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. A great innovation starts with at least three ideas.

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Case Study Writing 145

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

Fortunately, the Startup of the Year program aims to make it easier for founders to connect with resources. In 2006, a passion to help startups grew into Tech Cocktail , a company whose mission was to showcased burgeoning companies in bars around the country. Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (Fargo, ND).

Startup 140

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Every business relationship, peer-to-peer, or inside to outside, starts as an introduction and formal recognition of roles. Workship - Mentor. Unlike the mentor, who is a coach and teacher, the advocate inspires you to be the best that you can be. Moving forward to a workship is critical to the business. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 91

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 91

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2022

After many years working in business and investing in startups, I’m convinced that the primary reason for new business and career failures is NOT a lack of skill or money, but people giving up too quickly on their dreams and goals. He went on to start many successful companies, including General Electric.

Startup 122

Startup Satisfaction Summary Coach 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2022

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. Current research is conclusive that self-esteem is linked to our sense of competence in the areas that are important to us. Identify and redirect unhealthy competition and comparisons.

Startup 101

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2016

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. Most of these are non-profits, set up by a university to commercialize new technologies, or a municipality to foster business development for the local economy.

Incubator 106

Incubator Startup Help Resource 106

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2019

To refresh your memory, angel investors are typically high net worth individuals, accredited by the SEC and willing to invest their own money in a high-potential startup for a share of the ownership. They don’t get excited by early stage research, development, or marketing hype. Crowdfunding is not the best platform here.

Funding 119

Funding Startup Platform Examples 119

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Every business relationship, peer-to-peer, or inside to outside, starts as an introduction and formal recognition of roles. Workship - Mentor. Unlike the mentor, who is a coach and teacher, the advocate inspires you to be the best that you can be. Moving forward to a workship is critical to the business. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 135

Mentor Competition Summary Coach 135

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2022

In my role of business advisor to startups, I often recommend these to increase initial brand identity and market penetration. With the rate of market change today, and the advent of worldwide competitors, you need every strategy you can muster to keep up, and respond quickly to new threats. Stay current.

Marketing 119

Marketing Social Media Mentor Conference 119

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2022

In many cases, the ideas may be small ones, such as starting a promotion to kick-start sales on a stalled item, or suggesting a huge strategy move to acquire Netflix and supplement an already healthy Blockbuster DVD rental business. Do your own research and gather supporting facts, rather than firing back with emotion and gut feel.

Ideas 116

Ideas Netflix Resource Customer 116

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. Most of these are non-profits, set up by a university to commercialize new technologies, or a municipality to foster business development for the local economy.

Incubator 98

Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 26, 2010

In December 2007, I described how I commonly take on an Acting CTO Role in a Start-up. However, I’ve now begun questioning how and what an early-stage / startup CTO should be. What worries me a bit is how often I read that startups should hire a developer / hands-on lead developer. What technology research is required?

Fractional CTO 225

Fractional CTO CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach 225

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. Current research is conclusive that self-esteem is linked to our sense of competence in the areas that are important to us. Identify and redirect unhealthy competition and comparisons.

Entrepreneur 98

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction Competition 98

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2010

The group--which was started by Richard Koffler and John Morris , two well known investors in Los Angeles--has been trying to help connect CEOs with interesting university and other technology projects. If an existing company is not interested in licensing, and a researcher is not an entrepreneurial spirit, those projects go no where.

Networking 215

Networking Research Startup USC 215

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. Most of these are non-profits, set up by a university to commercialize new technologies, or a municipality to foster business development for the local economy.

Incubator 87

Incubator Startup Resource Seed Funding 87

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Even though the color of their money is always green, all startup investors are not the same. Investor due diligence on a startup is not a mysterious black art, but is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of your business model, team, product, customers, and plan. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2013

Every business relationship, peer-to-peer, or inside to outside, starts as an introduction and formal recognition of roles. Workship - Mentor. Unlike the mentor, who is a coach and teacher, the advocate inspires you to be the best that you can be. entrepreneur startup relationships work survival business'

Startup 99

Startup Mentor Entrepreneur Competition 99

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 10, 2018

Even with all my years of experience mentoring in business, I can’t predict how you will prepare for and react to pressure situations. Here are the top approaches I recommend, and the entrepreneur mindsets that I see in survivors: Evaluate new competitive threats as new opportunities. Confidence alone will overcome many challenges.

Startup 82

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Mentor 82

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

As a startup advisor and investor, living in an area with several local universities, I’m continually surprised by how little many entrepreneurs know about the resources available from these institutions. Access to intellectual property and current research. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Capital Class Startup 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2013

Of course, there's no law saying you have to go to college to start a business. Current young adults have grown up hearing about Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), who dropped out of Harvard, as the paragon of success. Academic research supports that this experience pays off. Supplement course work with practical experience.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Course Education 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

In big business, as well as startups, I have found that your effectiveness can be highly correlated to your ability to build and maintain people relationships, often more so than hard work, or how many hours you give. But, like most other skills, you can learn from these priorities: Everyone benefits from active mentoring.

Tips 95

Tips Mentor Coach Activity 95

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

Thus, as an initial step in my mentoring efforts to young or older aspiring entrepreneurs alike, I always recommend ways of dipping your toes in the water, before risking all your life savings, some important personal relationships, and your own well-being for a long time to come. Attend industry and investor meetings and conferences.

Sample 126

Sample Entrepreneur Ideas Startup 126

Tech.Co

MARCH 8, 2018

Getting face time with VCs or people of influence is an ongoing challenge for startup founders, and it may take layers of introductions to get to the right person. She launched the iTech program within NASA to reach out to startups with innovative technology that have an Earth and space travel application.

Technical Review 70

Technical Review Startup Software Review Entrepreneur 70

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2017

Entrepreneurs are people who dream up new ideas, and then commercialize them into new businesses. Most people believe that the hard part is coming up with the idea, and the easy part is turning it into a business. Don’t assume anything until you have done market research and listened to real customers.

Ideas 72

Ideas Startup Metrics Entrepreneur 72

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Of course, there's no law saying you have to go to college to start a business. Current young adults have grown up hearing about Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) as the paragon of success. Academic research supports that this experience pays off. Most universities also bring in outside advisors to mentor budding entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Course Education 105

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2013

” Let’s start with “oversight.” ” Most VCs view it as their responsibility to mentor, debate, cajole and generally assist with investments they make. Thus, a desire to invest more locally where I think I have a competitive advantage. “ Startup Advice' Local knowledge runs deep.

Venture Capital 365

Venture Capital Marketing Santa Barbara Startup 365

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

One startup, SwoopThat (www.swoopthat.com)--started by a recent college grad Jonathan Simkin --has made it much easier to buy books for student, by pulling up books based on a student's schedule. You've got to find each one, and research them online. How did you come up with the web site?

UCSD 185

UCSD Course Startup Sites 185

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Based on my experience as a mentor and an entrepreneur, if you fail on your first startup, you are about average. Every young entrepreneur knows implicitly that startup success is a long hard road. Statistics show that the failure rate for new startups within the first 5 years is higher than 50 percent.

Startup 100

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Resource 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2015

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. Current research is conclusive that self-esteem is linked to our sense of competence in the areas that are important to us. Identify and redirect unhealthy competition and comparisons.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction Competition 102

socalTECH

MAY 2, 2013

However, the newest venture capital fund in the area TenOneTen Ventures (tenoneten.net), headed up by David Waxman and Gil Elbaz, is hoping to change that, by focusing its efforts on technology-focused startups here. There''s a lot of great research and people coming out of those institutions, and creating new companies here.

Invest 159

Invest Technology Startup Venture Capital 159

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. Current research is conclusive that self-esteem is linked to our sense of competence in the areas that are important to us. Identify and redirect unhealthy competition and comparisons.

Startup 57

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Competition 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2014

In my years of mentoring entrepreneurs, a problem I have seen too often is low self-esteem, and over-compensating through arrogance and ego. Current research is conclusive that self-esteem is linked to our sense of competence in the areas that are important to us. Identify and redirect unhealthy competition and comparisons.

Startup 91

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur Competition 91

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

Of course, there's no law saying you have to go to college to start a business. Current young adults have grown up hearing about Bill Gates as the paragon of success. Academic research supports that this experience pays off. Most universities also bring in outside advisors to mentor budding entrepreneurs. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Advisors 90

Technical Advisors Startup Course Entrepreneur 90

SoCal Delicious

JANUARY 9, 2014

No clear vision or purpose This should be the starting point for any startup founder, but it’s often overlooked. The money will end up following you.” Tony Hsieh Without a clear purpose, a startup can meander along without much momentum. Chase the vision not the money. By focusing on the ‘why?’

Startup 78

Startup Design Customer Custom 78

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

With some coaching and mentoring from other leaders, I was able to do it myself, so I know you can do it too, by committing to the following strategies: Train yourself to always look for positives, not negatives. Optimistic business leaders see value in every new business challenge, rather than stress and risk.

Coach 137

Coach Training Satisfaction Mentor 137

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2016

Every business relationship, peer-to-peer, or inside to outside, starts as an introduction and formal recognition of roles. Workship - Mentor. Unlike the mentor, who is a coach and teacher, the advocate inspires you to be the best that you can be. Moving forward to a workship is critical to the business. Workship - Advocate.

Mentor 70

Mentor Competition Entrepreneur Summary 70

InfoChachkie

MAY 26, 2016

Given the stellar startup careers of non-college graduates like Zuckerberg, Ellison, Disney, Gates, Jobs, Branson and Dell, the answer to this question might surprise you. In each case, the students were glad they remained in school and snagged their diploma before launching their startups. . In sports, outliers generate headlines.

Entrepreneur 150

Entrepreneur Case Study Education Seed Funding 150