Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2015

New entrepreneurs routinely jump into a startup with a full charge of passion and energy, but often find themselves drained of both after a few months by the workload and challenges. Of course, this same challenge extends well beyond the entrepreneur, into all walks of life and work. These keys are meaning, interactions, and energy.

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Study Press Startup 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2022

Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. They will call you back.

Marketing 141

Marketing Startup Social Media Technical Review 141

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

She was everything I was looking for in an entrepreneur to back. Showing me designs. She helps write press releases. She talks about creative design of websites and physical products – in our case – stickers. Soleil is paranoid about leaking design & product information because she’s been burned.

Startup 398

Startup Design Downey Activity 398

Berkonomics

MARCH 2, 2017

As an early stage investor, the first test for me is whether “my” entrepreneur is flexible in both the plan and execution of his or her vision (since from experience almost everything about a business plan changes over time), and whether s/he, no matter what age or experience, is coachable. Doctoral theses have been written on this subject.

Coach 120

Coach Entrepreneur Press Ideas 120

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2011

I recently was reviewing a press release for a company in which I’m an investor. I told him that I thought the press release was crap (I think my words, exactly). Of course I can’t write every press release for the company nor would I want to. I get presentations from aspiring entrepreneurs. VC Pitches.

Press 337

Press Venture Capital Doc Summary 337

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 27, 2019

As a mentor to entrepreneurs, I often get asked for the magic that has made Amazon the world's most valuable brand , from a total unknown only twenty years ago. They present a convincing story that every entrepreneur has the same potential, but most get sidetracked and bogged down by their technology, competitors, and internal organization.

Marketing 123

Marketing Technical Review Customer Custom 123

Xconomy

AUGUST 5, 2016

It’s a question that often circulates in the business press and on tech blogs. Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists have weighed in from time to time and their answers tend to fall into two camps. High school students also make great entrepreneurs because of their natural open-mindedness and drive to take risks.

Entrepreneur 40

Entrepreneur Startup Education Course 40

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2013

If you’ve been following the press about VC funds you’ll know this is no small feat. Wouldn’t we be a bit hypocritical if we talked with entrepreneurs about innovation and change but we weren’t willing to take it on ourselves? We also saw that the same types of entrepreneurs were repeatedly getting funded.

Funding 343

Funding Santa Monica Venture Capital Startup 343

InfoChachkie

APRIL 16, 2012

Steve is also a Stanford Professor and noted marketing entrepreneur. This was exactly the approach Steve took when he self-published Four Steps via Café Press, at the behest of his then star pupil, Eric Ries , Co-Founder of IMVU and the author of The Lean Startup. I have to thank him for that.”. If you find one, you become a company.

Startup 229

Startup Class Press Custom Development 229

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 26, 2013

Understanding “The Funding Angle” I sit at enough board meetings to hear conflicting advice given to entrepreneurs about how to handle PR and announcements at startups. But succinctly this press places a marker in the ground for your company. But with fragmentation of the press people just miss stuff.

Startup 355

Startup Funding News Press 355

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 25, 2010

If you don’t already read Chris’s blog you should – it’s very well written, often takes a strong POV and speaks from an entrepreneur’s perspective but with a huge knowledge of the technology investors as well. It’s a very important concept in user created designs and too few companies do this.

Product 348

Product Startup Design Blogging 348

Tech.Co

JULY 12, 2017

In a press release The Disney Accelerator highlights the success of Sphero and announced: “They have a multi-property lineup for this year including the App-enabled Ultimate Lightning McQueen, the voice interactive Spider-Man, and more.”. “And Meet the 11 startups for 2017: Ambidio.

Artificial Inteligence 108

Artificial Inteligence Startup Entertainment Press 108

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

It’s a very smartly designed debenture program. Local Press / Websites / Organizational Tools – New York has an amazing startup scene and the energy and momentum is palpable. And so you have great local tech press like Business Insider who covers the industry very well. Local press matters.

Startup 378

Startup Venture Capital Press San Diego 378

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 7, 2012

This fest will include panels, workshops, cocktails and keynotes for startups, content creators, developers, social media marketers, designers, entrepreneurs, and more. Design/Dev Hub (Launchpad LA) : Design + developers, UI, UX panels. Press: Techzulu @ Coloft. TechZulu interviews; press lounge.

Startup 106

Startup Press Hollywood Email 106

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 25, 2011

You need star power of entrepreneurs surrounded by star power angels & VCs who in turn get tons of press from adoring journalists who are insiders amongst this crowd of tech cognoscenti. For one, the consumer-driven startup world has become immensely hits driven.

Carson 291

Carson Content Press Los Angeles 291

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 6, 2013

The Glazed Conference will seek to bring in all the major players into the discussion including: Top Tier Press and Editors from TechZulu, VentureBeat, ReadWrite, All Things D, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, TechCrunch, Ubergizmo, Examiner among others. The Top GLASS focused entrepreneurs in the world.

Conference 87

Conference Press Journal Mobile 87

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2017

Eighteen months ago, when MAKE IT IN LA's launch from Mayor's Garcetti's office was featured in a White House press release, we announced an audacious goal of reaching 1,000 entrepreneurs with our programming by the end of this year. And I'm especially proud to have received our 501(c)(3) charitable designation from the I.R.S.

USC 113

USC Startup News Entrepreneur 113

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I asked for intro’s from entrepreneur friends. I spent time on college campuses.

Startup 361

Startup Venture Capital Pricing Technical Review 361

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 6, 2013

The Glazed Conference will seek to bring in all the major players into the discussion including: Top Tier Press and Editors from TechZulu, VentureBeat, ReadWrite, All Things D, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, TechCrunch, Ubergizmo, Examiner among others. The Top GLASS focused entrepreneurs in the world.

Conference 77

Conference Press Journal Mobile 77

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 4, 2013

Because entrepreneurs often went to lawyers at their earliest stages to get their company registration done. Entrepreneurial lawyers like Don Lee , Dave Young or Ted Wang are good at sussing out which entrepreneurs are high potential. I asked for intro’s from entrepreneur friends. I spent time on college campuses.

Venture Capital 347

Venture Capital Startup Pricing Invest 347

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

We are often asked how companies get funded, why VCs make the decisions we make and what we’re looking for in entrepreneurs. At Upfront we’re totally fine funding entrepreneurs who have done multiple businesses in the past – in fact we like it. It is what Seriously was designed to do.

Funding 373

Funding Technical Review Startup Screening 373

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 30, 2011

The part of the movement that resonates the most with me (in my words) is that entrepreneurs should keep their capital expenditures really low while they’re experimenting with their product and determining whether there is a large market for what they do. This benefits you, the entrepreneur. It takes options off of the table.

Development Team Review 374

Development Team Review Technical Review Startup Resource 374

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 3, 2016

Examples of VC platform services include: recruiting, marketing, design support, inside sales reps, consulting, accounting services and so forth. The new war for platforms has mostly been waged by Andreessen Horowitz who have raised astounding amounts of capital and therefore had the fees to put into providing more services for entrepreneurs.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Platform Startup Resource 150

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 12, 2017

Yet I see many technology entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. They will call you back.

Tips 75

Tips Marketing Technical Review Startup 75

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2013

Maybe he was the only guy around who could design the product you envisioned, but delivering a scalable, quality product is another story. Besides, he is now more interested in designing the next product. The press is focused on things that exist, rather than your early marketing hype. The product is behind schedule.

Startup 100

Startup Press Design Product 100

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 2, 2014

We spend all our time as an industry talking about “growth hacking,” “design principles,” or “product/market fit” and not enough about the most important skills for success – people management. But the book is a must read for entrepreneurs. And it’s why many early-stage companies blow up.

Startup 385

Startup Coach Course Snapchat 385

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

They didn’t use any magic, its just what they offer and an awesome community of friends, press and members. Part of our membership club includes access to programming and experiences designed to connect people, build relationships, and unleash creative thinking including an emphasis of integrating personal and professional development.

Startup 108

Startup Press Los Angeles Venture Capital 108

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2015

Social media is so pervasive in today’s world that every entrepreneur believes instinctively that they know how to use it for their startup. Your plan should include a well-designed web site, events, press releases, and search engine marketing (SEM). business entrepreneur Lon Safko marketing social media startup'

Social Media 108

Social Media Media Startup Tips 108

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 22, 2016

New entrepreneurs routinely jump into a startup with a full charge of passion and energy, but often find themselves drained of both after a few months by the workload and challenges. Of course, this same challenge extends well beyond the entrepreneur, into all walks of life and work. These keys are meaning, interactions, and energy.

Startup 58

Startup Study Entrepreneur Press 58

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 19, 2013

Yet I see many entrepreneurs that focus on the basics of marketing too little and too late. They skimp on the design of their website, procrastinate on the rollout to make sure the product is perfect, and get so excited about technology features that they forget about creating value for customers. They will call you back.

Startup 103

Startup Marketing Social Media Technical Review 103

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2018

My friend Michael Broukhim, founder & co-CEO of FabFitFun and I recently had a catch-up meeting for 3-miles on the Santa Monica “Bird Trail” No company has ever elicited so many questions by friends, colleagues, entrepreneurs, fellow VCs and journalists as has Bird, the company that pioneered the electronic scooter as a service market.

Santa Monica 256

Santa Monica Funding Startup Course 256

Steve Reich

MARCH 2, 2013

Somehow the home of IdeaLab, OpenX, CalTech, Art Center College of Design, and JPL doesn’t have much of a reputation as a innovation hub. We can put a rover on Mars repeatedly, but can’t get press coverage as a tech hub. Pasadena may be the best tech story never told. As always, the challenge is in the execution.

Pasadena 56

Pasadena CalTech Pasadena Angels Idealab 56

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

The other reason for building it, is LA is crapped on all the time from a press perspective and entrepreneur perspective. We're trying to build a center-of-mass on the East side, to draw talented developers and designers, to recruit more effectively, and reinvest in the local ecosystem. Working for someone else is not fun.

Startup 242

Startup CTO Coach Blogging Social Media 242

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

I know this category has gotten a lot of press. Some of them are beautifully designed and have exciting teams so I know why investors are pumped up about the teams they’ve backed. He also was an executive talent at Activision having designed & managed two products (Mechwarrior 2 and ?Interstate

Gogii 310

Gogii Invest Blogging Startup 310

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 15, 2012

This was my second TCDisrupt conference, however my first attending as press. The visible press pass label is a people magnet – most people you pass want to talk, discuss, pitch. I received dozens of long emails each day with press releases, pitches, news and information. Most emails were nothing short of a report.

Press 103

Press Email Tips Conference 103

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 22, 2011

This was an audience of mostly first-time entrepreneurs. It is great for entrepreneurs and great for VCs. I suppose I should have imagined that this line would get more press than all other comments combined. So here is what I have been telling entrepreneurs privately for the past 6 months. I believe that. Fair enough.

Pricing 309

Pricing Marketing Startup Venture Capital 309

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2012

Maybe he was the only guy around who could design the product you envisioned, but delivering a scalable, quality product is another story. Besides, he is now more interested in designing the next product. The press is focused on things that exist, rather than your early marketing hype. The product is behind schedule.

Startup 91

Startup Press Design Sales 91