Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2013

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Failure to prepare for due diligence. Not doing due diligence on the funding source.

Software Review 106

Software Review Funding Startup Seed Funding 106

TechCrunch LA

MAY 20, 2021

As more people spent time at home last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the startup saw its contract revenue spike by 5x, Wu says. Eano, she said, offers competitive and transparent pricing so that homeowners aren’t surprised as a remodeling project goes on. Construction tech startups are poised to shake up a $1.3-trillion-dollar

Technical Review 185

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Software Review 185

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

There were startups and a software industry but barely. In those years I learned to properly build product, price products, sell products and serve customers. I was in it for the love of working with entrepreneurs on business problems and marveling at technology they had built. There was no money train. It was 1991.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup Marketing Pricing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The market is changing so fast these days, and if you are not planning a solution today for tomorrow’s customers, you may be setting yourself up for failure and don’t even realize it. I often hear entrepreneurs who seem to rely wholly on their own passion, and the view of a few friends.

Customer 57

Customer Custom Technical Review Software Review 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 15, 2019

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 88

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 88

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

While the market isn't short of spritely, innovative entrepreneurs, harsh economic headwinds combined with a pullback in investor spending have made it harder than ever for budding businesses to break through. 2023 hasn't been an easy year to be a startup. Organic milk formula product Bobbie.

Startup 210

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 210

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Oracle Software Review Ideas 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2011

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Failure to prepare for due diligence. Not doing due diligence on the funding source.

Software Review 98

Software Review Funding Seed Funding Startup 98

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2013

Our target market is entrepreneurs, creatives, and developers. We''re very much a global footprint company, and we have customers from all over the world who fit that type of description. Right now, we have around 380,000 customers, with about a third of those outside the United States. We''ve also managed to grow quite nicely.

Software Review 238

Software Review Cloud Computing Technical Review Platform 238

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors. Solo entrepreneurs rarely find an investor. Investors talk to each other and they love warm introductions to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Startup 60

Startup Entrepreneur Software Review Technical Review 60

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2010

Yesterday I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Failure to prepare for due diligence. Not doing due diligence on the funding source.

Software Review 95

Software Review Startup Seed Funding Funding 95

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

If you have a software development background like mine, Im sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. If your software or your manufacturing process is your secret sauce, you need to keep the work in-house. The same applies to manufacturing and almost any process these days.

Outsource Development 95

Outsource Development Outsource Offshore Software Review 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2017

Very few entrepreneurs have the range of skills and experience to be the solution creator as well as business creator, or operational as well as sales leader. Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. Thus you should do the same or more due diligence on educational background, previous work, and references.

Software Review 56

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development CTO Coach 56

SoCal CTO

APRIL 8, 2010

9 Reasons Why Many Smart People Go Nowhere - Life Beyond Code , March 29, 2010 You would have met many smart people who live a mediocre life. Death By Competitive Analysis - Steve Blank , March 1, 2010 Trading emails with a startup CEO building an iPhone app, I asked him why potential customers would buy his product.

Startup 150

Startup Software Review Competition SoCal 150

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Compatible work styles.

Software Review 103

Software Review Equity CTO Hire Outsource Development 103

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

Now, more than ever, government agencies in the US and abroad are lousy startup customers. In fact, during my many years as an operational entrepreneur, I explicitly avoided working with governments, for the reasons described below. I am not a government contracting expert. Good intentions will not pay your light bill.

Startup 207

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Sales 207

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 2, 2017

com) � backed by local investors Rincon Venture Partners and Bonfire Ventures�is helping to solve that problem, with its career pathing software designed for helping employees at large enterprises figure out what's next. Anne Fulton: I've always been an organizational psychologist crossed with a serial entrepreneur. What is Fuel50?

Help 100

Help Southern California Startup Technical Review 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2019

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Startup 97

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 97

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2011

I often hear the qualms of business-smart but non-technical entrepreneurs, wondering if they really have a chance in this high-technology marketplace. If you are an entrepreneur, like Andrew Mason , CEO of Groupon, with a degree in music and no technical business partner to be found, your job is a bit harder.

Technical Review 94

Technical Review Entrepreneur Outsource Development Outsource 94

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

The part of the movement that resonates the most with me (in my words) is that entrepreneurs should keep their capital expenditures really low while they’re experimenting with their product and determining whether there is a large market for what they do. This benefits you, the entrepreneur. It takes options off of the table.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2011

Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Compatible work styles.

Software Review 96

Software Review CTO Hire Startup Outsource Development 96

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

We typically do not ask entrepreneurs to visit our offices in Santa Barbara, but Jeff wanted to meet with Kevin, an investor in our Fund who helped us vet opportunities and occasionally invested alongside of us. Tech Diligence - Consider The Source. Similar to VoiceXML, the standard for the past 5-yrs. It's Me, Not You.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

In the entrepreneur world, it’s still a popular misconception that the “idea” is everything. We slowly realized that Microsoft’s value went far beyond his technical contributions, due to his connections with key software developers and relationships with hardware manufacturers who could make the PC revolution universal.

IBM 87

IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

socalTECH

JUNE 11, 2018

Writers can submit their scripts into these programs, and the dashboards make it convenient to track, and it also allows them to track placement and their scores in these competitions. Scot Lawrie: I cut my teeth in Philadelphia, developing software in the big data and ad-tech areas. Scot, how did you get into this industry?

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Hollywood Platform Competition 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2010

Most entrepreneurs work long hours and weekends to get the job done. If one of your core values is exceeding your customer expectations for quality and service, and your potential partner ascribes to the low cost, high profit mantra, a successful partnership is highly unlikely over the long-term. Compatible work styles.

Software Review 92

Software Review CTO Hire Outsource Development Startup 92

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

There were tons of young entrepreneurs showing their latest Web 2.0 That died with waterfall software development. It should talk about how many customers you think you will acquire and how much you’ll charge for your product. What about your competition – how much do they charge? Going to charge less?

Web 2.0 334

Web 2.0 Venture Capital Web Technical Review 334

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 2, 2011

At the Technovation Challenge LA Pitch Night hosted by Iridescent , we saw six teams of high school girls from various Los Angeles City Schools pitch a number of mobile app ideas to a panel of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. Seek out similar academic competitions and programs. Don’t take no for an answer. Find a hero.

Technical Review 82

Technical Review Entrepreneur Software Review USC 82

socalTECH

MARCH 20, 2015

our primary competition is Intent Media, which has raised $51M in venture money. Who are your customers? We didn''t have any European customers two years ago, because back then US traffic converted better and made publishers more money. ross weber clicktripz travel advertising publisher interview entrepreneur'

Advertising 100

Advertising Startup Software Review Platform 100

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 5, 2011

Mark Cuban is a lifelong serial entrepreneur, launching his startup career with a variety of teenage schemes, including buying and selling collectable stamps to pay for college. In 1983 he founded MicroSolutions, a personal computer software reseller and system integrator, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. What Risk? "Because

Tips 274

Tips Startup Entrepreneur Ideas 274

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 16, 2015

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Startup 109

Startup Technical Review Oracle Software Review 109

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

I rarely talk to any startup entrepreneur or VC who doesn’t feel it and somehow long for simpler times despite the benefits we all enjoy from increased enthusiasm for our sector. For entrepreneurs there’s too much money sloshing around. We are experiencing a frenetic time. “Yeah, we think about going every year.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2018

As the Global Customer Growth Evangelist at Salesforce, with implementation roles at many other companies, she makes a host of relevant observations for every business owner. These days, customers remember the total experience with a company longer than they remember the price they paid. Find ways to work with your competition.

Examples 67

Examples Customer Custom Software Review 67

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2013

I still have to tell some entrepreneurs that even with the best idea, they have to move to Silicon Valley to find the investors they need, or they need to move to the U.S. Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. Exposure to customers, incumbents, and competitors all drive success.

Startup 102

Startup Technical Review Oracle Entrepreneur 102

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

” I mention journalists here because they perpetuate the myth that focusing on profits is ALWAYS the right answer and then I hear many entrepreneurs (and certainly many “normals”) repeating the same mantra. I have had this discussion with many a first-time entrepreneur. If you don’t, somebody else WILL!”

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

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. Sam did all this analysis before even deciding to build V1 of his software and before we put serious money behind him launching. How much ad revenue does TripAdvisor make?

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. Entrepreneurs are neurotic about it. They’re competitive. Ask your customer why you lost. They decided to re-open the competition for 3-4 more weeks.

Outsource Development 333

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 333

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. Entrepreneurs are neurotic about it. They’re competitive. Ask your customer why you lost. They decided to re-open the competition for 3-4 more weeks.

Outsource Development 328

Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review News 328