Sat.Nov 27, 2010 - Fri.Dec 03, 2010

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Be Careful not to be Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

Both Sides of the Table

Justyn Howard, founder of Sprout Social has a blog post that he’s written about his experiences of migrating from scrappy tools to more efficient ones (i.e. Using Balsamiq instead of SnagIt, Website Optimizer over just Google Analytics and FTP). It’s a great topic, his post is well written and given that he’s going through it right now in his startup it’s worth reading his point of view on the topic.

Startup 333
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Web Designers vs. Web Developers

SoCal CTO

Funny graphic by @shanesnow that captures the difference between web designers vs. web developers: Like the issue of Startup CTO or Developer , often startup founders who are less technical have this same question. Do I need a designer or a developer? I need to come back to this issue and write more in the future – spectrum of what designers vs. developers cover.

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Cooking.com Powers Marley Coffee

socalTECH

Marina Del Rey-based Cooking.com , the online e-commerce provider for cooking products, reported today that it has been chosen to rebuild and manage the web site for Marley Coffee. Marley Coffee is a coffee company run by Bob Marley's son. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to Cooking.com, it has revamped Marley Coffee's online website, and has created a "unique branded experience" for Marley Coffee.

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Make informal advisors part of the team.

Berkonomics

Whether you find advisors from family, friends, faculty or fellow managers, great advisors can become an informal resource that rivals that of more formal resources, including board members. You will certainly know when you’ve found such a treasure, almost always through introduction by others and rarely because you have deliberately approached someone to fill a needed hole.

Email 153
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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

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.

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You’re Most Vulnerable in a Deal Right After You’ve Won

Both Sides of the Table

Recently I wrote a blog post about how I hated losing, but I embrace it as a way to learn, improve and increase my win rates. One of the things I learned from my “post-game analysis&# is that you’re most vulnerable right after you’ve won the deal. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but my experience tells me it’s true. At the moment you pop the champagne cork and let down your guard is when you’re easiest to attack.

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How The Mightily Unaware Fall: Entrepreneurs And Authors Must Be Self-aware To Be Serially Successful

InfoChachkie

You have authored two bestselling books explaining why certain companies will “Last” and how others have gone from “Good to Great” and subsequently a majority of the companies falter and some completely fail. What do you do? Do you introspectively evaluate your research methodologies and assess your failed assertions? Do you admit that you may have mistakenly analyzed the data?

More Trending

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Founders Space Los Angeles Roundtable

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, December 9, 2010 -- Founders Space Los Angeles Roundtable. Join us for the Founders Space Los Angeles Roundtable, where founders gather around a table to share knowledge and work together to solve problems. To join a Roundtable, you must be a founder or C-level executive at a growth-oriented startup or emerging company.

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Some Angel Investors Have Not Earned Their Wings

Startup Professionals Musings

A few angel investors have slipped or fallen from their lofty perch, so entrepreneurs must take great care to validate the character and reputation of every prospective investor. The entrepreneur’s tendency to be in a huge hurry to obtain the funding can end up being disastrous, and play into the hands of these less scrupulous investors. Many entrepreneurs believe all money is created equal.

Angel 97
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How The Mightily Unaware Fall: Entrepreneurs And Authors Must Be Self-aware To Be Serially Successful

InfoChachkie

You have authored two bestselling books explaining why certain companies will “Last” and how others have gone from “Good to Great” and subsequently a majority of the companies falter and some completely fail. What do you do? Do you introspectively evaluate your research methodologies and assess your failed assertions? Do you admit that you may have mistakenly analyzed the data?

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Myspace Rolls Out New Mobile Site, iPhone App

socalTECH

Beverly Hills-based Myspace said today that it has launched a new mobile website and iPhone application. The firm--which is currently being revamped by CEO Michael Jones into a new, entertainment focused portal--said the updated site creates the "best experience for Myspace mobile web users". The new mobile site works with iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Palm, and certain Nokia and BlackBerry devices.

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Digital Family Reunion

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 -- Digital Family Reunion '10. For the third year running, we'll celebrate the connectedness of our vibrant digital media industry in Southern California at the third annual Digital Family Reunion. Whether you were there at the beginning, lived through the dot-com era, emerged after the crash or started your career in digital yesterday, you are a part of the Digital Family.

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Codeita Powers Collaboration For Web Developers

Tech Zulu Event

Remember the first time you used Google Docs? Magical, right? Well, Kyle Ellicott (serial entrepreneur and FIDM web lead) and Brian Robinson (founder of ndmweb) thought that web developers should get a taste of that collaboration innovation as well. Visit TechZulu for full story. Tags: Business Culture Entrepreneurship Startup Brian Robinson Cloud Computing Codeita FIDM Kyle Ellicott ndmweb.

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How to Get Funding From Friends, Family, and Fools

Startup Professionals Musings

Most entrepreneurs have learned that it’s almost always quicker and easier to get cash from someone you know, rather than angel investors or professional investors (VCs). In fact, most investors “require” that you already have some investment from friends and family before they will even step up to the plate. You see, investors invest in people, before they invest in ideas or products.

Funding 93
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Oversee.net Launches Credit Card Site

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Oversee.net said this morning that it has launched a new site, CreditCards.org, which is focused on smarter credit card decisions. According to Oversee, the new site will provide information on credit cards and simplify the process of finding credit for users. Among the kind of content provided on the site include comparison of different credit cards; industry information about the credit card industry; tips and advice focused on personal finance; and more.

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Cloud Made Easy

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 -- Cloud Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Success in the Cloud. TCOSC. Software Society. Cloud Made Easy! A Practical Guide to Moving to the Cloud, Lowering Costs, and Improving your Competitiveness IBM, Corent Technology and RightScale are participating at this Technology Council of Southern California breakfast event on December 7th at IBM's Costa Mesa Conference Center.

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Startup Nights Brings Co-working to Late Night

Tech Zulu Event

If you’re an LA entrepreneur and have not been to Coloft yet, you’re seriously missing out. Located just a few blocks from 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, this co-working space has evolved into the central meeting place for the Los Angeles startup scene. Avesta Rasouli and Cameron Kashani founded Coloft with the hopes of building an incredible environment for creative and technical talent to work, without having to spend an arm and a leg on office space.

Startup 94
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A Winning Business Keeps the Team Highly Engaged

Startup Professionals Musings

By David Shedd Is your team fully engaged to give their best, day in and day out? In a recent study by TowersWatson , an international HR consulting firm, fewer than 21% of employees surveyed described themselves as “highly engaged,” down from 31% in 2009. 8% admitted to being fully disengaged. Having only one-fifth of your employees highly engaged is not the hallmark of a “Winning Business.

Study 93
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Encompass Digital Media Buys Ascent Media's Content Distribution Business

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Encompass Digital Media said today that it is in a definitive agreement to acquire the global content distribution business of Ascent Media Corporation. The deal is worth approximately $120M, split between $113M in cash plus assumption of debt obligations worth approximately $7M. The deal is being funded by capital from Macquarie Capital and Tennenbaum Capital Partners.

Media 178
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TECH BREW MEGA MIXER

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 -- TECH BREW MEGA MIXER. TECH BREW--the Region's Premier Networking Event for High Technology Professionals, Cutting Edge Entrepreneurs and Innovators, Business and Community Leaders, and related Non Profits dedicated to Sustainable Economic Development. See [link] (more).

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TechZulu Welcomes Matt Sandler To The Team!

Tech Zulu Event

From the countless submissions TechZulu received when we put out the word out that we were hiring a writer. We finally came down to what we believe will be an amazing addition to the TechZulu writing team. To top it off he is a SoCal local! We welcome Matt Sandler to the TZ crew! Visit TechZulu for full story. Tags: Blogging News Chromatik CitizenNet Matt Sandler Startup Digest StartupDigest TechZulu.

SoCal 94
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A Blog Can Be A Startup’s Most Valuable Investment

Startup Professionals Musings

With the an estimated 150K new websites and 7M new pages added to the Internet every day, the biggest challenge for every entrepreneur is to get found, and get some credibility for a new startup. I can attest from experience that publishing a regular blog to properly showcase your offering, even before you have it, is a most cost effective approach in time and money.

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Total Immersion Applies Technology To Surgery

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Total Immersion , the developer of augmented reality software tools, reports today that it has added Los Angeles-based Vantage Surgical Systems as a partner. According to Total Immersion, Vantage is looking to use its augmented reality systems as part of its advanced surgical visualization solutions. In particular, the firm said that it is looking at overlaying and tracking diagnostic data to any surgery using endoscopes or visual aids such as microscopes.

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SPAWAR

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 -- CommNexus Presents:SPAWAR: The Navy's Information Dominance Command. The Military SIG Presents a brief from Admiral Brady, Commander, SPAWAR. Admiral Brady will discuss SPAWAR's leadership in Navy Information Dominance and share his thoughts regarding industry's role supporting this evolving mission and technology. SPEAKER: Rear Admiral Patrick H.

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Redefining The Future At Humanity+ Live From Caltech

Tech Zulu Event

On December 4-5, 2010 TechZulu will present to the Humanity Plus conference live from the Caltech (California Institute of Technology). Visit TechZulu for full story. Tags: Business Development Events Science & Technology Caltech Humanity Plus.

CalTech 85
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The Ten Big Steps From Idea to Winning Execution

Startup Professionals Musings

After the idea, it’s all about execution. I often hear from investors that a great idea is necessary, but not sufficient. The most important thing is a proven team, meaning one who has built a startup before, and has experience with the execution process in this domain. I’ve talked before about the best personality traits for a good entrepreneur, but I’ve never talked about the importance of process.

Ideas 92
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Sprint Rolls Out 4G In Los Angeles

socalTECH

Sprint said today that it has officially opened up its 4G wireless network in the Los Angeles area, which it says will provide mobile web browsing at speeds up to 10 times faster than its 3G network. According to Sprint, it will be offering up a range of 4G capable devices in Los Angeles. The 4G launch for Sprint comes on the same day that 4G provider Clearwire also opened up access; both are deployment and launch partners in the 4G market, with Clearwire offering up its 4G network to Sprint as

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5th Annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 -- 5th Annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa. CONNECT. The 5th Annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa will gather local and national experts from academia, government and industry to examine the recent advances in stem cell research and therapies. This exclusive, one-day event will include sessions moderated by the top researchers from the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine which includes UC San Diego, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the Sanford Burnham In

San Diego 113
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Get Answers With KISSinsights

Tech Zulu Event

If you’ve ever wondered what your customers think while on your website, you’ll love KISSinsights. If you’ve ever wanted to ask questions to your users, you’ll love KISSinsights. If you’ve ever read a post by Steve Blank or Eris Ries, you’ll love KISSinsights. If you’re a freedom-loving Republican gubernatorial candidate in Tennesee…heck, you might love KISSinsights too.

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How to Detect Mentors Who are Critics in Disguise

Startup Professionals Musings

The dictionary definition of a mentor is “an experienced and trusted advisor,” or “leader, tutor or coach.” The definition of a critic sounds similar, “a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis.” The big difference, of course, is that a mentor looks ahead to help you, while a critic looks backward to tell you what you did wrong. We can all learn from both of these approaches, but in my view the mentor is far more valuable than a critic.

Mentor 91
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EQAL Powers Site For Earth Balance, Whole Foods Market

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based EQAL , the social entertainment and media firm known for lonelygirl15, is powering a new web site for Earth Balance and Whole Foods Market. According to Earth Balance, it is launching a new holiday bakeoff community-- MadeJustRight.com --which will allow home bakers a chance to win prizes and have their recipes featured on Whole Food's web site.

Sites 178
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Convergence Venture Roundtable Deadline

SoCal Tech Calendar

Friday, December 3, 2010 -- CONNECT Convergence Venture Roundtable deadline. onvergence Venture Roundtable is being launched to take advantage of the synergies taking place in San Diego across clusters and the region's new iHub designation from the Governor for wireless health, biofuels and energy storage. Technologies covered will include clean energy, smart grid, intelligent transportation, energy storage/batteries, biofuels, action sports combining with wireless, cleantech or material science

San Diego 113
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Somrat Niyogi CEO & Co-Founder of Miso On TechZulu Live

Tech Zulu Event

This week TechZulu Live is back from the holiday break with an amazing interview lined up for this thursday. Our special guest this week is Somrat Niyogi CEO & Co-Founder of Miso. Miso is a “Foursquare for TV+Movies” app, rewarding users with badges when they check-in to TV shows via the iPhone, iPad, Android, and web. Visit TechZulu for full story.

Web 71
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Ten Executive Titles You Don’t Want in a Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

It’s your startup, so you can give early partners any title you want, but be aware of potential investor and peer implications. VCs and angel investors like to see a startup that is running lean and mean, with no more than three or four of the conventional C-level or VP titles. More executives, or other more creative titles are seen as a big red flag.

Startup 90
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DFR To Honor Quigley, Turk, Hughes

socalTECH

The annual Digital Family Reunion , the annual holiday get together being run by Brad Nye, is announcing today that it will be honoring venture capitalist William Quigley, as well as technology bankers Mark Turk and Stephen Hughes at its event this year. Quigley is being awarded an "Outstanding Achievement" award for his leadership, technical innovation, business acumen and community involvement.

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Calit2 Birthday Celebration

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, December 7, 2010 -- Calit2 Birthday Celebration. Including UCI Chancellor Drake and UCSD Chancellor Fox, remarks from former Governor Gray Davis. See [link] (more).

UCSD 113
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TechZulu Heads To CES 2011! And Your Chance to Win a WOWee!

Tech Zulu Event

TechZulu is heading out to CES and we have tons of products/gadgets/games/companies to review and interview. We want to hear from you as well and get what you are really interested in. So make sure you follow us on Twitter (@TechZulu) for all your CES goodness. Visit TechZulu for full story.