Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. How much goodwill can you and your company command today?

Technical Review 129

Technical Review Funding Organization Coach 129

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 23, 2021

Gates’ call is being met by startups and public companies hailing from everywhere from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv, London to Los Angeles, and Berkeley to… um… Chicago. The company aims to have its first product approved by European regulators by 2023 and notching commercial sales by 2025.

Chief Technology Officer 261

Chief Technology Officer Technical Review Software Review Product 261

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2017

So how did a company that provides storage grow so fast (we’ll exit 2017 with 10’s of millions in recurring revenue), why is it so defensible and is it really a tech startup? If you buy that Amazon is a tech startup then essentially you’ve already answered the question. We’ve been delighted with 8VC as a co-investor.

Technical Review 268

Technical Review Funding Software Review Artificial Inteligence 268

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

But what IS the right amount of burn for a company? Burn rate in case you don’t know is the amount of money a company is either spending (gross) or losing (net) per month. (it it is also the title of a fabulous book from Internet 1.0 I often see companies burning $100,000 per month (net) looking to raise $6-8 million.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2022

He found that the return was far greater than the cost of donated shoes, and his team became intensely loyal, due to the opportunity to travel and deliver shoes in other countries. These authors reference real cases and real business leaders, based on their decades of experience in building companies and executive coaching.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Coach Mentor Custom 143

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2022

In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. There are other chasms out there just as deadly as the technology one, such as the ones below: Market requirements chasm. Product development chasm. Marketing and sales chasm.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 150

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2014

It’s the company that evokes fear into more startups and venture capitalists looking to fund eCommerce businesses than any other potential competitor. They did customer pickups, the drove vans to storage facilities, the deal with booking and customer support issues – everything. And could we then compete?”

Technical Review 380

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire Startup 380

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

Even if you have booked an hour with a VC, you should plan to talk only for the first fifteen minutes. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Equally bad is a full tutorial on your new disruptive technology. Skip the acronyms, history of the company, and the colorful autobiography.

Slides 147

Slides Funding Technical Review Startup 147

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 9, 2019

With a standard tech startup I can tell you in my sleep that your two biggest cost items by a long shot are people (between 60–75% of total costs) and space (10–20% of total costs). The only other significant cost item that I see in some early-stage startups is inventory (for hardware or eCommerce companies).

Product 214

Product Software Review Technical Review Startup 214

socalTECH

DECEMBER 17, 2018

Richard Wolpert is a well known investor in the Los Angeles technology community, through his own fund, Chance Technologies; as a Venture Partner at Amplify.LA and Venture Advisor at Accel Partners; and has a long history in the tech community, having been Chief Strategy Officer at RealNetworks and President of Disney Online.

Startup 147

Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur Software Review 147

Berkonomics

JUNE 26, 2014

Angel investors, particularly those in organized angel groups, are typically former entrepreneurs who have had successful liquidity events in their pasts, or executives of companies who’ve retired with the funds from their stock options. Order all 3 Berkonomics books for $49.95,a a 33% discount. www.berkus.com.

Angel 191

Angel Technical Review Coach Entrepreneur 191

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

As I was reminded again by the classic book from Dennis Perkins, “ Leading at the Edge ,” this isn’t a new concept. When McDonald’s was still a small company, Ray Kroc, the CEO, had a penchant for asking a store manager to help him clean up trash in their parking lot. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team.

Technical Review 107

Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur Examples 107

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2022

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. The result is that over 60% of online shoppers are brand loyal due to other online satisfaction data.

Custom 122

Custom Customer Social Media Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 4, 2023

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. I found some help in catching up via a classic book “ Sell Local, Think Global ,” by marketing message expert Olga Mizrahi. Understand the power of online reviews to your advantage. Stop fearing bad reviews, and see any review as an opportunity and an asset.

Marketing 107

Marketing Technical Review Startup Innocal 107

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

James (chairman of the Althea Foundation) and appointed Adam Sroka as Senior Vice President of Technology in a move to make business transactions simple and secure. . Jackson , “This financing round, coupled with hiring Adam Sroka as our head of technology, puts CapLinked in a position to further enhance our enterprise product offerings.”.

Technical Review 88

Technical Review Software Review Bertelsmann Technology 88

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In a larger public company, it’s all about making your quarterly numbers, versus investing in strategic growth alternatives that may not pay off until several quarters later. In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges. Cote, former Chairman and CEO of Honeywell.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to a recent Forbes article , UC Santa Barbara''s Technology Management Program offers students a superior startup education over the University of Pennsylvania (home of Wharton), as well Harvard, Northwestern and even its acclaimed southern neighbor, the University of Southern California. Want to be an entrepreneur? Techpreneurs.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2022

I see a good discussion of the relevant strengths and issues in a new book, “ The Unfair Advantage ,” by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba. These authors speak from their own wealth of experience in creating and growing technology startups, marketing, and fundraising. Intelligence and insight: book and street smarts.

Help 130

Help Mentor Paramount Technical Review 130

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2020

The world of marketing is changing faster than technology these days. I found some help in catching up via a classic book “ Sell Local, Think Global ,” by marketing message expert Olga Mizrahi. Understand the power of online reviews to your advantage. Stop fearing bad reviews, and see any review as an opportunity and an asset.

Mobile 173

Mobile Marketing Technical Review Startup 173

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

I just finished a new book for entrepreneurs, “ Secrets to a Successful Startup ,” by Trevor Blake, which makes the same points, based on his own real-life experience with three successful startups. Direct customer-facing non-technical roles should be the last ones outsourced. Outsourcing can give your startup a more mature image.

Outsource 123

Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

This was certainly the case when I invested in a small YouTube video production company called Maker Studios that recently sold to Disney for just shy of $1 billion. Periodically we do portfolio reviews to evaluate whether we have enough diversified risk across the fund. We look at stage, geography and of course sector. 6SensorLabs.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

The key elements of leadership in a company, both individual and organizational, are less tangible, but very critical in setting a market value for investment, acquisition, or going public. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. How much goodwill can you and your company command today?

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Organization Coach Invest 124

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2016

140,000 new startup companies are reportedly launched every day. While the epicenter of tech innovation is undeniably Silicon Valley, a tide of new hubs emerging across the globe are gaining recognition. SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia has great tech talent, but restrictive government regulations. Our key markets are the U.S.

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Startup Incubator Media 40

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

When should you start a company? What company should you start? When should you join a company? Anyone who has worked in a large company further knows that timing a product launch or a new marketing strategy has more to do with internal politics than reading market forces. When should a VC invest?

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

As a potential investor, I always think of the high rate of failure of disruptive technologies, due to the longer learning curve of customers, infrastructure change consistently required, and higher marketing costs. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by an initial innovation that has served your company well so far.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Metrics Resource Software Review 101

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2022

Customers today extrapolate their relationships not only from personal contact, but from every aspect of their interface with your company, including web site and social media interactions, access to peer reviews, as well as the actual services experience. Infusing technology within the customer experience. Marty Zwilling.

Social Media 98

Social Media Technical Review Media Services 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2022

Have you noticed that more companies beg you to participate in their business today? It started with an email survey on your last stay at their hotel, but now includes requests for online product reviews, to social media input on the design of future products. They do it because engaged customers become loyal advocates and buyers.

Custom 107

Custom Customer Technical Review Social Media 107

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2022

Most business mentors tell me that the single biggest problem they have to deal with in small companies is the lack of open, honest, and effective communication, both from the top down and from the bottom up. Technical semantics and jargon. Some entrepreneurs forget that talking is not communicating. Information withheld.

Technical Review 137

Technical Review Entrepreneur Guide Mentor 137

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

Guy’s latest book, Enchantment , was released in March of 2011, to overwhelmingly upbeat reviews. Of the 225 customer reviews currently posted on Amazon, over 90% are highly positive. I enjoyed the book as well, as evidenced by the review I wrote at the time of its release, which you can read HERE.

Santa Barbara 262

Santa Barbara Technical Review Social Media Startup 262

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2017

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. The result is that over 60% of online shoppers are brand loyal due to other online satisfaction data.

Technical Review 55

Technical Review Technology Social Media Social Network 55

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2022

Big company powerhouses, like IBM and Xerox, took fifty years to make the cycle, but new companies today, in the age of the Internet, often make the cycle in five to ten years, or even less. In the classic book, “ Fish Can’t See Water ,” Kai Hammerich and Richard D. Consider MySpace and Webvan. Product-line expansion.

Startup 142

Startup Web 2.0 IBM IBM 142

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2023

This is counter to the traditional business premise of “control,” so many companies are still pushing back. Charlene Li, in her classic book “ Open Leadership ,” shows leaders how to tap into the power of the social technology revolution and use social media to be “open” while still maintaining control.

Social Media 112

Social Media Media Software Review Social Network 112

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

I also enjoyed the classic book, “ 63 Innovation Nuggets for Aspiring Innovators ,” by George E. Barbee, based on his 45-year career and work as an innovation guru with several Fortune 100 companies and the Darden School of Business. Real innovation only happens in entrepreneurial organizations.

Organization 94

Organization Ideas Technical Review Research 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2017

What every investor, and every customer, is looking for is a company where everyone is focused on the same objectives, the same values, and the same customer needs I just saw some real insights on this challenge in a new book, “ Total Alignment: Tools and Tactics for Streamlining Your Organization ,” by Riaz and Linda Khadem.

Company 54

Company Companies Technical Review Coach 54

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 6, 2013

” The local kennels were full as many people had pre-booked for vacations. Companies like DogVacay solve a real need in the market. They can read reviews, see pictures and even talk to the family before confirming. ” Booked it. I told her the story of Aaron, the company, the reviews, etc.

Venture Capital 344

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review San Diego 344

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2020

As I was reminded again by the classic book from Dennis Perkins, “ Leading at the Edge ,” this isn’t a new concept. When McDonald’s was still a small company, Ray Kroc, the CEO, had a penchant for asking a store manager to help him clean up trash in their parking lot. When it’s time for due diligence, we will talk to your team.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur Examples 123

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. What are the biggest areas of technical risk?

CTO Coach 231

CTO Coach CTO Hire Outsource Development Develop 231