Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

Every entrepreneur and business executive knows that continuous innovation is required to survive, but most struggle with this more than any other challenge they face. A business that relies on static skill replacement is falling behind, and ripe for the next competitive crisis. Innovation driven by the next crisis is not leadership.

Tips 160

Tips Framework Ideas Competition 160

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2022

Every new entrepreneur who has not spent years in corporate life has the advantage of an unbiased look at business opportunities, but at the same time has the disadvantage of missing critical business experiences that can cost them dearly in their first startup venture. Startups don’t come with formal training courses.

Training 117

Training Entrepreneur IBM IBM 117

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 29, 2010

One of the most important questions you will be asked by potential investors is how your solutions beats the competition, not just today, but over the three to five year life of their investment. The concept is called “sustainable competitive advantage.” That implies competitive now, and the potential to stay in the lead.

Competition 89

Competition Patents IBM IBM 89

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2014

It’s a jungle fight for survival out there for aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages and demographics. Every startup needs a sustainable competitive advantage. With no competitive advantage, startups with new ideas gaining traction are never feared, and are usually eaten for lunch as sleeping giants wake up. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup News Framework 105

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2014

Unfocused entrepreneurs boast that their new technology will generate multiple disruptive products for consumers as well as enterprises around the world. 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. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Competition Oracle Technical Review 103

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2022

The bad news is that it’s still a jungle fight for survival for entrepreneurs of all ages and demographics, with over 80 percent not having access to bank loans or venture capital. Every startup needs a sustainable competitive advantage. The best entrepreneurs work on making better time management a top objective.

Startup 112

Startup News Framework IBM 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 25, 2016

Every new entrepreneur who has not spent years in corporate life has the advantage of an unbiased look at business opportunities, but at the same time has the disadvantage of missing critical business experiences that can cost them dearly in their first startup venture. Startups don’t come with formal training courses.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Training Startup IBM 64

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 8, 2020

Every new entrepreneur who has not spent years in corporate life has the advantage of an unbiased look at business opportunities, but at the same time has the disadvantage of missing critical business experiences that can cost them dearly in their first startup venture. Startups don’t come with formal training courses.

Training 144

Training Entrepreneur IBM IBM 144

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2022

You will be pivoting your business in your lifetime, whether you are a new startup, or a mature company like Motorola or IBM. It happens on the front end for startups to get traction, and then again later for every company as the economy, competition, and culture changes around them. Reinvent the vision for change.

Course 127

Course IBM IBM Social Media 127

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

Other writers, like Guy Kawasaki, have irreverently called some of these “entrepreneur lies,” but I prefer to think of them as innocent over-enthusiasm or over-confidence that can kill your deal. It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 8, 2019

“Decades ago, at the peak of Japanese growth as a technology competitor on the global stage, the US government sought to break up IBM. “If big companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are prevented from acquiring startups, that actually reduces competition,” Sirinivasan writes. — Balaji S. ”

Technical Review 144

Technical Review Startup Chief Technology Officer Social Media 144

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2012

Bill Gates started producing software solutions, like his Basic Interpreter and MS DOS, but quickly focused on adding thousands of small partners for applications, and major partners like IBM and other hardware manufacturers. Entrepreneurs, while partnering with or acquiring a new business, must check for compatibility and strategic fit.

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Organization Startup Competition 99

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. BlackTech Week was created in 2014, and in four short years, they’ve gained over 2700 participants, 150 speakers, and 3 pitch competitions. While winning pitch competitions is great, it’s not the most important thing about Startup of the Year.

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

In the entrepreneur world, it’s still a popular misconception that the “idea” is everything. For example, I grew up in IBM when Bill Gates was helping us deliver the first IBM PC. In a very real sense, we funded him, and he superseded even IBM. Expedite growth with strategic partnership connections.

IBM 87

IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2015

The new paradigm, driven by disruptive technologies, cloud-served supercomputing, and the new generation of young adults with global empathy, is partnering and giving something now for a competitive advantage in the future. Too many companies and entrepreneurs find it hard to stop a bad project. This is the new world of prototyping.

Startup 100

Startup IBM IBM Examples 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2019

Conventional business wisdom tells us that entrepreneurs are today’s main source of innovation. In fact, a Wharton Business School study in this decade of the “Top 30 Innovations of the Last 30 Years,” concluded that only eight were first conceived by entrepreneurs, and twenty-two were conceived by employees.

IBM 53

IBM IBM Java Google 53

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2014

The new paradigm, driven by disruptive technologies, cloud-served supercomputing, and the new generation of young adults with global empathy, is partnering and giving something now for a competitive advantage in the future. Too many companies and entrepreneurs find it hard to stop a bad project. This is the new world of prototyping.

IBM 100

IBM IBM Startup Examples 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Every year, at the end of the year, we share some reflections on the past year from our readers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, sponsors, and others in the local technology community. Due to this, seed rounds have become more competitive, with more expensive valuations and more oversubscribed rounds. Since 2010, $6.3B

Capital 100

Capital Technical Review Truecar Venture Capital 100

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 7, 2017

Entrepreneurs will have a relative willing to devote time, a school friend with business experience, professionals who charge for the service, investors with a reason to promote your success and more. Photo courtesy IBM Business Coaching. Business coaches come in all sizes and shapes.

Coach 243

Coach Organization Resource IBM 243

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2022

In the old days, every entrepreneur planned on taking their startup public, and making it big. Smart entrepreneurs are now starting to look at this option again, as well as the challenges of running a public company. Public companies of any size must comply immediately with the full reporting requirements of the SEC.

Startup 98

Startup Report IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2019

The bad news is that it’s still a jungle fight for survival for entrepreneurs of all ages and demographics, with over 80 percent not having access to bank loans or venture capital. Every startup needs a sustainable competitive advantage. The best entrepreneurs work on making better time management a top objective.

Startup 94

Startup News Framework IBM 94

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2020

In my experience working with entrepreneurs, once they feel they have a winning formula for their business, they are often hesitant to change or update it. Don’t be the next Xerox who totally missed the personal computer market, even though they had the technology and the processes well before Apple, IBM, and others.

Customer 143

Customer Custom Examples IBM 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2015

Bill Gates started producing software solutions, like his Basic Interpreter and MS DOS, but quickly focused on adding thousands of small partners for applications, and major partners like IBM, Intel, and other hardware manufacturers. Even mergers and acquisitions (M&A) came quickly. New management skills.

Organization 100

Organization Startup Competition IBM 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2019

You will be pivoting your business in your lifetime, whether you are a new startup, or a mature company like Motorola or IBM. It happens on the front end for startups to get traction, and then again later for every company as the economy, competition, and culture changes around them. Reinvent the vision for change.

Course 85

Course IBM IBM Social Media 85

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 Course Software Review 232

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2013

Unfocused entrepreneurs boast that their new technology will generate multiple disruptive products for consumers as well as enterprises around the world. 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. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 103

Startup Competition Technical Review Oracle 103

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2018

I will suggest to you as a business owner and entrepreneur that focus on certain key behaviors will drive innovation without waiting for the next competitive crisis: Be outspoken in communicating proactive required change. IBM, for example, regularly buys about a dozen companies a year to supercharge their own innovation efforts.

Metrics 58

Metrics IBM IBM Competition 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2013

The opportunity for change is huge, with everyone taking a new look at the world after the recession, but the competition is also huge, since the cost of entry is at an all-time low. Every startup needs a sustainable competitive advantage. The best entrepreneurs work on making better time management a top objective.

Startup 99

Startup Competition News Framework 99

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2016

I’m a strong proponent of new entrepreneurs starting with a big vision, and believing anything is possible -- but I’m also a pragmatist who believes in factoring some realism into any plan. Entrepreneurs who expect funding at the idea stage are usually disappointed. First-to-market is a key competitive advantage.

Startup 58

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Ideas 58

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2016

Every entrepreneur and business executive knows that continuous innovation is required to survive, but most struggle with this more than any other challenge they face. A business that relies on static skill replacement is falling behind, and ripe for the next competitive crisis. Innovation driven by the next crisis is not leadership.

Framework 59

Framework Competition Ideas IBM 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2017

It’s a jungle fight for survival for aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages and demographics. Every startup needs a sustainable competitive advantage. With no competitive advantage, startups with new ideas gaining traction are never feared, and are usually eaten for lunch as sleeping giants wake up. If you want to be feared.

Startup 57

Startup News Framework Entrepreneur 57

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2019

In the old days, every entrepreneur dreamed of easily taking their startup public, and making it big. Smart entrepreneurs are just now starting to look at this option again, due to its unpredictability and the challenges of running a public company. Public companies are always at risk for takeovers.

Startup 84

Startup Technical Review Report IBM 84

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2018

The stalwarts should be making the big leaps to be competitive, rather than the other way around. Competitive advantage depends most critically on the assimilation of new knowledge and the timely creation of new markets and new businesses. In fact, almost 90 percent of the Fortune 500 firms that existed in 1955 are gone.

Startup 59

Startup Competition IBM IBM 59

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Helping entrepreneurs succeed. An on-line community for entrepreneurs. Key Information Systems (www.keyinfo.com) Providing IBM Storage Solutions. www.pitchtheangels.com) Join Tech Coast Angels members and other start up investors at the 5th Annual Los Angeles Fast Pitch Competition. Redpoint Ventures (www.redpoint.com).

Southern California 113

Southern California Tech Coast Angels IP Orange County 113

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

One of the most important questions you will be asked by potential investors is how your solutions beats the competition, not just today, but over the three to five year life of their investment. The concept is called “sustainable competitive advantage.” A sustainable competitive advantage is not a destination, but a journey.

Patents 90

Patents Competition IBM IBM 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2015

Entrepreneurs and startups often ask if they should select only social media for marketing, or stick with digital media, or just count on traditional media. None should be considered competitive mutually exclusive to any other. None should be considered competitive mutually exclusive to any other.

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Marketing Resource 108

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

Ali Khoshgozaran: Before we started the company, me and my partner had participated in the USC Viterbi startup competition. About 100 teams participated in that competition, and 10 teams were selected to be part of USC''s Viterbi Startup Garage program. How did Tilofy come about? Ali Khoshgozaran: That''s a great question. READ MORE>>.

USC 236

USC Southern California Organization UCLA 236