Both Sides of the Table
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
At our mid-year offsite our partnership at Upfront Ventures was discussing what the future of venture capital and the startup ecosystem looked like. The market was down considerably with public valuations down 53–79% across the four sectors we were reviewing (it is since down even further). ==> Aside, we also have a NEW LA-based partner I’m thrilled to announce: Nick Kim.
TechCrunch LA
SEPTEMBER 7, 2022
America’s favorite reality star is leveling up her repertoire and levering up businesses. Kim Kardashian, who passed the “baby bar” exam in preparation to become a lawyer last year, just added another job title to her lineup — private equity investor. Kardashian is launching private equity firm SKKY Partners in conjunction with ex-Carlyle consumer head Jay Sammons to invest in business across consumer products, hospitality, luxury, digital commerce and media, the Wall Str
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Berkonomics
SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
Leading by example. How do you teach your work force that mistakes are OK as long as they learn and don’t repeat them? By being a visible example. A friend and fellow CEO states that he publishes each of his mistakes in his company internal blog along with the lesson he learned. “If the CEO can do this, he gives permission for anyone to confess as well,” he states.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
As a business owner in this age of rapid technological change, with the surge of worldwide competitors, setbacks and adversity are virtually guaranteed. Based on my years of experience mentoring and advising entrepreneurs, you need to attack problems and challenges with a mindset of success, or it is unlikely that you or your business will survive. I found that view confirmed for a wide range of leadership situations in a classic book, “ The Mindset of Success ,” by Jo Owen.
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Startup San Diego
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
The post Press Release: San Diego Startup Week to Hold In-Person 4 Day StartUp Innovation Event Oct 25 – 28 Across 4 Locations appeared first on Startup San Diego.
Berkonomics
SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
Empathy comes from experience. Over fifty years ago, I was CEO of a record manufacturing company in Hollywood. We were the only such facility on the West coast to provide and control the entire process from studio, through finished vinyl record pressings in the same building, therefore able to promise quality control others could only dream about. The “clean” work in the front office.
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Berkonomics
SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
Get organized. Finding your strategic partner, investor or business buyer is not something you do haphazardly. There are many steps to take, each closer to assuring a success. Research is paramount, and sources are everywhere, especially for public companies and large investment firms. Start with the “matrix method.”. You and your advisors, board or partners should start by completing what you can of the matrix shown on this page.
Berkonomics
SEPTEMBER 1, 2022
First, what is “servant leadership?”. It’s a term rooted in ancient philosophy. Robert Greenleaf may have been the first to resurrect the concept in his book published in 1970. Not quite as bold as inverting the management triangle, the concept of servant leadership requires that a business manager focus upon his or her people’s highest priority needs first. .
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 25, 2022
Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Successful entrepreneurs today must practice human-centered leadership to compete and win.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
Despite the rush in every academic institution to offer more courses on entrepreneurship, I still haven’t found it to be something you can learn in school. Of course, you can pick up the basic principles this way, but the problem is that the practical rules for success are changing so fast that no academic can keep up. The best thing you can learn in school is how to learn.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
Most aspiring entrepreneurs are convinced that the strength of their initial idea somehow defines them as a leader, as well as the success potential of their derivative business. In my experience, it’s a lot more complicated than that. It takes leadership ability, as well as a good idea, to make a successful entrepreneur, and great leaders evolve from key leadership decisions along the way.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 3, 2022
Every culture and community puts pressure on its members to follow the norms. Even young people who start out wanting to be different are called “freaks,” and most are slowly bent back into the norm by the time they “grow up.” Maybe that’s why so many entrepreneurs struggle with building a disruptive new business, where breaks from the norm are the key to success.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 16, 2022
These days, it is almost impossible to find a small business where everything is done by full-time employees, in the office or at home. We are in the age of outsourcing, by any of many popular names, including subcontracting, freelancing, and virtual assistants. These approaches allow your startup to grow more rapidly, save costs, but costly mistakes can lead to business failure.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 13, 2022
The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 2, 2022
Millennials have come a long way in business since I started writing about them over ten years ago. They started out as that spoiled generation of kids, born between about 1982 and 2004, who had everything, and could care less about business. Today they are in every business and will likely comprise 75 percent of the workforce by 2025. Their success is now vital to our success.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 18, 2022
Don’t bash the competition. Every investor knows how vulnerable a new startup is to competitors, so investors always ask about your sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
The days of “ if we build it, they will come ” are gone. Great marketing is required to generate revenue and grow every business, especially new businesses which have no brand recognition nor loyal customer base. Yet, as a business consultant, I still find many of you business leaders relying primarily on your technology, word-of-mouth , or location to attract necessary customers.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 25, 2022
Relationships are the key to survival and success for entrepreneurs, and first impressions usually turn into lasting impressions. As an advisor to many early-stage entrepreneurs, I caution them to always be prepared for that chance meeting with a famous investor, a potential partner or an industry guru. It’s not smart to believe that your passion and gift of gab will impress anyone.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 19, 2022
Every entrepreneur believes that their product or service is memorable, and that every customer will quickly see the advantage over competitors. Yet true product differentiation in the eye of the customer is rarely achieved. According to an old but still relevant survey by Bain & Company , 80% of businesses believe they have differentiated offerings, but only 8% of customers agree.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 4, 2022
Starting a new business is a serious undertaking. Yet many aspiring entrepreneurs I know approach it as a fun project, get-rich quick scheme, or perhaps an expensive hobby. Others quit their day jobs and commit everything to their new passion, without regard for their own well-being, or the welfare of others around them. Neither of these approaches bodes well for success.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 9, 2022
Providing business leadership is a challenge under the best of circumstances, but it is especially difficult in times of market and customer crises. That’s when you most need your team to be engaged and supportive , at a time when they may not fully understand the issues, and fear for their own future and well-being. Every case is a new one where prior experience won’t help you.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
Every business leader I know is overloaded with data these days, with a wealth of new business tools, social media channels, and countless emails and text messages. Yet, ironically, they still feel they are always behind in recognizing the impact and need for change. As a consultant, I often get asked for help in mining all this data and using it for long-term success in their business.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
With the current volatile economy, as an active startup mentor, I’m seeing a new surge of entrepreneurs and startups, with the commensurate scramble for funding. There just aren’t enough angel investors and VCs to go around. Thus I’m getting more questions on new mechanisms, like crowd funding, or going public through the side door as a reverse merger.
Startup San Diego
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
The post 12 Companies Selected for this Year’s Startup Incubator Program appeared first on Startup San Diego.
Startup San Diego
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
The post San Diego Startup Week to hold In-Person 4 Day StartUp Innovation Event Oct 25 – 28 Across 4 Locations appeared first on Startup San Diego.
Startup San Diego
SEPTEMBER 16, 2022
The post 1st Mondays Hosted in the City of Vista for the First Time! appeared first on Startup San Diego.
Startup San Diego
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
The post 5 Reasons to go to the 10th Annual San Diego Startup Week appeared first on Startup San Diego.
Startup San Diego
SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
The post Alexa-Rae Navarro Wins San Diego Business Journals Non-Profit Executive of the Year Mid-Size Category Award appeared first on Startup San Diego.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 19, 2022
Winning customers as an entrepreneur in a startup has many parallels to a young army trying to penetrate some formidable new and unfamiliar territory. You need a strategy as well as a goal, and you need to pick your battles well. Even in this age of purpose before profits, a business won’t survive by pretending there are no competitors out there to worry about.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 10, 2022
As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, the most common question I get is, “I want to be an entrepreneur -- how do I start?” The obvious answer is that you need an idea first, but I’ve come to realize that the process is really much more complex than that. Many people with great ideas never make it as entrepreneurs, and true entrepreneurs can make a business out of anything.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 7, 2022
Most of you business professionals that I know have at least thought about or talked about starting their own business, to get more control, make more money, or to get more satisfaction out of their life. The challenge is when and how to make the switch to the entrepreneur lifestyle. As a mentor to young aspiring entrepreneurs , I often get asked for tips on a strategy to get started.
Startup Professionals Musings
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
Maybe starting a new business isn’t your passion, but in these days of rapid change, where everyone is dealing with uncertainty, I believe that thinking and acting like entrepreneurs will help you get ahead in any profession. In simple terms this means taking control of your life, going after something you love to do, and taking action. Stop letting life decisions happen to you.
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