Berkonomics

DECEMBER 29, 2016

Some types of businesses generate more and more recurring revenues over time, often growing to a size where recurring revenues pay all of the overhead of the company – an enviable position. There is a phenomenon I have observed time after time with mature companies receiving over 75% of their revenues from recurring sources. Management undertakes a simple exercise of calculating the increased profitability of shutting down all R&D, sales and subordinate operations, and universally notes wit

.Net 226

.Net Sales Customer Custom 226

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 9, 2016

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, is aiming to launch another rocket early next month, which would be its first attempt since a Sep. 1 explosion prompted the Hawthorne aerospace company to halt its launch schedule as it investigated the cause of the incident.

Hawthorne 193

Hawthorne SpaceX Technology Company 193

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Today is amongst the proudest days I’ve had at Upfront Ventures — getting the chance to announce that Kevin Zhang has been promoted to Partner. Watching him develop over the past 4.5 years at Upfront has been both a pleasure and also has taught me a lot about venture capital. Kevin joined Upfront in 2012 as an Associate. We generally look for associates who are deeply quantitative, have great research & analytical skills and often have the tool kit for framing and making complex decisions.

Venture Capital 156

Venture Capital Startup Invest Course 156

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Grant Hosford , the CEO and co-founder of codeSpark (www.codespark.com), the company behind the game The Foos (www.thefoos.com), which teaches kids to learn how to code just by playing the game. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

Education 172

Education eHarmony Southern California Idealab 172

Advertiser: Aggregage

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

Company

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 2, 2016

If you were to write a history of Silicon Valley, you could do it by looking at a series of major diaspora. Companies like Google, Yahoo, Oracle and PayPal attract top talent for years; when they reach maturity or a major liquidity event, their talent disperses and germinates into the next generation of companies. It’s quite possible that Snapchat could do the same for L.A.

Snapchat 307

Snapchat Los Angeles Oracle Yahoo 307

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 15, 2016

Monday, December 19, 2016 -- Digital Family Reunion '16. For the past eight years, the Digital Family Reunion has been the holiday event of the season for LA's vibrant technology and business communities. With our aim to connect Web 1.0 leaders with the next generation of technology professionals, DFR has always cultivated a unifying place to reconnect with colleagues and make new friends with those who share our common bond.

Web 100

Web Technology 100

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Core Innovation Capital of Hollywood, a financial services technology investor, has raised a second fund worth $71.5 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Capital 159

Capital Hollywood Invest Funding 159

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are looking to the Internet as an opportunity to get rich quick, instead of a place where you can start a business you love, for very little capital and minimal technical expertise. The reality is that if you build a business you love, you may in fact make big money, but if you start a business to get rich, you will probably fail.

Startup 107

Startup Technical Review Case Study Software Review 107

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2016

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Jaspar Weir , co-founder of TaskUs (www.taskus.com), which powers much of the back office and customer support behind some of the best known startups here in Southern California--not to mention the rest of the world, and for many established companies, too.

Artificial Inteligence 160

Artificial Inteligence Southern California Customer Custom 160

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 27, 2016

“ENGAGE LA is an in-depth look at how the digital age is evolving and transforming storytelling. We are bringing all the successful elements from our dynamic Talk Forum NYC events to our third ENGAGE LA Forum. This experience will change how you view the world of content creation and consumption, with fresh perspectives that can be applied to a variety of areas, including social, mobile, retail, video, TV and film.

Los Angeles 70

Los Angeles Conference Angel Hollywood 70

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 12, 2016

Wednesday, December 14, 2016 -- Startups: The Year That Was and The Year That's Ahead. Cal Lutheran University Center for Entrepreneurship. Keynote Speaker: Ben Kuo, socaltech.com. We invite back Benjamin Kuo, editor and founder of socalTECH.com, for another year in review. He will talk about: What's going on in Southern California's entrepreneurial environment, and what were the noteworthy things that happened this year -- and what might be expect in the future?

Southern California 100

Southern California Technical Review Startup Acquisition 100

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 15, 2016

Growth CEO’s differ from those who merely station–keep their way into the status quo, protecting the enterprise by reducing risk and cost – without creating a vision and action plan for growth. Here is a way to test yourself with a tool useful for any leader seeking to create positive change. Authors Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Oglivie have created a framework for creation of a new product or service – one worth spending at least a cycle of time for review.

Design 210

Design Framework Ideas Customer 210

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 30, 2016

While Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. might no longer be launching their products at Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show, the event still has appeal for a number of L.A. companies – mainstays and upstarts alike.

Product 164

Product Company Companies 164

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 4, 2016

At some point in their life, hopefully everyone strives to be the best in their chosen profession. Most people think that being the best requires more intelligence, more training, and more experience. In reality, in business or even in sports, the evidence is conclusive that it is as much about how you think, as what you do. I saw this illustrated a while back in the classic sports book, “ Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else ”, by Jon Gordon.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Training Slides Pricing 105

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2016

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Greg Cohn of Burner (www.burnerapp.com), which develops both a software app to allow you to create temporary "burner" phone numbers, and a new app to auto-respond to aggressive or annoying texters. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

Southern California 145

Southern California .Net Venture Capital Class 145

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 27, 2016

“Hero Conf Los Angeles marks our sixth annual US event, where PPC fanatics gather to share a passion, collaborate on solutions and simply have fun while learning about the latest trends in paid search. Hero Conf is hosted by the experts behind PPC Hero and is an event tailor-made for digital advertising pros ready to discuss tactics and actionable ideas to implement within their accounts.

Los Angeles 70

Los Angeles PPC Angel Paid Search 70

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Tuesday, December 13, 2016 -- Rewind/Unwind: A Digital Video Soiree Hosted by LA Digital Video Group. Rewind and unwind at our digital video industry mixer! Our VIP panelists will share their hot takes on the year that was in online video and digital media in general. Join us for lively opinions, refreshments, and games. Special guest panelists include: Roarke Boes, Director of Content Management, Omnia Media; Brian Nickerson, CEO and Co-Founder, MagicLinks; Joe Babarsky, Director of Creative In

Media 100

Media Content 100

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 1, 2016

Dave’s comment: This week we welcome our perennial favorite contributor, Kim Shepherd, CEO of Decision Toolbox, to offer us her sage advice on a subject where she is expert. Outgoing, full of creative ideas, and certainly the best person to teach us how, here is Kim on networking… By Kim Shepherd . Networking with others you want to meet is second nature to some, but it fills others with dread.

Networking 202

Networking Email Google Organization 202

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 29, 2016

Faraday Future’s Global Chief Executive Ding Lei has reportedly stepped aside from leading the electric car manufacturer, following a string of negative reports, including the stoppage of construction at its Nevada factory due to a cash shortage, and an exodus of senior executives.

Report 140

Report 140

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 5, 2016

Too many entrepreneurs put their best creative thinking into the startup idea, and believe that the business implementation simply requires following tried and true business practices. In my experience as a startup advisor, nothing could be further from the truth. To win, you need to think outside the box to deliver a better customer experience, business model, and new positioning.

Ideas 103

Ideas Competition Customer Custom 103

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

This holiday season, we are again sharing the reflections on 2016 from Southern California's technology ecosystem. Today's contribution is from Michael Root , the new CTO of DogVacay (www.dogvacay.com)--but longtime Los Angeles tech vet, having most recently been at Riot Games. DogVacay helps connect pet owners with pet sitters and dog walkers. You can see all of our holiday reflections here.

Riot Games 133

Riot Games Southern California News Los Angeles 133

Xconomy

DECEMBER 27, 2016

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller Reinvention A few months ago I was talking to executives in charge of innovation at a large U.S. bank. “Our biggest problem is that we look at all this new technology being developed by startups, but integrating it with our, frankly, archaic systems is incredibly complex and costly.

Design 72

Design Technology Startup Artificial Inteligence 72

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 2, 2016

Thursday, December 8, 2016 -- Crowd Invest Summit. The first ever Crowd Invest Summit will debut December 7-8, 2016 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, California. The summit will feature a robust agenda spanning a variety of equity crowdfunding themes including investment analysis, marketing strategies, trends and insights from industry experts.

Invest 100

Invest Santa Monica Equity Marketing 100

AllTopStartups

DECEMBER 22, 2016

Ask the average person what his idea of a startup is, and he’ll likely describe someone at a card table in his garage with a laptop developing a product or… The post Remote Entrepreneurship: How Startups are Going Global appeared first on AllTopStartups.

Startup 40

Startup Ideas Product Develop 40

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 16, 2016

SpaceX hopes to tip the scales in the launch market with its Falcon Heavy rocket.

Tips 198

Tips SpaceX Marketing 198

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Too many aspiring entrepreneurs I mentor can talk at length about their innovative ideas and passions, and ask lots of good questions, but never make much progress in building a real business. In my experience, building a business is much more about getting things done than having great ideas. The challenge is to move from ideas to specific goals, to delivered solutions.

Writing 100

Writing Ideas Startup Entrepreneur 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

All this holiday season, we have been sharing the reflections on 2016 from the Southern California's technology ecosystem. Here, we have the thoughts of Michael Terpin of Transform Group. Michael--despite a recent move to Puerto Rico--is a longtime fixture of the LA technology community, having founded Marketwired here, and is an expert on Bitcoin. He's also a very active angel investor.

Southern California 124

Southern California Santa Monica News Press 124

Xconomy

DECEMBER 28, 2016

In 2016, we saw cyber attacks increasingly shift from external breaches of confidential data to internal disruption of data and services, as attackers used distributed denial of service (DDoS) or encryption to hold businesses hostage. Attackers continue to focus more on exploiting users than technology. Users are often unaware and uneducated about the potential risks, yet have huge access to data and resources, presenting a huge area of risk.

Resource 68

Resource Services Technology Symantec 68

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 2, 2016

Thursday, December 8, 2016 -- WITI Holiday Mix and Mingle! Please join WITI Los Angeles for a Holiday MandM (Mix and Mingle)! A relaxing evening of networking event to celebrate the wonderful year WITI Los Angeles has shared with all of you! Many families live in poverty and are unable to provide gifts for their Children! Let's Celebrate the 1 year of the WITI Los Angeles Re-Launch with a Charitable Donation to our Community.

WITI 100

WITI Los Angeles Networking Angel 100

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 22, 2016

If you’re going to spend a good amount of money on a gift for someone, you want it to be something special, something thoughtful, something they can look back on in a few years time and be reminded of the wonderful person you are. After all, material things can only satisfy someone for so long – possessions can get lost or broken but good memories can last a lifetime.

Platform 52

Platform Activity Pricing Class 52

L.A. Business Journal

DECEMBER 27, 2016

Snap Inc., parent company of mobile messaging app Snapchat, acquired Israeli augmented reality startup Cimagine Media for an estimated $30-$40 million, according to the Calcalist financial daily.

Media 113

Media Snapchat Mobile Startup 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2016

Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). That means they need to build an innovative team, which is not a skill that most people are born with. In fact, some very innovative individuals, known as ‘idea people’ or inventors, often end up creating the most dysfunctional teams.

Ideas 97

Ideas Framework Entrepreneur Satisfaction 97

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Los Angeles-based Core Innovation Capital , the fintech investment firm led by Arjan Schutte and Kathleen Utecht, has just raised $71.5M in a new fund, Core Innovation Capital II, L.P. , according to a regulatory filing by the company on Thursday. The fund's target size was $75M, and the filing indicates another $3.47M still remains to be raised in the fund.

Capital 124

Capital Funding Los Angeles Invest 124

Xconomy

DECEMBER 30, 2016

The idea that New York City could become a biotech powerhouse dates back to the late 1990s. It’s been a slow, tedious process, and it’s nowhere near complete, but from near and far, Harold Varmus and Vicki Sato have been watching the gears begin to turn. Varmus , who earned a Nobel prize for his work in cancer research, has since 1993 mixed stints leading the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C., with top jobs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cance

Research 67

Research Ideas San Diego Develop 67

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 19, 2016

Tuesday, December 20, 2016 -- Startup Cafe #2. Hosted by Startups In The Sky @ Industrious Los Angeles. See https://startupcafe2.splashthat.com/.

Startup 100

Startup Los Angeles Angel 100

AllTopStartups

DECEMBER 16, 2016

If you have a startup business that you are trying to grow, then chances are that you are looking for every opportunity to get the word out there. Your startup… The post 4 Reasons Why You Should Be Planning and Speaking at Industry Conferences appeared first on AllTopStartups.

Conference 40

Conference Startup 40