recently raised $8M in a funding from Evolution Media, Aspect Ventures, Upfront Ventures, as well as a long list of angels. An example was Rob Thomas, the Producer of Veronica Mars, where we helped him partner with Kickstarter to help fund the Veronica Mars movie. What is Stem?

Startup 140

Startup Content Metrics Platform 140

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. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth. get the attention of the market they choose.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2020

I realized it was consistent with my own view as a former angel investor, that investors invest in you, more than your solution. For example, if you as an entrepreneur come across as arrogant or too casual, many people you need to deal with in business, including investors, suppliers, and customers, will run the other way.

Entrepreneur 168

Entrepreneur Mentor Metrics Customer 168

socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2019

That's where Los Angeles-based Rolebot (www.rolebot.net) comes in. Shane Bernstein: We look at actionable data points and data metrics which are quantifiable across the web, and we qualify them and normalize that data, and sort them based on what they've done. Shane Bernstein: We're an evidence-based, recruitment engine.

Sites 240

Sites Startup Tool CTO Hire 240

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Originally created in the mid 1990’s to help with the imprecise problem of how to value early stage companies, especially those in technology, I developed what soon became known as “The Berkus Method” when published in the popular book, “Winning Angels” by Harvard’s Amis and Stevenson with my permission in 2001.

Startup 120

Startup Examples Metrics Marketing 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2019

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Current examples include Conscious Capitalism® , popularized by John Mackey, The B Team , founded by Sir Richard Branson, the 1% for the Planet organization, and the Benefit Corporation (B Corp) now available in 35 States.

Startup 93

Startup Entrepreneur Capital Examples 93

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall.

Search Engine Optimization 124

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 124

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

The trends are well understood: more angels, more seed funds, more crowdsourcing and so forth. In a funding round with 1 or 2 VCs and 15-20 angels or 4-6 seed funds if you gave every investor you financial information and performance metrics your proprietary information would increase in its probability of leaking out.

Venture Capital 352

Venture Capital Seed Funding Email Blogging 352

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

socalTECH

JANUARY 24, 2011

For this morning's company profile, we thought we'd connect with ShareSquare (www.getsharesquare.com), a newly funded Los Angeles startup focused on QR barcodes -- 3D barcodes -- focused on musicians and entertainers. In that market, there are literally no ROI metrics. The best metrics are estimated impressions.

Startup 220

Startup West Hollywood Metrics Entertainment 220

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2017

I hear it all the time as an angel investor, but I also see that same naïve or cavalier attitude come back to haunt entrepreneurs once they really get out in the marketplace. What metrics should you use to measure success? Have you lined up the stakeholders who drive success? Make sure all the elements are aligned before you commit.

Metrics 58

Metrics Resource Startup Training 58

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Startups either get three dozen term sheets or none at all, since every firm is walking around with the same frameworks and metrics in their head. Today, the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) published its updated economic forecast for LA and the Southern California region. Quality tech news from around the web.

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

According to Los Angeles-based FEM (fem-inc.com), video recommendations can make a significant difference in how long a user spends on a website or app. magazine, for example. How did you end up in Los Angeles? Rachel Payne: I''m originally from Los Angeles. The metrics are very solid. One of our customers is Inc.

Google 233

Google Content Startup Venice 233

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.

Venture Capital 287

Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

I grew up in Los Angeles and went to undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 2003 with Honors in Economics. Any thoughts on my recent post Startup Metrics ? The Startup Metrics post is a good example of what I call “holocognics.” Startup Metrics discusses what a Startup needs to consider before “going live.”

Startup 150

Startup SEO Pepperdine Blogging 150

socalTECH

JUNE 1, 2012

That's what Los Angeles-based MergeLocal (www.mergelocal.com) is looking to find out, by offering up points which can be converted to real cash, when users check into local businesses. For example, Chris Louvion, the CTO of Citygrid, is one of our advisors, and Greg Kim of Savings.com is also an advisor.

CTO Coach 223

CTO Coach Startup Mobile Artificial Inteligence 223

socalTECH

APRIL 15, 2016

Los Angeles-based Gatsby (www.thinkgatsby.com) has come up with a way to combine both ways to promote social sharing, as well as reduce shopping cart abandonment, via discounts which change depending on your social influence and sharing activity. For example, say you are shopping on a website like Helix Sleep.

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Network Examples Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Current examples include the Conscious Capitalism® movement led by John Mackey, The B Team , led by Sir Richard Branson, the 1% for the Planet organization, and the Benefit Corporation (B Corp) now available in 20 States.

Startup 104

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Satisfaction 104

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. But it is an important metric for firms in pursuit of explosive growth. get the attention of the market they choose.

Startup 97

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2019

Yet, as an angel investor, I still see too many new business owners who are convinced that their biggest challenge is to get money to start, and once launched with some initial success, they can relax. In my other role of business advisor, I see examples often of startups that may have taken success for granted too early.

Startup 88

Startup Demand Training Customer 88

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2015

*. If you are a 20-something tech entrepreneur you could be forgiven for thinking that seed-stage investors, Angellist Syndicates and widely available angel money always existed. There was Ron Conway (SV Angel) – I think there was always Ron Conway! And some angels running around like Reid Hoffman & Keith Rabois.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Invest Cloud Computing 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2017

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Current examples include Conscious Capitalism® , popularized by John Mackey, The B Team , founded by Sir Richard Branson, the 1% for the Planet organization, and the Benefit Corporation (B Corp) now available in 33 States.

Tips 55

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Examples 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2013

How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics? Current examples include the Conscious Capitalism® movement led by John Mackey, The B Team , led by Sir Richard Branson, the 1% for the Planet organization, and the Benefit Corporation (B Corp) now available in 14 States.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Examples Satisfaction 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 108

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2019

For this morning's interview, we spoke with Los Angeles-based Halla , a venture backed startup, focused on personalized recommendations for the food ordering industry. Food is the perfect example. We all went to Oakwood High School, in North Hollywood in Los Angeles. The company has raised $1.9M What is Halla?

Pricing 113

Pricing Startup North Hollywood Platform 113

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

You’ve got to convince your buddies to part with their hard-earned savings to back you as angels. You scraped together enough for an angel round but not enough to pay yourself a real salary. I’d like to give you a few examples that are more nuanced: 1. Of course you need to be open. It was not.

Startup 417

Startup Course Venture Capital Writing 417