Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2020

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. A partnership was announced with the City of New York, to connect and grow NYC's startup ecosystem.

Startup 124

Startup IBM IBM Examples 124

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

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 8, 2019

Responding to Elizabeth Warren’s call to regulate and break up some of the nation’s largest technology companies, the venture capitalists that invest in technology companies are advising the presidential hopeful to move slowly and not break anything. This is not a new model, and it makes no sense,” says Narasin.

Technical Review 144

Technical Review Startup Chief Technology Officer Social Media 144

socalTECH

DECEMBER 23, 2019

We have invested in 13 companies out of our Fund 1 so far and are more bullish than ever on the amazing entrepreneurs we are meeting and the companies we are helping them build. 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

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

Even though investors, like myself, have long made it clear that we invest in people, not ideas, new venture owners insist on talking about their latest “ million dollar idea ,” rather than their “ million dollar team.” For example, I grew up in IBM when Bill Gates was helping us deliver the first IBM PC.

IBM 87

IBM IBM Ideas Technical Review 87

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

BlackTech Week was created in 2014, and in four short years, they’ve gained over 2700 participants, 150 speakers, and 3 pitch competitions. The Case Foundation invests in people and ideas that can change the world. While winning pitch competitions is great, it’s not the most important thing about Startup of the Year. “All

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 7, 2017

Photo courtesy IBM Business Coaching. If you are lucky enough to create competition among investors for your company, you can select the investor or group with an individual who has experience in your niche and identifies with your vision. Email readers, continue here…] How do you pay a coach?

Coach 243

Coach Organization Resource IBM 243

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 12, 2022

My friends who “grew up” with lifetime careers in General Motors, Exxon Mobil, or even IBM, are now often too embarrassed to even mention it. Competitive advantages are rapidly vaporizing on these. They have proven themselves unable to innovate, and they have lost more jobs than they create.

Startup 126

Startup Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Offshore 126

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. A partnership was announced last year with the City of New York, to connect and grow NYC's startup ecosystem.

Startup 100

Startup IBM IBM Examples 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2010

Things that make it investment-grade for outside investors will also benefit you, since you are the ultimate investor. It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, and then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath. Competition and sustainable advantage. Executive team.

Invest 74

Invest Tips Competition Metrics 74

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

Most experienced business people love to help, but they don’t have the time or interest to give you a course on basic business concepts, like the need to be competitive. I get much more satisfaction, and can provide more realistic help, in steering you through specific pricing, organizational, or competitive challenges you face.

Help 123

Help Entrepreneur Course IBM 123

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2020

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. Use outside investment and acquisition to expand your scope. What worked for you yesterday probably won’t keep you alive and competitive tomorrow.

Customer 143

Customer Custom Examples IBM 143

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. A partnership was just announced with the City of New York, to connect and grow NYC''s startup ecosystem.

IBM 100

IBM IBM Startup Examples 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2022

The reasons are a lot more complex than the meltdown of key investment banks in the US a few years ago, so don’t expect any real change in the numbers soon, especially with recent stock market downturns. Thus, there is tremendous pressure to increase current earnings, and little appetite for strategic investments.

Startup 98

Startup Report IBM IBM 98

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 21, 2019

Rather than punish them, it may pay you to nurture and manage their outside-the-box thinking, and capitalize on their innovations that help your customers and keep you ahead of the competition. Indeed, internal innovators usually don’t have the risk tolerance of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, who invested nearly everything into SpaceX.

IBM 53

IBM IBM Java Google 53

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. These relationships need not require cash investments; often they are done with exchanges of equity or assets.

Organization 100

Organization Startup Competition IBM 100

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2016

He succinctly outlines the key behaviors that I believe every business leader must focus on, to drive innovation without waiting for the next competitive crisis: Avoid the assumption that current gifts will keep on giving. Sponsor experiments and measure like new investments. Invest more energy in the “horse you can control.”

Framework 59

Framework Competition Ideas IBM 59

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2013

The latest big-company addition was Ginni Rometty , who was promoted into both top titles at IBM in 2012. Distinguishing traits of male leaders are autonomy, independence, and competition, while those of women are relations, interdependence, and cooperation. Investment style. Both have their advantages. Operational style.

Startup 107

Startup Competition IBM IBM 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2018

The stalwarts should be making the big leaps to be competitive, rather than the other way around. For example, Kodak invested billions of dollars into technology for mobile phones and other digital devices, but didn’t recognize the impact of digital cameras on their core film business. Acquire and cultivate new knowledge disciplines.

Startup 59

Startup Competition IBM IBM 59

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2012

Things that make it investment-grade for outside investors will also benefit you, since you are the ultimate investor. It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, and then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath. Competition and sustainable advantage. Executive team.

Competition 113

Competition Metrics Startup Invest 113

Xconomy

JULY 19, 2016

In 2015, Cybersecurity startups saw 332 funding deals with investments hitting the highest ever at $3.8 The bigger public players – Cisco, Check Point, HP, IBM, Symantec, and others – need to continually add to their arsenal of security solutions as the threat landscape continues to evolve. billion (235 percent growth over 5 years).

Symantec 40

Symantec IBM IBM Acquisition 40

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2011

I will argue that LPs who invest in VC funds will also need to adjust a bit as well. Not IBM, HP, Accenture, Cisco, Salesforce.com or anybody else. That said, Amazon – through AWS – even without strong competition is as wonderful an experience as Amazon the eCommerce retailer feels to you as an online shopper.

Venture Capital 334

Venture Capital Software Capital Startup 334

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

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Middle Market Investment Banking. 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. Deloitte (www.deloitte.com/us/technology). GetItStarted (www.getitstarted.com).

Southern California 113

Southern California Tech Coast Angels IP Orange County 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 13, 2015

None should be considered competitive mutually exclusive to any other. Every business should look at its cost of customer acquisition (COCA) and return on investment (ROI) twice a year and after each campaign. How integrated is your marketing, and how carefully are you measuring your marketing investment? Marty Zwilling.

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Marketing Resource 108

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. These relationships need not require cash investments; often they are done with exchanges of equity or assets.

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Organization Startup Competition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2019

The reasons are a lot more complex than the meltdown of key investment banks in the US a few years ago, so don’t expect a big change in the numbers soon, even with recent stock market rallies. Thus, there is tremendous pressure to increase current earnings, and little appetite for strategic investments.

Startup 84

Startup Technical Review Report IBM 84

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

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

My friends who “grew up” with lifetime careers in General Motors, Exxon Mobil, or even IBM, are now often too embarrassed to even mention it. Competitive advantages are rapidly vaporizing on these. They have proven themselves unable to innovate, and they have lost more jobs than they create.

Entrepreneur 87

Entrepreneur Offshore Technical Review IBM 87

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 13, 2011

Things that make it investment-grade for outside investors will also benefit you, since you are the ultimate investor. It always amazes me how an entrepreneur can define his market opportunity so broadly, and then assess his competition so narrowly in the next breath. Competition and sustainable advantage. Executive team.

Competition 116

Competition Metrics Startup Sales 116

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2010

Venture Capital funds: the different between “closed funds&# (which typically have a 10-year time horizon) and “evergreen funds&# which re-invest profits back into the fund. An investment doesn’t guarantee your product will suddenly be on the investor’s price sheet. DST invested $180mm last fall.

Venture Capital 225

Venture Capital Google Web Sites 225

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

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. These relationships need not require cash investments; often they are done with exchanges of equity or assets.

Startup 93

Startup Organization Competition IBM 93

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2017

None should be considered competitive mutually exclusive to any other. Every business should look at its cost of customer acquisition (COCA) and return on investment (ROI) twice a year and after each campaign. How integrated is your marketing, and how carefully are you measuring your marketing investment? Marty Zwilling.

Media 59

Media Marketing Social Media Resource 59

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

I quickly learned, after moving StrongMail, is all of that is true--but there sure is a lot more competition for those resources and capital. I told my investors--I''m going to be investing in some of the things that might not seem like they make sense. It was a similar reactio to when IBM started putting computers on desktops.

Startup 176

Startup Advertising Los Angeles Southern California 176

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 23, 2015

In the startup world, the former happens when a VC makes a bad investment, and the latter occurs when they miss a great opportunity. In contrast, low-volume, high-conviction investors like Rincon only invests in a handful new companies each year, making it much more costly (in dollars and effort expended) to invest in a loser.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Southern California 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

The reasons are a lot more complex than the meltdown of key investment banks in the US a few years ago, so don’t expect a big change in the numbers soon, even with recent stock market rallies. Thus, there is tremendous pressure to increase current earnings, and little appetite for strategic investments.

Startup 87

Startup Technical Review Report Entrepreneur 87

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

It’s why my investment philosophy is called, “ the entrepreneur thesis.&#. He listed all of the product releases that were up coming, the customers that were in the pipeline and where he saw his competition moving. Imagine Apple without Steve Jobs. Or less obvious, imagine Facebook without Sheryl Sandberg.

Venture Capital 317

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 317