Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Tracy DiNunzio isn’t your typical Silicon Valley startup founder. She did her first tech startup after the age of 30. And she didn’t start her company in Northern California. Tracy built her company, Recycled Media , out of necessity. She actually IS the prototypical entrepreneur.

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Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 28, 2021

As an angel investor in early-stage startups, I’ve long noticed my peers apparent bias toward the strength and character of the founding entrepreneurs, often overriding a strong solution to a painful problem with a big opportunity. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors.

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Entrepreneur Mentor Ideas Invest 165

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2022

It’s enough to drown any business which tries to fight it or ignore it, and it’s an opportunity to ride higher and faster than even the successes of Google and Facebook, for those startups that use it as their driving force. For startups, this is an engagement opportunity worth billions of dollars. The audience is now the actors.

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Startup Social Media Entertainment Metrics 126

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 19, 2022

As a startup advisor, I see many aspiring entrepreneurs whose primary motivation seems to be to work part time, or get rich quick, or avoid anyone else telling them what to do. Yet, for those with more realistic expectations and the right motivation, the entrepreneur lifestyle can be the dream life you envisioned.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2023

If you sold your last startup for $800 million, you probably already know how to build a business, and even conservative investors won’t worry about the quality of your next business plan. Most investors tend to think of startups without a plan as expensive hobbies. I hope not.

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Startup Writing Mentor Sample 102

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

More entrepreneurs want to be socially responsible these days, but fear a negative impact on profits, growth, and the ability to find an investor. But very quickly, it is becoming obvious to startups that the value and satisfaction exceeds the costs. Startups can use social responsibility as a competitive advantage.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2021

Startups are the corporations of the future, so I have long believed that entrepreneurs who study existing corporate models, rather than ignoring them with disdain, will likely profit from the exercise. These are all huge challenges, as well as huge opportunities, for entrepreneurs. Economic instability.

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Marketing Startup Entrepreneur Social Media 135

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2022

It’s a special mix of entrepreneur and company, regular in every respect except for having the courage and foresight to make an idea happen that was supposed to be impossible. As an entrepreneur in a startup, how do you know if you have this potential, and what are the steps to get from an innovation to a revolution?

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs I know are just waiting for that unique idea to strike them that will kickstart their new venture, put them in control of their lifestyle, achieve financial independence, and maybe even change the world. Timing is critical for every startup. Of course, if you wait for the perfect time, you may never start.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2021

Most aspiring entrepreneurs believe that a great idea alone will assure business success. In fact, I believe modern entrepreneurs need to be super sales people, in the most positive sense, to their team as well as customers. Entrepreneurs set the price of their solution based on their costs, and their perception of value.

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Sales Training Startup Customer 139

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 25, 2013

Someone on Quora recently asked me to answer the following question: Why Do Digital Entrepreneurs Hate MBAs? Tech entrepreneurs' consternation with MBAs does not rise to the level of loathing. Startups Need Execution, Not Administration. Five reasons many MBAs struggle at startups are as follows: 1.

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Entrepreneur Technical Review Case Study Class 279

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2020

Despite the fact that the number of IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) for startups have continued to stay low, I still hear it touted often as the preferred exit strategy. I suspect the exuberance for an IPO is still being driven by the highly visible successes of a few companies several years ago, including Facebook, Yelp, and Twitter.

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Startup Technical Review Acquisition Study 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 8, 2022

Most entrepreneurs struggle with many startup founders quandaries in building their business, and these key dilemmas are probably the biggest source of pain and failure for the entrepreneur lifestyle. People may jump into the lifestyle to be their own boss, achieve great wealth, start a new trend, or all the above.

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Startup USC Entrepreneur Statistics 130

socalTECH

JUNE 18, 2009

A new study released today by the Kauffman Foundation, reports that the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity belongs to people 55-64. The study --which attempts to characterize who might drive the next wave of entrepreneurial activity in the United States--also found that the average age of U.S.-born,

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2019

Contrary to what you might guess, the highest rate of entrepreneurial growth over the last few years is not Gen-Y upstarts, but Boomers over the age of 50, now called encore entrepreneurs. Here are some indicative entrepreneurial facts from recent Kauffman studies and others. percent to 24.3 percent last year.

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Startup Technical Review Technical Support Entrepreneur 119

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2020

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. They are devastated when their business growth never starts or stalls, and they have no idea how to get it moving again.

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Case Study Startup Customer Custom 174

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2020

One obvious alternative is to become an entrepreneur. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m often asked what it takes to switch and get real satisfaction from this lifestyle. In fact, Mehta focuses on a special class of entrepreneurs that he calls disruptors. Be prepared to experiment.

Entrepreneur 123

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Writing Startup 123

InfoChachkie

MAY 12, 2014

I recently received an email from a former student in which he described how he was able to secure a lunch meeting with a high-profile entrepreneur who is operating multiple ventures in parallel. Benedikt Scholz is an exceptional student whom I had the pleasure of instructing when he recently studied at UC Santa Barbara.

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Entrepreneur Santa Barbara Email Startup 211

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

One of the most stressful and unanticipated challenges that comes with starting a new business is hiring and managing employees. I just finished a new book for entrepreneurs, “ Secrets to a Successful Startup ,” by Trevor Blake, which makes the same points, based on his own real-life experience with three successful startups.

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Outsource Startup Technical Review Training 123

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2023

Every entrepreneur believes in their heart that their startup is more innovative and creative than their competitors. A classic study based on intensive research, “ The Myths of Creativity ,” by David Burkas tries to demystify the processes and forces that drive innovation. Originality myth. Expert myth. Cohesive myth.

Ideas 127

Ideas Startup Research Incubator 127

socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2020

Carey tells us a bit about what OC4 is doing, how it invests and works with companies, and also gives startups some advice about how to approach moving forward in light of the pandemic. That naturally puts those early companies at a high risk and disadvantage. I have really been through the life cycles of a company.

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Invest Startup Ideas Examples 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2022

Building a startup is hard work for low pay, it’s risky, and it requires total responsibility to make it work. Yet, many entrepreneurs are the happiest people I know. For entrepreneurs, that includes business colleagues, but it also still includes spouse, children and friends. Are you a satisfied entrepreneur?

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2023

Establishing and maintaining the right company culture is a major key to success in any business these days, especially with the growth of the millennial generation of workers. It has a huge impact on productivity, as well as morale and loyalty to the company. Regular communication, both written and oral, is the place to start.

Claremont 101

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 101

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

MBA programs don’t teach people how to create companies … our position is that we hire someone in spite of an MBA, not because of one.” MBA’s are an easy target for entrepreneurs’ scorn. My contrarian nature sparked, I began researching MBA led startups. . “As much as possible, avoid hiring MBA’s.

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Entrepreneur Allegis Startup Competition 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2020

As a startup advisor, I see many aspiring entrepreneurs whose primary motivation seems to be to work part time, or get rich quick, or avoid anyone else telling them what to do. Yet, for those with more realistic expectations and the right motivation, the entrepreneur lifestyle can be the dream life you envisioned.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Organization Customer Custom 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2021

Intuitively, many entrepreneurs and businesses believe that the key to faster growth and success is more products, features, and markets. Good examples of startup focus before success include Google with their search engine, Facebook with friends networking, and Apple with personal computers. Don’t wait for a crisis. Just ask J.C.

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Startup Resource Entrepreneur Metrics 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2022

Moore titled “ Crossing the Chasm ,” but most entrepreneurs have no idea how it relates to them. Most investors and startup professionals expand this concept of focus to apply to key issues of every aspect of strategic and tactical planning in a startup. Startups need to show real traction before attempting to cross the chasm.

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Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 150

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 24, 2011

There has recently been a common theme among the entrepreneurs I have interviewed and the conferences I have attended: despite the relatively weak state of the world economy, now is a great time to create a high-tech startup. As Guy Kawasaki pointed out in our recent conversation , “…it is cheaper than ever to start a company.

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Company Companies Startup Study 257

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

In contrast, social networking sites drove a record number of clicks, up 20% over the prior year. In order to drill down on how entrepreneurs can leverage social commerce sites without alienating their potential customers, I spoke with industry expert Albert Wilson, who heads up Affiliate and Marketplaces for Deckers Outdoor Corporation.

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Entrepreneur Commerce Sites Social Network 210

SoCal Tech Calendar

OCTOBER 17, 2018

Investors agree that the single most important factor for a company's success is the entrepreneur. Join Pasadena Angels Chairman, Chris Wadden, at this special evening where he will talk about various methodologies that investors use to evaluate entrepreneurs. Appetizers and drinks will be served.

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Metrics Case Study Pasadena Angels Pasadena 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

Establishing and maintaining the right company culture is a major key to success in any business these days, especially with the growth of the millennial generation of workers. It has a huge impact on productivity, as well as morale and loyalty to the company. Regular communication, both written and oral, is the place to start.

Claremont 172

Claremont Mentor Study Startup 172

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2014

The new era of highly connected and interactive technology is changing not only how business employees interact with customers, but also how they interact with each other, and with their company. I am happy to see reports that young companies are in the forefront of these trends, on both the customer trends and the employee trends.

Entrepreneur 104

Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Yammer 104

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 4, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. Many entrepreneurs who start technology companies are product people, technologists or savvy business people who worked previously for a larger company. Most start-up entrepreneurs have little or no sales experience. I know I didn’t.

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Sales Startup Platform Tips 319

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. It always reduces risk to plan your business first. Set expectations accordingly.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2022

One alternative is to become an entrepreneur. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m often asked what it takes to get satisfaction from this lifestyle. In fact, Mehta focuses on a special class of entrepreneurs that he calls disruptors. Be prepared to experiment. Build the courage to “think different.”

Satisfaction 153

Satisfaction Entrepreneur Writing Startup 153

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. In our industry we applaud the efforts for entrepreneurs to have tried and we know that today’s failure can bring the experience for tomorrow’s success. But today I want to give you advice on how to decrease your odds of failure in a startup.

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Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

socalTECH

MAY 1, 2019

Brian Liu , the co-founder and CEO of a new startup, BizCounsel , was the co-founder of LegalZoom, and thinks there can be a new way that every business owner can get access to dedicated business attorneys for legal work. We caught up with Brian to hear more about the startup. What you are up to with this new company?

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