Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

I made every textbook mistake at my first startup, which is why I believe I was much more effective at my second one. The following are some lessons I learned about early-stage startup marketing. I worked with an entrepreneur who was to appear at a startup networking event where he was to talk about his company’s plans.

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 20, 2013

It’s a shame because the ability to nail these presentations at key conferences can be once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to influence journalists, business partners, potential employees, customers and VCs. So I thought I’d write a piece on how not to suck when you give a presentation. Stories have starts, middles and ends.

Slides 399

Slides Startup Conference Writing 399

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2021

It does mean that you need to look, listen, and participate in the business world around you, and network through all available channels, like business-oriented social networks online (LinkedIn), local business organizations (Chamber of Commerce), and events or conferences in your school or industry. Give and you will receive.

Entrepreneur 140

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network Mentor 140

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

A few days before the meeting the CEO asked me to change the meeting to 11:45 because “he was going to be wrapping up a meeting in Pasadena at 11am” and it would take 45 minutes to get to Century City where my offices are. “No problem,” I replied. ” So I didn’t go to the conference. I was furious.

Conference 369

Conference Startup Century City Email 369

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

It’s very common for startup companies to have COO’s. So I know I’m getting myself into a bit of trouble by writing this. But … Startups don’t need – shouldn’t have – COOs. I have this conversation with every startup that comes to see me and has a CEO & a COO.

Startup 325

Startup Technical Review Sales Report 325

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Tracy DiNunzio isn’t your typical Silicon Valley startup founder. She did her first tech startup after the age of 30. And she didn’t start her company in Northern California. She leveraged herself and even sold many of her possessions to get started. She started her business from a personal need.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 29, 2014

I often describe “chutzpah” as being able to skate right up to the line of acceptability without crossing over it. Years ago I started using the term “politely persistent” to remind people that you still need to be likable even if you have gumption. Be polite, but never accept a simple ‘no.’

Venture Capital 389

Venture Capital Email Startup Conference 389

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 25, 2014

This blog started from a series of conversations I found myself having over and over again with founders and eventually decided I should just start writing them.It Kobe is famous for waking up crazy early every morning and practicing for longer and harder than nearly anybody else in the NBA. Think about Kobe Bryant.

Competition 394

Competition Startup Writing Marketing 394

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2018

You race back to the office to tell everybody how well it went and you wait for the follow-up call to have a partners’ meeting or talk about term sheets or at least dip into due diligence. If three of us go to the first meeting there’s no reason to have a follow up meeting 6 weeks later!) What do I do now? You’re in control.

Software Review 381

Software Review Startup Email Conference 381

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 23, 2010

Often when startups who have raised venture capital need another round of financing they will turn to their existing investors to give them money before raising from outsiders. It starts as a debt instrument (e.g. They might put the kibosh on company travel and not attend some key meetings or conferences. And it adds up.

Startup 290

Startup Funding Venture Capital Pricing 290

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2013

I recently wrote a post about how to manage relationships when you’re at a startup or are busy executive. I had images in my brain of all of the stresses I had placed on my wife in the heyday of my startups. A spouse’s hints for surviving an incredibly busy start-up person.

Tips 418

Tips Startup Email Blogging 418

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2015

It does mean that you need to look, listen, and participate in the business world around you, and network through all available channels, like business-oriented social networks online (LinkedIn), local business organizations (Chamber of Commerce), and events or conferences in your school or industry. Give and you will receive. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 108

Startup Social Network Mentor Entrepreneur 108

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2015

As the number of sites on the Internet floats around one billion, the challenge with every new startup is to be found and stand out. In this age of relationships, you, the entrepreneur, are a very important element of your new brand, and it’s never too early to start marketing the value of your expertise, insights and ideas.

Blogging 110

Blogging Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media 110

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 16, 2011

For starting relationships today that won’t pay off for a year. It is a piece of actionable advice that if you put into practice starting next week will start paying dividends in the near future. If you want to read more about hiring at a startup check out: 1. Help them write other stories. Recruiting.

Startup 410

Startup Writing Press Venture Capital 410

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 16, 2010

A few days before the meeting the CEO asked me to change the meeting to 11:45 because “he was going to be wrapping up a meeting in Pasadena at 11am&# and it would take 45 minutes to get to Century City where my offices are. &# No problem,&# I replied. And that’s why he stood me up! At 11:15am (e.g I was furious.

Startup 346

Startup Conference Century City Email 346

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 11, 2010

I travelled for a couple of days for work and decided to get some sleep on those days rather than staying up into the wee hours as I often do when I travel. He ends up spending personal time trying to get through email. And when I have time I try to write back. I haven’t written a blog post in a week.

Email 265

Email Startup Writing Blogging 265

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2019

Earlier this month, the annual Montgomery Summit conference was held in Santa Monica, including a special portion of the conference dedicated to the Rise of the Female Entrepreneur. I did a lot of M&A deals in those spaces, and had some earlier, startup stage experience. How did you end up joining March Capital?

Capital 162

Capital Entrepreneur Invest Artificial Inteligence 162

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 18, 2010

As a startup entrepreneur you’ll have many demands for your time. Especially if you start to have a degree of success or build a high public profile. Everyone will want you to speak at conferences. “Thank you for writing to me – it’s nice to hear from you (or meet you) via email.

Startup 305

Startup Venture Capital Writing Conference 305

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2014

would you want to give up the right to invest in subsequent rounds? Do investors always take up their prorata rights in later rounds? The simple answer is “No, investors don’t always take up their prorata rights.” Finally, some early investors specifically like NOT taking up their prorata.

Guide 336

Guide Venture Capital Startup Writing 336

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2014

When to start PR? So my simple advice is to start PR as early as possible (and certainly earlier than most of your investors will advise) when you have your head around your product plans and are well into execution (or ready to launch) precisely because your recruiting, seed funding and initial user base may depend on it.

Press 319

Press Startup Writing Training 319

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

As Yogi Berra once said, “If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else.” An elevator pitch is a problem-solution summary that anyone can understand in a sixty-second ride up to their office in an elevator. Stop talking and writing, and start executing the plan. So don’t give up your dreams.

Writing 139

Writing Startup Summary Activity 139

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 10, 2012

This weekend UCLA has put together 48hr Startup and TechZulu will be there to bring you all the final startup presentations live. UCLA 48hr Startup brings together people with technical, design or business background to share ideas, form teams, build products and launch startups. 7:30pm – Pitches Start.

UCLA 87

UCLA Startup Ideas Mentor 87

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2020

if you listen you’ll pick up much more than my quick notes below). We talked about what startup CEOs should do in these situations and how to think about these renegotiations. A seed deal hasn’t already been “priced up” to a range where a new investor might be concerned about the valuation relative to performance.

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Writing 263

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 12, 2017

We’re expected to be at conferences, events, sales meetings and be publicly visible. I have written about this before and often recommend to executives that they do less, but complete more by avoiding the shiny objects and distractions stop us from living up to our true potential. Lots of people start, very few finish.

Activity 297

Activity Blogging Email Startup 297

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 17, 2016

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Start with a service you know and love. Capture your “secret sauce.”

Services 61

Services Startup Training Writing 61

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 26, 2011

That doesn’t work in a startup. There’s a certain cadence that you can feel when you spend time hanging any well-run startup company. The startup entrepreneur knows that they’re going to be wrong often. Only half of this adage is accurate for startups. 3 months is a lifetime in a startup. Hiring at a Startup.

Startup 335

Startup Technical Review Framework Entrepreneur 335

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I started in 2007 with a thesis that my primary investment decision would be about the team (70%) and only afterward about the market opportunity (30%). I was telling him that it was much easier when I started because there were fewer deals, life was less public and somehow the world seemed to be spinning more slowly. Web Summit.

Venture Capital 374

Venture Capital Invest Press Startup 374

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 9, 2012

He has it on stage, too, at conferences. I told him only 2 weeks ago when we were in London together that I wanted to write a blog post that has been in my head for 2 years. And so are most startup CEOs for that matter. He picks up the phone when he wants to discuss a deal with you. How can anybody do 500 startups?”.

Startup 309

Startup Venture Capital Email Writing 309

socalTECH

MARCH 21, 2014

In a world with a rash of startup incubators and accelerators, super angels, crowdfunding sites, and more, what''s the relevance of organized angel investments groups? He started the group because he wanted to help companies succeed. We want to help companies find success, with our help on board, our connections, and advice.

Pasadena Angels 162

Pasadena Angels Pasadena Angel Startup 162

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 9, 2009

I wrote recently about etiquette when you meet people at conferences or events so now that I have this done I feel I need to say some words about connecting on social networks. Let’s start with a discussion of existing social networks and then how to approach people on them. The rest I just chalk up as social networking spam.

Social Network 282

Social Network Networking Startup Writing 282

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

Lower costs to start a business (95% reduction), many more companies created & funded by angels / seed. Just 3 years ago there was talk of institutional investors “not being able to write small enough checks.” Seed funds now represent 67% of all funds being created now, which is up 100% from 6 years ago.

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series “Start-up Lessons”. I’m not going to cover in this post the obvious post-show marketing tasks such as following up on all those business cards you grabbed, communicating with all those people who registered at your site and leveraging your new found fame to score venture capital.

Startup 310

Startup Press Venture Capital Journal 310

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 14, 2013

Popular and prolific and blogger James Clear recently shared with me why Richard Branson started Virgin Airlines. A recurring theme in his writing is the importance of one''s health to personal and professional success. It turns out that James attended an intimate conference at which Mr. Branson spoke. He didn''t have the money.

Startup 222

Startup Entrepreneur Writing Blogging 222

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2018

Let me start out with my premise: “Data rooms are where fund-raising processes go to die.” I have to back up and give you more context. I’m going to start with the reasons and then explain how to use your best data to your advantage. I never thought of this until I became the Founder & CEO of my first startup company.

Funding 336

Funding Venture Capital Startup Email 336

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2019

In addition, the discipline of producing it, like writing a business plan, will help you immensely in understanding the key elements that drive you and your business. Yet, most good business people I know agree, but don’t know where to start. What’s holding you back from starting today?

Writing 19

Writing Technical Review Entrepreneur Advertising 19

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

Should Jeff Bezos be required to address every written complaint that shows up in Seattle or Satya Nadella at Microsoft? I know it may feel this way since I’m writing this tongue in cheek. Sometimes when I speak at conferences I’ll stay and shake hands for 2 hours with anybody who wants to say hello. I’m not an elitist a **e.

Email 250

Email Writing Conference Mobile 250

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 16, 2019

Scaling a nonprofit, startup style. With a focus on female venture capitalists and founders, All Raise hosts an annual conference, several in-person and virtual fundraising workshops and networking sessions and, recently, the group began creating curated peer groups for investors. “We I think the movement is just gathering momentum.

Venture Capital 184

Venture Capital Ideas Los Angeles Tool 184