Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Something happened in the past 7 years in the startup and venture capital world that I hadn’t experienced since the late 90’s — we all began praying to the God of Valuation. How might our next phase of the journey seem brighter, even with more uncertain days for startups and capital markets? What happened? There was no money train.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup LAMP Marketing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Every new venture that survives the first five years starts to drift away from their entrepreneurial thinking, and assumes they have achieved the path to longevity. In fact, even within Fortune 100 companies, almost 90 percent have encountered growth stalls or flirted with failure, or worse, in the last 50 years. Change is hard.

Startup 128

Startup Company Companies Statistics 128

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.

Startup 126

Startup Social Media Entertainment Metrics 126

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

As a business advisor, I meet many business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs who are anxious to be their own boss , or have an innovative idea to start or acquire a new business. Also, initiating a startup is quite different from taking over a thriving business, where the focus is on repeatable processes and quarterly profits.

Startup 94

Startup Ideas Metrics Entrepreneur 94

SoCal Tech Calendar

JANUARY 6, 2017

Thursday, January 12, 2017 -- TCVN Workshop: Lean Analytics- Vanity vs Actionable Metrics. Most entrepreneurs are swimming in a sea of metrics. This Lean Analytics Workshop will give you strategies and tactics to more effectively and efficiently work on your business not matter the size, industry or if it is in startup mode.

TCVN 100

TCVN Metrics Class Entrepreneur 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Los Angeles-based Ninja Metrics announced this morning that it has raised $2.8M in a funding round, to bring its social analytics engine for gaming companies to market. The startup, which came out of technology developed from a group of university researchers, said the $2.8M The company is led by Dr. Dmitri Williams.

Metrics 147

Metrics Tech Coast Angels Software Cloud Computing 147

socalTECH

JUNE 5, 2015

Los Angeles-based game analytics software developer Ninja Metrics has raised $2.8M of an ongoing, $5M funding round, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing this week. The startup, led by Dmitri Williams, and helps mobile, online, and social game developers better monetize their properties.

Metrics 100

Metrics Tech Coast Angels Software Development Los Angeles 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2023

Many business leaders today, including Howard Schultz , didn’t start the businesses they are now known for, but worked their way up the corporate ranks with ownership thinking. Others, including Jeff Bezos, spent time in a big company or two before breaking away to form their own.

Startup 111

Startup Satisfaction Metrics Customer 111

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. How about in your industry?

Startup 154

Startup Artificial Inteligence Metrics Netflix 154

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entrée for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look simple. Yet you may not be so sure where to start, and how to put it all together. Emeril Lagasse is always ready to “kick it up a notch!”

Startup 156

Startup Metrics Coach Marketing 156

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In the world of online, mobile, and social games, there are now petabytes of data being collected by companies on what users are doing in those games--and trying to make sense of all that information. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Explain what Ninja Metrics is doing?

Metrics 166

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 166

SoCal CTO

APRIL 23, 2010

I’ve come to realize that I have lots of posts around startup software development scattered around in different posts. How to Work With a Contract Web Developer How To Bootstrap Your Startup Thought it would be good to capture them in one spot and also include links to related posts from other sources.

Outsource Development 219

Outsource Development CTO Hire Startup CTO Coach 219

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

Change is about the only thing constant in the world of startups. Chris Musselwhite and Tammie Plouffe, in a classic HBR article on change readiness for large companies, define it as “the ability to continuously initiate and respond to change in ways that create advantage, minimize risk, and sustain performance.”

Startup 116

Startup Training Statistics Summary 116

Tech.Co

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

TikTok is struggling to make a dent in the world of US and European ecommerce , and has now enlisted the help of a number of startups to try and reverse that trend and bring the Live Shopping craze sweeping Asia to other markets. TikTok Teams Up With Ecommerce Startups. By some metrics, certainly not. A Mountain to Climb.

Social Media 151

Social Media Startup Commerce News 151

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Do you need a board when you first start you company? If you haven’t raised any money or if you raised a small round from angels or friends & family I would suggest you avoid setting up a formal board unless the people who would join your board are deeply experienced at sitting on startup boards.

Startup 236

Startup Venture Capital Tips Capital 236

SoCal CTO

MAY 21, 2012

" I realized that I've never captured topics that I've covered (I'm always willing to look at other topics), nor have I put up my speaker bio. So, here goes: Dr. Tony Karrer Over the past 15 years, Tony has been a part-time CTO for more than 30 startups. Tony has a Ph.D. He is a frequent speaker at trade and industry events.

CTO Hire 175

CTO Hire Startup Metrics eHarmony 175

socalTECH

AUGUST 15, 2011

Santa Monica-based BetterWorks , the employee fringe benefits management service, said late Friday that it has added a new company metrics dashboard to its product. The company said the information will help companies build the best solution for their particular company culture. READ MORE>>.

Metrics 140

Metrics Santa Monica Company Companies 140

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2022

In fact, I believe the majority of true entrepreneurs are not interested in this new role, and jump ship quickly by hiring an experienced CEO or merging with another company, to start their next entrepreneurial effort. With a startup, everything is an experiment. Implement metrics and set objectives for every organization.

Startup 137

Startup Training Entrepreneur Organization 137

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 82

Startup Ideas Organization Entrepreneur 82

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

When you see startups like SpaceX and Pinterest grow from a low valuation to a billion dollars in just a few years, it’s easy to assume that if you just keep doing what you are doing, you can get there as well. Of course, that means a mindset willing to give up much more equity, and taking on a whole new level of risk.

Startup 151

Startup Course Sales Entrepreneur 151

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 12, 2021

But very few are talking about how to measure your results and return on investment (ROI), and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment. Measuring message delivery in social media is a lot like measuring it in classic advertising, so classic metrics apply. Get attention and reach your audience. Project the future.

Social Media 127

Social Media Media Metrics Satisfaction 127

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2007

I generally am working as an acting CTO for about 3-4 start-ups or other companies at any one time. I also found this interesting graphic of the changing needs around the CTO role in different size/type companies that somewhat echoes my experience. Great question. Roger Smith ) This helps explain where I normally play.

CTO Hire 231

CTO Hire Startup Technical Advisors Technical Review 231

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Creating a gerat company in a relative vacuum is an exercise in complete trust that the entrepreneur knows what’s best for the customer, perhaps even without interaction with such a customer. So, I’ve developed the three step dance in order to help form a repeatable method of how to create a great company from an early idea.

Company 229

Company Companies Startup Ideas 229

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In the world of online, mobile, and social games, there are now petabytes of data being collected by companies on what users are doing in those games--and trying to make sense of all that information. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Explain what Ninja Metrics is doing?

Metrics 113

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 113

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Understanding how your company will change as you move through these phases is critical if you hope to scale to a large business one day.

Startup 286

Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 286

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

Our interview today is with Amos Schwartzfarb , the author of Sell More Faster: The Ultimate Sales Playbook for Start-Ups , which comes out tomorrow, Wednesday. We caught up with Amos to learn about his new book, and to gain some tips for startup entrepreneurs on how to figure out when you're actually ready to scale your sales team.

Sales 113

Sales Startup Custom Development Framework 113

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

Almost any startup can start with Excel, and move to open-source data analysis tools, including Python or RStudio. Based on many years of HR leadership at SAP and elsewhere, these authors start by highlighting the risks of not leveraging data analytics. Use data analysis and metrics to measure for results.

Metrics 98

Metrics Tool Statistics Entrepreneur 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment. Set your startup health gauges and use them.

Startup 99

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 99

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

In the world of online, mobile, and social games, there are now petabytes of data being collected by companies on what users are doing in those games--and trying to make sense of all that information. The company announced a first round of funding Monday for its technology. Explain what Ninja Metrics is doing?

Metrics 100

Metrics Software Review Research Startup 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

You took the risk to start your company. ” Your peer group is envious of your finally doing what they’ve always wanted to do but found it too hard to give up the golden paycheck and predictable future. So as a startup CEO you constantly have to suspend disbelief. The Mind of the Founder. “What?

Startup 417

Startup Course Venture Capital Writing 417

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2013

What I’m talking about here is a level of discipline and skill necessary to collect and analyze the relevant business data, known as metrics. As the end of the year approaches, it’s a good time for every startup to assess the metrics, technology, and platforms they’re using to manage the business. Customer loyalty and retention.

Metrics 100

Metrics Technical Review Sales Statistics 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 26, 2012

But very few are talking about how to measure your results, and the right metrics for optimizing your marketing environment. Jim Sterne, who has written six books on Internet advertising, marketing, and customer service, tackled this complex world of social media metrics in his book titled " Social Media Metrics."

Social Media 98

Social Media Metrics Media Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 14, 2012

What I’m talking about here is a level of discipline and skill necessary to collect and analyze the relevant business data, known as metrics. Here is my selection of ten key metrics that every six-sigma joint like GE tracks without thinking, but too many small businesses only monitor haphazardly, if at all: Sales revenue.

Metrics 106

Metrics Startup Sales Statistics 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 24, 2020

As a frequent advisor to new entrepreneurs and startups, I often hear your frustration with being treated differently from other startups by investors, on expectations for valuation , traction, and market size. For many years, startups featuring all-electric vehicles fell into this stage of the business lifecycle.

Marketing 174

Marketing Startup Artificial Inteligence Technical Review 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2023

I realized a while back that creating a new company for the first time is a lot like whipping up a great dinner entree for the first time – you need a recipe, even though it may look simple. Yet you may not be so sure where to start, and how to put it all together. Emeril Lagasse is always ready to “kick it up a notch!”

Startup 112

Startup Metrics Coach Marketing 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2021

Although many won’t admit it, true entrepreneurs can’t wait to exit their current startup, and build a new and better one with their next great idea. For these reasons, I always look for an overt exit strategy in every startup I might consider for an angel investment. Set your startup health gauges and use them.

Startup 173

Startup Entrepreneur Metrics Acquisition 173

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 9, 2018

In the classic book, “ Driving Demand: Transforming B2B Marketing to Meet the Needs of the Modern Buyer ,” top marketing consultant Carlos Hidalgo updates the old guidelines on how to set up demand generation processes, keep them current, and measure results. Understanding culture is paramount, but measuring results is even better.

Metrics 57

Metrics Demand Marketing Paramount 57