socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Can tapping the power of the crowd not only help you find customers and help fund your project, but also help you shape your startup idea and find funding? A new, Los Angeles area startup, JumpStartFund (www.jumpstartfund.com) recently launched, offering up a combination of crowdfunding and crowd-advice for entrepreneurial ideas.

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 7, 2013

Significant confusion exists when distinguishing between Accelerators and Incubators. According to Brad, "There is a fundamental difference between an incubator and an accelerator… an incubator has an economic model that is based around having people be tenants. Having people being captive within some investor’s…sphere.

Incubator 238

Incubator Startup News Entrepreneur 238

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. A few are still trying to make a profitable business out of nurturing startups, but it’s a challenge to make money when your customer startups don’t have many resources to give.

Incubator 98

Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. A few are still trying to make a profitable business out of nurturing startups, but it’s a challenge to make money when your customer startups don’t have many resources to give.

Resource 159

Resource Startup Incubator Seed Funding 159

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

A question I often get as an adviser is whether or not to join a business incubator or accelerator as a way to move forward faster and smarter and increase the odds of business success. I find that this type offers the most value to new entrepreneurs or startups in the early idea stage. Costs, returns in equity and funding access.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2023

It all starts with a customer perspective to uncover problems and frustrations, and then design solutions from the customer backward. But customers also tend to think linearly, so they don’t always know what they want. Back away for a while to let the problem incubate in the unconscious mind.

Startup 128

Startup Entrepreneur Tool Ideas 128

socalTECH

APRIL 13, 2021

For today's interview, we spoke to Dave Eastman, the Director of the Viterbi Startup Garage, a startup incubator that is run by the University of Southern California, out of its location in Marina Del Rey. How are you different from other startup incubators, etc? What we do, is regional customer discovery for teams, typically academic.

Marina Del Rey 150

Marina Del Rey Startup USC Incubator 150

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Here are some key positives from an entrepreneur perspective: Shorten the time and cost from idea to prototype. Makerspaces are becoming the new incubators and accelerators for startups, and support contacts, like lawyers and marketing groups, will be easy to find. These ideas can grow quickly into real products.

Startup 159

Startup Tool Design Demand 159

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2017

This new culture builds on hobbyist technologies, extends the open-source inventory of hardware and software, and bridges the gap into real business solutions with other advantages, as follows: Shortens the time and cost from idea to prototype. These ideas can grow quickly into real products.

Ideas 61

Ideas Outsource Development Startup Education 61

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the solution. Nail the go-to-market strategy.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 3, 2020

It all starts with a customer perspective to uncover problems and frustrations, and then design solutions from the customer backward. But customers also tend to think linearly, so they don’t always know what they want. Back away for a while to let the problem incubate in the unconscious mind.

Startup 127

Startup Tool Entrepreneur Ideas 127

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2022

Success in any business these days requires a constant flow of new and innovative solutions, to keep up with changes in the market, competition, and to attract new customers. Here is my summary of the ten top creativity mistakes we both still see too often: Criticize any new idea or employee suggestion.

Ideas 111

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 111

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Most colleges have now added classes in entrepreneurship to include the necessary business focus to technical majors that usually drive innovative ideas. Mark Zuckerberg, while still in school, tested the viability of his “ FaceMash ” technology as a business by rolling it out to other students at Harvard as customers.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

In my efforts of assist aspiring business owners like you, I find that too many see it as a short sprint to get over that one hurdle, like finding that innovative idea, or attracting an investor. This place is often called an incubator or accelerator, or just a group of peers. The shift – break away from dreaming to action.

Entrepreneur 139

Entrepreneur Help Incubator Startup 139

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea. Thus it is always a question of what you qualify for, and what you are willing to give up, to turn your dream idea into a viable business.

Startup 106

Startup Capital Equity Funding 106

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 20, 2021

Employee and customer input are good for fixing bugs, but not good leading indicators. Effective brainstorming is all about defining and executing a process for creative ideas to create a big impact. Don’t wait for innovation ideas from top management. Foster a work culture of fun, creativity, and new ideas.

Marketing 117

Marketing IBM IBM Resource 117

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2021

While I do agree that many attributes of a good entrepreneur, such as curiosity, confidence and determination, are largely determined by early-life experiences, a good education is critical in understanding the elements of creating a business and wooing customers. Get involved in startup-business incubator activities with peers at school.

Entrepreneur 149

Entrepreneur Tips Writing Coach 149

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2021

In my experience as a business advisor and occasional investor, many of you won’t make it that far, succumbing to the high costs of getting those first customers, funding an initial inventory, and building an operational support process. Use “white label” or custom contract for extra income. The advisor will give you real credibility.

Startup 161

Startup Resource Customer Custom 161

Tech.Co

MARCH 5, 2015

Curious Minds is a hybrid incubator-accelerator-angel investor firm designed for startup founders with entrepreneurship in their DNA. We nurture great ideas into Minimum Viable Products and then into independent revenue-generating companies. Our approach to business development is based on Eric Ries’ Lean Startup method.

Startup 70

Startup Incubator Ideas Design 70

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea. Thus it is always a question of what you qualify for, and what you are willing to give up, to turn your dream idea into a viable business.

Funding 174

Funding Startup Equity Examples 174

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 11, 2016

We invest time and money into helping them develop their ideas, and help develop those companies and the entrepreneurs as leaders. What's the difference between an incubator, Maker space, and other accelerators and what you do? It's about figuring out your market, building a product that resonates with customers.

Startup 100

Startup Incubator Invest Resource 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 18, 2019

They get all modern equipment and tools, and get to interact directly with customers, and be part of a tech company reinventing car repair. This idea actually was initially incubated at Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes Benz, and the idea came up in an incubation lab as something that would really disrupt the industry.

Mobile 100

Mobile Startup Orange County San Diego 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Other project and research reports in their library are a rich source of new ideas, if you are still looking for a place to start. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. If looking for help, you can find interns willing to work for the experience, and real insights into new customer segments.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

We’ve had an explosion of alternate sources of financing from crowd-sourcing, angels, accelerators, incubators, corporates, corporate incubators. It’s when the noise stops and you can actually get customer attention, press articles and VC meetings. Your favorite investor told you this was a bad idea.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 15, 2019

Steve Blank via Flickr by jdlasica I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point. Nail the solution.

Startup 98

Startup Technical Review Customer Custom 98

socalTECH

DECEMBER 31, 2012

BetterWorks--headed by prolific angel investor Paige Craig--apparently was not able to sustain a large enough market, relative to its high costs of customer acquisition. We have no idea. Incubators, Part I - In February, we put together a guide to the list of (then. its launch to the International Space Station). As 2012 turned.

Southern California 211

Southern California Thousand Oaks Incubator SpaceX 211

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

Success in any business these days requires a constant flow of new and innovative solutions, to keep up with changes in the market, competition, and to attract new customers. Here is my summary of the ten top creativity mistakes we both still see too often: Criticize any new idea or employee suggestion.

Ideas 94

Ideas Framework Summary Organization 94

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

An idea, prototype, customers, where? I think to be best positioned, a company should be more than an idea on the napkin. We''re still happy to talk to folks really early on, and we have worked with companies before with just an idea on the napkin. That''s why we work really closely with them. READ MORE>>.

Incubator 187

Incubator Southern California Startup Ideas 187

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 19, 2018

With lead investors like Fika Ventures and Fathom Capital, and co-investors, including Toyota AI Ventures, Ubiquity Ventures, Riot.vc, Osage University Partners and Stage Venture Partners, Elementary Robotics is readying itself for commercial pilots with a few undisclosed customers as it proves out its technology.

Los Angeles 207

Los Angeles Angel Artificial Inteligence CalTech 207

socalTECH

OCTOBER 31, 2012

To learn more about how the company went from just an idea at an accelerator to a healthy exit, we spoke with founder Eli Portnoy. We can point the customer directly in that GPS all the way to a retail location or advertisers. It's like a lab where you figure out if an idea has legs in a short amount of time. READ MORE>>.

Startup 225

Startup Acquisition Doc Ideas 225

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2018

On the contrary, early corporate training courses, potential future customer contacts, and getting real world marketing experience all are extremely useful for budding entrepreneurs. You need quirky and more unheard-of ideas to succeed. There is no substitute for market analysis, customer interaction, and attacking a real problem.

Startup 72

Startup Entrepreneur Incubator Guide 72

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2014

If you''re a large, Hollywood studio, how do you tap into the energy and ideas of the startup community? to hear about how the program is both helping the studio tap into the energy and ideas of the startup community, as well as helping those startups find new customers in the media and entertainment business. Warner Bros.

Startup 159

Startup Technology Hollywood Media 159

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

It all starts with a customer perspective to uncover problems and frustrations, and then design solutions from the customer backward. But customers also tend to think linearly, so they don’t always know what they want. Back away for a while to let the problem incubate in the unconscious mind.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Startup Tool Ideas 102

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

We caught up with Mickie Rosen , the firm's CEO, about the company, its links to Best Buy, and how it was incubated out of Fuse Capital. Ross Levinsohn of Fuse Capital also is involved in incubating Tecca. We set up a digital media fund, which had the goal of investing in new digital media properties, ideas, and concepts.

Incubator 239

Incubator Startup Web Technical Review 239

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

Those who are more involved in traditional entertainment are seeing a major shift online which is why an additional one-day seminar was created to coincide with Silicon Beach Fest Hollywood as a partnership called, Idea to Screen. The staff is very helpful and provides great customer service too. ” Collaboration was also key.

Hollywood 100

Hollywood Screening Ideas Entertainment 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

Other project and research reports in their library are a rich source of new ideas, if you are still looking for a place to start. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. If looking for help, you can find interns willing to work for the experience, and real insights into new customer segments.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 14, 2012

Customer loyalty, one of those seemingly innocuous facets of both large and small scale businesses that can be easily overlooked, but generally understood as ultra important to how well a business thrives. How do you guarantee a simply favorable review versus a regularly returning loyal customer?

Software Review 95

Software Review Idealab Pasadena Customer 95