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

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Shared business support services, including telephone answering, conference rooms, teleconferencing, administrative support, and a business mailing address. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

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

DECEMBER 31, 2022

In my years of mentoring and working with startups, I’ve seen and read about some amazing disruptions, as well as recoveries, and I’m sure each of you could add your own. You can’t predict big quality problems, funding shortfalls, and viral events that don’t work. People who haven’t thought about a Plan B often don’t survive the shock.

Startup 98

Startup Entrepreneur Competition Mentor 98

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. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Build your business with minimum outside funding.

Resource 121

Resource Metrics Entrepreneur Custom 121

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

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 Custom Customer 109

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 Custom 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 6, 2020

In my years of mentoring and working with startups, I’ve seen and read about some amazing disruptions, as well as recoveries, and I’m sure each of you could add your own. You can’t predict big quality problems, funding shortfalls, and viral events that don’t work. People who haven’t thought about a Plan B often don’t survive the shock.

Startup 133

Startup Entrepreneur Competition Mentor 133

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

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

He had an idea for a startup that would help consumers better book service jobs and would take on Service Magic, which he believed had a business model that could be disrupted. I acted as the occasional mentor, advisor and coach to Ethan. In the same year they won Business Insider’s Startup competition. Nice sweep!

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I tend to see many of the same obstacles appearing in every new startup, and since I don’t want to appear to be a downer , I’m not sure how to properly warn people ahead of time to be on the alert for these challenges. Each of these can go astray as follows: Your product or service hits unexpected snags.

Startup 131

Startup Entrepreneur Examples Custom 131

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

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. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Build your business with minimum outside funding.

Entrepreneur 129

Entrepreneur Resource Metrics Custom 129

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

On the other hand, if you can qualify for membership in a top-ranked accelerator , such as 500 Startups , AngelPad or TechStars , you will get a rigorous development program, top-quality professional guidance, and some seed funding to move you ahead of the crowd. Direction, mentoring and resources required.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Shared business support services, including telephone answering, conference rooms, teleconferencing, administrative support, and a business mailing address. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

Incubator 87

Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

socalTECH

DECEMBER 7, 2016

I built my own company around marketing services, and have been around business development, marketing, custom service, and sales, and also on the consumer side of technology, a little bit a mix of the two. Barry was a lead mentor there at Chapman University's Launch Labs, and we paired up. How did you two connect?

Tech Coast Angels 100

Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach Startup Pasadena Angels 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

Even a million users on your social media site won’t pay the bills until you sell some advertising or a premium service. It’s your job as a leader to be the model high performer, quantify the team view with metrics, and expand awareness to the best outside competition and new tools. Attract, train, and reward only the best leaders.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2010

venture funding and business deals, technology develops, and more from Santa Barbara. Funding great entrepreneurs. pushing CEOs and business owners to innovate to outperform the competition. We put the "Service" back into Internet Service Provider. to San Diego. experts, developers, and many, many others.

SoCalTech 127

SoCalTech Advertising Rustic Canyon Glendale 127

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

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 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2016

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Shared business support services, including telephone answering, conference rooms, teleconferencing, administrative support, and a business mailing address. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

Incubator 106

Incubator Startup Help Resource 106

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Based on my experience as an angel investor and a mentor to dozens of entrepreneurs, having no business plan is the quickest way to define yourself as just a dreamer, or at best a hobbyist. Opportunity segmentation and competitive environment. No mention usually means no plan and not competitive.

Startup 65

Startup Writing Patents Competition 65

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2019

The companies we're generally looking for are software-as-a-service-based companies, and although we don't just invest in SaaS companies, it's our primary focus. Is this fund just your own investment fund, or do you have outside LPs? Kevin O'Connor: It's 100 percent our own funds. It's always hard with venture capital.

Venture Capital 145

Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2016

In a world that is hyper competitive – even amongst VCs – I can honestly say that not only is the media recognition accurate but it is amongst the proudest days I’ve had in developing Upfront Ventures and our future. Invest more heavily in platform services. ” Numero uno. I was nowhere to be found. I keynoted.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Journal Invest Santa Monica 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. Entrepreneurs often express surprise at funding challenges, confident that their good idea would attract money on its own merits. Myth: Measure twice, cut once. Myth: Be bold and decisive.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Design Ideas Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2015

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 105

Startup Netflix Entrepreneur Social Media 105

socalTECH

JULY 13, 2009

GRP has just recently closed on a new $200M fund, and Mark has been one of the more active venture capitalists in the Los Angeles area in recent months. In 2000, we set up our second fund--worth almost $400M--and for that vintage year, that fund is one of the top tier performing funds in the entire country.

GRP Partners 157

GRP Partners Southern California Santa Barbara Rustic Canyon 157

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

I believe their competitive advantage is their top on-site leadership, exclusivity, and connections to investors. Shared business support services, including telephone answering, conference rooms, teleconferencing, administrative support, and a business mailing address. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

Incubator 98

Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

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. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Build your business with minimum outside funding.

Startup 115

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 115

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2015

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 104

Ideas Mentor Resource Entrepreneur 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

The bad news is that many are already doing it, with competition growing, so the longer you wait, the less chance you have of getting there first. Create a business plan online, but don’t wait for funding. The good news is that most haven’t learned the new rules, so there is still room to surge ahead of the crowd. Both are wrong.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Outsource Development 108

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2014

In my years of mentoring and working with startups, I’ve seen and read about some amazing disruptions, as well as recoveries, and I’m sure each of you could add your own. You can’t predict big quality problems, funding shortfalls, and viral events that don’t work. People who haven’t thought about a Plan B often don’t survive the shock.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Startup Competition Mentor 103

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2015

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 98

Resource Entrepreneur Competition Startup 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 22, 2014

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 107

Ideas Mentor Entrepreneur Resource 107

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2012

All true entrepreneurs operate off a set of tenets that are built into their psyche, or drilled into them from training and mentors. Entrepreneurs often express surprise at funding challenges, confident that their good idea would attract money on its own merits. Myth: Measure twice, cut once. Myth: Be bold and decisive.

Startup 94

Startup Design Entrepreneur Ideas 94

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 27, 2014

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. Even non-profits need revenue to cover their costs, and continue to provide services. Build your business with minimum outside funding.

Startup 113

Startup Resource Metrics Entrepreneur 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2017

I was mentoring some graduate students at a local university recently, and I sensed again that profit seems to be a dirty word these days to many aspiring entrepreneurs. The implications of the decision you make are huge, including brand image, funding requirements, and long-term business viability.

Pricing 66

Pricing Custom Customer Advertising 66