Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2011

Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. Friends tell you what you want to hear.

Mentor 98

Mentor Coach Ideas Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2012

I’m a big fan of mentoring in business, and have been at different times on both the contributing and receiving end of the process. These days, I seem to often hear from entrepreneurs who are struggling to find a mentor, or complaining about their lack of effectiveness. When you meet with a mentor, you should lead the discussion.

Mentor 94

Mentor Coach Entrepreneur Press 94

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2019

Image via Pixabay I’ve always been a bit confused about the difference in a business context between a coach and a mentor. According to many pundits , a mentor shows you the right way based on experience, while a coach brings out the best in you, then let’s you find your own way. Reinforce a “team-first” mindset.

Coach 87

Coach Mentor Examples Satisfaction 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2019

Every entrepreneur and business person I know wishes he had more time for coaching all the members of his team. I often hear the excuse that coaching takes more time than simply diving in and doing the job for the other person, but is that really true? Exceptional communication is a prerequisite to coaching.

Coach 91

Coach Course Mentor Examples 91

socalTECH

AUGUST 10, 2012

Southern California has the one of the largest gathering of organized angel investment groups, and a huge crop of startup accelerators: there's only one problem, which is they don't naturally work together. As a Pasadena Angel, I wanted to be shocked, but I wasnt. The Angel funding process can be arduous.

Angel 174

Angel Southern California Pasadena Angels Coach 174

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

That has allowed us to be more focused earlier with these companies, and we can come to a decision much sooner to go ahead or not go ahead with an investment. Even just five years ago, we probably wouldn't have talked to, mentored, or coached them--we might have sent them to an organization like TriTech and told them to come back later.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

To give visibility to these companies to: Sources of funding (angels / VCs), business development partners, mentors who have themselves built successful companies, the press and potential employees to hire. One senior mentor to Launchpad LA recently said, “I got more out of Launchpad LA than I even put in.

Venture Capital 287

Venture Capital Funding Startup GRP Partners 287

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2017

As a long-time mentor and business advisor, I find it ironic that many look only to friends for advice. They forget that friends tell you what you want to hear, while good mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you probably don’t need the mentor anymore, but you always need the friend.

Mentor 72

Mentor Coach Help Ideas 72

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

What they need now is some coaching from more experienced business leaders, to catch up and overcome some unique qualms and challenges. As a partially-retired baby-boomer in business, I’ve spent much of the last few years mentoring aspiring millennial entrepreneurs, and I’m always looking for more insights into how to help them.

Tips 127

Tips Mentor Coach Guide 127

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Based on my experience as a business advisor, I recommend that every business owner and entrepreneur focus on the following tips to provide a better work culture: Invest in integrating new technology, not just forcing it. Spend more time mentoring and coaching your team. Giving orders and assignments is not coaching.

Tips 159

Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

The basic components are obvious: talented founders, great engineers, angel money, venture capital, access to larger corporates (for business, funding & talent), great education / research (for IP breakthroughs) and a sufficient ecosystem of mentors, advisors, executive coaches and mavens. We have invested $17.3

Startup 390

Startup Venture Capital Capital Funding 390

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. Let me not bury the lede. The company was called Red Beacon.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

TechCrunch LA

JULY 15, 2019

AllBright , the London-based women’s membership club backed by private real estate investment firm Cain International , has raised $18.8 The largest club, in Mayfair, has five floors and boasts more than 12,000 square feet and features rooftop terraces, a dedicated space for coaching and mentoring, a small restaurant and a bar.

West Hollywood 139

West Hollywood Networking Entertainment Coach 139

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

What they need now is some coaching from more experienced business leaders, to catch up and overcome some unique qualms and challenges. As a partially-retired baby-boomer in business, I’ve spent much of the last few years mentoring aspiring millennial entrepreneurs, and I’m always looking for more insights into how to help them.

Mentor 134

Mentor Coach Guide Startup 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2018

What they need now is some coaching from more experienced business leaders, to catch up and overcome some unique qualms and challenges. As a partially-retired baby-boomer in business, I’ve spent much of the last few years mentoring aspiring millennial entrepreneurs, and I’m always looking for more insights into how to help them.

Mentor 60

Mentor Coach Guide Startup 60

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2010

Mentors tell you what you need to hear. When the message is the same from both, you don’t need the mentor anymore. In that sense, you should think of a mentor more like your advisor who has done all he can. Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. Friends tell you what you want to hear.

Mentor 49

Mentor Coach Entrepreneur Ideas 49

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2014

In that sense, you should think of an advisor more like your mentor who has done all he can. Also dont confuse a business advisor with a business coach. An advisors aim is to teach you what to do and how, in specific situations, unlike a coach who helps you develop your generic skills for deciding what to do and how.

Mentor 104

Mentor Coach Tips Entrepreneur 104

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 22, 2009

Please don’t also confuse this with whether a VC should invest in a CEO who’s done it before – that’s a given. And you can always bring on a senior person as a mentor / coach to help guide you personally to become a better sales leader until you’re ready for somebody more senior on your team.

Startup 327

Startup Sales Class CIO 327

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 12, 2012

Board skills (Startup coaching, mentoring, strategy, operational/growth). However, the relative value of such experience diminishes considerably as the investment domain diverges from the investor’s area of operational expertise. Similarly, a former CEO of a Big Dumb Company might be ill suited to invest in lean startups.

Venture Capital 239

Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur SaaS 239

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2019

We continue to have a steady stream of industry and thought leaders raising their hands to be mentors for our upcoming cohorts. Matt is also an executive coach and partner at Evolution Services (link: [link] a high growth executive coaching and consulting firm based in Los Angeles, Silicon Valley and New York.

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 157

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

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. But, like most other skills, you can learn from these priorities: Everyone benefits from active mentoring. A good coach is not a critic.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 6, 2014

I admit that I haven’t yet read it but I’ve had numerous discussions with Brad over the years about board structure & conduct and consider him a mentor on the topic. As we have invested millions in building out our sales organization efficiency really matters. In the Early Days. How to build a great forecast.

Startup 325

Startup Sales Technical Review Software Review 325

Berkonomics

MAY 26, 2016

My own version is “Hire smart and hire right, and you’ll be a mentor rather than a boss.” Invest in training, and save on managing. Instead of spending a lot of time managing them, invest a little quality time in coaching them. .” Of course, in practice it’s not that easy.

Training 136

Training Coach Mentor Course 136

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high. Office politics are really about self-interest and self-esteem.

Training 142

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 142

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2022

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. Works with other team members on mutual aspirations (coach metaphor).

Coach 114

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 114

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2020

    We became the largest accelerator in Southern California with 80 investments in over 30 countries globally. We now invest in more companies, include better trainers and involve 3 times more investors in the demo days. it's hard to describe just how good our investment, growth, operations and outreach team is.

Southern California 113

Southern California Technical Review Santa Monica Invest 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2015

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. Works with other team members on mutual aspirations (coach metaphor).

Product 103

Product Coach Framework Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2013

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. Works with other team members on mutual aspirations (coach metaphor).

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Coach Framework Tool 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2019

In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Investments and acquisitions fail. Demand for coaching, counseling, and discipline training is high. Office politics are really about self-interest and self-esteem.

Training 123

Training Coach Startup Entrepreneur 123

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2022

Many of you business leaders I work with, and entrepreneurs I mentor, have a great strategy and an innovative solution , but struggle with building and motivating the team necessary to run your business. Spend time coaching and mentoring team members. In my experience, what a team needs more is your connection and inspiration.

Mentor 108

Mentor Social Media Coach Custom 108

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

AUGUST 17, 2019

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. Works with other team members on mutual aspirations (coach metaphor).

Coach 96

Coach Framework Entrepreneur Tool 96

InfoChachkie

MAY 12, 2016

If you are a recent college graduate, mentor college students. Get A Coach. Like athletes, entrepreneurs benefit greatly from a coach, in the form of a caring mentor. As described in You’re Never Too Old (or Successful) For A Mentor , the time you invest in cultivating a mentor relationship is time well spent.

Companies 80

Companies Company Startup Mentor 80

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

Bockerstette, Main Street Venture Fund Angel investing in most parts of the country remains a relatively informal and unstructured process. Professional angel investing takes time, knowledge, skills and resources. Professional angel investing takes time, knowledge, skills and resources.

Entrepreneur 83

Entrepreneur Mentor Invest Angel 83

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2013

The best time to address expected norms is before hiring, and mentoring with one-on-one conversations must supplement rulebooks. Initiative is all about the discipline of investing now – putting in the effort, sacrificing, doing more than the minimum, rather than waiting for the world to change (“Pay now, play later”).

Startup 106

Startup Guide Mentor Organization 106

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2022

One of the attributes that I often recommend to the business professionals and entrepreneurs I mentor is to always be totally accountable for your actions and ideas. Be available for mentoring and coaching to others. It also means investing in relationship and trust building so they support you in a time of your need.

Activity 109

Activity Organization Mentor Training 109

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

Perks include office space, prototype lab, production facilities, mentoring, and investments up to $150,000 in the first 4 months. Up to $150,000 in investments per startup. One-on-one mentoring and coaching with 50+ mentors. Key benefits: 100% hardware-focused four month program.

Startup 40

Startup Invest Chatsworth Mentor 40