Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2011

Think of Scooter as Justin’s angel investor. And he has acted as a personal mentor for Justin ever since. The media eats it up as they always need something to write about. But when I write a blog post I always allocate a certain amount of time to having debates in the comments section.

Entrepreneur 398

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Blogging 398

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2010

A few angel investors have slipped or fallen from their lofty perch, so entrepreneurs must take great care to validate the character and reputation of every prospective investor. As long as somebody recognizes their million dollar idea and writes them a check, the source really doesn't matter. Litigious angels. Superior angels.

Angel 97

Angel Writing Invest Startup 97

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Angels have been prolific for years now and they, too, rely on downstream money to cover their bets. I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal. If an accelerator is writing you they’re also writing 25 other VCs. I don’t.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that Venture Capital and Angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Message delivery must be customized for each investor.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Angel Social Media Patents 107

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. Many people don’t realize that the majority of the monetization of the Internet originated in Los Angeles but was perfected in Silicon Valley. LA By The Numbers.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 5, 2010

Why Every Entrepreneur Should Write and 9 Tips To Get Started - OnStartups , September 27, 2010 "The best part of blogging is the people you will meet"- Hugh MacLeod repeating wisdom from Loic Lemeur to me at the Big Pink at 2 am in South Beach after the Future of Web Apps 2008. Why You Should Write. Why You Should Write.

Startup 191

Startup Product Technology Venture Capital 191

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Get connected to the right mentors and your business may catapult to the next level. I figured if Matt was on the verge of bankruptcy and one mentor changed his trajectory, what if we had a formalized, community-wide program? Since selling Matt has gone on to become one of the smartest angels I have seen operate. The answer?

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

The second is that they are usually very experienced operators that can mentor the founding team. It’s why the best angels and seed investors are local and why the best independents are, too. I think when you choose an independent board member you should be thinking about somebody who can mentor you.

Startup 187

Startup Writing Venture Capital Oracle 187

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 17, 2020

” Writers need to submit an idea and a writing sample from today through July 6. From its first cohort through to last year’s team of presenters, Imagine Impact not only provides mentorship, but brings selected screenwriters to Los Angeles for an intensive period of workshopping, subsidized by the accelerator.

Netflix 137

Netflix Entertainment Hollywood Writing 137

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

If you’re an early investor like I am that often means writing the first $2-3 million check into a business that previously had either survived on fumes or on a $500,000 angel round. You’re the coach, mentor, cheerleader. One of the interesting things about being a VC is that you often see companies in transition.

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Separately at this stage, you may look for small funding amounts from angel investors , called seed investments.

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

A huge shout out to Ricky Wong of NYCSteals for helping me with the write-up. Seth’s interest in helping others grew out of his lack of having a mentor. He was drawn to Stanford by the people ecosystem- access to professors and mentors. Seth raised $100k in angel funding to fuel operations.

Startup 286

Startup Venture Capital Web Ideas 286

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. In fact, they are probably in such a hurry to give you money that they don’t want you to waste time writing anything down and passing it along to new investors.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 126

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2014

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like the BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this Forbes article. Writing it down promotes both understanding and commitment.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 109

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

For today's Insights and Opinions section, we have a contribution from Ryan Born , the CEO and founder of Los Angeles-based AudioMicro. So the writers block consensus was to write about LA startup incubators and mentorship organizations (2x as many votes as the other proposed topics).

Conference 124

Conference Incubator Startup Writing 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup.

Startup 171

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Ideas 171

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Huge thank you to Steve De Long for the write up. So I was an Angel investor from 1994 to 1996. And that that cycle continues so as the early stage first time entrepreneurs get experience…” “They turn into the mentors for the next generation. Some Angel groups endorse it. Or, as always, summary notes available below.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

socalTECH

JULY 13, 2009

GRP has just recently closed on a new $200M fund, and Mark has been one of the more active venture capitalists in the Los Angeles area in recent months. We'll even write a half a million check. We've heard quite a bit about your mentoring efforts here, can you talk about that? That as unhealthy. That's what I'm hoping to do.

GRP Partners 157

GRP Partners Southern California Santa Barbara Rustic Canyon 157

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2010

Most schools also foster relationships with local executives whom they use to lecture in MBA courses, judge student business plans, and assign as mentors for spinoffs (I have done all of these). If you need experienced executives, the best professors and entrepreneurship staff will have the contacts you need into the local talent pool.

Help 94

Help Startup Mentor Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2021

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. Pitch your company, not your product.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Message delivery must be customized for each investor.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

In a collaborative effort, Ria Consulting, LLC and Los Angeles Net Developers Group are hosting this event on November 10th, 2012 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. Troy Miles , A designer and developer of software since 1979 writing games in assembly and C.

JavaScript 93

JavaScript Long Beach Java .Net 93

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

Bockerstette, Main Street Venture Fund Angel investing in most parts of the country remains a relatively informal and unstructured process. The depressed economy has dampened the angel community’s appetite, making the identification of the trophy investor more important than ever. For an angel investor, it’s a buyer’s market.

Entrepreneur 83

Entrepreneur Mentor Invest Angel 83

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2014

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. Pitch your company, not your product.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Startup Writing Slides 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Separately at this stage, you may look for small funding amounts from angel investors , called seed investments.

Startup 122

Startup Funding Organization Incubator 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2015

As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. Disciplining yourself to write down the plan is actually the best way to make sure you actually understand it yourself. Pitch your company, not your product.

Startup 104

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Slides 104

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Pipeline Fellowship teaches women to become angel investors and become a more powerful and helpful voice in the investment world. We like to give women a chance to see and learn all about investing and what it takes to become an angel investor. I’m passionate about women becoming angel investors.

Mentor 84

Mentor Invest Entrepreneur Startup 84

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

As a mentor to young aspiring entrepreneurs , I often get asked for tips on a strategy to get started. Don’t be shy about networking for advisors with business experience for coaching and mentoring. Write a business plan for your desired new business. The ability to pivot quickly is a key to success.

Startup 114

Startup Tips Coach Satisfaction 114

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

Amplify Mentor Panel in full swing. Amplify’s close mentoring is by design. Like good mentors Paul, Jeff, Richard, Oded and David as well as Chris and Kris create an atmosphere in which the motivated founders can take advantage of the knowledge base to which they are exposed. Setting up for Eric Garcetti.

Web Design 103

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 103

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2019

I have been writing a series on how startup boards get selected, who sits on them and what to avoid. Equally, put away your computer, your iPad or whatever other electronic device you use unless it’s 100% in note-taking mode and you’re using a stylus to write. The thing is?—?no You don’t have to have an opinion on every topic.

Startup 251

Startup Help Technical Review Writing 251

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Message delivery must be customized for each investor.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I tend to see many of the same obstacles appearing in every new startup, and since I don’t want to appear to be a downer , I’m not sure how to properly warn people ahead of time to be on the alert for these challenges. Keep control by writing every check personally, and manage receivable and payables tightly.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Customer 131

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

What Miigle does is make it easier for entrepreneurs to grow their ideas and startups by connecting them with people including other entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, potential product users who share their interests and want to help. I want to change that. Making these connections with the right audience is key to an entrepreneur’s success.

Startup 101

Startup Ideas Platform Entrepreneur 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Separately at this stage, you may look for small funding amounts from angel investors , called seed investments.

Funding 94

Funding Startup Organization Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Separately at this stage, you may look for small funding amounts from Angel investors , called seed investments.

Organization 93

Organization Startup Incubator Ideas 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 110

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 30, 2012

We write and create our own content for the game. Start Engine is a rapid accelerator focused on helping Los Angeles-based technology startups build a solid foundation for success in 90 days. We leverage our network in the Los Angeles community to provide members with access to potential employees, mentors and investors.

CalTech 91

CalTech Companies Company Idealab 91