Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2010

For the first 5 years of my career I was a “bottom up&# thinker and worker. I know it might sound a bit esoteric so let me explain: I started my career as a programmer. I started by doing billing systems. This is bottom-up planning. He coached me that I had to start with the answers.

Entrepreneur

SoCal CTO

MARCH 4, 2010

I’ve worked with 30+ early-stage companies in all sorts of capacities (and spoken to many, many more), so I thought it might be worthwhile trying to classify the various ways that I’ve engaged in different technology roles in startups. Later he posted about his experience in Challenges of Startups.

Technical Review

Berkonomics

AUGUST 17, 2023

Preparing for the game… If you have been following our recent insights, you’ll be up to speed knowing that professional investors negotiate tough terms, from provisions of control over asset acquisition, eventual sale of the company, future investments, forced co-sale when others attempt to sell their shares and more. Trust works both ways.

Invest

Berkonomics

APRIL 24, 2014

Accelerators are organizations that selectively accept entrepreneurs into a program of intense coaching in a physical environment sponsored by the accelerator that also provides seed funds for the startup to begin its business. Are you a candidate for an accelerator?

Coach

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 4, 2014

Yesterday I wrote a post about “ the politics of startups ” in which I asserted that all companies have politics, which in its purest sense is just about understanding human psychology. A co-founder who started by working hard but gets sucked into the tech party circuit and has more interest in socialize than building cool s**t.

Startup

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2016

After a decade on the job I’ve started to speak more openly when newer industry colleagues now ask me what I’ve learned. We then help surround founders with other talent who want to join important causes but don’t have the startup idea themselves. It’s the executives who trust you to join the early-stage startups you’ve funded.

Venture Capital

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 22, 2011

His willingness to add value wherever his coach needed him most, not only helped his teams win three consecutive World Championships, but it also allowed Bert to extend his career by making himself Indispensible. By subsuming multiple responsibilities under one individual, a startup can invest more of its cash into furthering its mission.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2022

Instead of sizing up new opportunities and actively courting every new customer, you start worrying about cutting costs, repeatable processes , and overtaking known competitors. As a consultant, I hate to see you lose that startup focus on innovation, change, and customers. Limit resources to be applied to optimizing processes.

Startup

Berkonomics

JUNE 29, 2017

If you have been following our recent insights, you’ll be up to speed knowing that professional investors negotiate tough terms, from provisions of control over asset acquisition, eventual sale of the company, future investments, forced co-sale when others attempt to sell their shares and more. Trust works both ways.

Invest

Tech.Co

JUNE 29, 2021

You know what a startup is, right? Or at least you have an idea of what a startup is like to work in? That is, of course, until the small, ambitious startup is acquired by a larger, more traditional company in its sector, or the small startup goes public with angry shareholders and regulators asking difficult questions.

Startup

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

If there happens to be a gas station along the way where you can fill up for a reasonable price, great. In 2000, at Expertcity (creator of GoToMyPC and GoToMeeting, acquired by Citrix), we raised $30 million at an $80 million pre-money valuation – for a startup with absolutely zero revenue. However, do not count on it.

Startup

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

Having time to think about “leadership” at most startups feels like a luxury. The reality of most startups is about survival. If people don’t know the mission there is no way to achieve the objective and you end up with a team pulling in 100 different directions – even if only by small amounts.

Startup

InfoChachkie

JULY 2, 2012

Managerial Oversight And Performance Matter At A Startup. In contrast, Lex Sisney, author of Organizational Physics: The Science of Growing a Business , CEO Coach and Co-founder of Commission Junction has had success compartmentalizing such difficult high-performers.

Startup

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

Fortunately, the Startup of the Year program aims to make it easier for founders to connect with resources. In 2006, a passion to help startups grew into Tech Cocktail , a company whose mission was to showcased burgeoning companies in bars around the country. BlackTech Week (Miami, FL). The Case Foundation (Washington, DC).

Startup

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

The Founder Institute (www.founderinstitute.com), an entrepreneurial training program that originally launched by Adeo Ressi in Silicon Valley, recently announced that it is setting up shop in Southern California, with branches both in San Diego and Los Angeles. Ken Rutkowski is the man making happen here. As President of the L.A.

Mentor

SoCal Tech Calendar

JANUARY 16, 2010

AccessEN will host an interactive discussion on the topic of values-based balance led by Kimberly Roush, founder and CEO of All-Star Coaching, at its monthly forum. who will address the possible challenges of attracting the right talent and customers faced by a start-up company constrained by limited resources.

Coach

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

This is an updated post from my ongoing series on Startup Advice that I learned from founding two companies. . It is never as rewarding when you’re the coach (but coaching has many other benefits. I came several times to NorCal (where I grew up, actually) and went and met several partners from each Silicon Valley firm.

Outsource Development

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2020

If you start with a distorted or biased view of what your company needs, no execution is likely to achieve the results that win. Also, if you are not totally committed in spirit, as well as resources, to a strategic change, it probably won’t happen. It’s up to you to align their hearts and minds on winning.

Coach

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2022

In my view, too many businesses fail, simply because founders give up too early. Starting many initiatives, and hoping that one will stick, is not a formula for success. Recognize limited resources. Having an unlimited number of ideas is not a substitute. Show a focus on a single objective, rather than many.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2013

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I just saw today, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2010

Women entrepreneurs are starting small businesses at approximately twice the national average for all startups. As a result, there have also been many new resources popping up specifically aimed at women. These can also provide coaching, marketing, and other important resources. Utilize online support sites.

Entrepreneur

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2020

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is. The wealth of online education offerings is a great start, but is not enough.

Entrepreneur

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

In reality, business success and satisfaction is about doing the right things at the right time, which requires leadership and coaching. But coaching doesn’t always work the way you expect. Trevor is a veteran coach who has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs, organizations, and business families across the country.

Coach

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2020

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2020

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. Training and coaching. People are your best innovation resource.

Coach

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2013

Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. A mentor’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. The mentor helps the entrepreneur fill an experience gap, and a coach helps fill a skill gap.

Mentor

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

Nearly every startup I have spoken to over the years – including some where I’m a co-investor – talks positively about the support they’ve gotten from A16Z. Other firms like Google bring massive resources to design or engineering and as as corporate VC can offer things normal VC firms can’t offer.

Venture Capital

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2022

In my experience as a business advisor, most organizations, large and small, struggle to keep up with the pace of change and competitive forces today. A question I often get is how to transform that overall team into a smooth-running machine that will keep up with the pace of market change, and competition in today’s world.

Competition

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

You can have the best technology, but if customers don’t know you exist, or they don’t know how your technology solves a real problem for them, your startup will fail. In fact, this article was driven by a startup press release I saw a while back, highlighting a startup’s “geo-fencing technology” as a new basis for discount coupons.

Marketing

socalTECH

AUGUST 2, 2018

According to the Dodgers, E|L1 was founded by former Seattle Mariners Prospect, Aaron Trolia, and will focus on youth sports, and providing professional instruction and resources for existing youth teams, athletes and their coaches. The venture is supported by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Nomar Garciaparra and Elysian Park Ventures.

Los Angeles

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2012

Also don’t confuse a business mentor with a business coach. A mentor’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. The mentor helps the entrepreneur fill an experience gap, and a coach helps fill a skill gap.

Mentor

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2023

As a startup advisor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. Startups which display real innovation, such as alternative energy sources and new medical treatments, are still rare. Training and coaching. People are your best innovation resource.

Coach

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

We thought we''d catch up with Hamet to learn about his new position over at Upfront, and what he''s working on--plus how entrepreneurs ought to understand that success is not a straight line. How''d you end up joining Upfront Ventures? As a venture capitalist, are you seeing any of the capital issues for startups we are hearing about?

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2021

They are quick to claim the credit for things in their domain that work, but also quick to disclaim responsibility for problems that keep popping up. Perhaps you need to do more to be a role model for accountability , and provide more coaching on exactly what it means. Follow up with credit to others and lessons learned.

Training

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2023

It seems like every entrepreneur I meet these days is quick to proclaim themselves a visionary, expecting that will give more credibility to their startup idea, and improve their odds with investors. In reality, I’m one of the majority of investors who believe that startup success is more about the execution than the idea.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2010

The simplest way to start is to identify channel partners (also known as distributors) to handle your business in specific and well-defined geographic regions. You may want to give a channel partners a head start of a certain time period. Tags: startup global channel strategy business. Evolve the channel strategy as you grow.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2022

In my many years of experience in large businesses as well as startups, a key lesson I have learned is that personal leadership is most often the differentiator between success and mediocrity or failure. He speaks from his own many years as an entrepreneur, executive coach, and keynote speaker. You need to be one of those leaders.

Resource