Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

No investor wants to wait that long for his return, or fund the years of waiting. It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath. A world-class CEO will be joining us after the funding event.” We have the first-mover advantage.”

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor.

Organization 92

Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 3, 2020

The prospects of augmented and virtual reality may be uncertain, but what’s definite is the need for new tools and technologies to transfer knowledge and train up employees as skilled, experienced workers age out of the workforce — and the development of new skills becomes critically important as technology changes the workplace.

Training 220

Training Los Angeles Tool Cornerstone OnDemand 220

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

A nonprofit organization is generally defined as an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals. For a nonprofit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Individual and institutional philanthropy. Government grants.

Angel 52

Angel Funding Equity Technical Review 52

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2020

This section of the plan would include the definition of specific test processes, how results will be measured, and who has responsibility for execution and approval. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding. Provide details on the business model.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Startup Summary Product 124

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 3, 2022

billion company in the brutally competitive beauty industry, especially one with such broad appeal. allocate 98% of their funding to startups helmed by men. million for her app, placing Squad in the mere 0.34% of companies funded last year with a Black woman founder. The idea of the “girlboss” today is shrouded in privilege.

Startup 280

Startup Netflix Los Angeles Innocal 280

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

Will the solution give you an “unfair competitive advantage,” meaning no competitor already has it, or can replicate your solution without your skills or intellectual property. A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding. Is there an educated marketplace waiting? Do include some quantification.

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

The rise of “micro VCs” or seed-stage funds. The rise of alternative sources of capital (crowd funding and the like). The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). ” The new narrative is “will my seed funds be able to fund the prorata of their winners?”

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

Since language and implication have changed a bit since then, I’ll restate Carnegie and Hill’s original principles here, with my own current-day commentary and recommendations added: Definiteness of purpose. This is still one of the most important competitive differentiators that you can offer. Going the extra mile. Applied faith.

Technical Review 119

Technical Review Ideas Entrepreneur Customer 119

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

From an investor perspective, understanding and acting early to establish a sustainable competitive advantage, and barrier to entry, is the best assurance of a financial return. Contrary to popular belief, most investors are not looking for entrepreneurs who are desperate for funding. Already set and achieved initial milestones.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Will the solution give you an “unfair competitive advantage,” meaning no competitor already has it, or can replicate your solution without your skills or intellectual property. A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding. Is there an educated marketplace waiting? Do include some quantification.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2011

A non-profit organization is generally defined as an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals. For a non-profit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Individual and institutional donations. Government grants.

Funding 95

Funding Technical Review Organization Equity 95

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

The venture capitalists we look at to fund our deals are certainly tightening down, there's no question about that. What is not happening, is those marginal deals that would have gotten funded a number of years ago, when things were better, are not making it. So you don't see as many people looking for funding now?

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2019

A nonprofit organization is generally defined as an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals. For a nonprofit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Individual and institutional philanthropy. Government grants.

Equity 94

Equity Startup Technical Review Organization 94

socalTECH

AUGUST 6, 2019

How are you funded? Because of that frugalness, we're still around today, where a lot of our competitorsincluding those who raised many more times funding that we didare no longer in existence. I'm definitely happier as an entrepreneur, which is why I made the leap. We have been very focused on burning a lot of cash.

Startup 113

Startup Equity Customer Custom 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

From an investor perspective, understanding and acting early to establish a sustainable competitive advantage, and barrier to entry, is the best assurance of a financial return. Contrary to popular belief, most investors are not looking for entrepreneurs who are desperate for funding. Already set and achieved initial milestones.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2010

What is the definition of a good business plan? You really need a business plan for you own efforts, even if external funding is not a requirement. With no plan, I hope you have unlimited personal funds or at least a rich uncle! I’ll even send you a free sample of my own business plan via email, if you drop me a note.

Startup 91

Startup Funding Sample Writing 91

socalTECH

APRIL 14, 2010

MyGloss.com is our home page, and we also aggregate across our network, and that's definitely a popular destination. Is this competitive with Modern Mom? Lolita Carrico: I don't think it's competitive. That definitely has something to do with it. How's this new venture funded--and actually, how was ModernMom funded?

Networking 230

Networking Social Media Startup Search Engine Optimization 230

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2020

Since language and implication have changed a bit since then, I’ll restate Carnegie and Hill’s original principles here, with my own current-day commentary and recommendations added: Definiteness of purpose. This is still one of the most important competitive differentiators that you can offer. Going the extra mile. Applied faith.

Technical Review 126

Technical Review Ideas Entrepreneur Customer 126

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

Competitive sportswoman. Getting involved with political events and fund raisers. Kara on one side of the table showing me market sizes, competitive dynamics, product roadmaps, pricing plans for physical products with COGS and gross margins. In the most perfect sense of the definition. I first met Kara 5 years ago.

Startup 398

Startup Design Downey Activity 398

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2011

I have conversations with entrepreneurs and other VCs on a daily basis about fund raising, the prices of deals, how much companies should raise, etc. For example: If you were to invest $41 million into a company (and one could assume that you owned between 33-50%) then the company is worth $82-123 million at funding.

Startup 336

Startup Pricing Technical Review Marketing 336

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

In today’s highly competitive ad environment, both content and data are kings. We’ve worked with lots of startups at different points in the funnel, starting from the ground up and working with them through various rounds of funding, all the way through acquisitions, including two by unicorns. The key takeaway?

Commerce 211

Commerce Content Marketing Startup 211

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Capitalism is fundamentally about timing, since market competition is about finding opportunities before others. From the article: Mithril had its best moment yet last week when a portfolio company, Auris Health, sold to Johnson & Johnson for more than $3 billion — returning at least $500 million to the fund. All appears well.

Venture Capital 202

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Invest 202

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2013

Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based web hosting and cloud computing provider DreamHost (www.dreamhost.com) raised a big, $30M funding round for the company--the first in the company''s long history. What''s the story behind the big round, and why now for some funding? So, for us, competition is good.

Software Review 238

Software Review Cloud Computing Technical Review Platform 238

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

Most relevant to startups is the push to fund initiatives and technologies that can help prevent or protect against extreme wildfires; rising sea levels and hurricanes; new agriculture resource management; and “climate-smart” technologies.

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Open your pitch by grabbing the investor's attention with a statement or question that piques their interest, then hit the following key bases: Definition of customer problem, followed by your solution. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. No mention usually means no plan and not competitive.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

Hiptico also has a Mayan education fund, a great fund they support through purchases, to help put the children of the artisans into school with scholarships. Ann Wang: It was definitely a struggle at the very beginning. We are looking forward to a national launch in 2015. What''s your big goal now?

Commerce 140

Commerce Help UCLA Organization 140

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor.

Incubator 87

Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2019

Is this fund just your own investment fund, or do you have outside LPs? Kevin O'Connor: It's 100 percent our own funds. If we took in other people, we'd have to go after more deals, and bigger deals, and there's plenty of competition in that part of the market. Kevin O'Connor: Definitely.

Venture Capital 145

Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2016

The technology was licensed from a European company, which also provided the start-up funding. An exit strategy is being discussed by senior management and funding partners. There was no consensus as to when the product would be completed, what the definitive specs were and what revenues could be generated.

Startup 99

Startup Marketing Competition Software 99

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2014

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. By definition an MVP (minimum viable product) means there’s room for improvement. Sure, you need to be competitive on price. Sales people will always tell you how far ahead the competition is. My first startup was no different.

Sales 382

Sales Help Startup Pricing 382

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

A non-profit organization is generally defined as an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals. For a non-profit, bootstrapping is self-funding from donations and fund-raising. Individual and institutional philanthropy. Government grants.

Startup 100

Startup Angel Equity Technical Review 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Have you looked at competition? How well financed is the competition? When I was fund raising for my second company we had agreed a company-wide deal with Salesforce.com to use our product. My advice: Do not mention the other VC firms, angels, seed funds, etc. It’s called competition. Have you reference them?

Pricing 292

Pricing Entrepreneur Technical Review Venture Capital 292

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

This section of the plan would include the definition of specific test processes, how results will be measured, and who has responsibility for execution and approval. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. Executives, marketing & sales, financial projections, and funding. Provide details on the business model.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

The VC industry grew dramatically as a result of the Internet bubble - Before the Internet bubble the people who invested in VC funds (called LPs or Limited Partners) put about $50 billion into the industry and by 2001 this had grown precipitously to around $250 billion. The top quartile funds have performed well. VC will shrink.

Venture Capital 311

Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding Rustic Canyon 311

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

You’ll learn about competitive products that exist or are being built. I might also be concerned about taking my idea directly to a large, well funded competitor who is know for innovation. Definitely take a look at he suggests you balance the choices. Definitely read the whole thing. " Ummm. " What can I say.

Startup 211

Startup IP Ideas Patents 211