SoCal CTO

APRIL 18, 2012

Todd Gitlin of Safire Partners - a go to resource here in LA for recruiting C-level positions at startups - was nice enough to compile some data again this year (see last year's Startup CTO Salary and Equity Data ). Or they are looking at Hiring a CTO and want to see what salary and equity ranges look like.

CTO Hire 294

CTO Hire Equity Demand Resource 294

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 18, 2011

I have been working full time with two founders for about 10 months on full time basis. During that time one of the founders had mentioned that for the initial agreed time (3 months, equivalent dollars could be translated to 2% of equity but no agreement was reached at that time). Likely this greatly affects cash vs. equity.

CTO 150

CTO CTO Hire CTO Coach Equity 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 7, 2022

One of the big questions that every entrepreneur struggles with is how much funding they should request from investors in the first round. Can you justify your use of funds to this investor? Ancillary objectives, like retiring existing debt, buying a building or paying salaries to people with equity ownership will not get traction.

Funding 121

Funding Startup Equity Invest 121

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 13, 2015

Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. If you need funding for these early stage activities, I have some suggestions on better strategies to follow. Commercial product prototypes. Business commercialization.

Develop 102

Develop Development Product Funding 102

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

They don’t realize that according to statistics from Startup.co , almost 60 percent are funded with personal savings and credit, and another 25 percent get their money from friends and family. That leaves only about fifteen percent that actually get their funding from investors, through crowdfunding, banks, angels, and venture capitalists.

Funding 173

Funding Tips Startup Statistics 173

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

If you have the urge to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to think seriously about each of these, before you zero-in on one or two, and get totally discouraged if those don’t work for you. Trade equity or services for startup help. Another common example is exchanging equity for legal and accounting support.

Startup 106

Startup Capital Equity Funding 106

Berkonomics

MAY 1, 2014

I sometimes counsel CEOs to consider consulting to their prospective customers or in their industry while they are simultaneously developing their product for market. How about offering prepaid licenses to your product or a package of prepaid hours, or a discount for prepayment of purchase? Email readers, continue here.]

Funding 204

Funding Outsource Development Equity Customer 204

Berkonomics

JANUARY 25, 2024

Everyone, even seasoned CEO’s can use a good coach who knows how to bring out the best in a person, is knowledgeable about the business process, and who has an extended list of relationships to call upon to fill needs that become obvious in the coaching process. Business coaches come in all sizes and shapes. It is worth asking.

Coach 156

Coach Organization Resource Equity 156

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

We operate at scale and speed unprecedented in human history.” * I first wrote about the changes to the Venture Capital ecosystem 10 years ago and this still serves as a good primer of how we arrived at 2011, a decade on from the Web 1.0 So in our earliest stages we’re about 70% seed and 30% pre-seed. of the fund.

Venture Capital 471

Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

The most important advice I could give you before you set out in fund raising mode is to understand that fund-raising a sales & marketing process and needs to be managed. Today I want to talk about the process and how to allocate your time. Somehow many first-time founders equate “sales” with something that is beneath them.

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2021

contributes more than $25 billion to fund 70,000 startups every year. In fact, there are a few key sites to help you find angels, including AngelList and Gust , but these don’t tell you very much about how angels work, and how to find the right ones for your startup. Early stage research and development won’t excite angels.

Angel 126

Angel Funding Venture Capital Seed Funding 126

socalTECH

AUGUST 19, 2021

Santa Barbara-based Apeel Sciences, which has developed a plant-based coasting for fresh produce to extend its shelf life, has raised another big $250M funding round, a Series E for the company. The new funding brings its total raised to over $635M.

Santa Barbara 113

Santa Barbara Equity Capital Funding 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 9, 2019

With the advent and popularity of crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter and IndieGoGo , as a winning alternative for funding your new venture, I find that many aspiring entrepreneurs are confused about the need to ever seek a professional angel investor. Consider the need for multiple rounds of funding.

Funding 119

Funding Startup Platform Examples 119

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

EcoATM , the developer of those automated machines which lets you cash in your used phones, has some big plans--and some big money--as it plans to expand out its network of machines nationwide. EcoATM announced late Wednesday afternoon that it has raised $40M in a mezzanine debt funding round, from Falcon Investment Advisors.

Claremont 140

Claremont Funding Equity Networking 140

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here. The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Join a startup incubator.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2016

If you have the urge to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to think seriously about each of these, before you zero-in on one or two, and get totally discouraged if those don’t work for you. Trade equity or services for startup help. Another common example is exchanging equity for legal and accounting support.

Funding 107

Funding Startup Equity Examples 107

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2017

I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here. The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts.

Develop 70

Develop Development Product Startup 70

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Yet I still get too many business plans that clearly are looking for money to do research and development (R&D) on a new and unproven technology. If you need funding for these early stage activities, I have some suggestions on better strategies to follow. Commercial product prototypes. Business commercialization.

Help 165

Help Research Startup Funding 165

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 8, 2020

Today, a startup that is doing this in the specific area of distressed property is announcing a round of growth funding to ramp up its team and expand its business. The funding is being led by QED Investors; Founders Fund, Susa Ventures, Navitas Capital, and Prudence Holdings also participated.

Sales 282

Sales Demand San Diego Funding 282

SoCal Tech Calendar

MAY 6, 2009

Tuesday, May 12, 2009 -- TSX Equity Financing Opportunities. The session will cover the benefits of securing capital through the TSX Venture Exchange, what CEOs need to know about the process, and how companies are evaluated for possible Canadian funding.

Equity 100

Equity Networking Capital Funding 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2014

If you have the urge to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to think seriously about each of these, before you zero-in on one or two, and get totally discouraged if those don’t work for you. Here is my list of the ten most common sources of funding today, in reverse priority sequence, with some rules of thumb to channel your focus: 10.

Startup 113

Startup Entrepreneur Funding Equity 113

TechCrunch LA

MAY 25, 2019

Last week, I wrote about an alternative to venture capital called revenue-based financing and before that, I jotted down some notes on one of VCs’ favorite spaces: cannabis tech. Liquid Death has attracted nearly $2 million in funding from angel investors like Away co-founder Jen Rubio and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.

Startup 223

Startup Venture Capital Newsletter Tips 223

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

contributes more than $25 billion to fund 70,000 startups every year. In fact, there are a few key sites to help you find angels, including AngelList and Gust , but these don’t tell you very much about how angels work, and how to find the right ones for your startup. Early stage research and development won’t excite angels.

Venture Capital 106

Venture Capital Angel Seed Funding Invest 106

Berkonomics

JUNE 10, 2021

How about all those daily decisions? How about early-stage companies with unique problems? With enough revenues, the young company can more easily raise equity funds, borrow money, hire top talent, and gain valuable publicity. Remember how easy it is to put off those final decisions at the end of a tiring and long day?

Examples 156

Examples Sales Demand Equity 156

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2013

Last week, Carpinteria-based Lynda.com announced one of the biggest investments in the region in the last few years--a $103M, growth equity investment in the company, which came from Accel Partners and Spectrum Equity. To get the story behind the new funding, we spoke with Eric Robison , the firm's President and CEO, last week.

Funding 164

Funding Calabasas Course Platform 164

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 17, 2019

Today, one of the startups riding that wave is announcing a significant round of funding to fuel its own contribution to the marketplace. It typically sets up its accommodations in newer or completely new buildings, where developers — at least up to now — are not usually constructing with short-term rentals in mind.

Equity 136

Equity Startup Los Angeles Capital 136

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Count on six months from beginning the funding process until a new check is cashed. The best entrepreneurs manage cash flow ruthlessly and never delegate decisions about spending money. Always add 20 percent to your best estimate of funding requirements when approaching investors. Buffer your projected resource requirements.

Search Engine Optimization 103

Search Engine Optimization Outsource Development Social Media Equity 103

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

Santa Monica-based March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com) has just announced a brand new, $240M venture investment fund, led by longtime venture investing veterans Jim Armstrong, Sumant Mandal, Gregory Milken and Jamie Montgomery. What is the investment focus for this fund? It's all about the entrepreneur.

Southern California 113

Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2013

Last week, Carpinteria-based Lynda.com announced one of the biggest investments in the region in the last few years--a $103M, growth equity investment in the company, which came from Accel Partners and Spectrum Equity. To get the story behind the new funding, we spoke with Eric Robison , the firm's President and CEO, last week.

Funding 164

Funding Calabasas Course Platform 164

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

A critical stage for most first-time entrepreneurs is getting their idea developed into at least a prototype to validate their technology. Acquiring seed-stage funding is admittedly tough, but a source that I find often overlooked is government grant funding, accessible in the U.S.

Funding 90

Funding Technical Review Startup Research 90

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here. The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Use crowd funding.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Even if you work every day in the world of new-venture funding, as I do, the options are confusing, and their meanings seem to change on a regular basis. Crowdfunding is rapidly becoming the major source of funding for seed-stage startups. These funders often offer convertible notes, rather than the traditional priced equity.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here. The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capitalists) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts.

Tips 104

Tips Startup Technical Review Equity 104

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 7, 2021

Women have made great inroads into the tech world in recent years, but there remains a long way to go before we reach a truly equitable state of affairs in workforce numbers, remuneration and product development. Often speakers will donate their fees to scholarship and childcare funds, she added.

Mentor 297

Mentor Training Startup Course 297

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here. The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. Join a startup incubator.

Startup 128

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 128

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 17, 2018

Los Angeles-based Next 10 Ventures , a $50 million fund focused on the creator economy, is launching an incubator program to support YouTubers. Former YouTube exec unveils Next 10 Ventures, a $50M fund to back online creators. The only requirement is that they focus on educational video content targeting children and young adults.

Incubator 197

Incubator Content Education Seed Funding 197

Berkonomics

MARCH 21, 2019

Careful about “hockey stick” forecasts. Later stage investors sometimes look for less, since the business has already proven its capability to stay in the game and has already completed its product development cycle, eliminating more risk for the investor. The more you ask for – the more equity you give up.

Equity 159

Equity Examples Startup Invest 159