Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2022

How many times have investors heard startups start their pitch by touting that their technology is “disruptive?” The concept of disruptive technology was first introduced by Clayton M. Unfortunately this “quickly” may be too slowly to save initial startups in the space. We don't quite get it. Repudiation.

Startup 89

Startup Technical Review Technology Social Media 89

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning. uBeam intends to charge your mobile phones at amazing speeds while you are simply using your phone or setting it down anywhere. The practical uses for uBeam technology is limitless.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

What's the best way to reach out and recruit diverse candidates for your technology company? we spoke with co-founder Chuka Ikokwu to learn more about the startup and how it's helping companies to recruit more diverse workers. is an HR tech platform that makes it very easy for companies to source diverse talent. is all about?

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Startup Platform Resource 140

socalTECH

AUGUST 15, 2014

Many online business today have a big problem: users are increasingly coming to their websites as mobile users, not desktop users, which means lower ad revenues and conversions. How do you make those mobile users just as profitable as desktop users? All of the sudden, there was a growth in users coming from mobile platforms.

Mobile 124

Mobile Web Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 124

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

I talk to roughly 2 or 3 new startups every week who need advice from an experienced CTO. Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. Do you have a Startup Founder Developer Gap ?

CTO Hire 264

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 264

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

I talk to roughly 2 or 3 new startups every week who need advice from an experienced CTO. Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. Do you have a Startup Founder Developer Gap ?

CTO Hire 259

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 259

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2013

LaunchpadLA Opens Up Spring Applications. In the latest roundup of fundings (big few weeks for San Diego, apparently): PatientSafe Solutions ($20M, San Diego, mobile health). In the latest roundup of fundings (big few weeks for San Diego, apparently): PatientSafe Solutions ($20M, San Diego, mobile health).

Southern California 168

Southern California Technical Review SoCal San Diego 168

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

Andrew & Petri posed a question to me, “If Walt Disney were starting his company today, what kind of company would he build? Andrew was SVP of Mobile at Fox Digital Entertainment which launched the very successful Simpsons online game (curse you for wasting tons of my kids free time!)

Funding 373

Funding Technical Review Startup Screening 373

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. When these do not line up in the decision-making cycle, consumers feel true psychological discomfort.

Customer 122

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2019

How many times have investors heard startups start their pitch by touting that their technology is “disruptive?” The concept of disruptive technology was first introduced by Clayton M. Unfortunately this “quickly” may be too slowly to save initial startups in the space. We don't quite get it. Repudiation.

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Technology Startup Social Media 87

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2022

For early-stage startups, the goodwill component can easily exceed the size of all the financial elements together, or can just as easily mark a company with good financials as not investable. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. People relationship focus.

Technical Review 129

Technical Review Funding Organization Coach 129

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2017

The insurance industry today is one of the last industries to fully jump into adopting technology for offering up their products, says Wayne Slavin , CEO and founder of SURE (www.sureapp.com), and just needs some help in getting there. It's not a disruption being caused by startups, it's a change in the evolution of this market.

Southern California 244

Southern California Technical Review Startup Commerce 244

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

It is also a result of pent-up demand. Consumer spending is 70% of the economy and will continue to be stretched – We can look all we want at tech innovation, VC funding cycles and hot M&A deals, but ultimately growth and therefore investment must be underpinned by revenue. See point 2 below.

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Startup Funding Technical Review 269

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Venture Capital is a tricky industry. If you’re funding the same stuff as everybody else and if you started your activities when the clues were obvious you’re much less likely to drive enormous returns. Periodically we do portfolio reviews to evaluate whether we have enough diversified risk across the fund.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 13, 2013

Our mobile phones are capable of doing almost anything these days. People can buy anything, look up news, watch videos, and the list goes on and on. App developers are coming up with new ideas daily to make our lives easier. TechZulu reaches out to Matt Lucido , founder of Porter, and discuss Porter, LA, and startups.

Technical Review 87

Technical Review Mobile Startup Los Angeles 87

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

When you first start your company and raise initial venture capital your board probably consists of 1-3 founders and 1-2 VCs. Most experienced VCs won’t push you to give up founder control at this stage of the business nor should they. Reviewing financial & operational performance. As You Start to Mature.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 13, 2016

View the Slideshow A little more than a year ago, amid a resurgence in San Diego’s software sector, Xconomy identified a baker’s dozen of local tech companies to watch in 2016. The idea was to feature early stage companies in the region that have not attracted much attention or raised a substantial amount of startup capital.

San Diego 40

San Diego Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Startup 40

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. I spoke to startup founders from new emerging locations across the globe. Startups previously needed a partner that was local.

Technical Review 40

Technical Review Startup Incubator Media 40

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

Xconomy

DECEMBER 6, 2018

Call them tech hubs or startup capitals, they are drawing in our nation’s venture capital dollars. In July 2018, my venture capital firm, Alumni Ventures Group (AVG), encountered an investment opportunity in RealSelf, a marketplace that features reviews of providers of medical aesthetics and cosmetic treatments.

Technical Review 97

Technical Review Venture Capital Software Review Platform 97

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

When the masses start all running one way without questioning “why?&# – and when it defies any logic I can figure out in my head – I call bullshit. They have marked-up paper gains propped up by an over excited venture capital market that has validated their investments. “ Question Authority.&#.

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

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. When these do not line up in the decision-making cycle, consumers feel true psychological discomfort.

Technical Review 55

Technical Review Technology Social Media Social Network 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 19, 2017

How many times have investors heard startups start their pitch by touting that their technology is “disruptive?” The concept of disruptive technology was first introduced by Clayton M. Unfortunately this “quickly” may be too slowly to save initial startups in the space. We don't quite get it. Repudiation.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Technology Startup Social Media 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2020

For early-stage startups, the goodwill component can easily exceed the size of all the financial elements together, or can just as easily mark a company with good financials as not investable. For startups, the entrepreneur and founder is almost always the face of the company. People relationship focus.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Organization Coach Invest 124

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

Last week, Santa Monica-based Tecca (www.tecca.com) launched a consumer electronics, consumer information service, backed by Fuse Capital and Best Buy. The service--currently only available on iPhone and Android--allows users to find reviews and information about consumer electronics products. What was behind that decision?

Incubator 239

Incubator Startup Web Technical Review 239

Xconomy

MARCH 20, 2018

Mythic , which last year unveiled its novel computer chip designed for artificial intelligence, announced today that it has raised $40 million in a Series B fundraising round led by the venture capital arm of Japanese telecom and tech giant SoftBank.

Artificial Inteligence 77

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Venture Capital Software Review 77

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

“We are in a different age now where technology is so important and I wanted to be connected with people along the way.” Despite every challenge he had to face he was determined to see his stunt through the end and not give up. And when Matt asked his friends around the country for support people took action.

Startup 104

Startup Technical Review Search Engine Optimization Los Angeles 104

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

socalTECH

DECEMBER 28, 2012

For the last week of the year, we're featuring the thoughts and reflections of some of the movers and shakers of Southern California's high tech community. We asked the same four questions of a variety of top technology entrepreneurs, investors, and others, to hear what they're thinking about, and are sharing it here over the next week.

Southern California 215

Southern California Technical Review High Tech Venice 215

socalTECH

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Irvine-based YouMail , the venture- and angel-backed startup providing an enhanced voicemail service, has just been dropped from the Android market, in a major challenge for the company. YouMail is venture backed by VantagePoint Capital Partners, Siemer Ventures, the Tech Coast Angels, and CrunchFund. READ MORE>>.

Tech Coast Angels 140

Tech Coast Angels Marketing Technical Review Blogging 140

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2015

Startups in a world of massive markets can be confusing. The law of large numbers, platforms that can make your company blow up unexpectedly and the trendy nature of tech markets can be deceiving. Will we win the battle for share-of-mind every time they pick up their phone or log into their computers?”

Product 150

Product Startup Metrics Technical Review 150

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2013

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. When these do not line up in the decision-making cycle, consumers feel true psychological discomfort.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Startup Social Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2019

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. When these do not line up in the decision-making cycle, consumers feel true psychological discomfort.

Customer 85

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 85

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 12, 2010

I used to work for Andersen Consulting (for > 8 years) – mostly building computer systems for large companies in the fixed telecoms, mobile and Internet sectors. On every project in which we worked it was clear that there was corporate knowledge built up around the organization. until the technology matures?&#.

Help 288

Help Startup Venture Capital Framework 288

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Mobile first is becoming an important part of our daily lives. We interact with the world through our mobile devices, and they are quickly becoming our main vehicles for accessing and sharing information. Hence the emergence of Source13, a new mobile conference produced by Flurry. How do you discover the right people to follow?

Mobile 71

Mobile Technical Review Platform Startup 71

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 29, 2010

At the highest level we’re looking for somebody really intelligent, digitally native, financially numerate and interested in startups. If this isn’t you, we’d probably still have a look if you did something truly exception – probably at startup or tech firm. Are we elitist? It was nearly identical.

Venture Capital 290

Venture Capital Technical Review GRP Partners Email 290

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2010

Our guest this week on #TWiVC was Dana Settle , partner at Greycroft Partners , a venture capital firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. It’s always fun debating companies with Dana because she’s always so knowledgeable on deals – particularly those in the digital media, ad-tech and eCommerce spaces. OTHER DEALS: 1.

Venture Capital 240

Venture Capital Startup Platform Technical Review 240