Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Every investor expects to see some business traction, both before and after a funding event. If you have neither, and choose to approach an investor, you will get no attention, and probably never again get a shot at funding with that investor. 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

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2017

And of course we help with business development introductions and with fund raising events. The rise of crowd funding saw the first wave of founders gleeful that they could raise capital without having to deal with terrible VCs. Often we are asked to get involved in executive-level recruiting. Those seldom get reported.

Startup 217

Startup Technical Review Equity Report 217

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

.” When Elon Musk set out to build SpaceX he wasn’t greeted with enthusiasm from the space community not used to having a private enterprise challenge the government funded space exploration of NASA. Of course the naysayers are out again. We checked patents. Now they are partners. I’d love even 0.5%

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Startup Software Review Course 417

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Of course, previous successes provide more direct evidence of a network of the right people. Registered patents and other intellectual property. Contrary to popular belief, most investors are not looking for entrepreneurs who are desperate for funding. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Search Engine Optimization 124

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 124

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Two founders have spent $200K of personal and family funds over a one year period to start the company, get a prototype site up and running, and have already generated some “buzz” in the Internet community. The value of patents and trademarks is not certifiable, especially if you are only at the provisional stage. Marty Zwilling.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Patents Outsource Development 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2018

Thus the real discussion must start with who will be doing the work, providing the funding, and delivering results. Key to required patents or trade secrets. In many cases, one of the co-founders may bring some work in progress that can be patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. Amount of venture funding provided.

Equity 95

Equity Patents CTO Hire Startup 95

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

Of course, Jeff Bezos no longer needs investors, but he worked hard in his early days courting potential investors, building relationships and credibility that allowed him to get the money he needed to scale his company quickly. They look at your track record, industry leadership, marketing energy, moral values, and peer relationships.

Technical Review 147

Technical Review Social Media Entrepreneur Startup 147

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

Over the past 4 years LA’s tech fundings have growing at a 30% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) which is > 4 times the US average VC CAGR (7%). The patents Overture held became known in small circles as Google’s ’361 problem as outlined here. Of course that’s not disputable. Yes, Google won.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

The right answer to this question is that you bring some new intellectual property to the table – like a patent or other secret sauce. Do you have the skills and interests to overcome problems, lead people, and find partners and funding? The difference relates to how you expect to get funding.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Ideas Resource Examples 126

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2023

But not many of us have enough savings to live for a year or more without a salary, fund the startup, and still feed the family. On the other hand, if you have a new technology, with patent applied for, maybe you more time to get it right. You can’t move fast enough on a part-time basis to win in these areas.

Startup 110

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Metrics 110

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2021

Too many Innovators are like Dean Kamen , still struggling with the Segway Human Transporter , while holding over 1000 other device patents. Of course, discovering your entrepreneur type is only the beginning. The challenge with an Innovator is to focus as hard on the business realities as the product possibilities.

Entrepreneur 134

Entrepreneur Framework Mentor Web 134

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

Of course, previous successes provide more direct evidence of a network of the right people. Registered patents and other intellectual property. Contrary to popular belief, most investors are not looking for entrepreneurs who are desperate for funding. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

And honestly it was the single biggest roadblock at Upfront when we raised out fourth fund in 2011. Many potential investors asked me, “Aren’t you just going to leave and form your own fund?” He led our investment in 6sensor Labs , which has patented techniques for screening food for gluten and peanut allergens.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Artificial Inteligence Invest Funding 150

Berkonomics

AUGUST 10, 2017

Many of the start-ups my various angel funds have financed died a slow death, not because of poor concept but because of poor execution, wasting fixed overhead and draining the financial resources from the company coffers. So the CEO comes back “to the well”, asking for more money from the investors to complete the project.

Venture Capital 243

Venture Capital Product Resource Marketing 243

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2020

There are complex processes, like filing a patent, and financial tools that may be new to you, including Excel and Quickbooks. < These days, it’s easy to find comprehensive videos and online courses on the Internet to get you up to speed, but I find many entrepreneurs who are too independent and proud to look or ask for help.

Product 123

Product Startup Tips Entrepreneur 123

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2016

It is a truism that with more capital you will hire people more quickly and spend more liberally whether it’s on external contractors, PR firms, attending events, doing legal work (trademarks, patents) or whatever. These funds have a view that “the market will speak” and if they don’t support you then something must be wrong.

Startup 292

Startup Software Review Pricing Entrepreneur 292

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2020

But not many of us have enough savings to live for a year or more without a salary, fund the startup, and still feed the family. On the other hand, if you have a new technology, with patent applied for, maybe you more time to get it right. You can’t move fast enough on a part-time basis to win in these areas.

Startup 150

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Metrics 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 4, 2014

Thus the real discussion must start with who will be doing the work, providing the funding and delivering results. Key to required patents or trade secrets. In many cases, one of the co-founders may bring some work in progress that can be patented, trademarked or copyrighted. Amount of venture funding provided.

Equity 104

Equity Patents Startup CTO Hire 104

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Startup 89

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 89

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2016

Thus the real discussion must start with who will be doing the work, providing the funding, and delivering results. Key to required patents or trade secrets. In many cases, one of the co-founders may bring some work in progress that can be patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. Amount of venture funding provided.

Equity 62

Equity Startup Patents CTO Hire 62

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2015

Create a business plan online, but don’t wait for funding. Trademarks, copyrights and even patents can be completed online by anyone through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office site for a few hundred dollars. Of course, not all new startup ideas can be developed this way, so pick an idea that fits. Both are wrong.

Startup 108

Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media Outsource Development 108

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2012

Running a new business starts with building a solid and credible business plan, working the investor funding process, and building an organization from nothing, with minimal resources. Ideas are not intellectual property, until they have been converted into patents, trade secrets, trademarks, or copyrights.

Startup 101

Startup Entrepreneur Equity CTO Hire 101

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Of course, this has to be in concert with a variety of visible characteristics that indicate that you as the entrepreneur have the attitude and practical skills to make it happen. In the business, this is commonly called “fire in the belly.”

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Course Patents 109

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 27, 2018

Unfortunately, customers look for value in solving their problem, and new technologies alone scare them, so these solutions don’t get bought by customers, or funded. Of course, you wouldn’t include this data in your customer product pitch. In reality, there isn’t much overlap between the business pitch I expect, versus a product pitch.

Product 58

Product Slides Entrepreneur Invest 58

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Of course, this has to be in concert with a variety of visible characteristics that indicate that you as the entrepreneur have the attitude and practical skills to make it happen. In the business, this is commonly called “fire in the belly.”

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Technical Review Course Patents 117

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 23, 2013

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. Your company has outgrown you. You need a prototype. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Technical Review Equity 100

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 13, 2012

There is so much written these days about how to attract investors that most entrepreneurs “assume” they need funding, and don’t even consider a plan for “bootstrapping,” or self-financing their startup. Of course, every company needs these, in due time. Your company has outgrown you. You need a prototype. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 95

Technical Review Startup Equity Entrepreneur 95

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2017

New business founders need to remember that investors fund business implementations, not ideas. Of course, there are no guarantees, but if can find an independent sizing of the market opportunity, your job of convincing customers, and investors, will be much easier. Show evidence that your solution will create a viable business.

Ideas 74

Ideas Social Media Startup Custom 74

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2014

Of course, their answer is that the second intends to get to market faster, but every engine has limits regardless the fuel applied. Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media 105

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2014

Of course there are a million variations which can make the difference, like work at home versus an office, or online versus storefront, but these are secondary to your basic role. Of course, you get the challenge of filing patents, developing a product, and defining the revenue model. You really just want to be the boss.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Course Patents 102

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2012

Of course they pretend that they are trying to avoid alerting competitors prior to launch, but too often it becomes an excuse to move slowly in a world that’s all about getting to market fast. It also makes legal sense to never disclose the details of your patent application, before the product is ready to ship. Tune your website.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Search Engine Optimization Startup News 101

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

Running a new business starts with building a solid and credible business plan, working the investor funding process, and building an organization from nothing, with minimal resources. Ideas are not intellectual property, until they have been converted into patents, trade secrets, trademarks, or copyrights.

Equity 91

Equity Startup CTO Hire CTO Coach 91

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

Of course, previous successes provide more direct evidence of a network of the right people. Registered patents and other intellectual property. Contrary to popular belief, most investors are not looking for entrepreneurs who are desperate for funding. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Angel Social Media Patents 107

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Two founders have spent $200K of personal and family funds over a one year period to start the company, get a prototype site up and running, and have already generated some “buzz” in the Internet community. The value of patents and trademarks is not certifiable, especially if you are only at the provisional stage. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 108

Startup Invest Patents Outsource Development 108

Xconomy

MAY 30, 2016

Our wide-ranging conversation covered the progression of MIT’s entrepreneurship curriculum and campus resources , the rise of the Boston-Cambridge area as a high-tech industry powerhouse, the prospects for an MIT venture fund , the challenges for university tech transfer offices, the roots of today’s startup culture, and more.

Startup 67

Startup Compton Research Technology 67