SoCal Tech Calendar

MARCH 19, 2010

Thursday, March 25, 2010 -- OCTANe and Cleantech Open: 2010 Competition Breakfast Briefing. Enter the 2010 Cleantech Open Business Competition. The mission of the Cleantech Open is to find, fund, and foster the big ideas that address today's most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. See [link] (more).

Competition 100

Competition OCTANE Mentor Resource 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

The lesson of finding help, connections, and even funding where other people may never look is one that makes all the difference in the entrepreneur lifestyle. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. They can also connect you to area businesses.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2023

Based on my experience as an investor and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, one of the quickest ways to kill your credibility and your startup is to offer a poorly written business plan, or none at all. An entrepreneur who can’t manage a plan, probably won’t be able to manage the new business.

Startup 102

Startup Writing Mentor Sample 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait. Startups funded by rich uncles rarely think about productivity. Rethink or reframe the challenge. Marty Zwilling

Resource 112

Resource Ideas Competition Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. 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. A sample of three views is adequate.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 11, 2022

I had realized that I didn’t have it within me to be as good of a player as many of them did but I had the skills to help as mentor, coach, friend, sparing partner and patient capital provider. It was a way to make it hard for your competition to compete. I see your $500 million fund and I raise you with a $1.5 billion fund.

Venture Capital 466

Venture Capital Startup LAMP Marketing 466

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2010

Then we do our very best to make sure that they build a broad set of relationships that will be continuing sources of interpreted information, that they have a full complement of Mentors to assist them as they make tough decisions Well, here’s an important follow-on story. They are funded and staffed by groups of accomplished entrepreneurs.

Incubator 80

Incubator Mentor Capital Startup 80

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

The lesson of finding help, connections, and even funding where other people may never look is one that makes all the difference in the entrepreneur lifestyle. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. They can also connect you to area businesses.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Take advantage of free startup programs and mentors. They provide peer group organizations, usually called incubators, with free resources, practice environments, and outside mentoring that can help you learn and pivot with minimal cost. Write a business plan and pitch deck for learning.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

socalTECH

OCTOBER 7, 2010

The University of Southern California and wealthy engineer Fariborz Maseeh , now a hedge fund manager in Newport Beach, is announcing this week a $1M endowment, which will fund an annual, $50,000 prize for a business plan competition for the school's engineering students. affiliated event focused on spreading innovative ideas.

USC 214

USC Southern California SoCalTech Competition 214

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 26, 2020

billion investment vehicle that was launched in partnership with the private equity fund, Permira, according to a report in USA Today. As a mentor we drew on his wisdom, passion and drive everyday… In the short term our thoughts and hearts are with him, Gianna and his surviving family.”

Venture Capital 359

Venture Capital Los Angeles Legalzoom Calabasas 359

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2023

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. If you ask them for a reason, most will insist that they couldn’t get funding, or they ran out of money too early. It’s tempting to believe that one more new platform will win for crowd funding or video games, like Indiegogo and Wii.

Entrepreneur 125

Entrepreneur Netflix Social Media Startup 125

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 12, 2016

Small Business Administration as a Growth Accelerator Fund Competition winner. It also got me thinking about what was important for winning this competition. The mystartupXX accelerator is focused on providing mentorship, education, and funding to female-led technology-based startups at UC San Diego.

Funding 40

Funding Competition Chief Technology Officer San Diego 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2021

Based on my experience as an investor and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, one of the quickest ways to kill your credibility and your startup is to offer a poorly written business plan, or none at all. An entrepreneur who can’t manage a plan, probably won’t be able to manage the new business.

Sample 137

Sample Writing Mentor Content 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 9, 2023

Remember that productive relationships have to show value in both directions, so don’t expect that you can pump someone for funding or connections without offering something worthwhile in return. Effective networking can also lead you to great coaches and mentors, as well as business and customer connections.

Networking 104

Networking Mentor Conference Summary 104

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2021

I’ve always wondered if there was some way that I could quickly deduce a new entrepreneur’s “sweet spot,” and optimize my mentoring to those strengths and weaknesses, maybe similar to the Myers-Briggs type indicator for business professionals. Ultimately, most get the best help from business advisors and mentors. Opportunist.

Entrepreneur 134

Entrepreneur Framework Mentor Web 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 23, 2021

Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait. Startups funded by rich uncles rarely think about productivity. Rethink or reframe the challenge. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 164

Startup Resource Entrepreneur Competition 164

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

As a mentor to many business professionals and owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs, I find a wealth of innovative ideas, but often less insight on what it really takes to transform ideas into an income stream that can excite new customers into long-term business success. Investors expect this step to be proven successful before funding.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2023

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.

Organization 92

Organization Incubator Startup Resource 92

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2015

As an early-stage startup, you may have some hand-picked mentors as an Advisory Board, but now you need a formal Board with approval rights on all your strategic decisions and pivots. Every funding term sheet is followed by a set of milestone commitments, which should not be considered optional suggestions.

Funding 106

Funding Entrepreneur Startup Report 106

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Many risks can be managed or calculated to improve growth or provide a competitive edge, while others, like skipping quality checks to save money, are recipes for failure. Build your business with minimum outside funding. There is an old saying that good lawyers run away from risk, while good businessmen run towards risk.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Technical Review 121

Tech.Co

JULY 19, 2017

One notable fact about the competition: While it’s free to enter, fellows should have a plan in place to co-finance their participation through either a fellowship or partner funding. “The first step for us was the launch of the fund, which was supported by our partners and peers. While WelkerMedia’s U.S.

Mentor 71

Mentor Media Activity Competition 71

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2021

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. There are lots of resources available for that question, including the Internet and mentors like me. Find out if something very similar is already selling, and who your competition would be if you proceed.

Ideas 136

Ideas Entrepreneur Mentor Resource 136

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Competitive (Athlete: skier & rowed at Princeton, hates losing at everything she does). Wonderful human being who is civically engaged, mother of 3, mentorer of younger founders, hard worker and arguer extraordinaire (so says her current Twitter bio). She is a coach and mentor to team members.

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2016

I’ve spoken before about our desire at Upfront Ventures to fund really big ideas that solve hard problems, are science led and if successful will both have a positive effect on people’s lives as well as make great financial returns. We’re not Pollyannaish about this. In short, we’re after venture returns. They have raised $14 million to date.

Company 207

Company Companies CTO Coach Funding 207

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

socalTECH

JUNE 20, 2012

There is a large menu of startup accelerators in the Los Angeles, but one of more established efforts in the area is LaunchpadLA ([link] The effort actually started as an informal mentoring program, but has grown and expanded to follow the accelerator model. It was really just something built for the community to help support entrepreneurs.

Class 261

Class Mentor Startup Santa Monica 261

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 23, 2021

Thus, in my role as mentor to young entrepreneurs, I always recommend that you first take a hard look at your own values and priorities, before jumping into any new startup, as the founder, or even as a side hustle. Only you can turn these questions and related decisions into your competitive edge, as well as satisfying results.

Startup 159

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Equity 159

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

As an angel investor and a mentor to entrepreneurs I still see this every day. Building successful businesses still requires the ability to find and inspire the best people who “have what you haven't,” whether that be skills, knowledge, connections, or funding. Going the extra mile. Applied faith. Profiting by adversity.

Technical Review 119

Technical Review Ideas Entrepreneur Custom 119

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2022

Your role is to provide this enablement, through listening to their needs, and providing personal coaching and mentoring as required. He is always open to the ideas of his team, and even if he doesn't agree that an idea will work, he'll say so, but he often supports and funds it anyway. Foster collaboration rather than competition.

Product 109

Product Training Customer Custom 109

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. 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.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

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.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2020

As an entrepreneur mentor and startup investor, I see with sadness the 50 to 90 percent that fail. If you ask them for a reason, most will insist that they couldn’t get funding, or they ran out of money too early. It’s tempting to believe that one more new platform will win for crowd funding or video games, like Indiegogo and Wii.

Startup 124

Startup Netflix Social Media Customer 124

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 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

For example, many investors I know tell me they look for business plans that allocate the largest portion of a requested investment to marketing, but most often see the top “ use of funds ” to be further product or service development. The smart ones were already working on new features, and able to counter competition quickly.

Marketing 133

Marketing Custom Customer Outsource Development 133

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

In my experience as an advisor and mentor, I have assimilated the following most frequent negative reactions from others to your ideas, with my own suggestions and feedback from other experts on how to counter them, build your credibility, and be more productive: The implementation does not fit the way we do things.

Ideas 116

Ideas Netflix Resource Customer 116

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2020

Then, he'll need to patent it and create a plan to show opportunity, competition, and financial projections. I find the best business plans are not books, but may actually should start as a one-page “elevator pitch” that succinctly encompasses your business goals, problems and solution, opportunity, competition, and business model.

Ideas 126

Ideas Writing Examples Outsource 126