Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

With the appearance of do-it-yourself services on the Internet, entrepreneur curriculums at every university, and a wealth of new books on the subject, the need for expensive consultants and business advisors has also been mitigated. Minimize investment in prototypes and tooling. Savings here can easily reach another $10K per month.

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Entrepreneur Startup Social Media Outsource Development 162

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

By definition?—?I’m On the one hand, you’re over paying for every investment and valuations aren’t rational. And the truth is that several entrepreneurs prefer it this way. That used to be called A-round investing. The market definition has changed but what we do mostly hasn’t. Are we in a bubble?”

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socalTECH

APRIL 24, 2020

Carey tells us a bit about what OC4 is doing, how it invests and works with companies, and also gives startups some advice about how to approach moving forward in light of the pandemic. Carey Ransom: The way I think about it, is it is really the culmination of almost two decades of software and technology company building and investing.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2020

Although most people believe that being a successful entrepreneur is all about having the right idea, I’m convinced from my years of experience as a startup advisor and investor that’s it’s more about you as a person. The best entrepreneurs are not just dreamers of the next big thing – they have to be great facilitators and problem solvers.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2019

I suspect it’s a function of pride and confidence in my own problem solving abilities, but my hesitation has definitely cost me time and money. Thus, in my consulting with entrepreneurs, I always encourage them to get more comfortable asking for help. Of course, there are good ways and bad ways to ask for help.

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Help Entrepreneur Course IBM 123

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 6, 2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012 -- Power of Angel Investing Seminar. This full-day definitive seminar provides an overview of the angel investing process including the details of finding, evaluating, and structuring deals. It will also go into depth on how to develop angel-entrepreneur relationships that lead to success.

Invest 100

Invest Tech Coast Angels Angel Case Study 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. But many have no insight or connections to the ethereal angel investment community, which In the U.S. Most share expertise as well as money.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2023

Most entrepreneurs relish being their own boss, but find the transition to “ownership thinking” to be more difficult than anticipated. Incidentally, if you never thought of yourself as being an A-Player employee, you probably will struggle even more in the competitive entrepreneur world.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 2, 2022

By definition, an angel investor is not an “institutional investor.” Venture capitalists (VCs) are paid to invest other people’s money, and measured on the rate of return they get. Angels are typically high net worth individuals who are investing their own money, for a wide range of motives. Entice angels to play along.

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

This is the second article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs). And we all know that Ron Conway is considered the savviest of angel investors and yet by definition not all of his investments succeed. Who ultimately invested in FourSquare? Connections.

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

“Hi [entrepreneur], I hope all is well. It's big, well known & we've invested in all of these really cool companies]. I know the firm well and I know the entrepreneur & his business well. There is no chance they’re going to invest and it’s not even a close match. What fits your schedule?

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Venture Capital Entrepreneur Email Equity 294

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

I believe the rise in angel investing is here to stay and the professionalization of this class (aka “super angels&# or “micro VC&# ) is a good thing for the VC industry and for entrepreneurs. But I fear that for most angel investors who invest over the long haul angel investing will not be a profitable endeavor.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 9, 2020

Most entrepreneurs relish being their own boss, but find the transition to “ownership thinking” to be more difficult than anticipated. Incidentally, if you never thought of yourself as being an A-Player employee, you probably will struggle even more in the competitive entrepreneur world.

Entrepreneur 159

Entrepreneur Custom Customer Competition 159

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 31, 2011

One of the most common questions that entrepreneurs who meet me for the first time like to ask is, “Do you miss being an entrepreneur? I thought I’d talk a bit about the differences I’ve experienced between being an entrepreneur & a VC – you know, from “both sides of the table.&#. On Being an Entrepreneur.

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Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital Ideas 384

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2014

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). Thus investing in startups should always be approached as a low odds game.

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Invest Angel Funding Startup 111

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Incremental profits from companies that later sell for three to five times their original value at the time of their investment may be considered great successes for founders but relative failures for VCs, who must hit for the fences with every early-stage investment. Why it’s so personal to me…. first appeared on BERKONOMICS.

Venture Capital 156

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InfoChachkie

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

However, certain questions can be tricky for an entrepreneur to answer. Below are five common questions an entrepreneur will encounter when seeking venture funding. Handled appropriately, these questions provide investors a window into an entrepreneurs’ soul, which minimizes the chances of a future misalignment.

Entrepreneur 253

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2023

I’m definitely a proponent of this latter approach. On the other hand, I remember a classic book, “ The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job ,” by Patrick J. He makes some good points in the book for the overlapped entrepreneur approach that I espouse: One job is not enough these days.

Startup 102

Startup Satisfaction Entrepreneur News 102

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

A few months ago I wrote a post called “ Invest in Lines, Not Dots.&# It was my investment philosophy that observing teams’ performance over time was far more insightful than reacting to how good of a product demo they do, how good they present Powerpoint slides or how great tech blogs say they are. Let me explain.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Yet I’m still often approached by aspiring entrepreneurs who have neither.

Product 112

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Berkonomics

APRIL 1, 2021

Greatness finds one definition in management’s ability to “pivot,” or change the plan in reaction to its early response from the marketplace. My favorite example of a world class pivot comes from the CEO and board of one of my most successful investments. How do investors usually react to a pivot?

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Resource Research Class News 156

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2023

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. That’s not as high as the failure rate with professional investors, but it should convince entrepreneurs that crowdfunding is still no panacea for funding.

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Equity Platform Statistics Entrepreneur 80

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

An entrepreneur lifestyle that continues to gain in popularity these days is being a “social entrepreneur.” Think Bill Gates, with his current investments, or Blake Mycoskie with Toms Shoes, as opposed to the leaders of the American Cancer Society or Goodwill Industries. Not a new definition for the nonprofit sector.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 25, 2020

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of those demanding angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. These groups are now largely run by volunteers at no cost to entrepreneurs. Lack of checks and balances on startup valuations.

Equity 164

Equity Statistics Platform Entrepreneur 164

Berkonomics

MAY 15, 2014

These usually involve a handful of angel investors, and a few entrepreneurs, who all want to build the very best term sheet for their exciting nascent enterprise. Each one of these terms includes aspects of fairness, ethics, law, business, entrepreneurship, psychology and investing. Email readers, continue here.] Raising money'

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Venture Capital Examples Invest Conference 228

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2014

Most technical entrepreneurs I know demand the discipline of a product specification or plan, and then assume that their great product will drive a great business. Is it any wonder why so few entrepreneurs ever find the professional investors they seek? Yet I’m still often approached by aspiring entrepreneurs who have neither.

Product 101

Product Entrepreneur Summary Activity 101

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t make equity investments in nonprofit good causes. What options do they have available to them, since they can’t sell a share of the company (no equity investment)? There is no discussion of equity, or return on investment. Individual and institutional philanthropy.

Funding 130

Funding Equity Technical Review Organization 130

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

According to some local Southern California venture investors, it absolutely is affecting how they are thinking about the investment environment. He explains, "Our partnership is spending time evaluating the impacts on our portfolio and our outlook on future investments.".

Rustic Canyon 124

Rustic Canyon Invest Technology Southern California 124

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

Wilson: "I’m not sure if making it a more effective marketing platform would alienate its user base, but there are definitely some opportunities. The post Social Search – What Entrepreneur Needs To Know appeared first on John Greathouse.' I''ll never tweet about that killer burrito I am about to devour - just startup stuff.

Entrepreneur 210

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2022

New entrepreneurs are always looking for a shortcut in getting their venture story and plan across to investors, and closing on the funding they need. Investors will demand clear channel definitions. Entrepreneurs who can’t communicate specific activities are not ready for funding. No startup or entrepreneur is an island.

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Funding Activity Custom Customer 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 30, 2022

Perhaps sparked by the recent pandemic, I’m seeing a new era of the entrepreneur, with startups springing up all around. Based on my own mentoring and investing experience, the best entrepreneurs are pragmatic problem solvers. Real entrepreneurs always look ahead and learn from problems resolved.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Some entrepreneurs love to talk and produce videos, but hate to write anything down. There is no room in this realm for negativism, excuses, or lack of confidence.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Angel Social Media Patents 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2021

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. But many have no insight or connections to the ethereal angel investment community, which In the U.S. Most share expertise as well as money.

Angel 126

Angel Funding Venture Capital Seed Funding 126

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Some entrepreneurs love to talk and produce videos, but hate to write anything down. There is no room in this realm for negativism, excuses, or lack of confidence.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2013

A term I’m hearing more and more these days is “social entrepreneur.” On the surface, this sounds like entrepreneurs who want to build a non-profit organization. The business entrepreneur mission is profit always, social impact maybe. Not a new definition for the nonprofit sector. Social entrepreneurship is not socialism.

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Entrepreneur Funding Activity Capital 98

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

The future of work is definitely changing, accelerated by the current pandemic. Based on my experience as a business advisor, I recommend that every business owner and entrepreneur focus on the following tips to provide a better work culture: Invest in integrating new technology, not just forcing it.

Tips 159

Tips Satisfaction Coach Mentor 159

Berkonomics

MARCH 5, 2020

In the creation of a young company, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. Professional investors will probe these five risk areas and make the decision to invest based upon comfort with each.

Outsource Development 156

Outsource Development Ideas Resource Patents 156