socalTECH

OCTOBER 23, 2012

However, the recent surge in startup activity has attracted a lot more capital into the area, including a significant amount of capital from LA's latest fund: Karlin Ventures (www.karlinvc.com). TX Zhuo: Karlin Ventures is an early stage venture fund based in LA. How long have you been looking at this market?

Funding 253

Funding Startup Invest Commerce 253

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2021

In reality, resource constraints should be seen by startups a competitive advantage, by forcing them to develop new markets, and to think differently and act differently than existing players. Startups funded by rich uncles rarely think about productivity. Rethink or reframe the challenge. Find new ways to augment.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

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. Is there an educated marketplace waiting? A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2023

It requires an attitude of self-education, versus an assumption that someone else will provide the education. Technologies are not solutions, but understanding a technology, in the context of a customer need, will result in more competitive and long-lasting solutions. The act of communicating and writing enhances learning.

Social Media 120

Social Media Startup Entrepreneur Education 120

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2011

Value Prop Twitter Style : “Ringrevenue’s call performance marketing platform enables ad networks, agencies, advertisers & publishers to generate more inbound sales calls.”. In today’s market, so much focus is placed on transacting business online. Why aren’t there a half-dozen well-funded startups running up your tailpipe?

Marketing 209

Marketing Advertising Paid Search Startup 209

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

Too many entrepreneurs develop a new product without regard to market demand, then build an entire strategy based on creating a need, rather than acting on an existing market need. These don’t get funded. New technology really doesn’t have any value, until it is integrated into a market-driven solution.

Technology 91

Technology Funding Competition Entrepreneur 91

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2021

Experienced entrepreneurs will tell you that the initial idea is the easy part, and it’s the later implementation, and the competitive business marketing that are the real creative challenges. I find that startups looking for funding often never even think of asking strategic partners, rather than just venture capitalists.

Ideas 171

Ideas Patents Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2020

I’m not talking about just making incremental improvements in their products and processes, but more fundamental changes to the business model, such as the following: Announce a new market launch that fits your core competency. You didn’t wait until a new market was totally proven before entering. Remember when you were a startup?

Customer 143

Customer Custom Examples IBM 143

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

Still though, when founders are seeking funding, “ 75 percent of the venture capital goes to three states: Massachusetts, New York, and California,” said Steve Case in an interview with Recode. BlackTech Week was created in 2014, and in four short years, they’ve gained over 2700 participants, 150 speakers, and 3 pitch competitions.

Startup 140

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 140

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 20, 2018

These are your candidates, because they are companies already absorbing much or all the marketing expense necessary to make sales of your invention. They will be more willing to pay a royalty fee if your product gets them to market earlier or is protected by patent to create a barrier to their competition. So, there you have it.

IP 136

IP Product Equity Tool 136

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Some advisors recommend that the best time for a startup is immediately after academic studies, or even earlier, but I find that real business experience, perhaps many years in business , is the best education on the realities of business, current tools, and processes. You need complementary skills for marketing, financials, and operations.

Startup 159

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Equity 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2020

It requires an attitude of self-education, versus an assumption that someone else will provide the education. Technologies are not solutions, but understanding a technology, in the context of a customer need, will result in more competitive and long-lasting solutions. The act of communicating and writing enhances learning.

Social Media 127

Social Media Startup Education Entrepreneur 127

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Thus began my marketing campaign. Competitive (Athlete: skier & rowed at Princeton, hates losing at everything she does). For starters we’re an LA-based venture fund who invests nationally (and sometimes internationally, but less so). Kara has worked in finance in Boston, NYC and Silicon Valley.

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 20, 2018

These are your candidates, because they are companies already absorbing much or all the marketing expense necessary to make sales of your invention. They will be more willing to pay a royalty fee if your product gets them to market earlier or is protected by patent to create a barrier to their competition. So, there you have it.

IP 120

IP Product Equity Tool 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2022

Most of these are predictable, like think big and create new markets, but I found a few, like the ten below, that will likely raise the hackles of many people outside this lifestyle, and many “wannabe” entrepreneurs. If you are already an entrepreneur, more education, including an MBA, will only slow you down. There is no turning back.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Startup Customer Custom 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 6, 2019

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of the management team, or a sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. While these may be necessary for funding, they may not be sufficient to make your startup the great success embodied in your vision.

Startup 97

Startup Education Customer Custom 97

socalTECH

OCTOBER 25, 2012

Tracy tells us how she bootstrapped her business by renting out both her bedrooms and sleeping on the couch--funding the startup via Airbnb--and is now scaling out the business with a new round of venture capital. Shipping is the biggest barrier to entry in this market. I didn't have any funding. What is Tradesy?

Startup 236

Startup Education Acquisition Funding 236

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2010

Too many entrepreneurs develop a new product without regard to market demand, then build an entire strategy based on creating a need, rather than acting on an existing market need. These don’t get funded. New technology really doesn’t have any value, until it is integrated into a market-driven solution.

Funding 88

Funding Entrepreneur Competition Pricing 88

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to a recent Forbes article , UC Santa Barbara''s Technology Management Program offers students a superior startup education over the University of Pennsylvania (home of Wharton), as well Harvard, Northwestern and even its acclaimed southern neighbor, the University of Southern California. All-Star Alumni. Am I biased?

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2017

Eugene Cho: I saw this market opportunity when I realized that the larger microscope companies, like Nikon, Olympus, and so on were really only focusing their efforts on high end systems, which cost $200,000 plus. I saw the market opportunity, and after being in the industry for fourteen years, thought: what can we do next?

Tech Coast Angels 124

Tech Coast Angels Startup Sales Slides 124

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 4, 2019

If you are looking for funding and customers for your new business, you need to identify your “unique selling proposition” (USP) right up front, in 30 seconds or less, to differentiate yourself in today’s information overload. Ideally the solution embodies intellectual property that you own, giving you a sustainable competitive advantage.

.Net 73

.Net Examples Customer Custom 73

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

Tech companies have spent the past decade or more developing innovations that can be applied to old-world industries like agriculture, construction, energy, education, manufacturing and transportation and logistics. Real estate will be the biggest spender on climate tech for no other reason than its contribution to the carbon problem.”.

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

Tech.Co

FEBRUARY 21, 2018

At the Techstars Startup Week Phoenix 2018 powered by Chase for Business , the Raza Development Fund and JPMorgan Chase announced a $1.1M fund for a small business lending fund to help them secure loans and fortify their potential to expand, increase their revenues, and thrive.

Invest 70

Invest Entrepreneur News Tips 70

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

I had worked along with some of these organization son the ground, who were employing people, providing microfinancing, education, and help. I saw that they were employing local people, providing them with a capacity to earn, but also that they needed a way to get to market. We just got really lucky with a great team and building it.

Commerce 140

Commerce Help UCLA Organization 140

socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2014

In the Los Angeles startup world, there are lots of high profile, buzzy companies which have lots of attention and funding--but which haven''t earned a dime of revenue. Brett Rossman: ConsumerTrack is a performance-based, online marketing company. How have you managed to build the company to the size you have without outside funding?

Startup 239

Startup El Segundo Marketing Media 239

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2014

Investors hear this as trying to do too many things with limited resources, meaning the startup will not shine at anything, and will not survive the competition. Narrow the scope more realistically to people with specific age, income, and education demographics, that you can realistically reach with your marketing plan.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Competition Technical Review Oracle 103

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2017

Eugene Cho: I saw this market opportunity when I realized that the larger microscope companies, like Nikon, Olympus, and so on were really only focusing their efforts on high end systems, which cost $200,000 plus. I saw the market opportunity, and after being in the industry for fourteen years, thought: what can we do next?

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels Startup Sales Slides 100

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 27, 2018

Ventures In Which An MBA Education Is A Plus. Not only is Sieva attending Wharton this Fall, he and his partners, Hansae Catlett (Stanford), Hiro Tien (Stanford) and Josh Hoffman-Senn (Harvard), will launch The MBA Fund later this year. A nice way of saying they can be arrogant mercenaries. “When M.B.A.’s

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Allegis Startup Competition 113

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

This year Startup Weekend is branching out towards driving solutions to be created for the education industry with Startup Weekend EDU. While this is different than the traditional Startup Weekend events , it comes at no surprise as the education industry continues to push forward on advancing learning with technology.

Education 71

Education Entrepreneur Startup Mentor 71

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2013

Investors hear this as trying to do too many things with limited resources, meaning the startup will not shine at anything, and will not survive the competition. Narrow the scope more realistically to people with specific age, income, and education demographics, that you can realistically reach with your marketing plan.

Startup 103

Startup Competition Technical Review Oracle 103

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2016

The fact that entrepreneurs tend to think outside the box with passion and persistence is a big positive, and it's clearly the reason many large companies now fund or buy successful startups for new innovations rather than depend on internal projects. Great ideas will have no trouble getting funded.

Startup 58

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Ideas 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2013

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of the management team, or a sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. While these may be necessary for funding, they may not be sufficient to make your startup the great success embodied in your vision.

Startup 117

Startup Education Customer Custom 117

socalTECH

MAY 2, 2011

In recent weeks, online ticketing has seen a surge in interest and funding. Los Angeles-based SaveFans (www.savefans.com) recently raised some funding for its take on secondary ticketing, so we thought we'd speak with founder Wes Brodsky about the company and where it's going. Describe SaveFans and what it does?

Ticketmaster 253

Ticketmaster Pricing Sales Activity 253

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2012

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of your management team, or your sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. While these may be necessary for funding, they may not be sufficient to make your startup the great success embodied in your vision.

Startup 99

Startup Education Customer Custom 99

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

The VC industry has different segments in it that have different fund sizes, different investment amounts and different risk / return expectations. We need people at all stages of the funding lifecycle and not just VCs. We need venture debt, factoring companies and public markets. That’s a good thing. We all know that.

Venture Capital 308

Venture Capital Training Startup Entrepreneur 308

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 17, 2016

Some investors seem to focus wholly on the strengths of the management team, or a sustainable competitive advantage, and in reality these are the core attributes for every funding equation. While these may be necessary for funding, they may not be sufficient to make your startup the great success embodied in your vision.

Capital 58

Capital Startup Education Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2015

In reality, resource constraints should be seen by startups a competitive advantage, by forcing them to develop new markets, and to think differently and act differently than existing players. Startups funded by rich uncles rarely think about productivity. Rethink or reframe the challenge. Find new ways to augment.

Resource 98

Resource Entrepreneur Competition Startup 98