Sat.Feb 14, 2015 - Fri.Feb 20, 2015

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Be Careful About Being a Meddling Startup CEO

Both Sides of the Table

'*. I recently wrote a post talking about how some VCs meddle in operating company decisions or some executive teams are too reliant on VCs to jump in and make hard calls for them. Fred Wilson also wrote on a similar topic in his usual more succinct manner , with a great quote being: “One thing I know for sure is that those who advise and invest in startups cannot and should not meddle in the day to day decision making.

Startup 276
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Sunrun Sets Up Engineering Center In Irvine, To Hire 50

socalTECH

'Residential solar installation company Sunrun , which is based in San Francisco, said on Wednesday that it is opening up a new solar design engineering center in Irvine, where it expects to hire at least 50. Sunrun said the new design engineering center will create customized system designs for its customers around the country, and will include everything from system designers to technical support.

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Don’t manage with “what” without “why!”

Berkonomics

'Empowering your direct reports with the reasons for your orders gives them incentive to act, motivation to accept authority, and purpose behind action. I try to teach this with the simple phrase that is the headline of this insight. Think of the last time someone above you in your business or personal life gave you an order to do something that seemed either illogical or of low priority – to you.

Report 142
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Great Entrepreneurs Sell Solutions, Not Technology

Startup Professionals Musings

'Even though I love technology, I always cringe when an entrepreneur starts his investor pitch to me by touting his new technology. They have forgotten that new technologies are perceived by most customers as causing more pain than the problems they eliminate. I chastise these startups to highlight the solution created by the technology, rather than highlighting the technology.

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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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Sexism Still Exists in Tech | Blatant Trolling at DeveloperWeek 2015

Tech Zulu Event

'I received a press pass to DeveloperWeek 2015 last week in order to attend the “Advice to Live by from Women Developers” career panel moderated by the lead of Dice’s engineering team, Jennifer Petersen. Erin Craig of Wolfram, Dominique DeGuzman of Twilio, Ana Martinez of Zendesk and Maira Benjamin of Pandora all joined in the conversation to discuss their experiences in pursuing careers in software engineering.

Web 87
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Report: Western Digital, Other Hard Drives Compromised By Spy Group

socalTECH

'A report, published this morning, says that hard drives from Lake Forest-based Western Digital , as well as those from fellow hard drive companies Maxtor, Samsung, IBM, Micron, Toshiba, and Seagate--had secretly been compromised by a secretive hacking group linked to the US intelligence community. The report said that the hard drives had been embedded with spyware, deep within the firmware of those products, in order to support the US spying program.

Report 162

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8 Insights For Startups To Attract Angel Investors

Startup Professionals Musings

'Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. But many have no insight or connections to the ethereal angel investment community, which actually funds more startups then all other venture sources combined (over $25 billion annually).

Angel 106
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Inspiring College Entrepreneurship | With lessons from Y Combinator and Elon Musk

Tech Zulu Event

'The most common question I get running a college talent startup is: “What is the entrepreneurship culture like in schools? And what is the talent like?” Most people agree that Stanford’s entrepreneurial spirit and talented students played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Silicon Valley. Many believe the same culture will be essential to the success of growing Southern California’s own startup culture.

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Momstamp Looks To Connect Mothers, Help With Referrals

socalTECH

'A new, Los Angeles-based startup, MomStamp , recently said it has launched, to help mother connect with their extended network and better get referrals from "friends of friends" to local service providers. The startup, which likens itself to "Angie''s List and Yelp meets Facebook", said is backed by Brian Lee of The Honest Company/ Bam Ventures, Adam Miller, CEO of Cornerstone OnDemand, and artists Shepard and Amanda Fairey.

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Uber Launches uberPOOL In LA

socalTECH

'On demand ride service Uber said Thursday that it is launching its carpooling service, uberPOOL , in Los Angeles, in an effort to help residents help reduce traffic and pollution in the city. uberPOOL matches up UberX riders, letting them share rides along the way to their destinations, matching similar trips together and offering up lower fares for riders, better fares for drivers, and with a side effect of less traffic and less pollution.

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StyleHaul Names COO

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based fashion YouTube network StyleHaul has named a new COO, the company announced this morning. StyleHaul said it has named Olivier Delfosse as its Chief Operations Officer, in the company''s Los Angeles headquarters. Delfosse was formerly Senior Vice President, Digital at FremantleMedia Group, managing the interactive business of such properties as American Idol, America''s Got Talent, The Price Is Right, Family Feud and The X Factor.

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Firefly Games Raises $8M

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Firefly Games has raised $8M in a Series A financing round, to help bring Asian mobile games to the Western market, the company said Monday. The funding was led by Skyocean International Holdings, Ceyuan Ventures and GuangZhou WinHi. The company said it is set to release four titles this year, partnering with other mobile game development firms to adapt popular Asian mobile games to Western markets.

Mobile 138
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Report: Snapchat Seeking $500M In New Funding, Valued At $19 Billion

socalTECH

'Venice-based Snapchat is looking to raise at much as $500M in a new round of funding, currently valuing the company as high as $19 billion, according to a report from Bloomberg last night. The report cited a "person with knowledge of the matter", who said the valuation of the company would be between $16 billion to $19 billion. READ MORE>>.

Snapchat 135
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Laguna Pharmaceuticals Gets $30M

socalTECH

'La Jolla-based Laguna Pharmaceuticals , a developer of biopharmaceuticals aimed at treating cardiac arrhythmia, said this morning that it has raised $30M in a Series B funding, and relocated its headquarters to La Jolla. The company said the funding round came from Versant Ventures, Frazier Healthcare and BioMed Ventures along with Sante Ventures. Laguna Pharmaceuticals was previously known as ChanRx, and had been based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Study 135
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Armorway Applies Game Theory To Real Life

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Armorway , a tartup that uses "game theory" and big data information to plan out security scheduling, says its software is being used by the Federal Air Marshal Service and U.S. Coast Guard, the University of Southern California, and an un-named event production house. The company uses the computer science concept of game theory (think "War Games", the 1980''s Matthew Broderick movie) to play through different scenarious, in this case planning out deployment of Air Marshals to

USC 131
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NewCo Raises $1.7M For Tech Festivals

socalTECH

'NewCo , the company which put together the NewCo festival in Los Angeles in November, has just raised $1.7M in a seed funding, the company disclosed today. The company--which connects people in the local technology industry with startups and others through a "distributed festival"--said the funding came from Obvious Ventures, True Ventures, Bloomberg Beta, Transmedia Capital, Freestyle Capital, and Foundry Fund, along with a long list of angels.

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Vitesse Targets Internet of Things

socalTECH

'Camarillo-based Vitesse Semiconductor , which develops a range of networking semiconductors, said today that it has rolled out a new reference design specifically aimed at the Internet-of-Things (IoT) market. The company said it has rolled out new Gigabit Ethernet PHY reference designs for small form factor, IoT networking, to help power embedded networking for devices.

Template 131
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Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation Awards Grant

socalTECH

'The Corstone OnDemand Foundation , the nonprofit arm of Santa Monica-based Cornerstone OnDemand , said today that it has made the first award from a new grant from the foundation called the Impact Acceleration Award. Cornerstone OnDemand said it is providing Darkness to Light , a nonprofit combating childhood sexual abuse, with two years of its Cornerstone Learning software, plus pro bono business consulting services.

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Tealium Takes $30.7M More

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Tealium , the developer of marketing and tag management software led by Jeff Lunsford, said this morning that it has raised $30.7M in a Series D funding round. The funding was led by Georgian Partners, and also included Bain Capital Ventures, along with Battery Ventures, Tenaya Capital, and Presidio Ventures. The company said the funding will go to expanding its operations and for product innovation.

San Diego 131
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Ixia Signs Reseller

socalTECH

'Calabasas-based a href="[link] said Thursday that it has signed on a new reseller, Adaptive Integration , to offer up its application performance and security products. Adaptive Integration offers up its services in the western U.S. The two said they have been working together since December. Ixia is a developer of hardware and software used for networking testing and monitoring.

Calabasas 125
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Dexcom Extends NASCAR Sponsorship Deal With Ryan Reed

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Dexcom , which makes continuous glucose monitoring devices for diabetics, said yesterday that it is continuing a sponsorship deal with NASCAR driver Ryan Reed. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Reed is involved in a national diabetes awareness initiative from the American Diabetes Association. That initiative is focused on the importance of daily monitoring and tracking of glucose trends in the management of diabetes.

San Diego 125
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MegaPath Sells Managed Services Business

socalTECH

'MegaPath , the provider of cloud and broadband services which has major operations in Orange County, said Thursday that it has sold its managed services businesss to GTT Communication. The deal is worth $152.3M, split between $144.8M in cash plus $7.5M in stock. MegaPath''s Managed Services division provided private networking, access services, and managed security services to enterprise clients.

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Hulu Gets Exclusive Video On Demand Rights To CSI

socalTECH

'Are you a fan of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ? Well, if you''re looking for past episodes, you will have to subscribe to Santa Monica-based Hulu , which said today that it has obtained the exclusive, video-on-demand rights to the show. Hulu did not disclose the financial details of the deal between the streaming television company and CBS Corporation.

Hulu 125
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j2 Global Buys EmailDirect

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based j2 Global has gobbled up yet another, online internet service provider, saying today that it has acquired EmailDirect , a provider of email marketing services. j2 Global said it acquired EmailDirect in an asset deal, but did not disclose finances of the acquisition. j2 Global said it will use the buy to bolster its Campaigner Email Marketing brand.

Email 125
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17hats Gets $1.25M For Small Business Automation Software

socalTECH

'Pasadena-based 17hats , a developer of business automation software, has raised $1.25M in a seed funding round, according to the company. The funding was led by Wavemaker Partners, along with un-named strategic investors and angels. The startup is led by Donovan Janus. 17hats develops a suite of software featuring CRM, project management, calendaring, quotes, contracts, invoicing, time tracking and bookkeeping, all aimed at solo entrepreneurs.

Software 125
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Nativo Snags comScore CEO For Board

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based native advertising startup Nativo said this morning that it has snagged comScore CEO Serge Matta for the company''s board of directors. comScore is well known for its measurement of digital advertising and e-commerce. Matta has been at comScore since 1999. Nativo is led by Justin Choi, and venture backed by Greycroft Partners, e.ventures, and Signia Venture Partners.

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BlackBerry Files Second Suit Against Typo

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based smartphone case-and-keyboard maker Typo , which is backed by Ryan Seacrest, was sued again this week by BlackBerry. BlackBerry--which already has an outstanding lawsuit against Typo--claims the company''s redesigned Typo 2 smartphone case still infringes upon its patents. Typo develops BlackBerry-like keyboards which allow iPhone users to type on a physical keyboard.

Patents 125
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Jukin Media Feeds Viral Videos To Publishers

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Jukin Media , which licenses and distributes viral, user-generated and other video content, said today that it has launched a brand new product to make it easier for publishers to tap into that viral content. Jukin said it has created a new "viral video MRSS feed", which is already being used by AOL, Complex, Flipps, Frequency, Rare.us, ViralNova and Yahoo, which helps those publishers immediately surface viral videos.

Media 125
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Cohu Names Board Member

socalTECH

'Poway-based Cohu , which develops semiconductor test tools and systems, said yesterday that t has named Karl H. Funke to its board of directors. Funke was most recently an senior executive at Multitest GmbH, having been that company''s CEO from 2001 until 2009. Funke had been at Multitest GmbH since 1994. READ MORE>>.

Tool 125
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Avery Dennison Names CFO

socalTECH

'Glendale-based Avery Dennison appointed a new CFO on Friday, saying that it named Anne L. Bramman as SVP and Chief Financial Officer. Bramman was previously at Carinval Cruise Line, also serving as SVP and CFO. The company said Bramman will lead its finance function, including audit, financial reporting, investor relations, planning and analysis, tax and treasury, as well as the company''s information technology.

Glendale 125
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MSC Software Buys Simufact

socalTECH

'Newport Beach-based simulation software developer MSC Software said this morning that it has acquired Simufact Engineering , a developer of simulation software used in welding and forming simulations. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced by the companies. The two said that Simufact''s software is used in the aerospace, automotive, and machinery industries.

Software 125
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j2 Global Buys Nuvotera

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based j2 Global , which operates an wide range of Internet services, said today that its Excel Micro business has acquired the assets of Nuvotera , a provider of email security services. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Nuvotera--formerly known as Spam Soap--focused on the small and medium sized business market. j2 Global said the impact on its business is not expected to be material.

Email 125
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TrueCar Rolls Out TV Ad Campaign

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based car buying technology and marketplace operator TrueCar said this morning that it has rolled out two new, television ads featuring dogs in cars, and the voice of Wen Wilson. TrueCar said its first spot is called "True Love" , and focuses on the "love affair between dogs and cars". TrueCar said it is using the new television ads to position TrueCar as the "new way for modern consumers"--especially millenials--to buy a car.

Truecar 125
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BuyAutoParts.com Names CIO

socalTECH

'San Diego-based BuyAutoParts.com , an online e-commerce site focused on auto parts, said Thursday that it has named Adrian Crisan as the company''s Chief Information Officer. Crisan joins from AutoAnything, where he was VP of Software Engineering. Crisan also has served at Sony Electronics and HP/Compaq. The company said Crisan has over 25 years of experience in the field.

CIO 116
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eHarmony Aims At International Markets For Growth

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based matchmaking site eHarmony is looking to the overseas market to grow its service, saying today that it is launching a "globalization initiative" this year to add one new country per quarter to its service. eHarmony says it will create region-specific versions of its service, which will be customized for each country. The first new market for eHarmony is Singapore.

eHarmony 100
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Science Inc. Gets $20M In Debt Funding, Grows To 150 People

socalTECH

'Los Angeles based startup incubator/studio Science --which is behind such local startups as Dollar Shave Club and DogVacay--has quietly raised $20M in a debt financing round, according to the companies. According to Fortune, the funding came from private equity investor Silver Lake Waterman. Science said that it will use the new growth funding to enhance its technology platform.