Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

Every entrepreneur I know is dismayed by the number of friends who approach them with a line such as “I have an even better idea that will change the world, and one of these days I’m going to get around to starting my own business.” Focus” is the key to success as an entrepreneur. Irrational fear of failure or embarrassment.

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JUNE 5, 2013

There''s been a constant drumbeat from both local entrepreneurs and investors on the lack of venture capital sources in Southern California. So, anytime a new, Southern California venture capital investor show ups, technology entrepreneurs usually flock to their doorstep. READ MORE>>.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Access to intellectual property and current research.

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DECEMBER 23, 2019

Every year, at the end of the year, we share some reflections on the past year from our readers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, sponsors, and others in the local technology community. This was the cumulation of several years as an entrepreneur based in Pasadena growing clean energy technology companies.

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DECEMBER 23, 2020

Here, we have Greg Martin, Founder and Managing Partner of Archer Venture Capital (www.archervc.com). 2020 was a crash course in leadership and we saw many great entrepreneurs step up and rise to the challenge. What are you most looking forward to in the technology/startup world in 2021? Contact our editors for details.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2022

In my experience as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs in business, one of the biggest failures I see is a lack of self-leadership. For example, I often hear from aspiring entrepreneurs that “I had that idea first, and he stole it, and is now making money on my idea.” Build positive psychological capital to sustain your business.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 18, 2022

Here are some key insights that I and others have collected for mature company leaders, as well as serial entrepreneurs. New technologies and the power of the Internet can change things almost overnight, so do your homework from scratch on every initiative. Capitalize on a continuing market demand trend.

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OCTOBER 11, 2018

Los Angeles-based Moonshots Capital , the venture capital investment firm led by Kelly Perdew and Craig Cummings, has raised its first official fund, a $19M seed stage venture fund. Moonshots said the new fund will focus on seed stage deals, holding reserve capital for follow-on pro rata. READ MORE>>.

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DECEMBER 23, 2020

Today, we have Aaron Fyke , Founder and Managing Partner of Thin Line Capital (www.thinlinecapital.com). Thin Line Capital successfully reached the final close of its first fund. I have been able to work closer with my entrepreneurs, as well as closer with other incubators and accelerators than would have been the case.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2022

As a business advisor and technologist, I often think about the large array of opportunities for entrepreneurs as technology seems to be evolving faster and faster. Yet from time to time, I try to step back and look for some of the most promising and exciting technologies that I see coming down the pike. Execution won’t be easy.

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

Irvine-based Cie Digital Labs (CDL) said this week that it has named Jim Davis as the company's new Entrepreneur in Residence. Davis previously served at at eBay and Pepsi, and is Managing Partner at early stage venture capital investor Rezven Partners. READ MORE>>.

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TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Leonardo DiCaprio is making a significant commitment to the Los Angeles-based investment firm, Struck Capital , as part of the actor’s commitment to building LA into a tech development powerhouse. In addition to his commitment to the fund, DiCaprio will be making co-investments alongside the Struck Capital team.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

The rate of new entrepreneurs increased between 2013 and 2021, from 280 to 360 out of 100,000 of the adult population. Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

Even though I love technology, I always cringe when an entrepreneur starts his investor pitch to me by touting his new technology. They have forgotten that new technologies are perceived by most customers as causing more pain than the problems they eliminate. Quantify the pain points. Keep it simple and easy to use.

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DECEMBER 23, 2019

Every year, at the end of the year, we share some reflections on the past year from our readers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, sponsors, and others in the local technology community. Today, we share the thoughts of Kelly Perdew , the founder and Managing Director of Moonshots Capital (www.moonshotscapital.com).

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

A continuing question I hear from young entrepreneurs is whether a university degree is important to startup success, or just a distraction in achieving their purpose in the world. Both provide entrepreneurial “head start” programs for aspiring entrepreneurs, free legal guidance, and access to experienced staff members.

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JUNE 29, 2017

Investment interests: Consumer Internet, eCommerce, enterprise software, cloud computing, financial technology, advertising technology. Managing Directors: Jeff Stibel, Kobe Bryant Investment interests: Focus on the convergence of technology, media and data (TMD), as well as in industries such as sports and wellness. Section 32.

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OCTOBER 22, 2020

Earlier this week, Good Growth Capital (www.goodgrowthvc.com) announced it has started looking at investments in Southern California, adding Krisztina Holly as West Coast Venture Partner for the firm. Krisztina Holly: We are an early stage fund, known for our ability to discovery and cultivate very complex science and technology deals.

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DECEMBER 31, 2018

Editor's note: As we head into the new year, we've been featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. Here's Marc Averitt of Okapi Venture Capital (www.okapivc.com). You'll be able to browse all of those contributions here.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2021

Some people even believe that entrepreneurs must be born with the right genes, and no element of education is relevant. In my view, the most effective entrepreneurs are those with a background of an array of real-life experiences, both positive and negative, as well as good academic and coaching activities.

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NOVEMBER 11, 2016

Our interview this morning is with Kelly Perdew of Moonshots Capital , a Los Angeles based investment firm that makes seed stage investments in early stage companies�and in particular, for this Veterans Day, in companies founded by military veterans. What qualities in those military veterans do you think make a good entrepreneur?

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MAY 2, 2014

In a bid to boost the Los Angeles economy and create new jobs in the city, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday that he has created a new "Entrepreneur-in-Residence" program, which will help the city in developing initiatives and policies aimed at growing, assisting and sustaining entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. READ MORE>>.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2014

It may not be as sexy, but starting a new business that builds on an existing technology or business model is usually less risky than introducing that ultimate new disruptive technology. There is always time later for your next startup, using that disruptive technology of your dreams.

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DECEMBER 31, 2018

Editor's note: As we head into the new year, we've been featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. This morning's reflections are from Kelly Perdew , managing general partner of at Moonshots Capital (www.moonshotscapital.com).

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OCTOBER 11, 2018

This morning, Moonshots Capital (www.moonshotscapital.com), led by Kelly Perdew and Craig Cummings , announced its first formal fund, a $19M seed stage fund. What we would do, is we would round up ten other angel investors, get $25,000 from each of them, and then roll up our sleeves and help that entrepreneur find venture capital.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” If you have the urge to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to think seriously about each of these, before you zero-in on one or two, and get totally discouraged if those don’t work for you.

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DECEMBER 12, 2013

Santa Monica-based online car buying technology provider TrueCar said this morning that it has raised $30M in a new round of funding, from Vulcan Capital, the venture funding arm of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. truecar venture capital vulcan auto buying executive' READ MORE>>.

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SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

San Diego-based Deckard Technologies , a new startup founded by serial entrepreneur Neil Senturia, said on Monday that it has raised $4M in funding and launched a new company focused on using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify property tax scofflaws. The company said its latest funding was worth $500,000.

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JANUARY 22, 2019

This morning's interview is with Kevin O'Connor , a longtime investor and serial entrepreneur, who is now running venture capital investment firm ScOp Venture Capital. Congrats on the new name for your venture capital firm. It's always hard with venture capital. Tell us a little bit about the firm?

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JANUARY 2, 2020

Every year, at the end of the year, we share some reflections on the past year from our readers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, sponsors, and others in the local technology community. Today, we share the thoughts of Peter Cowen , Managing Director of Sutton Capital Partners (www.suttoncapitalpartners.com).

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OCTOBER 9, 2019

There's a new opportunity in clean technology investments, according to venture capitalist Aaron Fyke , the head of a new, Pasadena-based venture capital investment fund, Thin Line Capital (www.thinlinecapital.com). I'm also interested in technology companies, in data analytics, and low CAPEX hardware.

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FEBRUARY 5, 2019

Santa Monica-based venture investor March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com) announced last week that it has raised a second fund, worth $300M. To learn about the new fund, we sat down with Jamie Montgomery , one of the fund's co-founders, to hear about March Capital's strategy and the new fund. We started March Capital in late 2013.

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DECEMBER 28, 2017

During the holiday season, our tradition over the last few years has been to post reflections on the past year and some predictions from Southern California's "movers and shakers" in the technology industry. This morning, we have a contribution from investor and investment banker Peter Cowen of Sutton Capital Partners.

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TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 22, 2018

In an attempt to boost diversity and inclusion efforts and civic engagement between the growing technology industry in Los Angeles and the community that surrounds it, over 80 venture capitalists and entrepreneurs joined the city’s mayor, Eric Garcetti, and the non-profit Annenberg Foundation to announce PledgeLA. The landmark.

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InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

MBA’s are an easy target for entrepreneurs’ scorn. I too have taken shots at MBA’s, describing why they are not typically well suited for startup life in Why Entrepreneurs Hate (Most) MBAs. Situationally, MBA’s Can Be Effective Entrepreneurs. It’s not that MBAs categorically make poor entrepreneurs. “When M.B.A.’s

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

The world around us is being disrupted by the acceleration of technology into more industries and more consumer applications. Technology solutions are now used by authoritarians to monitor and control populations, to stymie an individual company’s economic prospects or to foment chaos through demagoguery. Of course we can’t.

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SoCal Tech Calendar

NOVEMBER 11, 2016

Saturday, November 12, 2016 -- Entrepreneurs in a Biotech Moment. Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum. Encouraging the growth and success of technology-based entrepreneurial ventures in Southern California. See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/entrepreneurs-in-a-biotech-moment-tickets-28263542015.

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