Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2020

Getting investors to trust you with their money is always a challenge, and it’s even more difficult in the early stages, where you don’t have a significant revenue stream, a few customers, or maybe even a product yet. Here is my list of red flags that cause many investors to look elsewhere: No well-defined need or viable customer set.

Funding 123

Funding Startup Entrepreneur Invest 123

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

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Investors don’t need to know the implementation details of your patent or customer support plan. Or they get sidetracked by a technical glitch due to poor preparation.

Slides 147

Slides Funding Technical Review Startup 147

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 24, 2021

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio. You need all these before you start looking for funding. Remember that ideas cannot be patented, only novel implementations. This name (www.

Startup 145

Startup Patents IP Social Media 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2011

No investor wants to wait that long for his return, or fund the years of waiting. That’s probably the soft way of saying, we don’t have a patent or any “secret sauce” for a competitive advantage. If the entrepreneur and team were that proven, they probably would be funding others rather than asking for money.

Entrepreneur 108

Entrepreneur Funding Innocal Competition 108

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2013

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Software Review 106

Software Review Funding Startup Seed Funding 106

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 11, 2018

Pitching app developers with a new way to convert app browsers into actual customers, AppOnboard has raised $15 million in a new round of funding, the company said. Zweig claims that conversion rates have increased significantly for the companies that pay a fee for his company’s service.

Google 213

Google Los Angeles Southern California Platform 213

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

A business plan is the outward facing definition of the business you hope to drive with your hardware solution, with a hardware overview in the intro to highlight customer value and competitiveness. Use non-fuzzy terms to quantify customer value. Provide specifics on the customer business model. and trademarks.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

Berkonomics

MAY 8, 2014

The company has been funded entirely by grants from the National Institute of Health, amounting to millions of non-dilutive dollars in all. The company grows in value to its customers and to prospective buyers of the business, but without any dilution of control or ownership for the founders. How refreshing!

Company 166

Company Companies Writing Education 166

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 25, 2009

Now, given our current economic crisis and VC ‘challenges’, the barriers to funding have gone up significantly as well. Fantastic post by Christian Gammill - Startup Delta Force… From a competitive perspective (e.g. all the other folks out there that will try to enter the same market) the barriers have been dropping over the last few years.

Startup 150

Startup SEM IP SEO 150

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

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 15, 2010

(plus a large settlement on patent disputes paid from Google) so Bill did well on it. Especially when he’s surrounded by Danny Rimer (who funded Skype, MySQL, Last.FM PLUS RELATED FUNDING …. Stitcher - San Francisco-based service that lets users customize talk radio programming on their mobile devices. OTHER STUFF.

Venture Capital 271

Venture Capital Capital Google Platform 271

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2013

The average length of a funding pitch to Angel investors is ten minutes. Remember you are pitching to investors, not customers. Investors don’t need to know the implementation details of your patent or customer support plan. entrepreneur startup funding angel investors presentation business' Marty Zwilling.

Angel 102

Angel Funding Slides Technical Review 102

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.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Patents Outsource Development 98

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

I might also be concerned about taking my idea directly to a large, well funded competitor who is know for innovation. Beyond that, I want lots of conversations with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc. NDAs or Other Protection So you decide you want to be able to share with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc.

Startup 211

Startup IP Ideas Patents 211

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 10, 2021

I find that startups looking for funding often never even think of asking strategic partners, rather than just venture capitalists. Many businesses have found that raising the price of a product to give it status can win more customers than a price war. Ten customer referrals is better than “no complaints.”

Ideas 171

Ideas Patents Training Entrepreneur 171

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 3, 2020

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. If you don’t have a high level of commitment and passion, you customers won’t seek you out.

Startup 174

Startup Training Services Writing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2020

Thus the real discussion must start with who will be doing the work, providing the funding, and delivering results. Value factors include your related product breadth and depth, relationships with thought leaders, key vendors, and large potential customers. Key to required patents or trade secrets.

Startup 174

Startup Equity Patents CTO Hire 174

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 10, 2012

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Software Review Entrepreneur Funding 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 9, 2011

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore. Fundraising is indeed brutally tough at all stages, and the seed funding is the hardest to find.

Software Review 98

Software Review Funding Seed Funding Startup 98

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. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Line up an experienced team.

Angel 89

Angel Funding Technical Review Startup 89

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 31, 2020

The company was funded entirely by grants from the National Institute of Health, amounting to millions of non-dilutive dollars in all. And we should not forget that non-profits of all types depend upon grants for a significant amount of their funding, often employing professional grant writers on staff or as consultants.

Equity 156

Equity Writing Education Research 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 15, 2020

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. Customer data integrity and security. This priority applies to big companies, as well as startups. Martin Zwilling.

Technology 165

Technology Social Network Training Startup 165

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

I might also be concerned about taking my idea directly to a large, well funded competitor who is know for innovation. Beyond that, I want lots of conversations with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc. NDAs or Other Protection So you decide you want to be able to share with experts, users, customers, VCs, partners, etc.

Startup 198

Startup IP Ideas Patents 198

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. I like patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, so this answer is a better sustainable competitive advantage than the other five answers. Martin Zwilling.

Competition 133

Competition Patents Resource Invest 133

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2014

This person may be an extraordinary communicator, who rallies employees, customers, and colleagues around the vivid future he sees. What you really need is a VP of Marketing and Customer Development, who can help with lead generation and honing the message, rather than an executive to manage a sales team and existing customers.

CTO Hire 100

CTO Hire Funding Cloud Computing CIO 100

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

I love the enthusiasm, the boundless energy and the sense of possibility that comes from having an idea that hasn’t yet been beat up in the marketplace of competing ideas, customer contracts, VC skepticism, jaded journalists or fickle consumers who are on the The New, New Thing. Who is leading your patent filing program?

Outsource Development 338

Outsource Development Metrics Startup Sales 338

socalTECH

JANUARY 18, 2019

After doing the work for an internal event for them, that led to external, customer-facing launch events around the country. We present the best solution for a customer and their needs, and we work with the top EV charger manufacturers and software providers to accomplish that We coordinate everything needed for an event.

Startup 243

Startup Customer Custom Entrepreneur 243

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Your concept has to be understood by customers and investors in 30 seconds or less, and everyone needs to immediately see how awesome it would be, or that they would be nuts not to have it. I’m looking for the “hook” right up front, or I lose interest quickly, just like every customer and investor these days.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 22, 2019

Blueland’s cleaners — a bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, and multi-purpose cleaner — are sold as tablets that customers add to the cleaning containers the company provides. With Naqzi on board, the company began filing patents for its unique process and the products it’s bringing to market, says Paiji.

Design 161

Design Patents Los Angeles Ideas 161

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

socalTECH

JANUARY 28, 2009

When we got funded, we worked harder to put together a product which was longer lasting, and not just a beta attempt like what we had done before. We filed for a patent in 2000, but in 2001, when we filed for the final patent, the market tanked. Kent also went off to other things, but in 2005 we got awarded that patent.

Patents 179

Patents CarsDirect Sites Pomona 179

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 14, 2013

When someone says Intellectual Property (IP), most entrepreneurs think only of patents. In reality, patents are only one of at least eight items that should be in your IP portfolio. You need all these before you start looking for funding. Remember that ideas cannot be patented, only novel implementations. This name (www.

Startup 103

Startup Patents IP Social Media 103

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2019

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. I like patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, so this answer is a better sustainable competitive advantage than the other five answers. Martin Zwilling.

Competition 120

Competition Patents Resource Invest 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

I like the summary of the competitive reality in a new book, “ Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age ,” by Ram Charan, who relates a wealth of current experience from global clients: Customers expect a personalized experience. These have the vision and the resources to fund long-term digital success.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2015

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. I like patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, so this answer is a better sustainable competitive advantage than the other five answers. Martin Zwilling.

Startup 118

Startup Competition Patents Resource 118

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2015

If you consider yourself a technologist, you probably believe and may be propagating one of the following myths: The first priority for funding should be to develop the technology. Thus it’s a waste of time for most entrepreneurs to be looking for investors until they have a product and some customer revenue.

Technical Review 102

Technical Review Patents Entrepreneur Customer 102