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Startup Mentors

SoCal CTO

I've had several Startup CTO Consulting sessions recently where it became apparent that the Founder needed help with the business and product as much or more than the technology. Then we discussed how they could go about finding this startup business advisor. Do you have any suggestions for how to find a good mentor?

CTO Coach 259
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Insights and Opinions: Startup Mentors

socalTECH

For this year's first article, we share the advice of Tony Karrer , Founder and CTO of TechEmpower , Founder and CTO of Aggregage and organizer of the LA CTO Forum and Startup Specialist Network , two local groups focused on startups. Then we discussed how they could go about finding this startup business advisor.

CTO Coach 180
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Don’t Do Tequila Shots With Your Mentor

InfoChachkie

Mentor relationships are not immune to the laws of human interactions. Without active management on the part of the protégé, the meetings with their mentor will become less frequent and less impactful, ultimately accelerating the end of the relationship. Stages Of A Typical Mentor Relationship. Access part I HERE.

CTO Coach 241
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What Startup Advisors Do I Need?

SoCal CTO

A large part of this conversation is what kinds of advisors startups should be looking for. A little while ago, I suggested that Every Web/Mobile Startup Should Have a Technical Advisor. The conversation with Bob was about what the composition of advisors should look like. Connected Advisors? Investors discount this.

CTO Coach 241
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Startup CTO or Developer

SoCal CTO

I’ve been having discussions with several people recently about the role of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer) in very early stage companies. In December 2007, I described how I commonly take on an Acting CTO Role in a Start-up. I used an image from Roger Smith that describes the varying roles of a CTO as the company matures.

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Customer Validation - 33 Great Articles

SoCal CTO

Beware of Mentors. " Today I had two conversations with early stage startups (see Free CTO Consulting ). In both cases, I was the mentor telling the person that the idea, as I understood it was "not great." " One was an enterprise software product. It was a top post on StartupRoar on Tuesday.

Customer 227
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Interview with Michael Wong, MergeLocal

socalTECH

Are users willing to check into local businesses with another, mobile check-in product? Michael Wong: I was previously CTO of an agency called Breakthrough Ads. My cofounder, Steven Elliott, was CTO of a company doing artificial intelligence and automated chat technology. The feedback, mentors, and connections are amazing.

CTO Coach 223