Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Tracy DiNunzio isn’t your typical Silicon Valley startup founder. She did her first tech startup after the age of 30. And she didn’t start her company in Northern California. She leveraged herself and even sold many of her possessions to get started. She started her business from a personal need.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

Behind most great startup success stories is a long list of mistakes! Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. Every startup mentor has his favorite list of basic strategies to avoid pitfalls, and I’m no exception. So be alert and be flexible.

Mentor 100

Mentor Startup Social Network Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2010

By Jim Flowers A few months ago, Marty invited me to comment on business incubation and what a startup company ought to expect from an incubator. At VT KnowledgeWorks we screen prospective clients for their Market opportunity, for the Magic that they offer to their prospective customers, and for the Moxie displayed by the start-up team.

Incubator 80

Incubator Mentor Capital Startup 80

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 25, 2019

Of course, you can pick up the basic principles this way, but the problem is that the practical rules for success are changing so fast that no academic can keep up. From a practical standpoint, there are many ways to learn about business change, and the opportunities that may spring up at any moment.

Tips 122

Tips Startup Case Study Course 122

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2012

We’ve grown accustomed to a professionalism where we know when a work issue comes up we can count on each other for a quick Sunday call between family time. And that person has almost certainly chosen specifically to be a startup lawyer over serving other types of customers because he or she enjoys working with entrepreneurs.

Startup 363

Startup Venture Capital Coach Press 363

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

I made every textbook mistake at my first startup, which is why I believe I was much more effective at my second one. The following are some lessons I learned about early-stage startup marketing. I worked with an entrepreneur who was to appear at a startup networking event where he was to talk about his company’s plans.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2015

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Startup 108

Startup Social Network Mentor Entrepreneur 108

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. Successful startups are all about the right people with the right stuff. Investor and strategic partner pitch. Written business plan.

Entrepreneur 156

Entrepreneur Tips Funding Startup 156

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2015

If you are one of the many professionals still trapped between jobs by circumstances outside your control, or are about to dump the loser job you have now, you should be actively defining and starting your own business, in parallel with looking for that ideal job. Use social networking and blogging to get your message out.

Startup 101

Startup Social Network Activity Ideas 101

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2015

Of course, you can pick up the basic principles this way, but the problem is that the practical rules for success are changing so fast that no academic can keep up. From a practical standpoint, there are many ways to learn about business change, and the opportunities that may spring up at any moment.

Startup 103

Startup Case Study Entrepreneur Class 103

Xconomy

AUGUST 11, 2017

If you’re looking for a counterpoint to the recent flurry of news stories about sexual harassment and gender bias in the tech sector, the Kauffman Fellows program isn’t a bad place to start.

Mentor 76

Mentor Venture Capital Screening Education 76

socalTECH

AUGUST 23, 2013

For this afternoon''s Insights and Opinions section, we''re sharing a recent blog post from Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures. I have a saying that I employ as a powerful metaphor at every startup with whom I work - "beware of shiny new objects.". Yet sadly most startups have "shiny object" obsessions. The new thing. READ MORE>>.

Social Media 187

Social Media Mentor Writing Blogging 187

Berkonomics

MAY 23, 2019

I have a friend in the music business who worked hard to gain introductions to, and become mentored by, several known names in the business. One well known informal mentor called him the “Stevie Wonder of Hip Hop.” See “Manage Your Mantra” two weeks earlier in this blog.) Back your story up with a statistic if possible.

Mentor 120

Mentor Statistics Press Blogging 120

Xconomy

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

Former Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle is one of four agricultural technology veterans who have agreed to advise the startups taking root at Radicle, the San Diego-based accelerator focused on agricultural and food tech ventures.

Mentor 49

Mentor San Diego Startup Software 49

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

It really is possible for an introvert to succeed as an entrepreneur, even though you can’t expect to start and build a business alone. Asking someone to be your mentor is not a sign of weakness, and most mentors love to help. Turn existing connections into productive relationships.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Mentor Activity Startup 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

Online it may be time to take a formal position via blogs and interviews. I can attest that he was always seeking relationships with other more mature executives, and even today maintains a mentoring relationship with Warren Buffett. Be self-starting and tenacious on key challenges. Foster an image of open mind and learn mode.

Mentor 145

Mentor IBM IBM Social Media 145

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Yet it always amazes me that I can find two different startups, seemingly working on the same problem, with one having a burn rate several times higher than the other. They understand startup realities. Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young.

Search Engine Optimization 103

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2013

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.

Startup 100

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 100

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 16, 2013

Today’s startup innovators come from about six hours south of Silicon Valley. Fun Fact: One of the most prominent figures from their firm, Mark Suster t, runs a blog startups follow religiously. By bringing startup companies together with modern facilities and tools, Amplify LA is the engine that powers the cutting edge.

Startup 111

Startup Snapchat Venice Social Media 111

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Yet it always amazes me that I can find two different startups, seemingly working on the same problem, with one having a burn rate several times higher than the other. They understand startup realities. Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

I admit that I haven’t yet read it but I’ve had numerous discussions with Brad over the years about board structure & conduct and consider him a mentor on the topic. When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. As You Start to Mature.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2012

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Startup 97

Startup Tips Social Network Networking 97

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2015

One of the questions we discussed is, “How much capital should a startup raise?” In his words, [in some instances] “because lots of capital is available, the company takes on the capital and that ends up resulting in no constraints on decision making and so the company decides to do five things in stead of just one.”

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Writing Blogging 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Yet it always amazes me that I can find two different startups, seemingly working on the same problem, with one having a burn rate several times higher than the other. They understand startup realities. Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 108

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2013

My internal compass has always steered me strongly toward the belief that founders who can scale with their startup companies are better to back that founders who eventually need to hire a CEO. Very few founder CEOs go into the job ever expecting to give up their seat. So give up the CEO role? It’s your baby.

Startup 303

Startup Technical Review Product Blogging 303

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2020

Many of the entrepreneurs I advise or invest with spend considerable time on the Internet, keeping up with technology, customers, and competitors, but very few feel the need for an early personal presence. Every future entrepreneur should start by networking. Make your lifestyle a model of the online reputation you want.

Product 127

Product Entrepreneur Technical Advisors Technical Review 127

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

Southern California has had its share of new startup accelerators launch in the last few months, however, few people here have actually experienced an accelerator firsthand. Alex Benzer: I'm actually building two startups. SocialEngine is four years old, and that's the startup we applied to TechStars with.

Startup 242

Startup CTO Coach Blogging Social Media 242

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. What's your background, and how did you decide to start the company? We've gone through this before in startup companies and pushing things forward.

CTO Coach 223

CTO Coach Startup Mobile Artificial Inteligence 223

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2010

If you are one of the many people who lost your job during these tough economic times, you should be working on starting your own business, in parallel with looking for that ideal replacement job. You have probably secretly always wanted to run your own show, but with a full-time job, never had the time to consider a startup.

Startup 98

Startup Social Network Ideas Commerce 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2017

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Startup 75

Startup Social Network Networking Mentor 75

InfoChachkie

JUNE 17, 2014

John Greathouse: Let me start with an obvious question. It just takes me a few days to go through and drop all the dead weight and then start clean.". in this period, you started seeing a lot more ability to have active communities, more robust than the old bulletin board type communities. So I started sharing.

Activity 174

Activity Social Media Startup Mentor 174

Xconomy

AUGUST 7, 2019

The organization recently announced that SDSI’s next class of companies will be sponsored by Qualcomm Foundation, and will receive mentoring from experienced employees at the locally based tech giant. The partnership is intended to boost tech companies and companies founded by women in the.

San Diego 76

San Diego Class Mentor Activity 76

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2017

If you are one of the many professionals still trapped between jobs by circumstances outside your control, or are about to dump the loser job you have now, you should be actively defining and starting your own business, in parallel with looking for that ideal job. Use social networking and blogging to get your message out.

Help 56

Help Startup Social Network Activity 56

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2014

If you are one of the many people still searching for that job lost during or after the recent depression, or about to dump the loser of a job you have now, you should be working on starting your own business, in parallel with looking for that ideal job. Also, for most of us, not having done it before, we have no idea where or how to start.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Ideas 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2013

I hope all this seems obvious to you, but I still get a good number of notes from “entrepreneurs” who have been busy inventing things all their life, but can’t find a partner to start their first business, and others trying to find an executive, an investor, or a lawyer. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Social Network 108

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 2, 2011

It’s apropos because there is so much noise these days with email, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, web shows, etc. If I check Twitter it’s usually because I’m waiting for a meeting to start and I never write posts during the day. By having 5 or 6 blog posts with different points of view they could draw more inferences.

Email 287

Email Blogging Venture Capital Writing 287