Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

The market was down considerably with public valuations down 53–79% across the four sectors we were reviewing (it is since down even further). ==> Aside, we also have a NEW LA-based partner I’m thrilled to announce: Nick Kim. First in late-stage tech companies and then it will filter back to Growth and then A and ultimately Seed Rounds.

Venture Capital 416

Venture Capital Marketing Technical Review Seed Funding 416

TechEmpower

JULY 2, 2013

We caution all readers to review the source code of each test when interpreting the plaintext numbers. However, in some cases due to custom core components in a framework or implementation particulars, a framework may exceed 100%. In particular, a great deal of effort was provided in reviewing the ASP.NET MVC tests.

Framework 521

Framework Software Review Technical Review EC2 521

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2021

This is the mysterious and dreaded due diligence process, which can kill the whole deal. Some entrepreneurs do very little to prepare for due diligence, assuming all the talking has already been done, and the business plan and results to-date tell the right story. Visit reference customers, partners, and vendors.

Technical Review 151

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 151

socalTECH

OCTOBER 18, 2018

Los Angeles-based AppOnboard , the developer of mobile app demo technology led by Jonathan Zweig, says that it now has such app developers as FoxNext Games, Game Insight, Superheart Studios, Jam City, Huuuge Games, and Simple Habit using its tools.

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Mobile Technology Customer 133

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Many times they also pick up product and tech, too. Often times you find the CEO who really just likes to do product or tech. Similarly I talk to CEOs who can’t do a sales pipeline review with me. I once did due diligence on a potential investment where the CEO was projecting $9 million in sales for his next 12 months.

Startup 325

Startup Technical Review Sales Report 325

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Companies that have leveraged technology to make the procurement and delivery of food more accessible to more people have been seeing a big surge of business this year, as millions of consumers are encouraged (or outright mandated, due to Covid-19) to socially distance or want to avoid the crowds of physical shopping and eating excursions.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

In the initial phases of any new market you’re developing a product (hopefully with a minimal set of features), getting feedback from customers, refining your product based on user feedback and then re-launching your product. We technology leaders also make this mistake. Rinse & repeat. It seemed to be purely speculative.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 6, 2023

This is the mysterious and dreaded due diligence process, which can kill the whole deal. Some entrepreneurs do very little to prepare for due diligence, assuming all the talking has already been done, and the business plan and results to-date tell the right story. Visit reference customers, partners, and vendors.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Invest 118

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 17, 2013

Clearly in an enterprise customer this is unlikely. We will have to build (or buy) technology in this area.” She might gladly tell you who gets decisions made, who is a pain in the arse, who is super technical, etc. In a small to mid-sized organization this is likely the CEO or perhaps a COO or SVP.

Sales 375

Sales Technical Review Organization Case Study 375

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. Some startups do nothing to prepare for the due diligence process, assuming the people and business plan documents will speak for themselves.

Technical Review 152

Technical Review Startup Satisfaction Summary 152

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

And of course the most successful technology companies: Google, Facebook, Salesforce.com [duh], Oracle, Microsoft all have loads of sales people. The most important way to sell a product for an early-stage business (or frankly any stage) is to have strong referenceable customers. How do you get referenceable customers?

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

The main thrust of the post is that with YouTube taking a 45% of revenue and talent taking 70% of the remaining revenue, YouTube Networks didn’t have sustainable businesses unless they invested heavily in technology as a tool to increase margin and provide defensibility. That is the definition of Disruptive Technology.

Company 339

Company Companies Technical Review Content 339

Berkonomics

JANUARY 16, 2014

All parties need to perform due diligence to ensure that the assumptions are correct, that neither partner has financial issues which could affect the partnership, and that the opposite partner has the skills to contribute to the partnership. Access to new technologies. Review financial statements – up to 3 years if available.

Technical Review 204

Technical Review Startup Examples Metrics 204

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

Because of the rapid pace with which Venture Capitalists review investment opportunities, they must employ pattern matching techniques which include identifying common fundraising deal breakers. A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Such deal breakers come in a variety of colors and styles.

Technical Review 264

Technical Review Entrepreneur IP RSS 264

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2017

So how did a company that provides storage grow so fast (we’ll exit 2017 with 10’s of millions in recurring revenue), why is it so defensible and is it really a tech startup? If you buy that Amazon is a tech startup then essentially you’ve already answered the question. In short — how the hell did we raise $30 million?

Technical Review 268

Technical Review Funding Software Review Artificial Inteligence 268

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2021

As a logical and data-driven business advisor, I have long focused on facts, technology, and quantifiable pain in guiding entrepreneurs. I now offer the following additional guidelines for how to attract customers and position your product: Find the latest social trend, or even create it.

Customer 172

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 172

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2020

As a long-time business executive and adviser to entrepreneurs, I see a definitive shift away from customer trust in traditional business messages, and the executives who deliver them. I summarize the key elements of the transformation as follows: Customers are seeking control in a run-away world.

Customer 173

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 173

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 4, 2013

Compelling in the sense that you solve a real problem a target group of potential customers has with a product that is significantly better than the alternatives on that market. The idea of “going deep” with customers has always shaped how I think. I found myself in violent agreement with Fred’s blog post(s).

Startup 401

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 401

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 24, 2020

However, he did confirm to TechCrunch that he had to reduce staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Divergent 3D made Blade — which was on the auto show circuit in 2016 — to demonstrate the technology platform. It was enough to get the attention of investors and at least two global OEMs as customers. A core team remains, he said.

Startup 251

Startup Technical Review Outsource Development Platform 251

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 7, 2021

Some pundits argue that the E-Myth principle is now outdated, due to the instant access to information via the Internet, pervasive networking via social media, and courses on entrepreneurship at all levels of education. The Technician’s Perspective envisions the business in parts, constructed from the bottom up, based on technical tasks.

Technical Review 136

Technical Review Startup Social Media Satisfaction 136

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 27, 2012

David encourages entrepreneurs to stay away from the big tech firms (such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple) because they are hard to compete with. I believe entrepreneurs should, in David’s words, “build big businesses on the outskirts” but I don’t believe that Silicon Valley tech giants will outmaneuver startups.

Technical Review 299

Technical Review Venture Capital Yammer Google 299

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

The technology team disagrees on direction and wants resolutions. There’s a guy in Los Angeles that I met at several tech networking events. He was a really nice and personable guy who had deep domain knowledge in an industry that he’d worked in for 10 years that is in need of technological advancement.

Entrepreneur 414

Entrepreneur Technical Review Slides CTO Coach 414

socalTECH

MARCH 24, 2020

Irvine-based technology distributor Ingram Micro says it is looking to help the many U.S. and Canadian small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) it serves, who are facing a cash crunch due to the ongoing COVID-19 disease outbreak. of the total purchase price. READ MORE>>.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Startup Pricing Technology 124

TechCrunch LA

MAY 20, 2021

Construction tech startups are poised to shake up a $1.3-trillion-dollar As more people spent time at home last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the startup saw its contract revenue spike by 5x, Wu says. Eano also works on projects like building ADUs (accessory dwelling units). trillion-dollar industry.

Technical Review 185

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Software Review 185

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 12, 2018

seems like an unlikely place to grow one of the next billion-dollar startups in the booming Los Angeles tech ecosystem. These more basic needs can be solved with seemingly simple technologies—software for billing, scheduling, navigation and many other business workflows. The city of Glendale, Calif.

Glendale 271

Glendale Los Angeles Startup Technical Review 271

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 12, 2010

I see way too many startup founders who don’t have experience in selling and probably don’t feel that comfortable going to customers and asking for orders. This is probably because many founders are product or technology people. I only found out through customer meetings.

Sales 346

Sales Startup Technical Review Customer 346

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to a recent Forbes article , UC Santa Barbara''s Technology Management Program offers students a superior startup education over the University of Pennsylvania (home of Wharton), as well Harvard, Northwestern and even its acclaimed southern neighbor, the University of Southern California. Want to be an entrepreneur? Techpreneurs.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. Who's the customer? What's you believe is your biggest technology risk, if any? What Is This? How does the product solve a pain?

CTO Hire 264

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 264

SoCal CTO

MARCH 3, 2011

Many of the founders of these companies are surprised to learn that I'm willing to review what they are doing (maybe an hour) and get on the phone for an hour with them and provide free advice. Who's the customer? What's you believe is your biggest technology risk, if any? What Is This? How does the product solve a pain?

CTO Hire 259

CTO Hire Startup Technical Review Development Team Review 259

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 14, 2013

I’ve been involved with technology product design in one form or another for nearly 25 years and seen one mistake consistently repeated. The single biggest mistake most product teams make is building technology for what they believe the user would want rather than what the actual end-user needs. I learned the hard way.

Product 408

Product Design Technical Review Screening 408

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 3, 2014

Most technology startups seem to be funded by product people or business people. Whenever I heard why we didn’t feel a sales process at an important customer was going well (or if we lost) I would get involved myself. They are as good at selling you as they are at selling your product to customers.

Sales 382

Sales Help Startup Pricing 382

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

If I’m interested I get to spend more time with them, if I’m not I don’t have to – A few companies per month come in that have fascinating business ideas that warrant my spending more time trying to understand their people, company, technology and market. I get paid to network – I love meeting people.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

TechEmpower

MARCH 4, 2024

Focusing on generative AI applications in a select few corporate functions can contribute to a significant portion of the technology's overall impact. Key Functions with High Impact Generative AI is revolutionizing sales by enabling dynamic pricing and personalized customer interactions, boosting conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

Generative AI 297

Generative AI TechEmpower CTO Hire Outsource Development 297

TechEmpower

JULY 24, 2023

At TechEmpower, we frequently talk to startup founders, CEOs, product leaders, and other innovators about their next big tech initiative. After all, that’s what tech innovation is all about. Who are the customers? Do you have a custom algorithm or other technology? For customer service?

Develop 520

Develop Development Technical Review SEO 520

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

Quality of your technical and business teams. Back in the early days of the personal computer, Bill Gates and Microsoft were widely recognized and having the strongest technical culture, as well as a commanding marketing presence. Just be aware that building your customer base first requires deep pockets, or many investors.

Technical Review 147

Technical Review Social Media Entrepreneur Startup 147

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

According to DogVacay--which already has more than 50 employees--it is hiring customer service representatives for the startup, looking for technologically proficient dog lovers to help with its customer service team.

Technical Review 191

Technical Review Incubator Blogging Los Angeles 191

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 2, 2022

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. During today’s dynamic customer journey, consumers often find themselves at a point of indecision.

Customer 122

Customer Custom Social Media Technical Review 122