Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Let’s take a look here some similar stages from a support perspective: Idea stage. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it.

Startup 122

Startup Funding Organization Incubator 122

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

Thus, in my mentoring of potential technical entrepreneurs who have a real passion for their technology, I often recommend that they find a co-founder who can manage the marketing and execution elements of the new venture. Many smart people I know fall into the category of “idea” people.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

In my role as business advisor, I’m hearing more and more about workers who seem to be doing less and demanding more. Top performers want to know how to stand out, and business leaders need to know how to better recognize and mentor aspiring superstars before they burn out, or move on to new opportunities.

Demand 123

Demand Mentor Startup Coach 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 18, 2021

But privately, as a mentor to many entrepreneurs, I see mindsets and attributes that may be equally critical to success, but are not readily admitted, for fear of being too wacky. They know there is nothing wrong with having passion for a new idea, but they don’t let it influence business decisions.

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Demand Customer 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2023

As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. Those who proactively seek knowledge and learn fast build knowledge pools and tap into the wisdom of mentors and industry leaders to raise their game.

Entrepreneur 118

Entrepreneur Startup Social Network SpaceX 118

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue). It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” Angel investors probably will know your business, and want to be mentors along the way.

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 16, 2020

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Don’t demand or expect immediate gratification. Viewed by others as a successful problem solver.

Startup 171

Startup Entrepreneur Activity Ideas 171

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 31, 2023

Inside the organization, it also pays to offer some of your time for coaching and mentoring to less experienced team members, as an entrée to a supportive relationship. Graduate from an idea person to one who delivers results. Ideas without results kill many businesses. Loners need not apply. Find what works for you.

Startup 121

Startup Satisfaction Technical Review Ideas 121

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). Let’s take a look here some similar stages from a support perspective: Idea stage. The first step toward a business with any idea is to write it down, and build a business plan around it.

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2020

In my experience as a business mentor, one of the biggest challenges I see is a failure to focus. Most of you aspiring entrepreneurs have new ideas on a regular basis, and find it hard deciding which to pursue, or try to tackle several at the same time. Demonstrate real knowledge of your market and competitors.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Startup Patents Resource 126

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2023

In my experience as a mentor, I find that keeping creative thinking in the balance is a challenge for every startup, due to the natural employee tendency to resist change. Creative ideas are the outliers, and tend to be eliminated first, rather than evaluated fully. Most people tend to be compliant, rather than risk conflict.

Marketing 119

Marketing Metrics Demand Statistics 119

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 12, 2023

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Don’t demand or expect immediate gratification. Viewed by others as a successful problem solver.

Entrepreneur 70

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 70

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 17, 2020

Under the agreement, Impact will identify and develop film ideas in four specific genres over the next year that they will then bring to Netflix to produce and distribute, through a global submission process. ” Writers need to submit an idea and a writing sample from today through July 6.

Netflix 137

Netflix Entertainment Hollywood Writing 137

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 4, 2022

If you find yourself being surprised by new competitor offerings and customer demands, then perhaps you are not paying attention. New blood and new ideas are keys to agility. That means making sure you are utilizing coaching and mentoring, as well as training to keep up with changes in technology and the marketplace.

Competition 148

Competition Metrics Demand Customer 148

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 1, 2020

often with other people sharing our homes who have their own ideas of how to use our collective space and time. It goes without saying that if you find yourself in a really negative headspace PLEASE reach out to any trusted mentor, friend or family member. What do we eat? Where do we shop? What is safe? What are my parents doing?—?are

Demand 215

Demand Guide Customer Custom 215

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2020

You need a faster and more flexible on-demand hiring strategy, based on the current gig-economy of remote freelancers, contract personnel, and specialists. Freelancers and consultants have to demonstrate results, without training and mentoring, so they can help you more quickly and probably at a lower total cost.

Competition 168

Competition Startup Demand Training 168

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2022

One of the dysfunctions I often see in my coaching and mentoring work with small businesses is team member burnout. Burnout occurs for many when your job demands are too many, the hours are too long, and the resources to handle them are too few. Don’t be afraid to ask your team for motivation ideas and strategies.

Coach 120

Coach Organization Demand Resource 120

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

I’m a believer in the old saying that investors look for great people, more than great ideas. They mentor each other, and seek out experts in domains outside their current expertise and experience. Assembling a winning team and delivering results. Managing time and priorities for maximum impact.

Startup 113

Startup Customer Custom Technical Review 113

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. Board seats can’t be negotiated, and even informal mentoring in decision and governance processes is unlikely. Risk is increased.

Equity 164

Equity Statistics Platform Entrepreneur 164

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

Every one of you business leaders I know struggles with the competing demands of finding and keeping employees motivated and satisfied, versus building and enforcing a set of repeatable processes that work. Obviously, both are required for a company to stay healthy and growing. Dysfunctional teams will cause even the best processes to fail.

Satisfaction 154

Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Huddlewoo a live video platform set to launch early 2013 to give people the ability to access extraordinary people for one-on-one conversations and mentoring. This challenge grew into the idea that became Huddlewoo. The post Huddlewoo Wants To Connect You To Mentors You Admire Through Online Video appeared first on TechZulu.

Mentor 94

Mentor Platform Social Network Chief Technology Officer 94

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

Almost every entrepreneur and new business owner I mentor is certain that his/her idea has a very high probability of success, and all find it hard to believe that ninety percent of startups ultimately fail. You need the funding and support, but venture capitalists can be very demanding, and set high targets.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

As a new business advisor and occasional investor, I get approached regularly by people who have a dream or a new business idea, and are looking for support and money to make it a reality. Thus, I’m more impressed with entrepreneurs who ask me to review their implementation plan, rather than listen again to their idea.

Ideas 94

Ideas Slides Technical Review Patents 94

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2020

In my experience as a mentor, I find that keeping creative thinking in the balance is a challenge for every startup, due to the natural employee tendency to resist change. Creative ideas are the outliers, and tend to be eliminated first, rather than evaluated fully. Most people tend to be compliant, rather than risk conflict.

Metrics 157

Metrics Demand Statistics Sales 157

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

As an angel investor, I quickly look behind the idea or solution, to gauge the mindset and the leadership capabilities of the entrepreneur. Those who proactively seek knowledge and learn fast build knowledge pools and tap into the wisdom of mentors and industry leaders to raise their game.

Entrepreneur 143

Entrepreneur Social Network SpaceX Ideas 143

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Yet I find in my mentoring practice that more and more team members prefer the human-centered approach and respond with more engagement and commitment. Start by getting people comfortable with what they don’t know, showing them you are open to new ideas, and don’t demand perfection in all deliverables.

Case Study 112

Case Study Study Startup Examples 112

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue). It’s time to scale up and I need money to keep up with demand.” Angel investors probably will know your business, and want to be mentors along the way.

Startup 148

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 148

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 11, 2020

Huge hats off to Kobie for the idea, energy, direction, evening hours and the foresight and salesmanship required to bring on Guy to take the helm. You can hear more about the importance of mentoring from Kobie Fuller, Valence advisor James Lowry, and John Legend?—?yes, yes, THE John Legend?—?in

Funding 314

Funding Venture Capital Entrepreneur Networking 314

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

I found their five phases of the process to be compelling, based on my own years of experience mentoring startups: Nail the pain. Success demands testing the solution early and quickly in the market, then iterating to get it right. Great businesses begin with a customer problem that has a big and monetizable pain point.

Technical Review 143

Technical Review Customer Custom Entrepreneur 143

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 24, 2015

In other words, the entrepreneur quality is more important than the idea -- in investor jargon, people invest in the jockey, and not the horse. High leaders continually challenged their own ideas and were quicker to adapt them to encompass new information, experiences, and meaning. Find and enjoy the company of one or more mentors.

Mentor 104

Mentor Ideas Entrepreneur Study 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 17, 2022

Having an unlimited number of ideas is not a substitute. Too many business people let the daily challenges cause them to revert to emotional and autocratic demands, failure to communicate, and inability to coach and mentor team members. In my view, too many businesses fail, simply because founders give up too early.

Startup 143

Startup Competition Coach Satisfaction 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2023

Board seats can’t be negotiated, and even informal mentoring in decision and governance processes is unlikely. Increasingly I’m seeing startups in talks with bigger investors after a successful crowdfunding campaign, as fund managers scout platforms for interesting ideas and teams. Investors cannot verify accountability or governance.

Equity 80

Equity Platform Entrepreneur Statistics 80

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 17, 2017

As a business mentor, I sometimes feel besieged by people begging for my view and support of their latest idea. In reality, I like most ideas, but I have to tell them that the real challenge is taking the inspiration from a dream to a business reality. It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur and get rich these days.

Ideas 56

Ideas Mentor Resource Product 56

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 5, 2022

Set aside time to seek out experts in your field for ideas, as well as mentoring and coaching. This space must be associated only with rest and recovery, to offset the stress and demands of the office. Make this a priority in your private life also. Mentally transition between work and home.

Class 148

Class Activity Coach Satisfaction 148

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

As an angel investor and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m always disappointed to see founders who seem stressed out most of the time, and more annoyed than energized by the abundance of challenges they see in building their startup. Don’t demand or expect immediate gratification. Viewed by others as a successful problem solver.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur Startup Activity Ideas 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 26, 2015

Los Angeles is the capital of on-demand apps, for just about anything you want. One of those areas that combines LA's passion for on-demand apps, and its active lifestyle, is Fitspot (www.fitspotapp.com), which brings athletic trainers to you or your local fitness center. What is Fitspot? How are you backed and funded?

Training 100

Training Startup Orange County Malibu 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 2, 2015

Here are the key recommendations from both of us, based on my own business mentoring insights: Re-launch using your enhanced core competency. Listen and act on the ideas of others around you. Find mentors who have the skills you lack. Proven problem solvers only get better with practice.

Technical Review 99

Technical Review Marketing Mentor Entrepreneur 99