socalTECH

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

We thought today for our interview, that we'd get an update on the angel investment environment here in Southern California from Scott Sangster , the incoming President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Tech Coast Angels , the biggest angel investment group in Southern California. Is every deal we see going to be the next Google?

Tech Coast Angels 182

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 182

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. Of course, I have an advantage because I organize the LA CTO Forum. Of course, since you know those questions, you can just collect up the answers and provide them to your developers.

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

We all have one-click purchase power (Apple, Google, Amazon, eBay). The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). But the biggest changes in our industry have been driven by technical changes themselves to which we are just observers and fortunate beneficiaries.

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2016

The show has become my best curator of which books to read (including my favorite of last year, The Accidental Superpower ) and my go to for understanding geopolitics of: Russia, Iran, Pakistan, China, India and of course the US. But they also take on issues in science, technology and management.

Coach 150

Coach Technical Review Framework Google 150

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 18, 2019

They also were exclusive to Bird so they gave the company a competitive advantage. Of course it takes time to roll out new scooters and replace existing inventory but this is already having a dramatic effect on the underlying business. They had better performance, better handling and importantly better battery lives.

Santa Monica 250

Santa Monica Venice Competition Software Review 250

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

It is often the fortuitous mixture of new technologies, customer awareness and then acceptance of the technology and then the slow adoption into our daily lives that leads to markets exploding. Facebook, Google) to a large market opportunity then you had better have enough resources to compete. He was tech.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2010

It made me laugh because the technical world has this exact phrase to talk in computing sense about the need to block out interruptions in order to complete a task. Of course if I’m not ensconced in deep, thoughtful work then by all means I answer the call. I was a Google Desktop user for years. Unfortunately I was wrong.

Product 280

Product Startup Email Technical Review 280

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 2, 2011

The ambitiously competitive teams were as follows: The Brownies, with Epic Tunes, an app aimed at live concert goers, to provide information, show reviews, and access to ticket purchases. Tech Nerds, with Tab Attack, a game-based learning system to help teenagers play drums & guitar with the use of tablatures. Find a hero.

Technical Review 82

Technical Review Entrepreneur Software Review USC 82

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 6, 2011

Messenger : Kevin O’Connor , Co-Founder of FindTheBest, former Co-Founder and CEO DoubleClick (sold to Google, $3.1B, seed investor ISS (sold to IBM, $1.3B), co-founder ICC (sold to DCA $25mm). Pull Quote: “If you are smart, competitive, hard working and passionate about what you do you will have the best experience of your life.

Entrepreneur 232

Entrepreneur Competition Software Review Course 232

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Even if your product is a technological marvel, I look for balanced strength on the team in finance, marketing and operations. Startup leaders have to be relentlessly resourceful in overcoming obstacles and competition. Now, of course, Page and Brin have that same credibility with their successes at Google.

Startup 60

Startup Entrepreneur Software Review Technical Review 60

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

Exec Summary: Most companies (98+%) in the world (even tech startups) should be very profit focused. While Google and Facebook will buy “acquihires” (at least as of Dec 2011), many acquirers hate the idea of buying companies that aren’t profitable. You may have leverage when you DO need to fund raise.

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

Regularly follow reviews and influencers in your industry. Of course, you may not have the time or desire to read through every document in your space, but it’s not so hard to find and follow some key influencer blogs on social media. Use tools and analytics to identify trends and directions.

Custom 57

Custom Customer Technical Review Software Review 57

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 24, 2011

Messenger : Kevin O’Connor , Co-Founder of FindTheBest , former Co-Founder and CEO DoubleClick (sold to Google, $3.1B, seed investor ISS (sold to IBM, $1.3B), Co-Founder ICC (sold to DCA $25mm). Hmmm, I actually don’t read other entrepreneurial books or blogs – except infoChachkie of course [Editor’s Note: Kevin is clearly full of it here!].

Blogging 219

Blogging Entrepreneur Software Review Course 219

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. But I’m investing on the assumption you will be successful, of course. Let me be very direct.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

Of course, customers love free, but investors hate it. Terms “paradigm shift” or “disruptive technology” used more than once. In reality, fundamental changes in technology frighten away more customers than they attract, and take longer and more money to come to fruition than any investors wants to commit.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2015

In the last few years, Southern California has been a key market in launching mobile applications and services, due to a huge, mobile-savvy consumer population. Of course, we have technology to help us with that, but we offer human intervention to make sure that transactions go smoothly.

San Diego 100

San Diego Mobile Marketing Sites 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 4, 2011

Only one guy in the room knew – their tech lead. Once you churn a user due to stability or performance problems it can be hard to get them back. You’ll have no idea when you’re off course. of the people who click on Google paid links then your true cost to acquire is actually = $12 ($1.50 / 0.125). lowering $1.50

Metrics 346

Metrics Startup SEO Custom 346

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2010

It’s always fun debating companies with Dana because she’s always so knowledgeable on deals – particularly those in the digital media, ad-tech and eCommerce spaces. Of course none of these funds (my own included) want to be lumped into just one category because we all move across the spectrum. Competition: McAfee , Symantec.

Venture Capital 240

Venture Capital Startup Platform Technical Review 240

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

I continue to collect great content that is the intersection of startups, products, online and technology. The United States is now a debtor nation to China and that the bill is about to come due. So let’s be very specific: let’s assume your dream job is product manager at Google, working on the Analytics product.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Startup Product Technology 175

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

Of course I have. Seattle should be the envy of any non Silicon Valley tech community in the country. It really wouldn’t take much to turn a great technology ecosystem into a truly electric one. You need to have passionate tech entrepreneurs who want to build businesses locally. I’m in Seattle this week.

Venture Capital 317

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 317

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2012

I have been close to the tech & startup sectors for more than 20 years and I can’t think of a period in which I felt more optimistic about the innovation and value creation I see in front of us. And of course the funding problem coincided with the stock market correction that took away most exit options for years to come.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Capital Technical Review Startup 347

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

To say that the tech elite were cynical of Hulu’s launch would be an understatement , but by the time it launched just a few months later it was getting great reviews. Because they are anti-competitive most countries ban cartels. If you haven’t read Ken Auletta’s brilliant book Googled , you should.

Hulu 292

Hulu Technical Review Content Advertising 292

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2018

Of course we have to believe that there is a viable market, a differentiated product offering and a chance to build something defensible but if you do those basics right you still get crushed without an amazingly talented founder. With Ring it became your doorbell so of course you always use it when someone’s at your door.

Startup 247

Startup Pricing Product Marketing 247

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 19, 2010

Other times the partner wants to test whether there is support before sinking in tons of due diligence time. Sometimes I find myself really interested in the technical details of a companies product and after a few questions on the topic I look around and find my partners disinterested in this line of questions.

Venture Capital 318

Venture Capital Startup Sales Writing 318

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2011

I’ve talked before about problems I see with the US education system in both my post about Peter Thiel’s 20-under-20 initiative and also my review of Waiting for Superman. Yet nearly every major tech company or major company hiring tech people have open recs. So I’ve tracked him from the sidelines for 7 years.

Invest 295

Invest Carson Technical Review Education 295

SoCal CTO

JULY 13, 2010

10 Ways To Be Your Own Boss - A VC : Venture Capital and Technology , June 18, 2010 The folks at Behance and Cool Hunting asked me to talk at their 99% Conference a couple months ago. Just because a product has a patent, deep complexity and an obvious competitive advantage does not mean that it can fly by itself into the market.

Startup 175

Startup Venture Capital Slides Blogging 175

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2012

Of course much of it is conflicting. And of course I’ve sat on the other side of the table: As a VC. I get approached about clean tech or biotech periodically – I don’t focus on these. In ad tech there’s Seth Levine at Foundry Group and both Dana Settle & Ian Sigelow at Greycroft.

Develop 366

Develop Development Funding Venture Capital 366

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2017

I’m a strong believer that a great team can achieve success with a less impressive product offering, while potentially disruptive technology often goes nowhere due to a team with an uninspired work ethic. These will provide the competitive edge you need with customers and less-focused team members.

Funding 55

Funding Satisfaction Custom Customer 55

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 22, 2011

Payment ready consumers (Amazon, iTunes, PayPal) and businesses (Google AdWords, Square). In the simplest form, new startups have a product that is INFERIOR to that offered by the competition but at a dramatically lower price with the seller opting for a very thin margin on their product. Why Deflationary Business Win.

Startup 386

Startup Pricing Marketing Product 386

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Machine Learning / AI They discussed many topics ranging from protection of the press to what Mark looks for in an entrepreneur to investing outside of Silicon Valley and of course Trump and sports. He said that he believes AI will have a bigger impact than any technology in the last 30 years. He said if Instagram went public.

Artificial Inteligence 105

Artificial Inteligence Study Press Netflix 105