Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. When entrepreneurs become prisoners of hope, they look for others to solve their problem.

Entrepreneur 107

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2022

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. When entrepreneurs become prisoners of hope, they look for others to solve their problem.

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 153

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 9, 2015

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. These points may sound obvious, but the process is certainly contrary to the popular “shoot from the hip” approach that is practiced by some entrepreneurs. This is a problem with many product-based companies.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 105

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2016

In the world of on-demand driving�such as driving for Uber and Lyft--one of the biggest costs for drivers it the cost of owning, maintaning, fueling, and cleaning their vehicles. Why target the on-demand economy? When we first started, the largest demand was from government, particularly Mayor Greg Ballard in Indianapolis.

Demand 100

Demand Los Angeles Inglewood Pricing 100

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 28, 2022

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Every company needs this focus to attract the best minds and loyalty in both categories. Doing good opens the door to a broader customer base.

Organization 143

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 143

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

The most memorable businesses, like Starbucks and Apple, no longer sell products, they sell ‘experiences’ with a product at the center. The challenge is to transform and hardwire your entire team to think in these terms, rather than the default focus on distinct towers of product quality, closing the sale, or fixing a complaint.

Customer 106

Customer Custom Startup Competition 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 30, 2015

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active Angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. When entrepreneurs become prisoners of hope, they look for others to solve their problem.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Startup Marketing Customer 103

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 7, 2015

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Every company needs this focus to attract the best minds and loyalty in both categories. Doing good opens the door to a broader customer base.

Entrepreneur 117

Entrepreneur Organization Startup Pricing 117

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 24, 2020

One of the quickest ways to become an entrepreneur these days is to develop and publish a smartphone app. Through a free base product, you give the first taste of the service or game away for free, get users hooked, and then convert as many as possible to paying customers. Commoditize complementary products.

Mobile 126

Mobile Develop Development Platform 126

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. These points may sound obvious, but the process is certainly contrary to the popular “shoot from the hip” approach that is practiced by some entrepreneurs. This is a problem with many product-based companies.

Entrepreneur 97

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 97

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2020

The most memorable businesses, like Starbucks and Apple, no longer sell products, they sell ‘experiences’ with a product at the center. The challenge is to transform and hardwire your entire team to think in these terms, rather than the default focus on distinct towers of product quality, closing the sale, or fixing a complaint.

Customer 168

Customer Custom Services Startup 168

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 29, 2013

Entrepreneurs often get the advice from their lawyers and friends to always get a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA or CDA) signed before disclosing anything about their new venture. You won’t last long as an entrepreneur in this category, since a startup is all about taking risks. Who is right? Marty Zwilling.

Ideas 92

Ideas Demand Patents Entrepreneur 92

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Every company needs this focus to attract the best minds and loyalty in both categories. Doing good opens the door to a broader customer base.

Organization 128

Organization Startup Pricing Customer 128

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

How we do so, is we help consumers discover new products and shop for them. Historically, ThisNext has always been the umbrella brand to help people shop for product they are interested in, across multiple verticals. Traditionally, that has been products in fashion/beauty, home/garden, sports/outdoors, and parenting and green.

Content 165

Content Demand Sites Media 165

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2010

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. These points may sound obvious, but the process is certainly contrary to the popular “shoot from the hip” approach that is practiced by some entrepreneurs. This is a problem with many product-based companies.

Entrepreneur 87

Entrepreneur Ideas Research Demand 87

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 27, 2013

Kate Drane, hardware category lead at IndieGoGo joins us and talks about IndieGoGo and crowdfunding. I started my company with four of my friends and all of us are first time business owners and entrepreneurs. The way you talk about your business, develop your brand voice, gauge demand, and connect with your audience.

Startup 74

Startup Funding Capital Help 74

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

I’d like to do a few posts on what life looks like on the way up and perhaps how to keep your head on straight and avoid drinking your own Kool Aid because as I often advise entrepreneurs on irrational exuberance, “ In a strong wind even turkeys can fly.” Poorly implemented this category was the definition of shelfware.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 10, 2022

For example, I’m an introverted product guy who doesn’t care so much about building the personnel relationships needed to keep a motivated team. Many smart people I know fall into the category of “idea” people. The competition will improve, the market will change, and your customers will demand more.

Mentor 133

Mentor Startup Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 24, 2018

Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that their idea and passion are so great that failure is not a possibility. They relate quickly to one of the big successes out there today, including Facebook, Airbnb, or Snap, and can give you a dozen reasons that they are in the same category.

Startup 99

Startup Competition Examples Ideas 99

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 9, 2015

One of the quickest ways to become an entrepreneur these days is to develop and publish a smartphone app. Through a free base product, you give the first taste of the service or game away for free, get users hooked, and then convert as many as possible to paying customers. Commoditize complementary products.

Startup 98

Startup Platform Pricing Netflix 98

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

There were many moments in each space when pioneers were funding startups and the press hadn’t written much about them and if you were a typical investor you were still funding the last trend while some VCs were trailblazing into new categories. But deep down I personally yearn for bigger ideas and more profound products.

Funding 362

Funding Technical Review Ideas Startup 362

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 21, 2020

Other companies have only seen a slight decline and may be expecting demand to return to normalcy later in the year. The reality is that when unemployment sinks in demand is likely to get worse. Not anywhere nearly as hard as being an entrepreneur. To win the best deals entrepreneurs need to trust you and want to work with you.

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Writing 263

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. These points may sound obvious, but the process is certainly contrary to the popular “shoot from the hip” approach that is practiced by some entrepreneurs. This is a problem with many product-based companies.

Tips 55

Tips Ideas Entrepreneur Research 55

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. These points may sound obvious, but the process is certainly contrary to the popular “shoot from the hip” approach that is practiced by some entrepreneurs. This is a problem with many product-based companies.

Startup 90

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Research 90

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2016

Good entrepreneurs are all about managing change, but too many forget that they have to change themselves as their dream evolves from a startup to a scalable business. You can’t demand total loyalty from all, so you have to learn to accept criticism without being defensive. Happy to work and live on your own terms. It’s a big change.

Social Network 59

Social Network Startup Demand Entrepreneur 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 31, 2019

After working in business at all levels, and consulting to entrepreneurs for years, I’m still surprised to see so many situations where things that should be easy are painful to customers, and lead to customers hating your business. Economic/social trends demand new employee contract. Data-fueled automation requires big skill changes.

Customer 83

Customer Custom Demand Examples 83

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

I’m super excited to announce that GRP Partners led the investment in Ethan Anderson’s new company MyTime (link has LA-based merchants but will give you a good feel for the product). ” So Ethan went to work as a product manager at Google Video. So I asked Ethan to build his product first and then we would fund.

CTO Coach 359

CTO Coach Google CTO Hire Yammer 359

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2017

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. When entrepreneurs become prisoners of hope, they look for others to solve their problem.

Entrepreneur 68

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 68

socalTECH

OCTOBER 28, 2016

Those were companies like Maker Studios, disrupting the traditional production of content. Those were the three categories, for a long time, that tended to be the domain of the LA ecosystems, just in terms of the number of startups house here, the funding, where you could attract talent, and really sort of where LA gained a reputation.

Startup 100

Startup Entrepreneur Funding Incubator 100

socalTECH

AUGUST 7, 2009

Helping entrepreneurs succeed. An on-line community for entrepreneurs. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Cox Communications - Orange County - Looking for Product Marketing Manager. Silicon Valley Bank (www.svb.com). Key Information Systems (www.keyinfo.com) Providing IBM Storage Solutions.

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Orange County Southern California IP 100

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

I often ask entrepreneurs to consider, “What’s your objective? Is it one product line or multiple? For example, if you sell your product through a third-party reseller who charges 30% of any sale then your COGS will be 30% of revenue (assuming no other costs of sales). Thus the trade off between profits & growth.

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

socalTECH

JULY 24, 2009

Helping entrepreneurs succeed. We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. An on-line community for entrepreneurs. Cox Communications - Orange County - Looking for Product Marketing Manager. inspired with entrepreneur Aaron Ross at our next meeting, on July 28th in. Redpoint Ventures (www.redpoint.com).

SoCalTech 100

SoCalTech Orange County Southern California Westlake Village 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2014

Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive dream of a get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active Angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk or no competition. There is no real business opportunity without risk. Find the balance.

Entrepreneur 93

Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 93

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2019

Richards--a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in a number of technology companies here, including NTI Group (sold to Blackboard), Internships.com, MP3.com, I've learned a lot, and my partner Paul has through our companies, and as a result, a lot of mistakes you make as an entrepreneur, we're not going to make.

Content 193

Content Social Network Coach Help 193

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

Most of the guidance you see for entrepreneurs is aimed at those who are selling a product (Apple, Tesla, Xiaomi), or selling a service (Uber, Airbnb, Snapchat). The “product” value is difficult to quantify, the costs are nebulous, and entrepreneurs have to clone themselves to scale the business.

Social Media 56

Social Media Pricing Technical Review Demand 56

SoCal Delicious

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Ten Tech Entrepreneurs Who Are Putting LA on the Map. Tech startup accelerators dot the landscape, feeding investments into the waiting arms of the nation’s most intelligent and driven entrepreneurs. Miller was even honored as an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” for 2011. Follow PandoDaily: Search.

Technical Review 75

Technical Review Entrepreneur Riot Games Southern California 75

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 26, 2011

Every so often a promising entrepreneur seems to freeze in the oncoming headlights and gets run over by his competition. These points may sound obvious, but the process is certainly contrary to the popular “shoot from the hip” approach that is practiced by some entrepreneurs. This is a problem with many product-based companies.

Startup 92

Startup Ideas Entrepreneur Research 92