Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2020

“Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” They only want a quick overview of the product, not detailed features and patent secrets. Too much detail at first contact is just as much of a turnoff as no information.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Statistics Startup Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2018

“Attached is a copy of my full business plan for your review.” I don’t have a business plan, but the technology is disruptive.” They only want a quick overview of the product, not detailed features and patent secrets. Too much detail at first contact is just as much of a turnoff as no information.

Funding 62

Funding Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup 62

InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

In my role as a Professor of Practice within UC Santa Barbara’s entrepreneurial Technology Management Program (TMP), I have worked with approximately 8,000 students over a ten year period. Note: due to the founders’ relative lack of experience, most student enterprises do not qualify for venture capital.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technical Review Class Patents 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from AngelSoft , only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. are eliminated during due diligence. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.”

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2013

In the world of mobile app and Internet startups, it''s not that often that you see companies who touch the hardware side of the world get funding nowadays. The firm recently raised a $15M series C funding, and we caught up with Kevin to learn more about why its customers, and investors, are interested in its technology.

Technical Review 213

Technical Review Software Review Networking Technology 213

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2015

I see too many executive summaries that are simply heavy-duty customer pitches, or lightweight visions of the future. Skip the fuzzy marketing terms, such as "easier to use," "lower cost" and "disruptive technology." Nice-to-have solutions and customers with no money are not compelling.

Summary 101

Summary Patents Technical Review Competition 101

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2013

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors. Convincingly presents a patent, trademark, or other “secret sauce” that can create equity value, not just current cash flow for the owners.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Entrepreneur Course Patents 109

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2012

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors. Convincingly presents a patent, trademark, or other “secret sauce” that can create equity value, not just current cash flow for the owners.

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. Need expensive resources up front. You need a prototype. Marty Zwilling.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Technical Review Equity 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

As an active angel investor myself, I understand how the process works, and I see the disappointment in the eyes of entrepreneurs who approach angel groups for funding and often get turned away for not being timely or prepared in the minds of potential investors. Contrary to a popular myth, angels don’t fund dreams.

Angel 65

Angel Startup Technical Review Social Media 65

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. Need expensive resources up front. You need a prototype. Marty Zwilling.

Technical Review 95

Technical Review Startup Equity Entrepreneur 95

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2015

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Equally bad is a full tutorial on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology.

Slides 105

Slides Technical Review Startup Research 105

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from Gust (formerly AngelSoft), only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. are eliminated during due diligence. Line up an experienced team.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

If you don’t have it, you probably won’t succeed, even with funding. Successful entrepreneurs already have a visible network of trusted suppliers, potential customers, partners, and even investors. Convincingly presents a patent, trademark, or other “secret sauce” that can create equity value, not just current cash flow for the owners.

Entrepreneur 96

Entrepreneur Angel Technical Review Course 96

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

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. Need expensive resources up front. You need a prototype. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Equity 102

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2016

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Equally bad is a full tutorial on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology.

Startup 64

Startup Slides Technical Review Research 64

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 22, 2012

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Equally bad is an extended pitch on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology.

Tips 97

Tips Slides Technical Review Startup 97

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

According to an old Harvard Business Review article, many people in history, famous for their inventions, like Thomas Edison, were entrepreneurs who only later were remembered as inventors of the products they commercialized. Of course it helps to have innovative technologies before you start building a business.

Technical Review 156

Technical Review Funding Patents Ideas 156

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 4, 2014

It’s almost been a work week since Techzulu and Gadget Review’s REACH | The Connected Future and we’re still reeling with excitement. Sandra Itkoff – Entrepeneur in Residence, UCLA Institute for Innovation and Technology Transfer. Technology Drives Carbon Reduction. Cleantech, a Misnomer.

UCLA 99

UCLA Technical Review Software Review Incubator 99

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

In fact, ideas are a commodity and by themselves won’t generate any funding interest, outside the context of a leader who can execute. If your strength is technology, find a co-founder who has a comparable strength in business, finance or marketing. Demonstrate a concentrated focus on customers early on.

Entrepreneur 59

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Ideas 59

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2016

In fact, investors recognize that founders usually learn more from mistakes than from success, so a well-explained startup failure can improve their odds of funding the next time around. Assume you already know what your customers need and want. Just because you love a new solution doesn’t mean your customers will love it.

Startup 59

Startup Training Entrepreneur Customer 59

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

Language Weaver is backed by Palisades Ventures, the Tech Coast Angels, and The Athenaeum Fund. We've also had great advances in engaging the trust of the commercial community, with patented advances like automatic scoring of our algorithms, which predicts the quality of translations based on a one-through-five scale.

Software Review 145

Software Review USC Content Tech Coast Angels 145

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2011

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation. Equally bad is an extended pitch on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology.

Slides 95

Slides Technical Review Startup Research 95

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2010

Earlier this month, Azusa-based CFX Battery , a stealthy battery technology spinout from Caltech, announced it had raised a new round of funding worth $14.2M. This week, the firm announced that it was renaming itself Contour Energy (www.contourenergy.com)--and said it was ready to talk about what its battery technology is all about.

CalTech 168

CalTech Technical Review Azusa Venture Capital 168

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

It included one firm who I asked not to call Salesforce.com as a reference (they were our largest pilot customer) and in their kindness they called Marc Benioff (the CEO) and asked his opinion. I had intended to talk about how bad the process could become, not to name-and-shame anybody (and The Funded was not yet around).

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 11, 2012

At the point of payment or point of purchase, people should be able to connect to any payment instrument that allows them to call their preferred funding source and make a payment on any device, anywhere in the world, and choose to share that experience with the people they care and trust the most. We don’t compete with banks.

Software Review 92

Software Review Social Network Platform Technical Review 92

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2009

Eric Golden, the firm's President and CEO, told us more about the company and its technology, and its fascinating beginnings from Hollywood's Steadicam. Tell us about your technology? Brown was approached by a manufacturer, who asked if his technology could hold tools for an assembly line. Eric Golden: They do.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Hollywood Tool Technology 100

SoCal CTO

MARCH 4, 2010

I’ve worked with 30+ early-stage companies in all sorts of capacities (and spoken to many, many more), so I thought it might be worthwhile trying to classify the various ways that I’ve engaged in different technology roles in startups. It depends on the business, people, technologies, etc. Each situation is just a bit different.

Technical Review 170

Technical Review Technical Advisors CTO Coach Startup 170

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 10, 2009

We've created a patent pending technology called Autobuild. From a customer's perspective, one thing we've consciously tried to do is to make it available to any publisher--long tail, torso, or right side. Finally, was there any particular decision which made you decide to go out for a round of funding?

Advertising 127

Advertising Startup Sales Tool 127

Frank Addante

MAY 15, 2006

the Rubicon Project (Internet Advertising Technology) Status: Pre-Launch Visit the Rubicon Project Website Startup 5.0: Wireless & Voice Application Software) Exit: technology acquired Lesson: Timing is critical. Wireless & Voice Application Software) Exit: technology acquired Lesson: Timing is critical. Patent Lawsuit 6.

Advertising 40

Advertising Startup Chief Technology Officer Technical Review 40

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2012

The easy answer of splitting it equally among all co-founders, since there is minimal value at that point, is usually the worst possible answer, and often results in a later startup failure due to an obvious inequity. Expertise can be marketing, technical, financial, or sales. Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold.

Startup 101

Startup Entrepreneur Equity CTO Hire 101

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

The easy answer of splitting it equally among all co-founders, since there is minimal value at that point, is usually the worst possible answer, and often results in a later startup failure due to an obvious inequity. Expertise can be marketing, technical, financial, or sales. Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold.

Equity 91

Equity Startup CTO Hire CTO Coach 91