SoCal CTO

APRIL 2, 2013

I'm going to be looking at aspects like: Things to consider before building your MVP Features often overlooked when documenting an MVP for developers Understanding important metrics you want to measure Risks and challenges in developing an MVP. What's Going to Go Wrong A lot of founders don't really understand Lean Startup principles.

CTO Coach

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

I recently got together with Aaron Shechet and an early stage startup to discuss the direction the company might want to take. I grew up in Los Angeles and went to undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 2003 with Honors in Economics. While at UC Santa Barbara, I started a café which served over 1100 dorm residents.

Startup

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 13, 2010

One of the topics that came up in my post Mobile Internet Apple Facebook was around open vs. closed platforms. This issue comes up at the start of almost every new startup company in a variety of forms. Does it Make Sense for Other Startups? The same value proposition applies.

Google

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2011

I just had to line up behind him. We then started talking about Dave McClure. At first I was cynical about his ability to have 500 startups (or some fraction of that which is still larger than any VC has). I started to realize that Dave is able to do it because he approaches VC differently. I appreciate it. Show Notes.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 6, 2021

I see entrepreneurs every day who are trying to change the world with a new idea, and startups that are trying to survive their hyper-growth phase by changing processes to meet demand. Phil Buckley, in his book “ Change With Confidence ,” provides practical answers to fifty of the biggest questions that keep change leaders up at night.

Startup

SoCal CTO

APRIL 28, 2014

So I promised that I would provide a follow-up after the session. This is that follow-up and hopefully it’s useful to people outside of the session as well. Challenges I started by asking the founders in the room to tell me some of the challenges they have working with developers. Have they considered everything?

Development

socalTECH

JUNE 13, 2011

Exatly a year ago was the very beginning of KarmaGoat, where I was trying to come up with something that would work as a marketplace donating items. I developed the idea over the summer, articulated the vision, drew out the site, and then teamed up with other students at UCLA and started developing KarmaGoat.

UCLA

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

Almost every early-stage startup who has approached investors for funding has heard the innocuous sounding rejection “I love your idea, but come back when you have more traction.” First of all, a definition. Often enterprise customers, or even consumers, test a new channel by signing up for a few small transactions or trial products.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2013

I see entrepreneurs every day who are trying to change the world with a new idea, and startups that are trying to survive their hyper-growth phase by changing processes to meet demand. Phil Buckley, in his new book “ Change With Confidence ,” provides practical answer to fifty of the biggest questions that keep change leaders up at night.

Startup

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

We caught up with Rachel recently to hear more about the company. However, I definitely see value in video discovery beyond what''s already been built. Part of the difference is we use video recommendations as a starting point, not and end point. How did you end up in Los Angeles? The metrics are very solid.

Google

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

My friend Ethan Anderson put it best to me after the panel, “You probably shouldn’t have been up there. I wrote about it here (mostly starting at point 7) and Chris Dixon wrote a great post about it here. So in the past we needed VC to really get a startup going. So I wish this separate definition would go away.

Venture Capital

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2015

By definition, every startup is predictably unpredictable, since new solutions have no proven track record, startups are usually building a new market, and the world around them is changing faster than ever. The market changes faster than your startup. The money runs out before revenues start.

Startup

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 16, 2013

We thought we''d catch up with Hamet to learn about his new position over at Upfront, and what he''s working on--plus how entrepreneurs ought to understand that success is not a straight line. How''d you end up joining Upfront Ventures? As a venture capitalist, are you seeing any of the capital issues for startups we are hearing about?

Entrepreneur

SoCal CTO

MARCH 22, 2007

Where I use LinkedIn: * I definitely use LinkedIn for Specific Requests - Ex. I definitely check people out using LinkedIn. Ive not found that much use for LinkedIn to help my blogging, but Im starting to think about this. However, it definitely has served as a hub. Open Source Business Models, speakers for Web 2.0

Blogging

SoCal CTO

FEBRUARY 23, 2007

And there are definitely other service providers who provide things like marketing services who are interesting, so its not all service providers, its more like the wealth management types. In fact, after several years of trying, Ive instead started relying on my CTO Forum group and private events (like an upcoming wine tasting).

Los Angeles

socalTECH

OCTOBER 19, 2016

Arivale (www.arivale.com), a startup founded by Dr. Leroy Hood, the well known DNA and genomics pioneer�which combines gene sequencing with a host of other diagnostic tests, with personalized counselors and health and wellness recommendations, recently launched an expansion into California, starting in Los Angeles.

Coach

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 25, 2014

I see entrepreneurs every day who are trying to change the world with a new idea, and startups that are trying to survive their hyper-growth phase by changing processes to meet demand. Phil Buckley, in “ Change With Confidence ,” provides practical answer to fifty of the biggest questions that keep change leaders up at night.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Almost every early-stage startup who has approached investors for funding has heard the innocuous sounding rejection “I love your idea, but come back when you have more traction.” First of all, a definition. Often enterprise customers, or even consumers, test a new channel by signing up for a few small transactions or trial products.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

A better definition of a problem always leads to a better solution. Of course, this all has to start with you having the confidence and conviction that there is at least one solution to every problem, and that you can find it. Don’t oversimplify – most issues have a scope greater than one dimension. Then pick the best one.

Satisfaction

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 15, 2022

There are hundreds of consultants out there who will take your money for guidance in this area, but I recommend that you start with some free resources on the Internet, or one of the many recent books on this topic. As with many startup activities, you only have one chance for a great first impression.

Social Media

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Created in 2014 and acquired by Dentsu in 2019, MuteSix was recommended to TechCrunch by Rhoda Ullmann, VP Consumer at Sense, a Boston-based startup building a home energy monitor. DTC entrepreneurs are more focused on immediate impact, because if they’re not selling product, there’s no large brand propping them up.

Commerce

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

There are definitely lots of people from the LA area, looking for tech opportunities, but we are also seeing that it's easy to get people to move to Los Angeles, and people who are willing to relocate to Los Angeles. Definitely, basic software engineering is the most popular role. Terence Chiu: We see both. READ MORE>>.

Los Angeles

socalTECH

JUNE 1, 2011

For today's interview, we spoke with Clark Benson , CEO and Founder of Ranker (www.ranker.com), on how the firm is looking to harness that same force to power its own startup, which offers up a way for users to create their own ranked lists of pretty much anything. How long has the site been up and running?

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Even when your startup is a one-man show and lots of fun, a “business” needs some discipline and controls to keep it from being defined as a hobby by investors, and assure some financial return. Here are eight key business tasks that relate to almost every startup, generally prioritized by criticality. Product development process.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2021

In my role as advisor to many startups, I try to prepare them for the inevitable bumps in the road ahead, as well as to provide practical guidance on how to build and maintain the traction needed to survive and prosper. You don’t have enough control over your time, investors, the market, or your startup. It’s very frustrating.

Entrepreneur

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

Even when your startup is a one-man show, you will soon find that you are “out of control,” unless you start organizing and writing down how and when key things need to get done. Here are eight key business tasks that relate to almost every startup, generally prioritized by criticality. Product development process.

Startup

socalTECH

APRIL 15, 2016

Los Angeles-based Gatsby (www.thinkgatsby.com) has come up with a way to combine both ways to promote social sharing, as well as reduce shopping cart abandonment, via discounts which change depending on your social influence and sharing activity. The number one metric we are targeting with Gatsby, is the pre-conversion and abandonment rate.

Social Media

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2010

Even when your startup is a one-man show, you will soon find that you are “out of control,” unless you start organizing and writing down how and when key things need to get done. Here are eight key business tasks that relate to almost every startup, generally prioritized by criticality. Product development process.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 28, 2020

If you start with a distorted or biased view of what your company needs, no execution is likely to achieve the results that win. This must include metrics and tracking, with the necessary systems and resources to act, recalibrate, and iterate as required. It’s up to you to align their hearts and minds on winning.

Coach

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 23, 2015

Berger suggests nine key questions, which I have adapted for entrepreneurs and startups, from his focus on existing companies. Every startup should start with a set of values that would fit the definition of a good cause. Tackle the startup unknowns by generating questions instead of generating solutions.

Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 22, 2012

There are hundreds of consultants out there who will take your money for guidance in this area, but I recommend that you start with some free resources on the Internet, or one of the many recent books on this topic. As with many startup activities, you only have one chance for a great first impression.

Social Media

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

It’s always been tough to start a new business, even when the bottom line was just making a profit to stay alive. The real challenge with the triple bottom line is that these three separate accounts cannot be easily added up. How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics?

Startup

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2019

How do you create a tool to help address unconscious bias in the workplaceand why would you create a new startup in that area? We caught up with Michele and Dan to better understand why they founded the company, and why this market was such an interest to them. Once we decided to do this, we started looking for a Dan.

Content

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2013

There are hundreds of consultants out there who will take your money for guidance in this area, but I recommend that you start with some free resources on the Internet, or one of the many recent books on this topic. As with many startup activities, you only have one chance for a great first impression. Marty Zwilling.

Social Media

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 27, 2022

It’s always been tough to start a new business, even when the bottom line was just making a profit to stay alive. The real challenge with the triple bottom line is that these three separate accounts cannot be easily added up. How does any entrepreneur define the right balance, and then measure their performance against real metrics?

Startup

socalTECH

OCTOBER 15, 2015

To get some insight into the growing world and business of e-sports, we caught up with Clinton Foy , a local venture capital investor at Crosscut Ventures in Los Angeles. Clinton Foy: That depends on your definition of big. So, what is the most exciting thing you see coming up in e-sports? That's what's exciting about this.

Riot Games

InfoChachkie

MARCH 3, 2014

When we passed her in the hall, her face lit up and she gave us a joyous greeting. I started in the call center, in the customer loyalty department. When the opportunity came up. In my wildest dreams, when I started with the company, I never dreamed that I would be in this role, being able to do this work.

Coach