TechCrunch LA

JULY 19, 2022

Josh Kaplan and Dee Murthy, both founder and co-CEO of the Los Angeles–based company, started Ghost in 2021 after previously working together at Four Five Group, a men’s apparel business. million in new funding for its predictive inventory recommendation platform, joining other similar companies, including Zippedi and Inventa.

Product 191

Product Funding Technical Review Equity 191

Eric Greenspan

APRIL 25, 2015

In 1995 I started my first company and bought a fleet of 3 Volkswagen Beetles. In 2000 I sold company 1, including the 3 VWs. The buyer hired me to run company 2. In 2001 I sold my interest in company 2 and started company 3. The relationship and company grew and became something I was truly proud of.

Company 100

Company Companies Writing Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2022

Usually that means writing something down, since it’s hard to maintain something, or track yourself against it, if it’s not written down. Do you believe that you have an idea for a company that you can implement better than anyone, and maintain a competitive advantage? Money should not be the big driver here. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 115

Startup Resource Training Ideas 115

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

I don’t run one of the world’s largest companies but I can tell you for free that even I get some crazy physical mails because knowing one’s corporate address is quite easy. I know it may feel this way since I’m writing this tongue in cheek. It’s not under the definition of crazy per Adam’s op-ed. I’m not an elitist a **e.

Email 250

Email Writing Conference Mobile 250

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 4, 2016

I try to steer entrepreneurs away from over-introducers and I often find myself wanting to be careful about them becoming an investor in companies I back. A person at a board meeting starts listing all the people they know at companies a, b and c. That’s why focus is critical. It starts seemingly innocent enough.

Innocal 255

Innocal Conference Help Study 255

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

The first check I wrote was just over 10 years ago into a company called Invoca who just announced a new $56 million in funding led by Scott Hilleboe at HIG Growth Partners. Ownership Matters At Upfront we focus our energy on fewer companies where we take meaningful ownership and we continue to invest throughout the lifecycle of the company.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Dress to fit into the company culture, no more, no less. Speak to people, rather than write a document every time you want a change. Scheduling of a meeting at the end of the next week definitely tags you as a consultant whose focus is elsewhere. Share the everyday life of the startup team you are working with. Produce results.

Startup 150

Startup Slides Email Customer 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2022

People judge you and your company in the first few seconds. A crisis is an event, precipitated by a specific incident, that attracts critical media attention and lasts for a definite period of time. Even the most experienced executives write down what they need to say, and practice for every event.

Media 118

Media Tips Social Media Startup 118

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

Few of your contacts will be willing to use their valuable social or political capital helping you with a sales effort, and you will definitely strain your relationship with the intermediary if not a close friend. Do you have any contacts or friends within the target company? LinkedIn might be good as a start, but beware.

Ideas 120

Ideas Sales Competition Venture Capital 120

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

Lower costs to start a business (95% reduction), many more companies created & funded by angels / seed. Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.” Thus the amount of money that companies have raised before going public had doubled since the Great Recession.

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

Today Upfront Ventures is announcing that we’ve backed Rebecca Kantar ’s startup Imbellus , a company designed to assess human potential and ultimately change the way we teach children. How does one come up with the right idea to start a company? We led a $4 million investment along with Thrive Capital, GLG and Sound Ventures.

Design 150

Design Ideas Startup Writing 150

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

When should you start a company? What company should you start? When should you join a company? Anyone who has worked in a large company further knows that timing a product launch or a new marketing strategy has more to do with internal politics than reading market forces. When should a VC invest?

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 2, 2014

As the capital needed to start a small business continues to fall, the number of software companies being started is exploding. There’s a lot of uncertainty in startup companies. Now, you’re handling payroll and doing writing as well. You may even discover that you enjoy writing more than crunching numbers.

Startup 102

Startup Social Media Writing Google 102

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 6, 2018

It definitely has a “d” in it, as in it’s really not fun, raising. Let’s say you have built a SaaS company where a large part of the early revenue comes from a few big customers or a large part of the revenue is services based vs. software based. Fund raising. Let me give you an example. What to do about that chip on your shoulder ?

Funding 236

Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 236

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

Today we’re in a world where 10 accelerators are bombarding you with emails to meet their 10-15 companies. Of course these are great places to network with other investors, meet great entrepreneurs and keep your connections strong with senior execs at larger companies like Yahoo!, They worry too much about missing out on a deal.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2020

I’m not suggesting that you abandon traditional advertising and image building efforts, but definitely it’s time to supplement them to address the following changes that I recommend: Meeting next generation expectations is key to survival. Pushing yourself on customers by touting features and price doesn’t work anymore.

Customer 133

Customer Custom Social Media Startup 133

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Once people who do not know you and have no vested interest in your company's success begin expending their time, money and resources to leverage your value proposition, you are gaining traction. In some industries, lengthy pilot tests are required before an enterprise customer will sign a definitive purchase order.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital RSS Customer Custom 265

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

2 preamble issues having read the comments on TC today: 1: I know that the prices of startup companies is much great in Silicon Valley than in smaller towns / less tech focused areas in the US and the US prices higher than many foreign markets. There is an inherent value that any company has. I acknowledged this in the article.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2019

Minnie Ingersoll: A few things, but most recently I started by own company, in 2013. We write checks from $500K to a million dollars, and we like to fund engineers turned entrepreneurs. We aren't just technology, exclusively, but we're definitely on that side of it. What were you doing before joining TenOneTen?

Southern California 133

Southern California Startup Layoffs Venture Capital 133

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Usually that means writing something down, since it’s hard to maintain something, or track yourself against it, if it’s not written down. Do you believe that you have an idea for a company that you can implement better than anyone, and maintain a competitive advantage? Money should not be the big driver here. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 94

Startup Resource Training Ideas 94

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

But Jason is one of the smartest thinkers in our industry so while style points in his eye-poking post might be low, he’s definitely scratching at something important. If you know, VCs end up writing sizable checks into their own funds, which is important in better aligning interests. million round I might write $1.8 – 2.2

Venture Capital 356

Venture Capital Invest Course Technical Review 356

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 2, 2015

I even wrote about my experiences attending Web Summit , something I rarely ever write about. I offered a term sheet to a company I met at Collision – the event Paddy’s runs in Las Vegas. His company had recently moved from Germany to the US. But if you want a great trip to Dublin then you should definitely go!

Web 150

Web Conference Technical Review Class 150

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 4, 2009

This hot list is based on various social signals of what people are writing about, reading, bookmarking, searching, etc. But, in running it now for the second half of January, the keyword that popped to the top was: Layoffs And this is definitely a sign of the times. You can go to the Hot List post to see what was hot then.

Layoffs 159

Layoffs Woodland Hills Southern California Orange County 159

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 20, 2013

So I thought I’d write a piece on how not to suck when you give a presentation. Don’t confuse this with a tour-de-force education on the finer details of how your company operations. Don’t write sentences on them – only key words to help you remember what you’re going to say. Show some energy!

Slides 399

Slides Startup Conference Writing 399

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2014

I know that finding time is hard, and good writing is simply not what most people do. More and more, employees work for people they respect, rather than companies. Of course, ultimately you want employees who can blog for you and your company as well. Take the initiative to put yourself out there. Cultivate early customers.

Startup 101

Startup Blogging Writing Google 101

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2013

This is sad, since “how to write a business plan” is a frequent topic found in every business journal, and a common title in the business section of every book store. What is the definition of a good business plan? Forcing yourself to write down a plan is actually the only way to make sure you actually understand it yourself.

Sample 92

Sample Writing Startup Summary 92

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Open your pitch by grabbing the investor's attention with a statement or question that piques their interest, then hit the following key bases: Definition of customer problem, followed by your solution. The best way to do this is to highlight a recent similar company payback to investors, via going public or acquisition exit.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

InfoChachkie

APRIL 16, 2012

No matter how much you think you know about Steve’s lean startup philosophy, Eric Ries’ contributions to the movement, or the methodologies by which companies have put lean startup tenets into practice, I am confident you will be enlightened and entertained by Steve’s frank and insightful remarks. . If you find one, you become a company.

Startup 229

Startup Class Press Custom Development 229

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

about their marathon 4-hour sessions to get to zero inbox or somebody else claiming email bankruptcy ( definition if you don’t know it already ). So I ask you – if you’re being reactive to somebody else’s emails are you really being as productive in your company as you could be? Nobody really enjoys it.

Email 314

Email Product Startup Writing 314

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 21, 2012

This is sad, since “how to write a business plan” is a frequent topic found in every business journal, and a common title in the business section of every book store. What is the definition of a good business plan? Forcing yourself to write down a plan is actually the only way to make sure you actually understand it yourself.

Sample 96

Sample Writing Summary Startup 96

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2013

I know that finding time is hard, and good writing is simply not what most people do. More and more, employees work for people they respect, rather than companies. Of course, ultimately you want employees who can blog for you and your company as well. Take the initiative to put yourself out there. Cultivate early customers.

Blogging 104

Blogging Product Startup Writing 104

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

One of the interesting things about being a VC is that you often see companies in transition. If you’re an early investor like I am that often means writing the first $2-3 million check into a business that previously had either survived on fumes or on a $500,000 angel round. Act your stage. Other B-round scaling issues?

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 3, 2010

See definition: ad hominem. I CERTAINLY opened myself up to attack by writing my original blog post about job hoppers with some incendiary language and tone. Overwhelmingly people were harsh but avoided obscenities even when they made personal attacks on me. This is what many of the comments descended into. Ad hominem.

News 258

News Tips Blogging Writing 258

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

We’ve all been on boards with super senior investors or executives from companies who don’t read the materials in advance or are on their phones so they miss the tenor of the conversation. and actually write it down so they see it) The ADD Director ?—?This it’s your job as CEO to stop it. The distracted, senior person” ?—?We’ve

Startup 173

Startup Help Writing Product 173

Tech.Co

MARCH 9, 2020

As a manager or project leader, it can be hard to keep track of whether or not your remote workers are actually working without installing a 24/7 video feed in your employees' living room – and you definitely shouldn't do that. But if you follow a few best practices, you should be able to keep you and your company safe.

Tips 160

Tips Software Review Study Email 160

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2019

People judge you and your company in the first few seconds. A crisis is an event, precipitated by a specific incident, that attracts critical media attention and lasts for a definite period of time. Even the most experienced executives write down what they need to say, and practice for every event.

Press 96

Press Entrepreneur Social Media Training 96

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

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. What are related products/companies? will definitely be handled. Do I have to write up the overview? Who's the customer?

CTO Hire 264

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 264