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.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2021

The best part of being an entrepreneur is having the independence to make your own decisions, the flexibility for a better work/life balance, and personal satisfaction from driving change. The road to business success is filled with challenges and frustrations that most aspiring entrepreneurs never even imagined.

Entrepreneur 174

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Satisfaction Social Media 174

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. Marty Zwilling.

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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

Xconomy

OCTOBER 9, 2019

Five years ago, the big tech incubator Y Combinator started to welcome life sciences companies into its sizable startup classes, which had previously nurtured entrepreneurs in information technology almost exclusively. That opening to biotech startups in 2014 was controversial at the time.

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Incubator Class Artificial Inteligence Startup 108

Technology Council

JANUARY 1, 2014

At a meeting of the Technology Council’s Entrepreneur Society, David Knecht, Partner with the CPA and management value consulting firm of Milam, Knecht & Warner, presented Building Corporate Value: The Five Keys. Events Company Value EBITDA Strategic Planning' Below are take-aways from his presentation.

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Equity Entrepreneur Technology Company 113

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 17, 2019

Saturday, June 22, 2019 -- LAVA First Time Entrepreneur Workshop. LAVA is extremely pleased to announce its next First Time Entrepreneur training program. The program is open to entrepreneurs that are starting companies in areas that are likely to draw venture capital investment.

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LAVA Entrepreneur Screening Patents 100

Berkonomics

JANUARY 24, 2019

Entrepreneurs tend to remain in the business niche they know best. Usually that means one they once or recently spent time in as an employee or manager within a company where they had little or no ownership. You cannot complain that the document or information in question is more than five years or two employers old.

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Company Companies News Startup 120

Berkonomics

JANUARY 24, 2019

Entrepreneurs tend to remain in the business niche they know best. Usually that means one they once or recently spent time in as an employee or manager within a company where they had little or no ownership. You cannot complain that the document or information in question is more than five years or two employers old.

Company 120

Company Companies News Startup 120

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 1, 2018

So, you are close to selling your company, and counting the profits a bit early. Some companies, especially those financed by angel or VC investors, have good, formal stock option plans with properly priced options set to reward all employees and managers in the event of a corporate sale. Well, that’s human nature.

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Sales Venture Capital Writing Email 480

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 29, 2012

However, certain questions can be tricky for an entrepreneur to answer. Below are five common questions an entrepreneur will encounter when seeking venture funding. Handled appropriately, these questions provide investors a window into an entrepreneurs’ soul, which minimizes the chances of a future misalignment.

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Berkonomics

MARCH 15, 2012

In the creation of a new enterprise, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. Professional investors will probe these five risk areas and make the decision to invest based upon comfort with each. And fifth: Competitive risk.

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Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 200

socalTECH

OCTOBER 28, 2016

Venice-based Amplify LA (www.amplify.la) is celebrating its fifth anniversary as a startup accelerator here in the Los Angeles area � one of the few in the area to have survived in more or less original form after the launch of a number of startup incubators and accelerators five years ago. Congrats on your five year anniversary!

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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.

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Startup Company Companies Statistics 128

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 22, 2018

In an attempt to boost diversity and inclusion efforts and civic engagement between the growing technology industry in Los Angeles and the community that surrounds it, over 80 venture capitalists and entrepreneurs joined the city’s mayor, Eric Garcetti, and the non-profit Annenberg Foundation to announce PledgeLA.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2019

Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that the strength of their initial idea somehow defines them as a leader, as well as the success potential of their derivative business. It takes leadership ability, as well as a good idea, to make a successful entrepreneur, and great leaders evolve from key leadership decisions along the way.

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Entrepreneur Ideas Framework Tips 122

Technology Council

JANUARY 1, 2014

At a meeting of the Technology Council’s Entrepreneur Society, David Knecht, Partner with the CPA and management value consulting firm of Milam, Knecht & Warner, presented Building Corporate Value: The Five Keys. Curto, Managing Principal of Tech Coast Equity Group. Below are take-aways from his presentation.

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Equity Entrepreneur Technology Company 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Even if you ignore all the hype around crowdfunding, there can be no doubt that it is a real alternative for entrepreneurs to achieve visibility and funding today. Even with this, crowdfunding today means any one of the following five quite different models: Rewards model. Donation good-cause model.

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Entrepreneur Outsource Development Satisfaction Equity 129

socalTECH

MARCH 14, 2019

Bird is in a battle with a large number of "last-mile" scooter companies, including Lime, and which now also includes Uber, Lyft, and even scooter manufacturer Razor, which launched its own scooter rental service in December in Los Angeles.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

In my view, this focus on the wrong skill set is the primary reason why over half of new businesses fail in the first five years, and only one out of a hundred startups get their requested funding from professional investors. His focus is on sales, but I see the same skills needed for entrepreneurs. It’s up to you to clear the way.

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Entrepreneur Startup Sales Customer 134

InfoChachkie

MARCH 1, 2012

Article first published as Five Business Tips From The Beatles on Technorati. Despite the book’s shortcomings, it contains a number of insightful lessons for budding entrepreneurs. Of the 100 business “lessons” articulated in the book, I highlight a few below that I feel are the most relevant and impactful for entrepreneurs.

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Tips Startup Entrepreneur Product 259

SoCal Tech Calendar

FEBRUARY 3, 2017

Thursday, February 9, 2017 -- TCVN Workshop: Structure Your Company the Right Way. Choosing a structure for your company is typically a confusing and difficult process. Ask three lawyers and get five different answers! See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tcvn-workshop-structure-your-company-the-right-way-tickets-27136397696.

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TCVN Company Companies Entrepreneur 100

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

However, most often, these funds are solicited by a well-meaning entrepreneur from investors who are not qualified as accredited investors under the law (currently requiring a proved income of $200,000 a year or $1 million in net worth for an individual investor).

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Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 21, 2019

I cannot tell you how many times I have seen executive summaries of business plans in which the entrepreneur seeks $5,000,000 to build the business. The investors want a motivated entrepreneur, and it is certainly more difficult to motivate a twenty percent owner than a sixty percent owner. Four reasons you should reconsider.

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Startup Invest Summary Resource 120

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. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Organization Customer Custom 126

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. Five reasons many MBAs struggle at startups are as follows: 1. As I stated in my Quora answer, "hate" is the wrong word.

Entrepreneur 279

Entrepreneur Technical Review Case Study Class 279

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. Then accomplish one, sense the progress, and add another.

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Entrepreneur Satisfaction Writing Startup 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 18, 2020

When I heard a friend and business mentor say, “Your startup won’t fail if you don’t quit,” I realized that every entrepreneur should adopt “never give up” as their mantra. Either could improve the statistic that half of startups fail within the first five years. My company grew too fast, and the pressure and costs are killing me.”

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Entrepreneur Startup Statistics Course 121

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Like Steve Jobs, Michael Dell and Larry Ellison, he is one of the few startup Founders who remained at the helm of their respective companies throughout their entire maturation process. Effective startup leaders allow ideas to percolate from within their company, rather than attempting to monopolize the ideation process.

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Tips Startup IP Santa Barbara 275

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2019

According to my experience and a this Motley Fool article, the challenge is very real, with around half of all new businesses no longer existing after five years. My first advice for new entrepreneurs is to pick a domain that doesn’t have the sky-high up-front development costs, like online web sites and smart phone apps.

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Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 87

Berkonomics

JUNE 18, 2015

There are five basic kinds of internal risks than a business faces over time. Market risk is constant and should be of greatest concern to any executive or entrepreneur. Fifth is execution risk, which is squarely on management to perform, to take the company to and beyond profitability. Mitigating market risk is not easy.

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Competition Marketing Class Product 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2015

If you define your self-worth as an entrepreneur by how busy you are, it’s time to find another lifestyle. For survival, entrepreneurs need to be all about accomplishing results that matter for themselves, their team, and their customers. busy entrepreneur five choices KoryKogon productivity startup' That’s productivity.

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Product Entrepreneur Framework Social Media 111

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 15, 2011

Most entrepreneurs expect to face the “normal” challenges of starting a business, which include finding the right opportunity, building and executing a winning plan, and financing their venture. Sometimes entrepreneurs are so set on creating a successful business, they forget to create one that they love to work on every day.

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Entrepreneur Startup Training Course 94

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2022

If you are like most entrepreneurs I know, there just aren’t enough hours in a day to get all your own work done, as well as run the many one-hour meetings each team member seems to demand for decisions and mentoring. Five-minute meetings cannot be five minutes of anyone talking. Marty Zwilling.

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Berkonomics

MAY 13, 2021

Several years ago, I wrote a book entitled, Extending the Runway , using parallels to piloting a plane to equate to the process of creating and building a small company, making maximum use of resources to get to and beyond breakeven. The five resources boards and investors can add to a company. It is worth revisiting the most.

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Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2022

Dave’s note: This is a reprint of a 2015 insight that seems to have struck a chord with investors and entrepreneurs. None of this advice has changed… Let me tell you a few short hair–raising stories of entrepreneurs who have raised money and regretted it later. The problem, of course, comes if the business fails.

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Startup Entrepreneur Invest Course 317

Berkonomics

JANUARY 7, 2021

Think of startups and early stage businesses whose entrepreneurs you know. We should think of the creation and growth of a high valued company as the sum of three parts, with three distinct classes of participants helping to make real value out of a raw start-up. One: The entrepreneur. Two: Co-management. Reward for early risk.

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Startup Equity Statistics Entrepreneur 240