socalTECH

AUGUST 27, 2014

In the Los Angeles startup world, there are lots of high profile, buzzy companies which have lots of attention and funding--but which haven''t earned a dime of revenue. We worked together for four years, and I ended up heading up media buying at that company, and he headed up sales. It sounds like you''re completely boostrapped.

Startup 239

Startup El Segundo Marketing Media 239

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 22, 2011

At the Twiistup panel last week, there was a debate over whether big companies could be created here, which is ridiculous--Demand Media is the latest example there, we've got Cornerstone OnDemand coming out soon, and there is no question there are market leading, large revenue companies coming out of Southern California.

Redpoint 154

Redpoint Southern California Cornerstone OnDemand Invest 154

InfoChachkie

MARCH 4, 2013

Business Lessons From The Dark Side Of The Moon. • Obtain Customer Feedback Before You Release Your Product - Musicians spend their entire youth writing songs and performing them in front of live audiences, which ensures that their initial album is validated by their fans before they enter the recording studio.

Startup 269

Startup Cloud Computing RSS Writing 269

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 18, 2013

It means the “ torso TV ” consumption patterns will be more important than the head or the long tail for the next era of media companies. You should only worry about this if you’re a large, traditional media company with fat margins. Media in an age of: low-cost capture from mobile devices. Harlem Shake.

Startup 380

Startup Media Content Platform 380

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 15, 2010

One person who doesn’t waste this opportunity is Sam Jones of Formation Media. I run a company called Formation Media. We set up Formation Media to bring that experience to the Internet. We set up Formation Media to bring that experience to the Internet. My partner was in product management at Demand Media.

Startup 315

Startup Content Conference Media 315

InfoChachkie

JANUARY 25, 2016

If such write-downs only impacted the faux unicorns and their avaricious investors, there would be little need for alarm. The constant media coverage of the aberrant unicorn valuations has caused otherwise level-headed entrepreneurs to expect investors to participate at prices which are detached from their startups’ fundamentals.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Invest Venture Capital 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2010

In writing anything positive about any of the companies I’m not suggesting that it means that I prefer them to any of their competitors. I just cover the companies that were funded that week. Also, some of the deals I write about I have actually seen as part of their fund raising process. Others I have not.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Capital Email Blogging 265

socalTECH

JULY 20, 2011

Earlier this month, Los Angeles-based HitFix (www.hitfix.com) an online news site focused on entertainment, announced it had raised $2M in a funding round. We thought it was a real opportunity to bring in some taste-maker editors, who could write specifically for that audience, and break news. How did you decide to launch HitFix?

News 173

News Entertainment Startup Bertelsmann 173

InfoChachkie

MAY 16, 2011

Fallacy: AdVentures tend to evolve once you begin speaking with pesky customers and demanding partners. 5) Allow Partners To Write Your Agreements. Thus, I will let my Big Dumb Company (BDC) partner write our agreement. Your commitments to investors must be significant enough to compel them to write you a check.

Startup 242

Startup Outsource Development Outsource Sales 242

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

Over the past 4 years LA’s tech fundings have growing at a 30% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) which is > 4 times the US average VC CAGR (7%). Both are massively funding other LA tech companies through what Fred Wilson once defined as “recycled capital.” He built & IPOd Demand Media.

Entrepreneur 376

Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2013

Aspiring creators learn by connecting with top web filmmakers and YouTubers on a topics specific to the web: developing a web series, producing web series, writing for genres like comedy & sci-fi, directing, editing, camera, Kickstarter funding, show hosting, distribution, and marketing. How does it work?

Web 93

Web USC Course Guide 93

socalTECH

MARCH 12, 2013

The company--which is in the business of operating a content delivery network (CDN) to accelerate the delivery of web graphics, multimedia, applications, and more to end users-- recently disclosed it more than doubled its revenues in 2012, and has grown to over 230 employees--all due to a huge amount of demand for CDN services by its customers.

CTO Hire 248

CTO Hire Content Networking Web 248

Jason Nazar

MARCH 22, 2011

When he had the idea for his company, he didn’t write a long business plan or try to raise money to hire an agency to build a website for him. If there were more great companies coming out of LA then it would create more demand for high quality VC firms. It’s a chicken and egg problem.

Company 111

Company Companies Startup Twiistup 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2011

An inflated sense of financial well-being can result in sloppy budgeting and accounting as you write checks here and there without pause. Print advertising is expensive, but social media is free. But if you've spent all your money on the website for party supplies, you may not have the funds to have the site redone.

Startup 92

Startup Capital Blogging Ideas 92

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Many times I think that it would be awesome to have a conversation with them, but typically write off the idea because the process for access is too difficult. Any funding yet? We have received seed funding from a friend and it is personally funded. That’s cool! What is your business model? They are all right!

Mentor 94

Mentor Platform Social Network Chief Technology Officer 94

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

The questions that a VC mulls before writing a check are precisely the questions you should be asking yourself. You may have paid marketing: SEM, Social Media Ads, Banner Ads, email lists, etc. Market Size. SEO doesn’t just happen – it requires a content strategy, inbound links, relevancy, keyword strategies, etc.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

Don’t let your passion convince you that word-of-mouth and viral marketing will suffice against well-funded competitors and ever more demanding customers. Target income and expense by year, including funding. Here I recommend a 5-year projection of revenues, expenses, and funding requirements.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

InfoChachkie

JULY 14, 2011

9) In Getting The Band Back Together , I write about the power of serial Founding teams. Why aren’t there a half-dozen well-funded startups running up your tailpipe? Performance marketing also demands accountability. Do you have any words of caution or advice for entrepreneurs who attempt to “Get Their Band Back Together”?

Marketing 209

Marketing Advertising Paid Search Startup 209

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 21, 2013

started working on improving US politics joining Lawrence Lessig’s group Change Congress in its efforts to get the US Congress to pass a bill that would make it mandatory for every major political candidate to have an equal amount of funds for their campaign.

Journal 86

Journal Blogging RSS Report 86

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 5, 2011

Chris Devore & Andy Sack have created Founder’s Coop with the goal of funding, incubating & launching more early-stage ventures in Seattle. Every region needs its local media & events. I don’t write about LA but I write from LA. I know that Founder’s Coop has a fund as does TechStars Seattle.

Venture Capital 317

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Press 317

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 12, 2010

In the media NYC is “hot” right now yet having just spent 6 days in NY I heard many similar stories as I get in LA: not enough VC and hard to get great tech resources. We both felt that the critical reasoning skills and writing skills were critical to our career development. Mo’s other degree was English, mine was Political Science.

Venture Capital 217

Venture Capital Capital Metrics Competition 217

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2020

Yeah, Valence announced > $5 million in funding led by GGV and Upfront. It is a company with a mission to create better access and more funding for Black entrepreneurs and executives. He’s been a leader at the intersection of media and tech for many years and we’re grateful to partner with him. I’m so fricking pumped today.

Funding 314

Funding Venture Capital Entrepreneur Networking 314

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 10, 2011

As a former hedge fund guy, Roger immediately saw the value in helping companies better sift through the masses of data; often to gain better insights into financial information. Some will cite my investment two years ago in social-media advertising company Ad.ly Most wont write stuff publicly because they fear retribution.

Platform 307

Platform News Startup Invest 307

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

In more than a decade of writing about the Internet and tech-enabled businesses I’ve learned that mobs don’t do nuance well. Of course our great technology industry did itself rise on the back of infrastructure created by telecommunications & cable infrastructure as well as decades of media production.

Course 280

Course Startup Framework Marketing 280