Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2022

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Most investors admit that they invest primarily in people, not ideas, and they inherently believe that they can sense this leadership ability needed to get the rapid growth and 10x return we all strive for.

Coach 114

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 114

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. An entrepreneur looking for a sure thing will never innovate. Creating intellectual property, including patents, is the key to long-term value and a sustainable competitive advantage. Training and coaching.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2018

The most successful entrepreneurs and business owners I know are humble, and they don’t have an inflated sense of self. The only “sustainable competitive advantage” in business is self-awareness. I come from the same world, with an additional decade advising entrepreneurs, and I enthusiastically confirm his view.

Competition 81

Competition Startup Examples Coach 81

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2021

It takes much the same preparation to make you the best entrepreneur, or the best job candidate. Here are some tips from both his perspective and mine to stave off the coming summer “brain drain” and focus on the next step of employment, or starting a whole new career as an entrepreneur: Create and control your Internet image.

Startup 168

Startup Tips Coach Networking 168

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Email readers, continue here…] Bootstrapping: This term describes your ability to start a business with little investment and grow it using internally-generated funds. And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs and team members to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. That’s why investors say they invest in people, not ideas.

Mentor 91

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 91

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2013

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Most investors admit that they invest primarily in people, not ideas, and they inherently believe that they can sense this leadership ability needed to get the rapid growth and 10x return we all strive for.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Coach Framework Tool 101

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2019

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Most investors admit that they invest primarily in people, not ideas, and they inherently believe that they can sense this leadership ability needed to get the rapid growth and 10x return we all strive for.

Coach 96

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2023

Any startup coach or business advisor will tell you that, on your way to being a great chef, you don't start your journey by inventing the ultimate entre. All the investment money in the world won’t make your company succeed, if you have the wrong team. investors invest in people, not ideas) Effective and timely go-to-market.

Startup 112

Startup Metrics Coach Marketing 112

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

Investors are very focused on diligence, on business models that make sense, and those companies that have a definite competitive advantage and defensibility to what they're doing. Mike Napoli: Actually, we are seeing entrepreneurs. Mike Napoli: I think it was the entrepreneur.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs and team members to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. That’s why investors say they invest in people, not ideas.

Mentor 135

Mentor Competition Summary Activity 135

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. BlackTech Week was created in 2014, and in four short years, they’ve gained over 2700 participants, 150 speakers, and 3 pitch competitions. The Case Foundation invests in people and ideas that can change the world. BlackTech Week (Miami, FL).

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2022

He speaks from his own many years as an entrepreneur, executive coach, and keynote speaker. Think of it as an investment, rather than an obligation. All great business organization are internally competitive, and thrive on recognition. You must be intentional and pay focus to even the smallest details.

Resource 114

Resource Coach Startup Training 114

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2016

Any startup coach or business advisor will tell you that, on your way to being a great chef, you don't start your journey by inventing the ultimate entre. All the investment money in the world won’t make your company succeed, if you have the wrong team. investors invest in people, not ideas) Effective and timely go-to-market.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 93

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2018

Editor's note: All this week, and into the start of next year, we'll be featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. Anna Barber is the Managing Director at Techstars LA where she invests in B2B and B2C early stage startups. Find her @annawbarber.

Startup 124

Startup Press Commerce Southern California 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 9, 2023

For example, if you are an entrepreneur seeking investment or a cofounder, there is no substitute for networking at industry and startup conferences in your area. Effective networking can also lead you to great coaches and mentors, as well as business and customer connections.

Networking 104

Networking Mentor Conference Summary 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

I find that the most successful entrepreneurs have mastered the art and skill of building and managing relationships. In my role as a mentor to business professionals and entrepreneurs over the years, I have found that it’s important to take a hard look at the relationships around you on a regular basis. A good coach is not a critic.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2015

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Most investors admit that they invest primarily in people, not ideas, and they inherently believe that they can sense this leadership ability needed to get the rapid growth and 10x return we all strive for.

Product 103

Product Coach Framework Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2017

Great entrepreneurs are not just idea people and then managers, they are extraordinary leaders. Most investors admit that they invest primarily in people, not ideas, and they inherently believe that they can sense this leadership ability needed to get the rapid growth and 10x return we all strive for.

Coach 64

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 64

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

Every investment so far in this YC batch (and there have been a lot) has been done on a convertible note.&#. I’ve written about the topic of convertible debt at length before specifically about how angels & entrepreneurs should think about pricing. Clearly this is is a trend and a topic that is interesting entrepreneurs.

Equity 319

Equity Pricing Venture Capital Entrepreneur 319

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

How many times have you heard or suspected that a certain entrepreneur was just lucky? Without fully discounting that random good things sometimes happen, I’m a firm believer that great entrepreneurs make their own luck. Helpers may be cheaper and quicker to find, but they cost you dearly in managing, coaching and error recovery.

Startup 96

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Social Media 96

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2017

Most entrepreneurs relish being their own boss, but find the transition to “ownership thinking” to be more difficult than anticipated. Incidentally, if you never thought of yourself as being an A-Player employee, you probably will struggle even more in the competitive entrepreneur world.

Entrepreneur 54

Entrepreneur Custom Customer Competition 54

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

While firms define platforms differently, let’s just say they are the services that a VC offers outside of investment capital and partner time on boards or providing intros. As a starting point you have to realize that investment firms (which a VC is) have management needs.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Platform Startup Resource 150

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

It’s insanely competitive to get into our industry so most have degrees from institutions like Stanford, Harvard, Wharton and University of Chicago (blatant plug ;-). VCs should be more of a coach than proscriptively telling you what to do. I think of VCs as coaches. VCs, how to select a VC, etc.) Most VCs are book smart.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2013

It takes much the same preparation to make you the best entrepreneur, or the best job candidate. Here are some tips from both his perspective and mine to stave off the coming summer “brain drain” and focus on the next step of employment, or starting a whole new career as an entrepreneur: Create and control your Internet image.

Startup 89

Startup Coach Entrepreneur Networking 89

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2013

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours at the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs, and all team members, to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. That’s why investors say they invest in people, not ideas.

Startup 99

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Competition 99

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I’m super excited to announce that GRP Partners led the investment in Ethan Anderson’s new company MyTime (link has LA-based merchants but will give you a good feel for the product). I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. In the same year they won Business Insider’s Startup competition.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire GRP Partners 359

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2016

Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. It behooves all entrepreneurs and team members to recognize the positives and negatives of each type of relationship. That’s why investors say they invest in people, not ideas.

Mentor 70

Mentor Competition Entrepreneur Summary 70

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

Men have dominated the world of investment. There were only 22% women who invested in 2012. Natalia Oberti Noguera is on a mission to help change the demographic of investment with her Pipeline Fellowship. TechZulu speaks with Natalia about Pipeline Foundation and her goals to change the face of business and investment.

Mentor 84

Mentor Invest Entrepreneur Startup 84

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2011

It takes much the same preparation to make you the best entrepreneur, or the best job candidate. Here are some tips from his perspective and mine to stave off the summer “brain drain” and focus on the next step of employment or starting a whole new career as an entrepreneur: Create and control your Internet image. According to Ford R.

Startup 94

Startup Coach Entrepreneur Networking 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2019

As an advisor to entrepreneurs for many years, I strongly disagree, and still see the value of at least combining intuition with logical analysis, as we face customers and markets driven by relationships, emotions, and unpredictable social trends. For example, say “Oh, there’s my inner critic again!”

Examples 81

Examples Tool Statistics Tips 81

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 28, 2012

I have seen some entrepreneurs go into first meetings willing to share almost anything about their company. I’ve seen this back fire on entrepreneurs who say things like, “Well, we’re not talking financials with investors yet.”. It’s easier when you have traction and a competitive process for your funding is likely.

Technical Review 316

Technical Review Venture Capital Customer Custom 316

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 2, 2017

You can find a mentor, a coach, a project, or experience, to help you prepare for the role you are looking for. We were originally operating as a coaching company, and we built out this assessment technology for our own clients. Anne Fulton: I've always been an organizational psychologist crossed with a serial entrepreneur.

Help 100

Help Southern California Startup Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2010

Myers, a noted career coach, and author of “ Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring ,” many job seekers and career changers make the mistake of halting all their efforts during the summer, believing that nobody will be hiring until early fall. Invest in career coaching. Tags: entrepreneur startup business.

Tips 93

Tips Startup Coach Entrepreneur 93

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 29, 2017

Most business leaders today realize that smart management of scarce resources is the key to competitive success. Many venture firms go even further, by insisting on investing their own key players in an interesting startup, before they commit any funds. Time investment standards fall directly on the CEO.

Product 58

Product Startup Guide Framework 58

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

By going on sales calls you pick up directly the feedback of what customers want and also what they’re telling you about competition. It’s why when I’m evaluating an investment I often ask the CEO lots of detailed questions about all parts of their business. Attention to detail matters. Skipping is insidious.

Startup 308

Startup CTO Coach Technical Review CTO Hire 308

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

But I would posit that in order to sustainably build great products in an intensely competitive industry with skills shortages – people management is one of the most critical soft skills organizations need. If you give up after this you’re not an entrepreneur. I see it all the time.

Startup 340

Startup Technical Review Course Press 340