Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2014

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans are a waste of time. They cite sources like the BusinessWeek story, “ Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Write Business Plans ” and this Forbes article. On the other hand, your mother probably won’t read one.

Technical Review 109

Technical Review Writing Entrepreneur Slides 109

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are looking to the Internet as an opportunity to get rich quick, instead of a place where you can start a business you love, for very little capital and minimal technical expertise. Even more valuable are success case studies and testimonials. Let your audience help with content creation.

Startup 107

Startup Technical Review Case Study Software Review 107

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 5, 2010

Two weeks after Brad’s post I was at the 140 Conference in LA and I held open office hours for any entrepreneur who wanted to spend 15 minutes talking with a VC about their business. But it turns out I met a bunch of really interesting entrepreneurs. But TWTFelipe is an entrepreneur. Felipe grew up in Brazil.

Technical Review 282

Technical Review Startup High Tech Software Review 282

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2019

Yet, in my daily role as an advisor to entrepreneurs and small business owners, struggling to boost revenues, profits, and earnings, I still see too many managers falling back on command-and-control, a focus on weaknesses, and not enough time for people. They want ongoing conversations, not just annual reviews. Change is hard.

Coach 95

Coach Technical Review Satisfaction Examples 95

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. In our industry we applaud the efforts for entrepreneurs to have tried and we know that today’s failure can bring the experience for tomorrow’s success. The perfect competitors are the ones where they unable to respond due to The Innovator’s Dilemma.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2012

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are looking to the Internet as an opportunity to get rich quick, instead of a place where you can start a business you love, for very little capital and minimal technical expertise. Even more valuable are success case studies and testimonials. Let your audience help with content creation.

Technical Review 99

Technical Review Case Study Startup Software Review 99

socalTECH

MARCH 19, 2019

We started focusing on that, and at the time we were doing only phone verification, but then we started adding in data analytics because of customer demand, we added in some other things like straight messaging rather than pin codes. Ryan Disraeli: I was studying business with an emphasis on entrepreneurship.

Marina Del Rey 113

Marina Del Rey Software Review Startup Incubator 113

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2017

No one has ever been able to execute on that from a technology standpoint before. We are a technology company, not an ad agency, and we are really just a bunch of nerds who believe we can turn this thing upside down, and let people try those apps out before downloading. The basic premise, is try before you buy.

Startup 113

Startup Southern California UCLA Technical Review 113

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. My argument is pretty simple. Link has a summary of his argument plus a great video). But it wasn’t to be.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 18, 2010

I was the guy in high school who didn’t have to study early to do well on tests and that continued into college. So things that have to be done early get done early, but only at the last possible moment that the early task is due. Get some seasoned entrepreneurs to come. I couldn’t. I hear it all the time.

Slides 374

Slides Email Entrepreneur Startup 374

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs seem to prefer to fail their way to the top, rather than do some research and learn from the successes and mistakes of others. In general I try to focus on the positives and tell entrepreneurs what works, but sometimes it’s important to reiterate the common things that simply don’t work.

Entrepreneur 109

Entrepreneur Technical Review Startup Satisfaction 109

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2015

Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs seem to prefer to fail their way to the top, rather than do some research and learn from the successes and mistakes of others. In general I try to focus on the positives and tell entrepreneurs what works, but sometimes it’s important to reiterate the common things that simply don’t work.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Entrepreneur Startup Satisfaction 60

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 28, 2011

You do a startup and decide you want somebody to step in and run the company so you can focus on technical excellence. I honestly believe I learned more by rising up the ranks and becoming the president of my fraternity than I did in the class room reading about supply & demand curves in economics. Most people work in groups.

CTO Hire 363

CTO Hire Technical Review Startup Demand 363

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

My advice to entrepreneurs was and is “ when the hors d’oeuvres tray is being passed take two ” (e.g. So I agreed to offer my current thinking on the economy and what it portends for the VC industry & fund raising for entrepreneurs. raise money now to weather any storms). Such is the case with advanced batteries.

Entrepreneur 298

Entrepreneur Venture Capital Technical Review Startup 298