Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 20, 2013

Pixicle, a photo sharing device that makes it easy for users to view photos with their friends and family on the big screen instead of the frustrating smartphone screen passed around the room has raised $10K of its $38K Indiegogo goal to make photo viewing less strenuous. TechZulu caught up with CEO Norman Lai. Any competition?

Screening 86

Screening Startup Platform Software Development 86

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2020

It’s no wonder that 45 percent of startups fail in the first five years, and an even smaller percentage ever see a return for their years of effort. Hiring requirements must be anticipated and implemented with the same precision and tracking as manufacturing volumes, sales leads, and customer service. Quick to hire and slow to fire.

Organization 135

Organization Satisfaction Entrepreneur Screening 135

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

Everyone on the startup team knows there is no buffer, and no personal isolation from impact based on your job description that can save you. Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain.

Satisfaction 124

Satisfaction Organization Custom Customer 124

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2022

Software products and apps can be quickly wire-framed with free tools such as MockFlow , or even Microsoft Powerpoint to lay out the key screens. With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product.

Outsource Development 110

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2011

These are not valid reasons to start a business. But if you're focused on solving a real problem, believe you can do it better than anyone else, and confident in wearing many hats, you have the right start-up mindset. When you start your own business, you are no longer in control. Add up your responsibilities.

Screening 99

Screening Startup Statistics Guide 99

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2015

Software products and apps can be quickly wireframed with free tools such as MockFlow , or even Microsoft Powerpoint to lay out the key screens. With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product.

Ideas 107

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Tool 107

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 5, 2015

In his premier film appearance in the blaxploitation send-up “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” Chris Rock inadvertently addresses a key pricing challenge faced by most entrepreneurs. A recurring entrepreneurial challenge is to determine the optimal price of a new product, especially absent a directly competitive alternative. Price = Value.

Pricing 100

Pricing Product Startup Custom 100

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 7, 2014

On the bottom right hand corner of the screen, an ominous button reads ADD MORE STRESS? . To me, there’s been no conversation or scenario that has encompassed the feel of a startup accelerator quite like that. ” Thursday: 500 Startups’ Batch 8 Demo Day… And we’ll be right there to cover all the action!

Startup 74

Startup Case Study Study Screening 74

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

Software products and apps can be quickly wire-framed with free tools such as MockFlow , or even Microsoft Powerpoint to lay out the key screens. With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product.

Outsource Development 124

Outsource Development Ideas Tool Outsource 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2014

Software products and apps can be quickly wireframed with free tools like MockFlow , or even Microsoft Powerpoint to lay out the key screens. With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product.

Outsource Development 105

Outsource Development Startup Ideas Tool 105

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Most of these investors are members of Angel groups that have a rigorous filtering and screening process, to select the top 3% and most fundable proposals. Line up an experienced team. Build a prototype product.

Angel 104

Angel Screening Summary Startup 104

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 3, 2013

and there was certainly less competition from everybody pitching local merchant solutions. I am stunned at the speed at which the team cranked out this application while at the same time building out an entire suite of merchant solutions to help them better manage customers. Startup Advice' With smart phones everybody does.

Development Team Review 324

Development Team Review Course Mobile Writing 324

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

If you truly believe that you, your company and your products are exceptional and your company will be valuable then you’re actually doing them a FAVOR by helping them invest in your startup. In my post “ Measure twice, cut once ” I’ve outlined how to plan before you start raising. Should You Start with Your “Safety Schools?”

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2016

I was reminded of a number of these by a recent book, “ The Thing About Work: Showing Up and Other Important Matters ,” by Richard A. With a bit of humor, he provides some serious guidelines for struggling career professionals looking to move up, and new entrepreneurs looking to build a company. Showing up still matters.

Startup 93

Startup Writing Entrepreneur Screening 93

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 20, 2009

The promised to follow up with: calls, using your product, talking to customers or “noodle on things.&# Will they? Despite best intentions they probably won’t follow up on their actions. Why don’t VC’s follow up? Start with a very short thank you email the day after your pitch.

Venture Capital 277

Venture Capital Startup Email News 277

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2015

Everyone on the startup team knows there is no buffer, and no personal isolation from impact based on your job description that can save you. Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain.

Entrepreneur 106

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Custom Customer 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

After listening to hundreds of startup pitches, and reading even more business plans, most new venture investors develop their own favorite list of “red flags” that signal the beginning of the end of their interest. Lead with your intent to offer the solution free to customers. Of course, customers love free, but investors hate it.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Innocal Entrepreneur 98

Tech.Co

MAY 22, 2018

One of the biggest turn offs for investors are founders who don’t know the basics of their business, especially their market and customer. They have to know their industry, know their customers, and understand what it takes to make their customers happy.”. Failing to do their homework is never a good color on anyone.

Tips 70

Tips Help Slides Technical Review 70

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 20, 2012

Rapidly and repeatedly hiring star employees is a competitive advantage. No matter how rapidly a startup is growing, it can never afford to sacrifice employee quality as a means of achieving its hiring goals. HootSuite recently faced this common startup predicament: how to quickly hire quality candidates in large quantities.

SaaS 209

SaaS Tool Startup Screening 209

InfoChachkie

APRIL 14, 2014

However, far less attention has been applied to entrepreneurial philanthropy, in which a startup mindset and accountability is applied to issuing non-profit grants. Even the organization''s lexicon reinforces its startup mindset. The convergence of startup principles and the world of philanthropy makes total sense.

Organization 199

Organization Startup Technical Review Invest 199

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2013

Many entrepreneurs I know don’t realize that the language they learned in the corporate world, or even their recent MBA class, won’t get them ahead in the startup world today. Even if you have heard some of the new terms, but can’t explain how, when, and why they are relevant to your startup, you may be in jeopardy. Startup pivot.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Startup Web Equity 109

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. The Gust Deal Funnel from the last 12 months indicates is that 70% of the interested companies never make it past the initial screening process. Line up an experienced team. Start early on this one, or you will lose the opportunity.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2010

By Jim Flowers A few months ago, Marty invited me to comment on business incubation and what a startup company ought to expect from an incubator. At VT KnowledgeWorks we screen prospective clients for their Market opportunity, for the Magic that they offer to their prospective customers, and for the Moxie displayed by the start-up team.

Incubator 80

Incubator Mentor Capital Startup 80

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Everyone on the startup team knows there is no buffer, and no personal isolation from impact based on your job description that can save you. Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain.

Satisfaction 57

Satisfaction Custom Customer Organization 57

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

VC Partnerships Start by understanding how many partners are at the firm you are approaching. Building models to evaluate the deal and/or reviewing customer files, company financials, business plans, etc. The best companies build a deck and a cadence to use up 50–60% of the time and save buffer for discussions.

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

Everyone on the startup team knows there is no buffer, and no personal isolation from impact based on your job description that can save you. Unfortunately, in mature companies, a larger and larger percentage of employees forget company survival and customers as the objectives, and focus only on their own personal gain.

Satisfaction 106

Satisfaction Organization Custom Customer 106

socalTECH

AUGUST 24, 2009

One of the startup areas where we've been seeing renewed activity in the last few months is in the enterprise software space--specifically, in software-as-a-service applications targeted at corporate customers. I needed a change, and wanted to start a new company, and came to L.A. It's always in your face, and always on screen.

Oracle 145

Oracle Sales Startup Screening 145

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. The AngelSoft Deal Funnel from the last 12 months indicates is that 70% of the interested companies never make it past the initial screening process. Line up an experienced team. Start early on this one, or you will lose the opportunity.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 13, 2011

I talked about this in the TWiVC video but I didn’t do a good enough job of writing it up in the summary notes in the post. Can you just show up without one? And when you finish the demo you can bring in the other important components such as competition, team, customer acquisition strategy, etc. Mobile app?

Venture Capital 299

Venture Capital Slides Technical Advisors Startup 299

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2016

It’s no wonder that half of startups fail in the first five years , and an even smaller percentage ever see a return for their years of effort. Hiring requirements must be anticipated and implemented with the same precision and tracking as manufacturing volumes, sales leads, and customer service. Quick to hire and slow to fire.

Organization 57

Organization Entrepreneur Satisfaction Screening 57

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath. Or worse yet, the entrepreneur is so arrogant that he hasn’t even used Google to figure out he has competition just down the street. Sleeping giants do wake up.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

One of the largest concentrations of technical talent in Los Angeles is in Glendale, at YP -- staffed with a surprising number of Los Angeles startup vets. What''s your background and how did you end up at YP? We''ve got a grid of 500 nodes, handling a billion and a half clicks and call impressions, which we drive for our customers.

Technical Review 223

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 223

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 10, 2012

Insteegram is a startup that allows you to create amazing and unique t-shirts using your own Instagram photos. You simply sign in with your Instagram account, choose your favorite photo, and get your custom made t-shirt shipped directly to you. Park had a screen-printing business in 2004, starting with his own $4,000 investment.

Startup 98

Startup Custom Customer Pricing 98

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2013

One of the largest concentrations of technical talent in Los Angeles is in Glendale, at YP (www.yp.com) -- staffed with a surprising number of Los Angeles startup vets. What''s your background and how did you end up at YP.com? We also know we''re not a startup, and don''t have equity to offer.

Technical Review 211

Technical Review Glendale Advertising Google 211

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2018

Software products and apps can be quickly wire-framed with free tools such as MockFlow , or even Microsoft Powerpoint to lay out the key screens. With a realistic prototype, you can get more accurate feedback from customers on their real need and what they might pay, before you invest millions on the final product.

Ideas 53

Ideas Outsource Development Tool Outsource 53

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series on Start-up Lessons that I learned from founding two companies. I believe that it is part of the DNA of an entrepreneur – being so competitive that you’re practically sick when you lose. They’re competitive. But first I’d like to start with a story.

Startup 151

Startup Outsource Development Software Review Technical Review 151

socalTECH

JUNE 25, 2009

We wrote all of the core components of our technology, from the ground up--even our SIP stack, OIP application, session-border, softswitch, and media server--which runs on standards-based, off-the shelf servers. Once you get to 300-500 customers, it blows up, because it was never intended to scale.

IP 165

IP Pasadena Angels Pasadena Los Angeles 165