Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2015

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. The most common proposals I hear are for yet another social networking site ( over 200 active ), or another dating site (now over 2500 in the US alone). Followers and linear thinkers need not apply.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Startup Coach Metrics 101

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2018

According to an MIT study a while back, only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Guide 95

Guide Startup Ideas Entrepreneur 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2013

According to a recent MIT study , only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Startup 105

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 105

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2016

According to an MIT study a while back, only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Startup 103

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Competition 103

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2012

I’m fully convinced that both inspiration and perspiration are always required in a startup. Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. Starting a business may be fun, but it’s not easy. Start even before the product is ready.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Patents Startup Ideas 102

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2018

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. The most common proposals I hear are for yet another social networking site ( over 200 exist ), or another dating site (over 2500 in the US alone). Followers and linear thinkers need not apply.

Entrepreneur 64

Entrepreneur Coach Metrics Competition 64

Tech.Co

MARCH 1, 2018

And while that cliché has been said about everything in the Lone Star state for years, it rings particularly true for the hottest startups showcasing their big innovations at SXSW Startup Night 2018 presented by the Kauffman Foundation and TechCo. Beast Mode is taking on a new meaning in the startup world.

Startup 80

Startup Mentor Platform Help 80

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2013

Yet everyone seems to have their own view of key risk drivers for startups, and I’m no exception. I don’t agree, for example, that the first priority is to avoid startups with a high attrition rate, like trendy restaurants and entertainment. Competitive risk. Very few businesses can be started without money.

Startup 104

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Social Network 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 31, 2012

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. A great business often starts with one person, but it doesn’t end there. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Startup 104

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 104

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2016

As a startup investor in this age of the entrepreneur, I see many more startups, but innovation is still hard to find. The most common proposals I hear are for yet another social networking site ( over 200 active ), or another dating site (over 2500 in the US alone). Followers and linear thinkers need not apply.

Coach 64

Coach Metrics Competition Ideas 64

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2011

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. A great business often starts with one person, but it doesn’t end there. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Startup 101

Startup CTO Hire Press Customer 101

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 12, 2010

There is no doubt that both inspiration and perspiration are always required in a startup. Those at the other extreme don’t look up from the grindstone long enough to notice whether all their work is producing sweat equity or just sweat. Starting a business may be fun, but it’s not easy. Start even before the product is ready.

Startup 88

Startup Patents Competition Social Network 88

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

On December 2nd, 2006 I wrote the blog post published later in this post when I was CEO of startup Koral about my experiences in pitching VCs. There was no viral social networking products back then like Twitter where people could easily discover your content. 1:20 and they turned up like clockwork. And covered we did.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2012

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded early by one of the 318,000 active Angel investors in the USA alone. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the Angel perspective (as a member of an Angel group screening committee).

Angel 104

Angel Screening Summary Startup 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2012

According to a recent MIT study , only about 10% of patents granted in the United States have any meaningful commercial importance and less than one percent are of seminal importance. Nearly all new businesses aspiring to reach meaningful scale require some sort of outside funding to finance a competitive growth trajectory.

Entrepreneur 94

Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Competition 94

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2010

Yet everyone seems to have their own view of key risk sources for startups, and I’m no exception. I don’t agree, for example, that the first priority is to avoid startups with a high attrition rate, like trendy restaurants and entertainment. Competitive risk. Very few businesses can be started without money.

Startup 89

Startup Examples Entrepreneur Social Network 89

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. A great business often starts with one person, but it doesn’t end there. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Funding 112

Funding Entrepreneur Startup CTO Hire 112

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee). Line up an experienced team.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to see how the process works, several times from the startup side, and more recently from the angel perspective (as a member of an angel group selection committee). Line up an experienced team.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 25, 2012

Yet everyone seems to have their own view of key risk drivers for startups, and I’m no exception. I don’t agree, for example, that the first priority is to avoid startups with a high attrition rate, like trendy restaurants and entertainment. Competitive risk. Very few businesses can be started without money.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Examples Social Network Marketing 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2010

I hear a lot of entrepreneurs contemplating their great “idea” for several years with little discernable progress, and looking for money to start. A great business often starts with one person, but it doesn’t end there. Now investors will pay attention, since scale-up funding is less risky and has a time frame.

Tips 88

Tips Startup CTO Hire Press 88

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 14, 2012

One of the toughest and yet most important questions you will be asked by savvy potential startup investors is “What is your sustainable competitive advantage?” Yet many entrepreneurs, maybe in their passion for their new product, gloss over this one, or even announce that they have no competition.

Competition 97

Competition Patents Startup Social Network 97

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 14, 2011

One of the toughest and yet most important questions you will be asked by savvy potential startup investors is “What is your sustainable competitive advantage?” Yet many entrepreneurs, maybe in their passion for their new product, gloss over this one, or even announce that they have no competition.

Competition 102

Competition Patents Startup Social Network 102

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2021

Even the main industry rag, Online Dating Magazine , admits that the success rate is a mere one percent, compared to an estimated fifty percent for startups in general. The spend is still going up. Here are six key reasons, from a business perspective: Direct competition is huge. Social networks. In the U.S.

Sites 134

Sites Social Network Competition Networking 134

socalTECH

DECEMBER 3, 2008

They want a means of representing themselves that is animated, and changeable, and actively communicates in places like MySpace, Facebook, and other social networks. One problem with other avatar technology, is that in most competitive cases what people are doing is using a standard head model and trying to apply a face to that model.

Entertainment 100

Entertainment Clearstone Venture Capital Media 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 28, 2010

One of the toughest and yet most important questions you will be asked by savvy potential investors is “What is your sustainable competitive advantage?” Yet many entrepreneurs, maybe in their passion for their new product, gloss over this one, or even announce that they have no competition. Dramatic cost improvement for cause.

Competition 49

Competition Tips Patents Startup 49

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 2, 2013

Even the main industry rag, Online Dating Magazine , admits that the success rate is a mere one percent, compared to an estimated fifty percent for startups in general. The spend is still going up. Here are six key reasons, from a business perspective: Direct competition is huge. Social networks. In the U.S.

Sites 86

Sites Social Network Networking Patents 86

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 26, 2011

Even the main industry rag, Online Dating Magazine , admits that the success rate is a mere one percent, compared to an estimated fifty percent for startups in general. Here are six key reasons, from a business perspective: Direct competition is huge. Lawsuit claims and Nigerian con artists are up, and disillusionment is growing.

Sites 91

Sites Social Network Competition Patents 91

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2010

Here are a few of the reasons, from a business perspective: Direct competition is huge. Lawsuit claims and Nigerian con artists are up, and disillusionment is growing. So sites have to invest heavily in viral marketing to achieve critical mass, which competes with current social networks, while users expect to join both for free.

Sites 49

Sites Social Network Statistics Patents 49

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Lack of confidence in your self, your product, and your startup is a surefire recipe for disaster. 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.” Sleeping giants do wake up. “No

Startup 95

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2013

Lack of confidence in your self, your product, and your startup is a surefire recipe for disaster. 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. Some startups think business plans are only for investors.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network IBM 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2010

Lack of confidence in your self, your product, and your startup is a surefire recipe for disaster. 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.” Sleeping giants do wake up. “No

Startup 52

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 52

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2011

Lack of confidence in your self, your product, and your startup is a surefire recipe for disaster. 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. Some startups think business plans are only for investors.

Startup 98

Startup Social Network IBM IBM 98