Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. But being best-in-class at online marketing is also a sine qua non to standout from your peer group. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. Underbelly.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2010

I hear many executives and professionals in large corporations talking about their dream of jumping ship, and becoming an entrepreneur. Executives in an enterprise usually don’t write their own memos, contracts, and certainly don’t schedule their own meetings. Training courses are available. There is a difference.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Company Companies Training 92

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

The poor performance of the asset class (this analysis has largely been wrong as I pointed out here –> most analyses were clumsy rear-view mirror looks at the data). Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.” On the surface the narratives have been.

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 27, 2011

Oh, and if you didn’t guess, the title, “if you don’t have a discrete hypothesis you are incapable of failing” is, of course, an Eric Ries quote. 3:35 The real entrepreneurs come out during a down economy. 19:30 A teachable moment for entrepreneurs: HAVE A HYPOTHESIS! There are many in this episode.

Social Media 301

Social Media Startup Metrics Media 301

Tech.Co

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

The integration of massively open online courses (MOOCs) makes strategic sense, which is likely why LinkedIn acquired Lynda for $1.5 Indeed, whether you’re a producer, screenwriter, director, actor, cinematographer, editor, art director or composer (or some combination of these) Stage 32 offers classes to meet your specific needs.

Education 82

Education Entertainment Class Manhattan Beach 82

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Of course it is super helpful if a VC can drop you in to important people for business development, recruiting, PR, sales and eventually M&A. Neither class of people should give up easily. Most VCs are book smart.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2011

This is a blog post I really didn’t want to write. I didn’t want to write it because I have mixed feelings about AngelList. I didn’t want to write it because the bloggosphere doesn’t always do nuance well. So why I am writing it then? But it +is+ an anti-entrepreneur stance.&# A few reasons.

Venture Capital 267

Venture Capital Writing Blogging Startup 267

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 21, 2017

I was influenced heavily before my career even began because in my undergraduate work I took a ton of statistics classes that showed how easily we human brains fall prey to easy biases and slights of data and try to draw conclusions that don’t exist. Coming back with an empty chamber for the third battle is much worse than not coming back.

Venture Capital 182

Venture Capital Statistics Writing Report 182

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2011

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

Course 91

Course Writing Social Network Ideas 91

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

A critical stage for most first-time entrepreneurs is getting their idea developed into at least a prototype to validate their technology. Another alternative is to find an inexpensive class on grant writing. The best entrepreneurs I know don’t let initial funding constraints discourage them from starting.

Funding 90

Funding Technical Review Startup Research 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2015

Of course, nothing is really free in the business world. Here is my summary of some major considerations that every entrepreneur needs to evaluate against the cost and effort to attract equity investors: Completing a grant application is real work. Otherwise find an inexpensive class on grant writing.

Pricing 100

Pricing Equity Technical Review Research 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2012

I recommend that you start by writing down the attributes you would want people to think about when they think about your brand. World-class education including Caltech, USC and UCLA. And of course a place of idyllic weather, culture and a lifestyle. ” And of course it’s not a true assessment.

Startup 304

Startup Venture Capital Los Angeles Woodland Hills 304

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 21, 2014

You join teams that got good write-ups on TechCrunch, have great VCs, have star CEO’s, whatever. Writing a book will be fun. I started working with David when I was an entrepreneur and he was an associate with a VC firmed called … wait for it … GRP Partners (now Upfront Ventures)! You REALLY know.

CTO Hire 320

CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach Venture Capital 320

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 27, 2010

In my bones I’m convinced that entrepreneurs are more nature than nurture although I know both are involved. I wasn’t going to write about it since he had just covered the topic and echoed my point of view. I have recently written extensively on what I believe the 12 characteristics of an entrepreneur are.

Startup 289

Startup Statistics Entrepreneur Study 289

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2013

And of course we talked about many of my views of building startups. I spoke a lot about the need for “personal branding” which I plan to write about soon. My mom was an entrepreneur – she was kind of my inspiration for entrepreneurship. Then everyone just started calling me a serial entrepreneur.

Startup 337

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Venture Capital 337

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2012

Executives in an enterprise usually don’t write their own memos, contracts, and certainly don’t schedule their own meetings. The result is a startup with an exorbitant burn rate, and a very unhappy entrepreneur. Training courses are required. So if you really want to be an entrepreneur, there is no time like the present.

Startup 93

Startup Company Companies Training 93

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 24, 2017

I’m sure that every one of us who has been out in the business world for a few years can look back with perfect hindsight and name a few college courses that we should have taken. But on the business side, here is my list of useful courses that we wish existed, but as far as I know, still aren’t generally available: Basic Office Politics.

Training 57

Training Course Email Social Network 57

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2011

Executives in an enterprise usually don’t write their own memos, contracts, and certainly don’t schedule their own meetings. The result is a startup with an exorbitant burn rate, and a very unhappy entrepreneur. Training courses are required. So if you really want to be an entrepreneur, there is no time like the present.

Startup 103

Startup Training Course Entrepreneur 103

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 14, 2014

Of course that website isn’t completely up to date but it’s a great resource for seeing the overall picture. Of course unsolicited spam has very low open rates and is filtered by the major providers. The three largest webmail services had over 1 billion global users at the end of 2011. 94% of all online adults use email.

Email 339

Email SaaS Venture Capital Google 339

InfoChachkie

JUNE 16, 2016

Entrepreneurs create their own jobs, why shouldn’t they also create their own degrees? As described in Should Millennial Entrepreneurs Skip College? most young entrepreneurs benefit greatly from the college experience. Like a sheepeople, I dutifully signed up for the required classes. Custom Wharton Degree.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Class Course Writing 100

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 16, 2013

A class we produce here at General Assembly called “Intro to the LA Startup Community” , has turned into a series, each time presented by a different prominent person in the startup ecosystem providing a unique perspective on the tech scene in LA. Sam taught a second rendition of the class in February and over 700 people signed up.

Rustic Canyon 74

Rustic Canyon Startup Los Angeles Class 74

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2011

Journalists write stories that have an appeal to readers whether the accusations have merit or not. The most tempting thing for inexperienced entrepreneurs to do is to attack the press. I was recently talking with an entrepreneur who had just gotten a ton of press around his company for an interview he gave to a journalist.

Startup 329

Startup Press Training Media 329

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 15, 2016

They offer classes in personal responsibility and accountability, they teach men to forgive themselves and to forgive the people who perpetrated them as children because they all grew up surrounded by bad influences. You get in a line with executives on one side and EITs (entrepreneurs in training) on the other. They wanted to learn.

Writing 150

Writing Startup Design Training 150

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

If you look at what you go through, starting high school, and maybe even middle or grade school, you go through your educational life managing courses, relationships with your teachers, and relationships with your parents. It's started with managing courses and grades, on to a whole array of other services.

Education 124

Education Startup Course Tool 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2017

Leaders in an enterprise soon forget how to write contracts, manage cash flow, or even how to schedule their own time and events. They assume that every business role comes with health insurance, a subsidized retirement plan, and maybe a company car or first-class travel. Rely on training courses and coaching for new roles.

Company 58

Company Companies Startup Training 58

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 10, 2010

They can travel the world, take classes in interesting subjects, spend time with loved ones or start new hobbies. Of course when they get there those individuals are no longer young and after years of mental and physical atrophy they lack the ambitions to get these things done. And, of course, now Twitter.

Startup 295

Startup Email Technical Review Course 295

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 18, 2010

I’m a pretty natural public speaker so I can write my presentation the day before and do just fine. I has been asked to do the keynote speech at a dinner that night but of course hadn’t written a speech in advance. I thought through the steps: Get a class of interesting companies. I hear it all the time.

Slides 374

Slides Email Entrepreneur Startup 374

InfoChachkie

APRIL 3, 2012

They profess to be entrepreneurs, but are they actually Wantrepreneurs? A Wantrepreneur is a well-intentioned person who wants to be an entrepreneur, but does not have the skills, personality and or risk profile to be successful. They smile, they laugh on cue and they have a rehearsed response for every conventional interview question.

Entrepreneur 219

Entrepreneur Startup Equity Journal 219

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2010

The company provides SAT, ACT, and other similar test preparation courses and related software. The reason we were able to offer our course at that price point, and why we have our scholarship policy, is because our internal systems allow us to run the business very efficiently, and consistently, with a minimum number of internal staff.

Software Review 178

Software Review Technical Review Education Startup 178

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2013

This started as a post in which I was going to write out tips to personal branding and became in stead an essay of my own branding journey. I, of course, knew nothing about business. What was nice was that I got to take some of my practical skills from consulting and apply them into class discussions with operational leaders.

Technical Advisors 385

Technical Advisors Marketing Startup Venture Capital 385

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

In writing anything positive about any of the companies I’m not suggesting that it means that I prefer them to any of their competitors. Also, some of the deals I write about I have actually seen as part of their fund raising process. entrepreneur Wil Schroter (I am an angel investor in Affordit). Really!).

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 3, 2011

I’m often asked the question about why there aren’t more women who are entrepreneurs. The truth is I have been thinking a lot about the topic, I just haven’t been writing about it. My inspiration to become an entrepreneur came from my mom, not my dad. I love my dad equally, of course. Every single one.

Entrepreneur 341

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Startup Blogging 341

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2010

The VC’s & executives were then asked to make “commitments&# (in writing) to 3-5 of the companies that they felt they could make some sort of contribution to. It was a great chance for the class to interact with the community in LA. And of course we had, TheMan. Now begins the 6-month journey.

Company 276

Company Companies Startup Southern California 276

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

He writes with a great perspective and is well worth reading. I took an advanced computer course in high school where I learned to build databases in Ashton Tate’s dBase III+ and to compile my designs using a product called Clipper. But there are plenty of partners and successful entrepreneurs who don’t have MBAs.

Startup 337

Startup Venture Capital Study Course 337

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

I finally got around to writing it having read Fred Wilson’s post about what a CEO does. Some entrepreneurs make the mistake of never devolving power. Naturally the countries reacted negatively to reporting to a centralized figure in the UK (and of course to no longer reporting to the CEO).

Venture Capital 319

Venture Capital Startup Sales Customer 319

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2009

Hint: He was an entrepreneur. A Writer Is Someone Who Writes. A writer is someone who writes, not someone who goes about telling their friends that they are “a writer”. The same is true of entrepreneurs. These would-be entrepreneurs are best classified as Wantrepreneurs, as discussed in Entrepreneurial Enterviewing.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Ideas Writing Startup 153

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 25, 2014

Recruiting – One of the hardest tasks of any startups is recruiting world-class talent. It is possible, of course, to recruit great people as an underground startup but it is 10x easier when qualified candidates whom you may not even know read about your company and are excited by your vision. Ironic, of course.

Press 415

Press Google Course Writing 415