Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. Of course you need to discount any investor competitive positioning, but local investment group leaders will quickly tell you the strengths and terms of active investors in your area.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations. These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. Of course you need to discount any investor competitive positioning, but local investment group leaders will quickly tell you the strengths and terms of active investors in your area.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts. Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. Think of that challenge like competing for limited venture capital.

Incubator 98

Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 7, 2013

We have three main components: education, mentoring, and practice. All our workshops are all led by experts, whether they might be seasoned angel investors or VCs. In mentoring, we match experienced angel investors with, what I like to call them, “angels-in-training” so they can share the lessons learned.

Mentor 84

Mentor Invest Entrepreneur Startup 84

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 19, 2011

Get connected to the right mentors and your business may catapult to the next level. I figured if Matt was on the verge of bankruptcy and one mentor changed his trajectory, what if we had a formalized, community-wide program? o Put a timeframe/money – competition in the picture. The answer? Something so simple.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 28, 2012

I faced the same challenge not being able to form a team because most people joined the competition with friends that they had already planned on working with. THIRD TIME’S A CHARM: On Sunday we presented to a panel of judges consisting of entrepreneurs and a VC investor. But a wise mentor of mine said, “Go with your gut!

Startup 100

Startup Ideas San Diego Mentor 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2020

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I often feel the frustration of someone trying to build a startup in the wrong place and time, and wrongly attributing their struggle to personal limitations. You need partners, mentors, and investors who can complement your own resources to make it a win-win for all involved.

Resource 131

Resource Startup Capital Mentor 131

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

Pricing models, the freemium myth and why you may not be charging enough for your product - Seth Levine's VC Adventure , August 12, 2010 I’ve been pulled into a number of product and pricing meetings recently (for reasons unknown I’ve become the Foundry pricing and productization guy). equity debate. clearly didn’t cause this.”

Startup 191

Startup Venture Capital Blogging CTO Hire 191

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2013

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders, I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues. That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. We have the first-mover advantage.”

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network IBM 111

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2012

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues: “Business plans are for dummies.” That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. No need to risk my own funds.

Startup 95

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2011

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders, I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues. That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. We have the first-mover advantage.”

Startup 98

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2010

It’s always painful when a startup fails, but as a mentor to founders I would hope that you can learn from these failings and not stumble on the same issues: “Business plans are for dummies.” That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. No need to risk my own funds.”

Startup 52

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 52